The document summarizes the findings of the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan. It outlines the plan development process, current transportation needs around maintaining bridges and pavement, reducing congestion, improving safety and security, providing access, and connecting the multimodal system. It also discusses funding needs to maintain existing infrastructure and strategically expand the system over the life of the 2040 plan. The total funding needs identified are $1.7 billion for bridges and $1.38 billion for pavement maintenance alone.

1. 2040 Regional Transportation Plan
Leadership Symposium
March 13, 2013
Chattanooga-Hamilton County/N. GA Transportation Planning Organization

2. TPO Structure & Plan Requirement
Chattanooga-Hamilton TPO Planning Area
County/North Georgia
Transportation Planning
Organization (TPO)
-29 member regional policy board (19 governments)
- staffed by the Regional Planning Agency
- new plan every four years with 20+ year horizon
- federally funded planning and implementation
- legislative requirements including air quality
standards

3. Public Outreach
In just six months…
26 events/activities:
89 @ 1st Leadership Symposium
113 @ committee meetings
25 @ stakeholder discussion
groups
76 @ topic-based workshops
(climate change, transit, and call
for projects)
58 @ public workshops
+ 451 @ questionnaire
812 interactions

4. Information Gathering/Synthesis
Define Goals, Objectives, and
Identify Needs Identify Solutions
Performance Criteria
Current and Projected Transportation Deficiencies Call for Projects (Local and State)
Public and Stakeholder Input •Congestion
•Multimodal Connections Multimodal Gap Analysis
•Safety Additional Road and Transit
•Environmental Capacity
Economic and Business
•Access to Community Resources
Considerations
•System Maintenance Public and Stakeholder Input
25% Over Capacity
build road condition Slightly Over Capacity Transit Gaps
roads traffic
flow
bikeways
sidewalks
neighborhood 2010
traffic safety

5. Plan Goals
Adopted 2040 Goals: A Scaled & Balanced Approach
Region to Region
Within Community Community to Region
Investment Needs
Investment Needs That Support
That Support • Mobility and intermodal
Investment Needs
• Strategic, multimodal improvements to ensure
That Support
connections between region is well connected
• Local, multimodal communities and within the state and
connections and access Regional activity/ the nation
to community economic centers
resources • Support economic
to support economic competitiveness and
• Advance livability and development advance overall economic
quality of life principles development potential

6. Within Community
Goal Within Community
BUILD AND MAINTAIN SAFE
AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
Objectives
• Support walkable and bicycle-friendly communities that
promote safe connections to community resources
• Provide incentives for complete streets project design
• Encourage investments anchored in integrated transportation and land use planning
that support desired community character
• Improve safety through improved system operations, preventative maintenance,
and ADA compliance
• Prioritize investments in areas where local land use and development regulations support
healthy, safe communities
• Prioritize investment that improves multimodal access to existing or planned transit hubs or
that fills gaps in existing multimodal system
• Encourage connected street network
6

7. Community to Region
Goal Community to Region
CONNECT COMMUNITIES IN THE REGION BY
PROVIDING MULTIMODAL TRAVEL OPTIONS TO
ACTIVITY AND ECONOMIC CENTERS
Objectives
• Preserve, maintain, and improve existing
infrastructure before adding new capacity
• Provide incentives for complete streets project design
• Encourage corridor improvements anchored in integrated transportation and land use
planning that support desired community character
• Improve mobility and support economic development by providing expanded set of travel
options, with emphasis on public transit
• Improve travel time reliability through improved system operations
• Incentive corridor protection plans
7

8. Region to Region
Goal Region to Region
GROW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
THROUGH STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN
CRITICAL REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Objectives
• Preserve, maintain, and improve existing
infrastructure before adding new capacity
• Support continued economic growth of the region by improving intermodal connections that
reduce delay for both people and goods
• Reduce delay on critical regional thoroughfares with minimal impact to community, historic
and environmental resources
• Improve the efficiency and reliability of freight, cargo, and goods movement by reducing
delay on corridors critical to freight movement
• Improve travel time reliability through improved system operations
8

