City comp plan update underway; KTA asks about funding for a 20‑year transit vision

An agency official from Knoxville Knox County Planning told the KTA board that the city comprehensive plan — the city’s land-use guide — is being updated after roughly 25 years, with a consultant team working on a draft due by year-end and first-round public meetings slated to begin in late April.

The agency official described the consultant team as including a Philadelphia-based planning firm, a landscape architect and an economist to evaluate land use and transportation interactions over the next 25 years. The official said KTA members would be placed on the distribution list for engagement opportunities.

Commissioners discussed the idea of a separate, longer-range transit vision (20 years) focused specifically on transit network design and service goals. Staff said TDOT previously signaled a possible call for planning projects that did not materialize and that TDOT-funded grants would require city council approval for acceptance, as was the case with the CAT Reimagined grant.

Next steps: planning staff will circulate public meeting dates, continue consultant work toward a draft by year-end, and staff will follow up on potential planning grants and the process for council approval if funds are available.