The City of Knoxville is accepting applications under the Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program (NTSP).
The City of Knoxville is proud to be able to provide traffic calming for city streets that qualify. This is a neighborhood-centric program and its success relies on the participation and cooperation of residents living on the street(s) applied for. This is a program that may or may not be funded annually.
Please read the NTSP Program Guide [PDF] before filling out the application.
For questions please contact Hayley Howard at 865-215-2113 or [email protected] or Steve King at 865-215-4993 or [email protected].
Download the Application [PDF]. This is a fillable PDF document. Save the file to your computer and fill it out, saving it as you go. When done, please print the document and obtain the required written signatures.
If you would like for the application and guidelines to be mailed to you, please contact Hayley Howard at 865-215-2113 or [email protected].
SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION
You can scan and email the application to Hayley Howard at [email protected].
You could also mail the completed application and any attachments to NTSP / Office of Neighborhood Empowerment / City of Knoxville / P.O. Box 1631, Knoxville, TN 37901. Or you can hand deliver it to the Office of Neighborhood Empowerment, Room 546, City County Building, 400 Main Street.
Make sure to keep a copy of everything you send to the city.
There is no deadline for submitting applications. This is an open-ended process.
Once an application is submitted, it is
then sent to an internal committee for
review. The committee is made up of
staff members from the Office of
Neighborhood Empowerment,
Transportation Engineering, Knoxville
Police Department, Knoxville Fire
Department, Knoxville Area Transit, and
Public Service. Every application received must be approved by the internal committee to move forward in the program.
NTSP PROCESS SUMMARY
1. ONE Receives Application
2. Internal Committee Reviews
3. Kick-Off Meeting
4. Applicant Gathers Petition Signatures
Must be on our form
Do more than 50% approve? If yes, move to the Speed Study
5. Transportation Engineering Conducts a Speed Study
Is the threshold met for a Concept Plan? If yes, move to Concept Plan
6. Concept Plan Created
7. Concept Plan Meeting
Plan is presented to the neighborhood.
8. Contracts Out for Bid
Goes before City Council.
9. Construction
Generally takes place Spring-Fall.
10. Post-Construction Evaluation
Takes place about a year after traffic calming has been installed.
This process can take anywhere from 6 months to 2+ years to complete. The time is takes for an applicant to get through the NTSP process depends on a combination of factors including but not limited to:
- resident participation and cooperation
- available funding
- size of traffic calming project
- neighbor objections
- what time during the year the applicant obtains the necessary approvals to move forward to construction
Experience in other cities has shown
that traffic safety initiatives that are
implemented without involving the
neighborhood are frequently
unsuccessful, and therefore citizen
participation is a key component of
this program's success.
The NTSP can involve
one or more of the
following elements
(in no particular
order) in each
neighborhood that
applies for the
program. This depends on the unique needs of each neighborhood that applies.
Education: Using information and tools
supplied by the City, a neighborhood can
engage in a neighborhood-centric,
neighborhood-run campaign to make
drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists more
aware of speeding.
Enforcement: A police officer may be dedicated to speed enforcement in four hour blocks for two to four weeks at a time
on a rotating basis. (KPD is currently
understaffed, and this might not be
possible currently.)
Engineering: Depending on the individual
neighborhood situation, the City makes
route modifications or installs one or more
traffic calming measures such as speed
humps and speed cushions.
MEETINGS AND PETITION SIGNATURES
Some applicants may not know how to approach neighbors and hold meetings about an issue of common concern. For tips on engaging neighbors and holding meetings, see the “Reaching Out to Neighbors” section of the Education Toolbox page. ONE Staff can also help with suggestions on this as well.
**PLEASE DO NOT BEGIN GATHERING PETITION SIGNATURES UNTIL AN APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AND APPROVED BY THE INTERNAL COMMITTEE.
The following are not a part of this traffic calming program; however, they can be reviewed by Transportation Engineering by calling 311 (865-215-4311):
- stop signs
- cross walks
- side walks
- intersection changes
- speed limit signs
- lowering speed limits
- road markings
Speed humps are primarily what are installed through this program due to the limited amount of funds. If a project is larger, it may take longer to get completed.
BACKGROUND
The NTSP has been developed by Transportation Engineering, the Knoxville Police Department, and Office of Neighborhood Empowerment in response to numerous concerns and complaints voiced by citizens who witnessed speeding vehicles in their neighborhoods.
An early draft of the Program Guide was released in May of 2016. City staff took comments via email, phone, public meetings, and an online survey.
Here are these comments, minus names and identifying information:
Comments Received Via Email [PDF]
Online Survey Comments, Part 1 [PDF]
Online Survey Comments, Part 2 [PDF]
Public Meeting Comments [PDF]
Here is the City's response to representative comments and questions selected from the above documents.