9. Performance Evaluation
9

10. Question #1 (test)
How pleased are you to be here today?
a. Extremely happy, can’t think of
anything you’d rather be doing
b. Pleased to be here but concerned
about how long it will last
c. Are here because you were told
you had to be but don’t mind
participating
d. Are only attending to ensure that
the planners don’t screw
anything up
e. Would rather be at the dentist
getting a root canal…

11. 2040 RTP Leadership Symposium
OVERVIEW OF FINDINGS

12. Steps of Plan Development Process
Package
Define Goals, Constrain and
Solutions and
Objectives, and Identify Identify Draft Regional Evaluate and
Evaluate
Performance Needs Solutions Transportation Document
Alternative
Criteria Plan
Scenarios
Current and Call for
Project
Projected Projects MAP-21
Bypasses and Evaluation/
Transportation (Local and Performance
Public and Connectors Rankings
Deficiencies State) Demonstration
Stakeholder
Input • Congestion
• Multimodal Multimodal Available
Connections Gap Analysis Revenue
• Safety/ Conformity
Security Big Transit Determination
Additional Report
• Access to Project Costs –
Road and
Community Capital and
Transit
Resources O&M
Economic and Capacity
Business • Maintenance Public
Considerations • Operations Blend of the Involvement
Public and
Best Project Process and
Stakeholder
Phasing Report
Input
12

13. Maintaining the System
• Bridge, current Summary Bridge Conditions in Chattanooga Region
conditions assessment 3% Not Deficient
– 2012 National Bridge 19% Functionally Obsolete
Inventory (NBI) Database Structurally Deficient
– Structural deficiency
status based on bridge
condition
– Functional obsolete status
based on geometrics, e.g.,
78%
number and width of lanes
– All bridges in region
greater than 20-foot
length
13

14. Maintaining the System (continued)
Average bridge health
index – 92%
14

15. Maintaining the System (continued)
• Pavement, current Summary Pavement Conditions in Chattanooga Region
conditions assessment
– 2008 Highway 17% % Good
Performance Monitoring % Fair
System (HPMS) database
% Poor
– Percent of lanes miles in
good/fair/poor condition 51%
based on roughness
– Thresholds defined by 32%
Federal Highway
Administration
– Sample data
15

16. Reducing Congestion
• Base-year congestion
analysis
– Worst congestion along
I-24 and I-75
– Severe congestion at
junction of I-24/I-75
– U.S. 27 north of river
– Hamilton Place Mall
– Northgate Mall
• Downtown relatively
uncongested
16

17. Reducing Congestion (continued)
• Future-year congestion
analysis
– U.S. 27 congestion relieved
(widening project
underway)
• Outward expansion and
general increase in
severity of general
congestion due to
population and
employment growth
over time
17

18. Reducing Congestion (continued)
• Mobility corridor analysis
– More detailed assessment
of 13 mobility corridors
– Geographic sample of
corridors with high
volume auto and truck
traffic (“scale 3”)
– Corridors evaluated
and scored
• Congestion Management
Process (CMP) route
• 2040 congestion levels
• Key freight route
• Supports high-volume
external to external
(through) trip movement
18

19. Improving Safety
• Systemwide safety analysis 450
400
71
62
80
70
58
– Traffic crashes leading cause 350
300 47
56
44
49
60
50
of death 5-34 years old 250
40
200
– 55 deaths; 330 injuries 150
30
20
annually in region 100
50 10
404 386 366 319 261 252 332
– $1,700 per person 0 0
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
• RTP Emphasis areas Serious Injuries Fatalities
Roadway Departure 33.4%
– Roadway departure Aggressive 33.3%
Intersection 32.6%
– Aggressive driving Seat Belt Use 25.2%
Young Drivers (15-24) 19.1%
– Intersection crashes Motorcycles*
Alcohol Impaired
12.5%
12.3%
Older Drivers (65+) 8.7%
Heavy Trucks 3.0%
Pedestrian* 1.3%
Work Zone** 0.5%
Pedacylists/Bicyclists* 0.2%
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0%
19

