Transportation
Map 7: Existing Transportation System
Household growth and significant commercial and office development have put a strain on the existing transportation system. Adding to the strain are increases in the number of vehicles per household and an increase in vehicle miles traveled. As would be expected in an area of low intensity development, the automobile is the primary means of travel in this sector, with 25,863 commuters or 90.2 percent commuting to work in a single-occupant vehicle. Public transportation is used by only 0.1 percent of commuters, 0.4 percent walk, 4.9 percent carpool and 4.0 percent work at home. The average one-way commute time in 2000 was 23.1 minutes, slightly more than the county average of 22.2 minutes.
Roads
Interstate 40/75 runs along the northern border of the sector. Other major routes are Interstate 140 (Pellissippi Parkway), Kingston Pike and Northshore Drive. Over the past decade, traffic has significantly increased on virtually every road (see Table 4). Among the roads experiencing the highest increase in traffic since 1994 are I-140, Northshore Drive, Westland Drive, Lovell Road, Parkside Drive and Harvey Road.
Public Transportation
Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) operates four bus routes that access parts of the Southwest County Sector. These routes include the Crosstown Route (90A and B) and the Kingston Pike Route (11A and B). During certain hours, the Cedar Bluff and Farragut Express Routes serve residents in the western portions of the sector. Both of these locations have a park-and-ride facility.
Truck traffic can be heavy on I-40/75. |
Bicycle advocates are seeking permission to cross the Tennessee River using the shoulder of I-140.
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Commercial Transportation
Norfolk Southern has the lone railroad line that runs through the sector. There are no major yards or sidings associated with the railroad. Trucking is a major component of the traffic on Interstate 40/75, and accounts for as much as 27 percent of the average daily traffic volume at the Watt Road interchange. On an average day, about 25,000 trucks travel I-40/75 near the Cedar Bluff Road exit, comprising almost 20 percent of the average daily traffic. Projections developed by the Federal Highway Administration say that this same section of
I-40/75 could have over 32,000 trucks per day by 2020. If the beltway is constructed, it is expected to divert some of the truck traffic that is moving through the area. Because several truck stops are located along I-40/75, construction of the beltway may not divert all the trips, and some may shift to Pellissippi Parkway.
Sidewalks and Bike Lanes
Most of the roadways do not have sidewalks. Even where sidewalks exist, connectivity is poor and needs to be improved. Sidewalks are encouraged, especially when larger developments are under construction and when roads are widened or extended. Priority areas for constructing sidewalks are often within the Parental Responsibility Zones adjacent to public schools, where bus service does not exist. Parents are responsible for getting their children to school if they live within 1 mile of the elementary school or 1.5 miles if the child attends a middle school or high school. When sidewalks are not available to provide a safe walking environment, this translates to several added vehicular trips each school day.
Bike lanes currently do not exist along any roads and paths for bicycles are limited to parks where they serve a recreational component rather than a transportation component.
A lack of shoulders creates unsafe conditions for everyone using the road.
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Sidewalk connectivity needs to be improved. |
Table 5: Key Southwest County Average Daily Traffic Counts, 1994-2004
Count |
Street |
Location |
1994 |
1999 |
2004 |
Percent Increase
1999-2004
|
T297 |
Northshore Drive |
West of Concord Rd |
3,470 |
4,320 |
6,046 |
28.5% |
T414 |
I-140 |
South of Westland Dr |
14,628 |
29,779 |
46,047 |
35.3% |
T286 |
Ebenezer Road |
South of Nubbin Ridge Rd |
11,547 |
14,016 |
16,730 |
16.2% |
T121 |
Northshore Drive |
West of Morrell Rd |
11,322 |
13,380 |
17,068 |
21.6% |
T253 |
I-40/75 |
East of Cedar Bluff Rd |
84,324 |
140,196 |
146,384 |
4.2% |
T254 |
I-40/75 |
West of I-140 |
100,057 |
103,210 |
109,842 |
6.0% |
TA37 |
I-40/75 |
Weigh Station |
61,457 |
84,065 |
89,062 |
5.6% |
T141 |
Northshore Drive |
West of Loudon County Line |
1,317 |
1,725 |
2,398 |
28.1% |
T138 |
Kingston Pike |
East of Concord Rd |
24,600 |
37,442 |
32,162 |
-16.4% |
T133 |
Lovell Road |
South of I-40/75 |
18,000 |
18,215 |
36,176 |
49.6% |
M2 |
Westland Drive |
East of Ebenezer Rd |
5,231 |
7,993 |
11,040 |
27.6% |
M10 |
Nubbin Ridge Rd |
East of Ebenezer Rd |
1,104 |
1,429 |
1,760 |
18.8% |
M4 |
Gleason Drive |
West of Gallaher View Rd |
7,247 |
8,651 |
9,000 |
3.9% |
M378 |
Concord Road |
N of Northshore Dr |
|
|
9,330 |
|
T294 |
Campbell Station Road |
South of I-40/75 |
17,625 |
19,225 |
23,677 |
18.8% |
T362 |
Harvey Road |
North of Northshore Dr |
1,413 |
1,397 |
3,221 |
56.6% |
C14 |
Parkside Drive |
East of Mabry Hood Rd |
|
10,530 |
16,563 |
36.4% |
C74 |
Lyons Bend Road |
South of Northshore Dr |
|
4,591 |
3,937 |
-16.6% |
C38 |
Gallaher View Road |
North of Gleason Dr |
|
9,348 |
9,563 |
2.2% |
M317 |
Fox Road |
North of George Williams Rd |
|
729 |
758 |
3.8% |
NOTE: Average Daily Traffic (ADT) is the number of vehicles that pass the point on the road in a 24-hour period. Additional counts can be found on MPC's website.
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