City moves ahead with five‑year Metropolitan Transportation and Safety Plan update

City staff told the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 5 that the Metropolitan Transportation and Safety Plan must be updated every five years to maintain eligibility for federal transportation funding. Glenn Berry, the MPO planning manager, described the project scope and said the selected firm (CDM Smith) will be paid across roughly two years, with a total contract cost discussed in the meeting of about $291,000, including funds contributed by the Federal Highway Administration and the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

Berry said the current emphasis from federal partners is safety: the plan will identify a high‑incident network (for vehicles and vulnerable users such as pedestrians and cyclists), prioritize corridors with elevated crash rates, and recommend relatively low‑cost interventions (signage, striping, guardrail) as well as larger redesigns when needed. The plan is intended to produce a prioritized set of projects the city can submit for state and federal safety funding.

Commissioners asked about examples of successful recommendations from past plans; Berry pointed to intersection turning‑lane adjustments and signage improvements as common outcomes. No formal contract award vote appears in the meeting transcript; staff presented the item for information and to answer commissioner questions.