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FY 2026-2029 Transportation Improvement Program – Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG), Surface Transportation Block Grant – Transportation Alternatives (STBG-TA), Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ PM 2.5) Federal Funding Opportunity

Purpose

The Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) is currently developing the Fiscal Year 2026-2029 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is updated on a three-year cycle and covers a period of four years. Therefore, the current FY 2023-2026 TIP will transition to a new FY 2026-2029 TIP. This call for projects allows jurisdictions to apply for new projects or roll over and update unobligated phases of projects currently programmed in the FY 2023-2026 TIP.

Funding Availability

  • Local Surface Transportation Block Grant (L-STBG): TPO staff projects a federal fund balance of approximately $70.2 million in FY 2026 available to program projects rolled over from the current TIP, cover funding shortfalls in rollover projects and fund new projects. Fiscal years 2027 through 2029 are projected to have approximately $14 million available annually.
  • Local Surface Transportation Block Grant Transportation Alternatives Program (L-STBG-TA): Approximately $5.2 million is available to program projects rolled over from the current TIP, cover funding shortfalls in rollover projects and fund new projects in FY 2026. Fiscal years 2027 through 2029 are projected to have approximately $1.7 million available annually.
  • Carbon Reduction Program (CRP): Approximately $2.6 million is available to program projects rolled over from the current TIP, cover funding shortfalls in rollover projects and fund new projects in FY 2026. Fiscal years 2027 through 2029 are projected to have approximately $1.7 million available annually.
  • Final revenue amounts will be determined by authorizations from the federal transportation bill. Carryover funds may be impacted by cost increases within the current TIP program.
  • Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) PM 2.5 Program: While the TPO has not received programming authority for CMAQ PM 2.5 funds beyond 2025, this project call serves as an opportunity to develop a project list from which the TPO can coordinate with the TDOT Air Quality Office to seek programming authority in FY 2026 and beyond.

Project Eligibility

STBG projects to improve roadway safety, capacity, operations, or other conditions must be located facilities identified on the federal functional classification system as an Urban Minor Collector or higher. Bicycle/Pedestrian and other multimodal projects (e.g., sidewalks, greenways, transit) are not required to be on the federal functional classification system. Most projects require a 20% local match.

STBG-TA also projects typically require a 20% local match. Transportation Alternatives eligible programs and projects include, but are not limited to:

  • On- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities, including trails for nonmotorized use.
  • Construction of turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas.
    • Community improvement activities:
    • Historic preservation
  • Vegetation management
  • Environmental mitigation for stormwater and habitat connectivity
  • Recreational trail projects
  • Safe routes to school projects

More information about the STBG-TA program and eligible project types can be found here.

CRP funding is available for projects that support the reduction of transportation emissions. More information about the CRP program and eligible project types can be found here: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/sustainability/energy/policy/crp_guidance.pdf

CMAQ funding is available to reduce congestion and improve air quality for areas that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, or particulate matter (nonattainment areas) and for former nonattainment areas that are now in compliance (maintenance areas).

In addition, projects should be included in the fiscally constrained project list of the Knoxville TPO’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan (Mobility Plan 2050). In some instances, projects not individually listed, yet consistent with Mobility Plan 2050, may be eligible to proceed. Projects not currently included in the Mobility Plan fiscally constrained project list should be considered for the TIP only when new funds have been identified to advance the project.

Application Process

Fillable application forms are included in the links below. New projects (those not rolled over from FY 2023-2026 TIP) will submit a full application form. Projects programmed in the current TIP (and eligible for rollover programming, as determined by TIP Policies) will submit a simplified project rollover/update form. Please contact TPO staff for any questions about the application forms, or to verify which form to complete.

Applications are due to TPO staff by Friday, February 28th.

Evaluation Criteria

Projects will be scored based on the goals and factors developed as part of the Mobility Plan 2050 and identified on the Application Form. Other criteria that TPO staff will be evaluating in making project selection recommendations will involve an assessment of project completion scheduling and assessment of project delays as determined by TIP programming policies. This assessment will be based on ease of project implementation, past performance of the sponsoring agency in the TDOT project development process and amount/status of other projects already under development by the sponsoring agency.