20. Improving Security
• Climate adaptation analysis
– Critical transportation
assets defined
• Chickamauga Lock and Dam
• Chattanooga Airport
and SR 153 access
• Interchange of I-75/I-24
• Enterprise South road
and rail access
• Downtown bridges
• Sequoyah nuclear plant
– Redundant facilities and
evacuation routes identified
20

21. Providing Access
• Accessibility analysis to
measure proximity of
people and homes to
– Active transportation
facilities
• Bicycle facilities (B-LOS of B or
better)
• Parks and Open Space
• Trails
• CARTA Transit Stops
– Health-related destinations
• Healthcare Facilities
• Grocery Stores and
Supermarkets
• Farmers Markets /Community
Gardens/ Mobile Markets
• Public and Private Schools
21

22. Providing Access (continued)
Walk and Bicycle Access:
Environmental Sustainability Needs
Percentage of Homes with Access to Active Transportation Facilities
Trails 4%
21%
Transit Stop 18%
36%
Parks and Open Space 29%
76%
Bicycle Street 26%
78%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
1/4 Mile Walk Access 1 Mile Bicycle Access
22

23. Connecting the System
• Transit Gap Analysis
– Locations of highest transit
demand
• Population and household density
• Land use mix
• Intersection density
• Distance to nearest transit stop
• Jobs within one mile
– Mapped against existing and
planned infrastructure
– Low income, minority and
elderly population as overlay
23

24. Connecting the System (continued)
• Bicycle Gap Analysis
– Locations of highest bike
demand
• Population and household density
• Intersection density
• Jobs within one mile
• Distance to nearest transit stop
• Distance to commercial store
• Public/private schools within one
mile
• Parks and recreation facilities
within one mile
– Mapped against existing and
planned infrastructure
– Low income, minority and
elderly population as overlay
24

25. Connecting the System (continued)
• Pedestrian Gap Analysis
– Locations of highest pedestrian
demand
• Population and household density
• Intersection density
• Jobs within one mile
• Distance to nearest transit stop
• Distance to commercial store
• Public/private schools within one
mile
• Parks and recreation facilities
within one mile
– Mapped against existing and
planned infrastructure
– Low income, minority and
elderly population as overlay
25

26. Improving Livability and the Environment
• Livability corridor analysis
– More detailed assessment
of 24 livability corridors
– Geographic sample of
corridors with potential for
broad multimodal
enhancements and VMT
reduction (“scale 2”)
– Corridors evaluated and
scored in terms of:
• Potential complete streets
corridor, 2035 Plan
• Lack of bike/pedestrian/
transit infrastructure
• Population and employment
density
• Congestion levels

27. Operating the System
• Operations assessment
– Extensive ITS coverage on
freeways; opportunity to
extend into north Georgia
– Downtown Chattanooga has
extensive communication
network for managing key
arterials in real time;
opportunity to extend to
more corridors with
centralized management
center
– Opportunity for transit signal
priority for key corridors
27

28. Question # 2
Which of the following types of roadways should be the
highest priority for improvements:
a. Freeways (e.g. I-24, I-75, US-
27)
b. Major Arterials (e.g.
Amnicola Highway, Lee
Highway)
c. Minor Arterials (e.g. Bonny
Oaks, E. Brainerd Road)
d. Collectors & Locals (e.g.
Snow Hill Rd, Mack Smith
Rd.)

29. Question # 3
What’s the most important transit trip for the region?
a. Trips around town for
shopping or recreation
b. Trips to and from work
c. Trips that enhance
access to social services
d. There are no important
trips

30. Question # 4
What’s more important to bicycle and pedestrian
travel?
a) Connecting to places within
your town
(parks, schools, libraries, etc.
)
b) Connecting to regional
destinations (other towns
and regional parks, etc.)
c) Both

31. Question # 5
How important is walkability to the future of the study
area?
a. Extremely important, we must
have it no matter what
b. Important, but only in the city
limits
c. Somewhat important, but
primarily in transit corridors and
downtowns
d. Nice to have, but not
necessarily needed for the area
to be a future success
e. Unimportant

