Partners and local agencies report grants, transit service and project status; MPO members ask TDOT for guidance on IMPROVE Act projects

TDOT planning staff and federal partners gave a series of updates to the MPO about grant timing and regional coordination; local transit and city staff then summarized operations and project status.

TDOT planning officials said the state long-range plan work is launching and that planning grants were under final review by the commissioner’s office; they also noted the governor’s budget proposal had requested additional project funding. Kara Greathouse, planner with FHWA, reminded the MPO that BUILD grant applications are due Feb. 24 and said she had reviewed the MPO’s annual listing of obligated projects and the UPWP annual report with no major findings.

Transit partners reported operational improvements and near-term purchases. A local transit representative said a driver training day will be held, Katz Connect ridership last month was in the mid-700s, three cutaway buses are being procured to refresh the fleet and a $1,000 donation from GracePointe Fellowship Church will sponsor free rides for a set of service days. Ashley Jenkins of NetTrans said TDOT and CD Smith are conducting a comprehensive operational analysis with nine transit agencies statewide and that NetTrans was also awarded a TDOT Improved grant to purchase fleet software.

City staff reviewed an online project map and gave status updates on right-of-way phases for Greenbelt, Brickyard pedestrian bridge design, resurfacing projects and Meadowview Parkway consultant tasks. MPO members and TDOT staff discussed whether projects promised under the IMPROVE Act but without identified funding should be placed in the constrained (committed) list or listed illustratively; multiple members asked TDOT for guidance and a standard approach MPOs can use when updating their LRTPs.