Call for Projects Timeline and Draft TIP Development Schedule

  • Begin Call for Projects – January 17, 2025
  • End Call for Projects – Friday, February 28, 2025
  • TPO Staff Scoring and Project Selection Recommendation – March, 2025
  • Draft TIP to Technical Committee/Executive Board for Review – June, 2025
  • Final TIP Technical Committee Recommendation/Executive Board Adoption – October, 2025

While individuals may not submit project applications, we encourage the public to reach out to your local leaders now if there is a project you think should be included.

Related Documents

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Request for Proposals: Stakeholder Engagement and Transit Oriented Development Supportive Strategies

Knoxville-Knox County Planning (Planning) is soliciting proposals from qualified firms for assistance in engaging stakeholders and providing Transit Oriented Development (TOD) planning expertise in the City of Knoxville (COK).

Request for Proposals

Submissions

Proposals are due Tuesday, October 1, 2024 by 4:30 pm EST and can be submitted electronically. More detailed instructions are outlined in a later section of this document.

Questions

Questions or inquiries about the proposal are to be made in writing (email) prior to September 20, 2024, and answers may be posted to the website. Origin of the questions will not be identified.

Please direct questions via email to Doug Burton at doug.burton@knoxplanning.org.

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Request for Proposals: Knoxville MSA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Regional Outreach Consultant

We are soliciting proposals to conduct outreach throughout the Knoxville MSA in association with a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant issued by the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency. Additional information can be found within the document below.

Request for Proposals

Submissions

Proposals are due March 15, 2024 by 4:30 p.m. EST and can be submitted electronically.

Questions

Ally Ketron
Strategic Planning and Communications Manager
Knoxville-Knox County Planning
865-215-3234
ally.ketron@knoxplanning.org

Questions and Responses
Questions received by the March 4 deadline, as well as staff responses, can be found below. 

Question: What portion of the $1 million grant is designated as the budget for the Regional Outreach Consultant to be chosen in this RFP process?
If possible, could you please supply a budget ceiling or estimated cost range. We can imagine different cost scenarios to complete the work but don’t want to risk being too comprehensive with our approach and proposing a budget that is beyond what TPO is expecting/has planned for. We could also prepare 2-3 budget scenarios that are somewhat tiered in what we could do or offer (e.g., budgets with and without software/other things that can be omitted/extracted; different types and number of outreach events for different populations, etc.).
Answer: The City of Knoxville contracted with Knoxville-Knox County Planning for regional outreach throughout the MSA. The total amount of that contract was $350,000, though the total amount designated for an outreach consultant will be less than the total contract amount. The final budget for the outreach consultant will be dependent on the scope of work proposed. We encourage respondents to assign costs to each task so that the budget can be adjusted if necessary during refinement of the scope.

Question: Are you looking for letters of support from partnering organizations?
Answer: Letters of support from partnering organizations are welcomed but not required.

Question: If there are only a couple of applicants, we are open to partnering with other organizations/sharing work. Is there an opportunity for this?
Answer: We are unable to comment on potential partnerships between applicants prior to seeing full responses.

Question: Are the tasks included in the scope of work expected to be performed in the order given?
Answer: There will likely be overlap of the tasks listed within the scope of work, and the consultant does not have to complete them in the order listed.

Question: Will the PCAP be completed and available to share with respondents to the RFP before the deadline of March 15?
Answer: The PCAP was submitted to the EPA on March 1, 2024 and was posted on the Breathe website on March 5, 2024.

Question: The RFP states “Proposals should provide a schedule for accomplishing all tasks for Phase II related to the CCAP.” Is there no outreach required by respondents to the RFP for Phase I?
Answer: Phase I, or the Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP), was the first deliverable due under the planning grant and was submitted to the EPA on March 1, 2024. This effort included outreach to stakeholders, identification of LIDAC communities, and a general plan for future outreach during the CCAP. Because the PCAP has already been submitted, respondents do not need to incorporate the phase into their responses.

Question: Does Knoxville MSA/Knoxville-Knox County Planning currently work with an agency? If so, is that agency anticipated to respond?
Answer: Knoxville-Knox County Planning does not currently work with an agency.

Question: Do we need to be an existing vendor?
Answer: You do not need to be an existing vendor in order to submit a proposal.

Question: Which population segments do you wish to survey? How are they defined?
Answer: Low-income and disadvantaged communities (LIDACs) will be a focus of outreach efforts. The PCAP includes a list of measures aimed at reducing GHG pollution throughout the Knoxville MSA region, and aims to provide 40% of the benefits of the measures to LIDACs identified through the federal Justice40 Initiative in Executive Order 14008. Additional population segments will also be surveyed.