32. 2040 RTP Leadership Symposium
FUNDING OUR NEEDS

33. Funding Needs
• Level of investment needed to:
– Maintain existing infrastructure
– Strategically expand and operate
• Define needs in context of projected revenue over
life of 2040 transportation plan
• Define gap/unmet needs
• Scenario discussion to support best use of available
funds given needs identified
33

34. Current Bridge Maintenance Funding Needs
Needs (Millions of 2012 Dollars)
125
$1.3
100 $7.3 Total current needs = $105M
75
50 $96.6
Maintain, Rehabilitate, and Repair
25
Widening
Replacement
0
34

35. Long Term Bridge Maintenance Funding Needs
Projected Bridge Conditions in 2040 Given Funding Level
Average Health
Index
100%
Baseline condition = 92%
80%
Flag for replacement (75 avg)
60%
40%
20%
Total needs over life of plan = $322M
0%
0 5 10 15 20 25
Annual Budget (Millions of 2012 Dollars)
35

36. Current Pavement Maintenance Funding Needs
Needs (Dollars in Millions)
500
400 $81 Total current needs = $429M
$348
300
200
100
Reconstruction
Resurfacing
0
36

37. Long Term Pavement Maintenance Funding Needs
Projected Conditions in 2040 Given Funding Level
Percent of Lane Miles in Good or Fair Condition
100
Baseline condition = 83%
80
60
40
20
Total needs over life of plan = $1.38B
0
0 20 40 60 80
Annual Budget (Dollars in Millions)
37

38. Total System Maintenance Needs
How much will it cost to maintain existing
transportation system, in current conditions, over life
of long-range plan?
$1.7 billion
More than doubling current spending levels from 2035 Plan
38

39. New Investment Needs
How much will it cost to build, operate, and maintain
all additional identified needs in the region?
$7.0 billion
39

40. Total Investment Needs
$1.7 billion
Existing System Maintenance
$7.0 billion
Additional Identified Needs
$8.7 billion
Total Needs
40

41. Revenue Availability
And how much funding is actually available between
now and 2040?
$5.7 billion
41

42. Spending the Money
$1.7B $7.0B
(MAINTAIN) (EXPAND)
42

43. Spending the Money (continued)
$5.7B
(AVAILABLE)
43

44. Spending the Money (continued)
$5.7B
(AVAILABLE)
FUNDED UNFUNDED
$1.7B $4.0B $3.0B
44

45. Spending the Money (continued)
$5.7B
(AVAILABLE)
UNFUNDED FUNDED
$1.7B $1.3B $5.7B
45

46. Spending the Money (continued)
$5.7B
(AVAILABLE)
UNFUNDED
UNFUNDED
FUNDED
$0.5B $1.2B $4.5B $2.5B
46

47. Spending the Money (continued)
Transit Capacity
Road Capacity
$5.3B
(AVAILABLE)
$4.5B
(AVAILABLE)
$0.5B $1.2B $4.5B $2.5B
47

48. Question # 6
Which approach do you believe is most important
when considering the management of our
transportation system?
a) “Fix it first,” fully
maintain what we have
before adding to the
transportation system
b) Forego some
maintenance to allow for
more capacity projects

49. Question # 7
With the understanding that there won’t likely be
sufficient funds for all identified needs, I’d be willing to
defer some transportation maintenance needs for
other transportation improvements.
a) Strongly agree
b) Agree
c) Neither
d) Disagree
e) Strongly disagree

50. Question # 8
When considering the fact that we won’t likely have funding
sufficient to build all of our priority projects within the
desired timeframe; how likely are you to support the idea of
generating local revenues to assist with the finance of high
priority strategic projects?
a) Strongly agree
b) Agree
c) Neither
d) Disagree
e) Strongly disagree

51. 2040 RTP Leadership Symposium
INTERMISSION

52. 2040 RTP Leadership Symposium
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS

53. Alternatives Analysis
• Two “bookend” scenarios to illustrate benefits of
road investments and transit investments
• Includes road and transit capacity investments
– Includes “call for projects”
– Public involvement
– Technical analysis
• Approximately equal cost
• Want to use these to produce the “Blend of the
Best”

54. Remember This?

55. BYPASSES & CONNECTORS SCENARIO
Primary investments in expanding highway accessibility and improving
existing road corridors.

