Council approves $96,100 traffic study to analyze impacts of Gay Street Bridge closure

Knoxville City Council approved a resolution on Oct. 13 authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with CDM Smith Inc. for up to $96,100 to provide professional engineering services to study traffic impacts associated with the closure of the Gay Street Bridge.

Vice Mayor Smith and city engineering staff explained the study is one of three funding "buckets" tied to the bridge: stabilization and repairs already underway; a recent $2 million project to assess replacement options; and this traffic-analysis contract to quantify how traffic has diverted and to inform future decisions. "This funding will address traffic-flow impacts from the closure of the bridge," staff said.

Public commenters and council members urged that the study account for multimodal travel and induced demand. Ellen Zavisca of Yes Knoxville, a transportation nonprofit, asked that the study avoid bias toward auto traffic and include before-and-after data for periods when the bridge reopens to pedestrians and bicycles.

Engineering director Mr. Clabo reviewed the inspection and lidar survey work that informed the city's stabilization approach and explained why vehicle traffic is not currently allowed; stabilization will permit limited bike and pedestrian use while longer-term options are explored. He said work to stabilize the bridge is expected to be complete by the end of the year and that a federal grant application for larger-scale options could follow.

The resolution passed (motion made and seconded; "Motion carries"). The meeting record does not include a roll-call tally for this item.