Question: Should the response include scope and cost associated with fielding, analyzing, and reporting on the survey results or only the development of a proposed tool and approach for distribution?
Answer: The response should include a full scope and all costs associated with surveys, which may include tools, distribution, fielding, analyzing, and reporting.

Question: Is the expectation that subsequent surveys would be tracking surveys to measure changes in awareness and perception, or would subsequent surveys have unique goals?
Answer: While it is likely that there would be more than one survey with unique goals, there is not a defined expectation at this point. Planning would look for guidance on additional surveys and whether tracking is beneficial. If scope and budget is dependent on the type of survey, that should be noted in the proposal. 

Question: Are you open to other recommendations for capturing target population input to inform the development of communications tools and content and to identify trusted community groups? 
Answer: Knoxville-Knox County Planning welcomes all ideas, recommendations, and best-practices suggested by respondents to engage in this work throughout the region.


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Call for Projects: Federal Transit Administration, Knoxville Urban Area Section 5310 Funding

The TPO is soliciting projects to be funded through the FTA Section 5310-Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program.  Projects can include both operating services and vehicle purchases.  Non-profits who serve the elderly or persons who are disabled may be eligible to apply for funding for vehicles to serve their clients.  Projects are selected through a competitive process.  The TPO Executive Board determines final awards.  Funding is through Knoxville-Knox County Planning, the contracting agency for the TPO.      

Submissions

Submit applications and/or supplemental materials below by 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday, April 21, 2023. 

Application Submissions

Questions or concerns

Mr. Doug Burton
Knoxville Regional TPO
400 Main Street, Suite 403 – Knoxville, TN 37902
865-215-3824 or doug.burton@knoxtpo.org

Check this site frequently for updates.

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Request for Qualifications and Letters of Interest for Completion of a Regional Roadway Safety Plan

Knoxville-Knox County Planning, an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer, seeks to retain the services of one or more professional entities to provide services related to the completion of a “Regional Roadway Safety Plan.” This effort will involve several aspects of a roadway safety study within the Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA) of the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO).

Required Scope of Services

  • Project Coordination – the consultant will assist TPO staff with developing a project schedule and associated project management tasks such as invoicing, and status reporting.
  • Determination of Scope – the consultant will work with TPO staff to develop a final Scope of Work for the safety plan.
  • Recommendations for Improvement – the consultant will review existing applicable transportation policies and design standards, and make recommendations for improvement.
  • Creation of Predictive Analysis Tool – the consultant will create a predictive analysis tool based on crash data, information about roadway characteristics, demographic data, and other relevant information. It’s anticipated that many of the data inputs can be provided by TPO to the consultant.
  • Project Recommendations – the consultant will produce a prioritized set of engineering projects and programmatic strategies informed by crash data and the predictive analysis tool and aimed at reducing the incidence of fatal and serious-injury crashes. These will include traditional stand-alone engineering projects as well as lower-cost projects that can be incorporated into maintenance, as well as programs. The consultant will also produce estimates of the benefits of the projects and programs based on the reduction of fatal and serious-injury crashes and related cost savings to society.
  • High-Injury Network – the consultant will assist TPO staff with an analysis of regional traffic crash data and the factors contributing to fatal and serious-injury crashes, with a goal of identifying a High-Injury Network (HIN) for the region.
  • Vision Zero Plan for Knoxville –the Knoxville-specific elements of this plan will serve as a Vision Zero Plan for the city, and the consultant will assist City of Knoxville and TPO staff in packaging these elements into a stand-alone Vision Zero Plan.
  • Presentations – the consultant shall provide presentations of the final project to the TPO Technical Committee and/or TPO Executive Board as requested.

Estimated Schedule

  • Question deadline: Prospective respondents may submit questions no later than October 14, 2022, at 12 noon Eastern Time. All questions must be e-mailed to Ellen Zavisca, Principal Transportation Planner, at ellen.zavisca@knoxplanning.org.           
  • Letters of Interest for Phase I due October 24, 2022
  • Short list of firms selected to proceed to Phase II announced by October 31, 2022 (*)
  • Phase II proposals due by November 14, 2022 (*)
  • Final selection of highest ranked firm by November 23, 2022 (*)
  • Contracts with the selected firm(s) will be finalized and initial project tasks estimated to begin by December 21, 2022 (*)

(*) These dates may change due to schedules and availability of the Evaluation Committee. The short-listed firms will be notified of new dates if delays occur.

