City staff lay out 2050 transportation plan and how traffic studies guide development

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Murfreesboro staff and consultants on April 8 presented an update to the city’s 2050 major transportation plan and explained how traffic impact studies are used to align new development with long‑range network goals and funding constraints.

VJ Connors of consultant Neel‑Schaffer said the plan relies on a travel‑demand model that "kind of simulates all that and kind of estimates what the future demand will look like" so staff can identify where projects and strategies will be needed through 2050. Connors noted the study area includes the city limits and the urban growth boundary and that the team will provide planning‑level cost estimates and a prioritized short, mid and long list of projects.

Lee Smith, deputy transportation director for the city of Murfreesboro, told the council that a traffic impact study is the site‑level engineering tool that complements the long‑range plan. Smith said TIS scoping meetings set expectations for which intersections or corridors must be studied and who is responsible for mitigation. "The MTP sets the direction; the impact studies help to make sure that the individual developments align with that direction," Smith said.

Consultants reviewed historical planning steps—major thoroughfare plans adopted in 2003 and 2017—and said staff compared prior project lists with implemented work to carry forward valid items into the 2050 update. Connors reported that the city’s population has grown substantially, saying staff are "currently at pretty close to 160,000 people in 2024," and that population and employment growth drive trip generation in the travel‑demand model.

City traffic staff and engineers outlined how TIS are produced and used. Presenters said typical data collection includes 12‑hour turning‑movement counts at intersections and 24‑hour corridor counts; engineers add background growth (commonly modeled at about 3% per year for short horizons) and run no‑build and build scenarios to determine operational and safety impacts. The resulting TIS identifies proportional mitigation—turn lanes, signal timing/phasing, access management, pedestrian and bicycle work—or signal warrants where thresholds are met.

"It is not intended that a traffic impact study is going to come in and magically make congestion go away," said Matt Pacey, describing limits of TIS and emphasizing that studies assign responsibilities rather than promise zero congestion.

Presenters used local case studies—Westlawn/Blackman/Veterans and Farmhouse Downs—to show how coordinated TIS and negotiated development agreements led to signal installation, road realignments, and shared costs for required connections. Staff also reported that the Lions Farm Parkway signal is under construction and expected to activate in about 60 days, and that additional city signal projects are planned in the coming 18–24 months.

On funding and timing, staff said they monitor Tennessee Department of Transportation plans (the 10‑year and three‑year lists) and adjust city priorities; major state projects can have 18‑month design phases and multiyear constructions, so interim network management relies on signal timing and maintenance.

Staff closed by noting submitted traffic impact studies are being scanned into the city’s GIS as a public layer so developers and residents can view prior analyses used in reviews. The joint workshop adjourned and staff prepared for follow‑up steps, including a May draft of the 2050 plan and a June–July window for final draft and adoption.

The city did not take votes on any ordinances or resolutions during this workshop; next procedural steps are review of the draft 2050 Major Transportation Plan in May and later adoption hearings.