Knoxville-area TPO adopts local 2026 safety performance targets

The Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization on a voice vote adopted a resolution to document local safety performance targets for the 2022–2026 period, staff said. The targets are framed to support the region’s Roadway Safety Action Plan, which aims to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries by two-thirds by 2045 (about a 5% annual reduction).

Mike, a TPO/TDOT staff presenter, told the board the action is time-sensitive: “We do have a deadline for this of in the next 2 days that we must adopt these.” He walked the board through trend charts showing fatalities, serious injuries and nonmotorist crashes and explained the federal methodology used to set the targets (a 5-year average that can make short-term targets appear higher or lower than recent year counts).

The presentation showed preliminary data indicating a drop in fatalities — a preliminary 2025 total of about 92, down from higher recent years — but an upward trend in reported serious injuries (staff referenced an official count near 546 for the most-recent period discussed). Staff also flagged an increase in nonmotorist serious injuries and noted the presence of personal scooters in the crash reports.

Board members pressed staff on definitions and consequences. Mike clarified that only crashes involving an on-road motor vehicle are included in the federal measures (though that includes pedestrians and bicyclists struck by vehicles) and that the TPO planning-area counts cover public roads within the TPO boundary. On federal consequences, Mike said the MPO itself does not face a direct sanction but that FHWA evaluates statewide targets and requires reporting; if state targets are not met, HSIP funds are documented and directed toward safety projects.

Several members tied the discussion to recent local incidents. The chair said, “But we just had another fatality. Motorist hit a pedestrian on Chapman Highway last night.” Members and staff cited local countermeasures — marked midblock crossings with flashing beacons, speed tables in school/park zones, and targeted pedestrian projects funded through SS4A and HSIP — as tools to address the hotspots identified on heat maps (Kingston Pike, Broadway, Chapman Highway, Magnolia and other high-speed arterials).

After discussion of the averaging method and whether the staff-proposed targets were sufficiently ambitious, a motion to adopt the resolution was made and seconded. The board approved the resolution by voice vote.

The board directed staff to continue monitoring outcomes, report back as additional years of data accumulate for formal evaluation, and continue coordinating with jurisdictions and TDOT on grant opportunities to implement pedestrian and other safety projects.

The resolution and supporting analysis are included in the meeting packet and staff noted a federal deadline tied to the reporting window.