For full details, please view the full notice.

Questions and Responses
All questions received about this request for qualifications and letters of interest by the Oct. 14 deadline are below, along with responses from TPO staff. 

Question: Will cost be a factor in phase 2 selection?
Response: Yes, we will be requesting that firms selected to submit for Phase II provide a cost estimate. 

Question: Can the Knoxville TPO provide a list of available data for systemic and predictive safety analyses? Specifically, can you please comment on roadway data coverage across the region – e.g., locally owned roads, across cities/counties, etc. for various roadway attributes? Can data samples be provided at the proposal stage?
Response: The TPO will be able to provide crash data and roadway attribute data to the selected firm. The crash data are from TITAN and have been reviewed, corrected and refined by TPO staff. Roadway attribute data are from E-TRIMS and include roadway cross-sections.  

Question: Are there schedule or timeline factors proposers should be aware of? For example, is the City of Knoxville aiming to have some portions of the plan completed in anticipation of the next SS4A funding cycle? Are there other local, regional, or national timeline constraints?
Response: The timeline calls for the plan to be substantially completed by the end of June 2023 so that it can be adopted by the TPO in July or August of 2023 and local governments will be able to seek project implementation funds through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program in 2023. 

Question: Is the consultant expected to do outreach as part of the Vision Zero effort, or will that be part of the city’s role?
Response: Public outreach for Knoxville’s Vision Zero effort will be the responsibility of Knoxville staff, not the consultant.

Question: Does the DBE need to be certified in Tennessee?
Response: No

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Fiscal Year 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program Development Update: Call for Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) and Surface Transportation Block Grant – Transportation Alternatives (STBG-TA) Projects Complete

Purpose

The Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) is currently developing the Fiscal Year 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is updated on a three-year cycle and covers a period of four years. A call for projects was issued in January 2022, with project applications due by February 25th. This call for projects allowed jurisdictions to apply for new projects, or roll over and update unobligated phases of projects currently programmed in the FY 2020-2023 TIP.

Funding Availability

  • TPO STBG Funds – TPO staff projects approximately $105.7M in local Surface Transportation Block Grant (L-STBG) federal funds available over the life of the 2023-2026 TIP to cover funding shortfalls in rollover projects and fund new projects. STBG funds are eligible for most project-types, but if used on a roadway project then it must be classified as Urban Minor Collector or higher on the state’s functional classification system. Most projects require a 20% local match.
  • TPO STBG-TA Funds – Approximately $8.1M in local Surface Transportation Block Grant-Transportation Alternatives (L-STBG-TA) federal funds is available over the life of the 2023-02026 TIP to cover shortfalls in rollover projects and fund new projects. Again, projects typically require a 20% local match.
  • Final revenue amounts will be determined by authorizations from the federal transportation bill. In addition, available funding may be impacted by cost increases within the current TIP program.

Evaluation Criteria

Projects will be scored and ranked using the criteria based on the goals and factors developed for the Mobility Plan 2045 process as shown on the project application form. Other criteria that TPO staff will be evaluating in making project selection recommendations will involve an assessment of project completion scheduling and assessment of project delays as determined by TIP programming policies. This assessment will be based on ease of project implementation, past performance of the sponsoring agency in the TDOT project development process and amount/status of other projects already under development by the sponsoring agency.

Project Applications Received

A total of 25 existing project rollover applications were received, requesting a total of $115.2 million in federal L-STBG funds and $4.9 million in federal L-STBG-TA funds.

A total of 18 new project applications were received, requesting $49.0 million in federal L-STBG funds and $1.4 million federal L-STBG-TA funds.

Draft TIP Development Schedule

  • Call for Projects Issued – January 14, 2022 (Complete)
  • End Call for Projects – Friday, February 25, 2022 (Complete)
  • TPO Staff Scoring and Project Prioritization/Fiscal Constraint consultation with project applicants – April, 2022
  • TDOT submits state projects for inclusion in the draft TIP – April-May, 2022
  • Draft TIP to Technical Committee/Executive Board for Review – June, 2022

Final TIP Technical Committee Recommendation/Executive Board Adoption – September, 2022

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Call for Projects: FY 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program – Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) and Surface Transportation Block Grant – Transportation Alternatives (STBG-TA) Federal Funding Opportunity

The Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) is currently developing the Fiscal Year 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is updated on a three-year cycle and covers a period of four years. This call for projects allows jurisdictions to apply for new projects, or roll over and update unobligated phases of projects currently programmed in the FY 2020-2023 TIP.

