Council Resolution Supports ‘2040 Major Transportation Plan’

The Murfreesboro City Council adopted Resolution 17-R-28 Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017 in acknowledgement and support of the 2040 Major Transportation Plan. The Plan is a major element of Chapter 3: Mobility (Transportation) of the Murfreesboro 2035 Comprehensive Plan, which will be adopted separately by the Planning Commission.

Transportation and traffic planning is a critical aspect of the planning process. The city’s estimated population of 131,947 in 2016 is expected to nearly double to 259,292 by 2040. The document considers how the City will grow over the next quarter century and identifies transportation strategies to address long-term transportation needs in a more sustainable and economically vibrant future. The Plan outlines 76 road projects.

“The Major Transportation Plan sets priorities and identifies specific road construction projects over the next 20 to 25 years,” said Planning Director Gary Whitaker. “It updates and replaces the 2025 Major Thoroughfare Plan, first adopted in 2003 and updated in 2005 and 2008.”

The Murfreesboro Planning Commission voted unanimously Nov. 8 to adopt the 2040 Major Transportation Plan following a public hearing. As part of the public comment process, the City conducted four neighborhood informational meetings in major quadrants of the City to gather public comment on the Major Transportation Plan. The public meetings were held throughout the month of October at four City elementary schools.

The City of Murfreesboro continues to welcome public comment on the plan. View the 2040 Major Transportation Plan, including a proposed project list, at www.murfreesborotn.gov. The City of Murfreesboro publicly released the draft 2040 Major Transportation Plan Aug. 3, 2017.

Consultant Neel-Schaffer, Inc. prepared traffic models, analyzed population growth and traffic demand, and incorporated future land use in preparing the 2040 Major Transportation Plan which will be used to complete Chapter 3: Mobility of the Murfreesboro 2035 Comprehensive Plan. The 2040 Major Transportation Plan outlines existing deficiencies and projects future transportation network needs based on a regional modeling process and computer-based projections without cost constraints. Forecasting future capital needs, detailed facility planning, and public and private decision-making are future steps in the stages of transportation improvement.

Among the many projects outlined in the 2040 Major Transportation Plan are the following long-term projects:

• Proposed future bridge connectors over Interstate 24 to provide motorists the option of crossing the interstate without using the existing interchanges.
• Extending Northfield Boulevard from Broad Street to Thompson Lane.
• Extending Cherry Lane from Memorial Boulevard to Interstate 24.
• Widening and improving multiple State routes in Murfreesboro.
• Rerouting Asbury Lane to connect to Wilkinson Pike.

As a “living document,” the 2040 Major Transportation Plan is subject to review and change based on administrative and elected official decision-making. The 2040 Major Transportation Plan mapping divides the transportation network into three major categories of analysis: 1) Existing roadways 2) Committed roadway projects and 3) Future roadway demand volume. The roadways projected to incur the heaviest traffic demand are identified in red and yellow. Roadways highlighted in blue are potential future projects.

Murfreesboro 2035 is a community-wide vision for the next 20 years of growth and development. The planning process culminated in the City’s eight-chapter Comprehensive Plan approved by the Planning Commission, with exception of Chapter 3: Mobility, on July 12, 2017. Citizens can review chapters of the Murfreesboro 2035 Comprehensive Plan, including the Executive Summary, at the Murfreesboro 2035 webpage http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/.

For additional information, contact the Murfreesboro Planning Department at 615-893-6441.