Cleveland's Long Range Transportation Plan draft focuses on congestion, safety

From Local 3 News: The City of Cleveland announced that a draft of the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) has been completed.
 
The Cleveland Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Tennessee Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration are working together to complete the plan.
 
According to the city, the LRTP is a "multimodal strategy and improvement program developed to guide the effective investment of public funds in transportation facilities to help manage congestion, increase regional mobility options, and conform to national air quality standards."

This plan ranges over 20 years, and it is updated every four years.
 
The current draft is based on feedback gathered during a public input session. The plan states that it received 203 map comments and 348 form submissions.
 
Results highlight three top transportation investments:
 

• Reduce congestion and delay
• Improve safety for all 
• Maintain existing system

Of the public input, 68% said more sidewalks are most needed where they live, with 37% saying sidewalks and trails need better maintenance. 36% of respondents want more trails and paths.
 
Overall, traffic congestion is the top complaint from respondants, with 87% citing that.
 
The 2050 LRTP highlighted seven key goals for the plan. Those include:
 

• Safety
  • Crashes, fatal & serious injury crashes, bike & pedestrian crashes
• Economic vitality & reliability
  • Proximity to employers, freight volume, freight connections
• Mobility choices
  • Connectivity with existing bike-pedestrian facilities, school connections, bus route connections 
• System preservation, economic vitality & reliability 
  • Future year volume-to-capacity, travel time reliability, roadway shoulders
  • Transit propensity, minority & low-income density, environment impacts
• Economic vitality & reliability, mobility choices
  • Priority need, proximity to community center or park
• System preservation
  • Previous planning effort, opporunity zone

The plan includes adding seven new roads and reconstructing several others. It features the widening of many roads, bridge/culvert replacement, railroad crossing improvement, sidewalks, and much more.

The public is still welcome to provide their comments and input until February 25. To submit a comment, email CUAMPO@clevelandtn.gov.