KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — People in the Knoxville area have a chance to share how they think federal money could be best spent to address transportation priorities.
The Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization is collecting community input as it works on Mobility Plan 2050 — an update to the area's long-range transportation plan. It's updated every four years and helps guide decisions on transportation projects in the area. The plan is also federally required.
Anyone who wants to share their opinions on the plan can fill out an online survey. Previously, the organization held public sessions with community members to collect opinions.
The previous plan, Mobility Plan 2045, prioritized safety and health-related concerns. Efficiency concerns ranked third, followed by requests for more transportation options. It also identified commuting patterns in which thousands more commuters traveled into Knox County than left the area for work.
Mobility Plan 2050 can include goals related to roads, buses, sidewalks, accommodations and freight movement. It covers Knoxville, Knox County and parts of Blount County, Loudon County, Anderson County, Roane County and Sevier County.
The plan is being developed through a partnership with the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization.
In the first round of outreach, the organization said it had dozens of participants across three meetings. In those first meetings, it said participants identified Knoxville Area Transit as one of their favorite things about the Knoxville area. It also said participants identified parks and greenspaces as a top feature of the area and said Knoxville was a "perfect size city."
Participants also said they would want more bus service in the evening and light-night hours, as well as more holistic mobility choices such as additional greenways and bikeway gaps. Many said their lives would be easier if transit services extended into the evening and were closer to home. Some said they felt "pedestrians are overlooked," according to the organization.
The survey will stay open through Nov. 12, giving people a few more weeks to share their mobility priorities. People can also share concerns about specific locations in an interactive, online map by the organization.
