Council approves Magnolia Avenue safety design work, new vehicle-detection equipment and higher loop-maintenance cap

The Knoxville City Council on the evening’s consent agenda approved three transportation measures intended to speed design and deployment of intersection and signal safety improvements along several high-crash corridors.

Council members voted to: authorize the mayor to sign a professional design agreement with Gresham Smith for Magnolia Avenue intersection improvements (not to exceed $359,785); approve an initial one‑year purchase of Miovision video vehicle‑detection equipment with up to two one‑year renewal options (amount not to exceed $100,000 per year); and amend the on‑call contract for inductive loop maintenance, increasing the annual maximum by $25,000 for a new annual cap of $70,000. Motions carried by voice vote.

The measures are part of a larger federal Safe Streets for All award. Tom Clayville, the city’s engineering director, said, “The total grant amount was $10,000,000; this is a piece of that application,” and that the Magnolia design work will focus on intersection improvements at Cherry Street, Castle Street and North Hembree.

Why it matters: Magnolia Avenue is a multi‑lane state route that the city described as having a high incidence of serious crashes. City staff said the corridor’s 70‑foot pavement sections make pedestrian crossings difficult and that targeted countermeasures at intersections can reduce vehicle‑pedestrian conflicts.

Clayville explained the equipment and goals in more detail. “We really utilize three different technologies for vehicle detection at signalized intersections… the intent is to detect when there's vehicles there and it actuates the signal to help with phasing and efficiency of the intersection,” he said, describing video cameras, pavement loops and microwave detectors. The video equipment is web‑based; staff said it will initially operate automatically and, when fiber is available, will permit remote changes to signal phasing from the office.

Council members pressed staff on how the projects fit into broader corridor work. Councilwoman Parker thanked engineering for selecting intersections but urged the city to keep other precarious crossings on the schedule, citing Magnolia at Harrison Street near a hotel, a warming center and food businesses. Vice Mayor Smith and others emphasized that Chapman Highway and other major corridors are also in planning, noting a separate, larger Safe Streets award the city said will support more ambitious work on Chapman.

Staff said the Miovision purchase and loop maintenance increase are intended to support near‑term detection and signal efficiency needs while the city pursues a longer‑term traffic management center and fiber connections. A planning horizon of roughly 2027 was mentioned for citywide corridor deployments tied to federal funding and fiber buildout.

Next steps: Gresham Smith will move into design work for the Magnolia intersections under the approved contract, the Miovision equipment purchase may begin under the initial one‑year term, and engineering will continue work on corridor timing, communications upgrades and a future traffic management center.