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Advance Knox State of the County Report Available

Knox County last updated its Comprehensive Plan nearly 20 years ago. During that time, the county has experienced significant growth and change. Advance Knox is a unique opportunity to align land use and transportation goals to create a blueprint for the county’s future. It will help guide decisions about where and how future growth occurs and where investments in infrastructure and services are made in the years to come. 

The Advance Knox State of the County Report was recently released as part of the comprehensive planning process and is now available on the project website at advanceknox.org. The report is an overview of the county’s current land use patterns and transportation systems and the infrastructure that connects them. It assesses the conditions and trends that affect how Knox County residents live, work, and travel. To do this, the report evaluates where Knox County is today in terms of people, places, prosperity, and infrastructure by looking at topics such as: 

  • Population,  
  • Land utilization, 
  • Development potential,  
  • Economic growth,  
  • Employment,  
  • Housing, and 
  • Infrastructure. 

Now that this report is complete, the project team is working on scenario planning by analyzing data to help illustrate possible strategies for guiding the county’s future growth. This work will be presented at public meetings in the fall.

For more information, please contact the project team at contact@advanceknox.org. You can also find more information and sign up to receive email updates at advanceknox.org.   

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Participate!

The Technical Committee collaborates with staff to provide recommendations to the Executive Board in the development of regional transportation plans and programs.

The Executive Board sets policy and adopts plans and programs. The Board provides a forum for collaboration and decision-making related to regional transportation policy, planning, and funding.

Regularly scheduled meetings of the Technical Committee and the Executive Board are open to the public.

If you are interested in speaking during either meeting about a specific agenda item, email laura.edmonds@knoxplanning.org no later than noon on the day before the meeting with your full name, phone number, and the agenda item of interest.

Comments on specific agenda items should be submitted no later than 3:00 p.m. the day before the meeting to laura.edmonds@knoxplanning.org.

You can watch all meetings live on YouTube.

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TPO Receives Commendations from Federal Partners

The Knoxville Regional TPO successfully completed the Federal certification review of the metropolitan transportation planning and programming process. The TPO’s mission is to advise and assist our region to improve and expand transportation choices by involving citizens and decision-makers in our plans, forums, and outreach. Every four years, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) review and evaluate our planning processes to ensure that we’re meeting the federal requirements and regulations in place to help us realize that mission. The review included input and participation from TDOT, Knoxville Area Transit, TPO staff, and the public. After a three day visit from federal partners to review the work and processes of the TPO, the review team determined that all requirements for certification had been met. Beyond meeting the specified requirements, the TPO earned six commendations for exceeding expectations in certain areas: – Metropolitan Transportation Plan – Interactive Map – Air Quality & Transportation Conformity – Interagency Consultation Engagement – Public Outreach & Civil Rights – Active Knox Speaker Series – Transit Multimodal Planning – Transit Coordination – Transportation Safety Planning – Bicycle and Pedestrian Crash Analysis Future recommendations include working with federal partners to expand the performance-based planning and programming process, using Title VI data to expand outreach efforts with disadvantaged populations, working closely with FHWA and TDOT during the next congestion management process update, and updating the Regional Intelligent Transportation Systems Architecture by summer of 2021. This certification is good for four years, meaning the next certification process will take place in 2024.
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TPO Welcomes New AmeriCorps Member

Sharath Rereddy recently joined the TPO for a year-long position serving with AmeriCorps. Before moving to Knoxville, Sharath grew up and lived the majority of his life in Fairfax County and neighboring Arlington, VA. He spent four years a little further south while attending Virginia Tech, where he majored in economics. After graduating with his bachelor’s degree, he moved back to the DC Metro area and worked in finance as an internal analyst for Accenture. While living and working in Arlington, his interest in planning and sustainability deepened, and he decided to return to school to pursue another degree. Since then he has earned a graduate certificate in sustainable planning from George Washington University, and is excited to gain experience and insight into planning practices before returning to complete a graduate degree. In the coming year, Sharath will manage bicycle and pedestrian counts and present information to area high school drivers education classes and other interested groups. He is also helping with an annual Title VI data collection and mapping update, and has other projects on his horizon. He hopes to collaborate with Ijams Nature Center to organize a bike safety talk and group ride that ends at a special exhibit at the park. When he’s not at work, you can find Sharath relaxing or reading at his home in North Knoxville. He also enjoys spending time outdoors while hiking, biking, and playing soccer. Sharath is looking forward to exploring nearby destinations for his favorite outdoor activities as he continues to enjoy the Knoxville and surrounding area.