Funding Availability

  • TPO STBG Funds – TPO staff has identified an un-obligated local Surface Transportation Block Grant (L-STBG) federal fund balance of approximately $56 million in FY 2023 available to program projects rolled over from the current TIP, cover funding shortfalls in rollover projects and fund new projects. Fiscal years 2024 through 2026 are projected to have approximately $14.5 million available annually. STBG funds are eligible for most project-types, but if used on a roadway project then it must be classified as Urban Minor Collector or higher on the state’s functional classification system. Most projects require a 20% local match.
  • TPO STBG-TA Funds – Approximately $1.2M is available to program projects rolled over from the current TIP, cover funding shortfalls in rollover projects and fund new projects in FY 2023. Fiscal years 2024 through 2026 are projected to have approximately $900,000 available annually. Again, projects typically require a 20% local match. More information about the STBG-TA program and eligible project types can be found here: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/transportation_alternatives/guidance/guidance_2016.cfm
  • Final revenue amounts will be determined by authorizations from the federal transportation bill. Carryover funds may be impacted by cost increases within the current TIP program.

Application Process

Fillable application forms are included in the links below. New projects (those not rolled over from FY 2023-2026 TIP) will submit a full application form. Projects programmed in the current TIP (and eligible for rollover programming, as determined by TIP Policies) will submit a simplified project rollover/update form. Please contact TPO staff for any questions about the application forms, or to verify which form to complete. Applications are due to TPO staff by Friday, February 25th.

Evaluation Criteria

Projects will be scored and ranked using the criteria based on the goals and factors developed for the Mobility Plan 2045 process as shown on the project application form. Other criteria that TPO staff will be evaluating in making project selection recommendations will involve an assessment of project completion scheduling and assessment of project delays as determined by TIP programming policies. This assessment will be based on ease of project implementation, past performance of the sponsoring agency in the TDOT project development process and amount/status of other projects already under development by the sponsoring agency.

Call for Projects Timeline and Draft TIP Development Schedule

  • Begin Call for Projects – January 14, 2022
  • End Call for Projects – Friday, February 25, 2022
  • TPO Staff Scoring and Project Selection Recommendation – March, 2022
  • Draft TIP to Technical Committee/Executive Board for Review – June, 2022
  • Final TIP Technical Committee Recommendation/Executive Board Adoption – September, 2022

While individuals can’t submit a project application, we encourage the public to reach out to your local leaders now if there is a project you think should be included.

Related Documents

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Call for Projects: FTA Transit Funding

The TPO is soliciting projects to be funded through the FTA Section 5310-Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program. 

Projects can include both operating services and vehicle purchases.  Non-profits who serve the elderly or persons who are disabled may be eligible to apply for funding for vans or mini-buses to serve their clients.  Projects are selected through a competitive process.  The TPO Executive Board determines final awards.  Funding is through the Knoxville Knox County Planning, the contracting agency for the TPO.      

Applications are due by 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday, March 26, 2021. 

Applications and/or questions should be sent to:
Mr. Doug Burton
Knoxville Regional TPO
400 Main Street, Suite 403 – Knoxville, TN 37902
865-215-3824 or doug.burton@knoxtpo.org

Check this site frequently for updates.

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RFP – Transit Planning as a Service (SaaS)

Knoxville Knox County Planning in cooperation with Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) seeks Proposals for the provision of transit planning web-based Software as a Service (SaaS) to assist in planning and analyzing transit and other types of transportation planning efforts for the Knoxville metropolitan planning area. 

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Mobility Plan 2045 Call for Projects








 

The TPO is soliciting projects for Mobility Plan 2045. We’ve notified jurisdictions within our planning area that we are accepting applications for projects to be included in the plan. All applications must be submitted by jurisdictions no later than Friday, September 4. While individuals can’t submit an application, we encourage you to reach out to your local leaders now if there is a project you think should be included. Contact us at mobility@knoxplanning.org for more information.