56. Bypasses and
Connectors Scenario
27 miles of New Roadways
• Includes 16 mile Northern Hamilton
County connection between US 27 and
I-75 with new TN River Bridge
• 230 miles of Roadway Widening
• Includes almost all of I-24 and I-75
• Includes portions of US-27 and SR-153
• Includes SR 321/SR 151 as Eastern
Bypass (4 lane arterial) between
Collegedale, TN and Ringgold, GA
23 miles of Safety/Preventative
Maintenance
15 miles of complementary local bus routes

57. Bypasses & Connectors
Key Growth Drivers:
• Existing zoning & ordinances
• Proximity to major roads
• Interchanges & major
Intersections
• Large water & sewer service
area
• General preference for
greenfield development
patterns

58. Growth Characteristics
• Low-density, decentralized growth
• Greater maintenance cost
• Expanding road network allows for increased distance
between new neighborhoods and existing centers
• New commercial development follows along widened
corridors (linear development pattern)
• Greater amount of land lost to new development.

59. BIG TRANSIT SCENARIO
Placing a greater emphasis on alternate travel modes

60. Big Transit Scenario
•“Chattanooga Way”
o 15 mile long new light rail line
o Connects
Downtown, Airport, Enterprise
South
•SR 153/US 27 “Bus Plus”
o 19 mile long new Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) line
o Connects Hamilton
Place, Airport, Northgate, Soddy
Daisy
• “Premium Bus” Express Service on
Interstates
o 24 miles of new routes/extension of
Route 4
o Connects Ringgold/Lookout
Valley/Collegedale to Downtown

61. Big Transit Scenario
• Expanded Local Bus Routes
o 76 miles of new/extended routes
o Expands service area to include:
 Red Bank, East Ridge, Collegedale
in Tennessee
 Rossville, Fort
Oglethorpe, Ringgold in North
Georgia
• Improved Frequency of Existing CARTA
Routes
• Free Circulator Shuttles
o Builds on success of downtown electric
shuttle
o East-west downtown shuttle
(Aquarium, Erlanger Hospital)
o New Hamilton Place Mall area shuttle
o Complementary Roadway Projects (85
miles)

62. Big Transit Scenario
Key Growth Drivers:
• Premium transit service
(bus rapid transit & light rail)
• Station areas & existing centers
• Existing water & sewer service
area
• General preference for infill
development & redevelopment
• Protect environmentally-
sensitive areas & agriculture

63. Growth Characteristics
• New: compact, higher-density growth attracted
premium transit station areas (1-mile radius)
• Significant number of local farms protected from
new development
• Maintain small town feel to outlying areas
• Average household transportation costs reduced
• More efficient development pattern reduces
overall infrastructure cost

64. Comparison of Alternatives
Bypasses and
Measure of Effectiveness Big Transit
Connectors
16,035,000 Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) 14,943,000
521,000 Vehicle Hours Traveled (VHT) 533,500
2,670 Delay (Hours) 3,060
3,573,00 Total Number of Trips 3,573,00
6,400 Transit Trips 12,000
28.7 Vehicle Miles Traveled / Capita 26.8
0.1%-0.3% Percent of trips by transit 0.5%-1.5%

65. Question # 9
Overall, how attractive is the “Bypasses and
Connectors” Investment Scenario?
a. Very attractive
b. Attractive
c. Somewhat attractive
d. Neutral
e. Not very attractive at all

66. Question # 10
Overall, how attractive is the “Big Transit” Investment
Scenario?
a) Very attractive
b) Attractive
c) Somewhat attractive
d) Neutral
e) Not very attractive at all

67. Question # 11
Which scenario best supports quality of life?
a. Highways and Corridors
b. Big Transit
c. Combined approach
d. Neither

68. Question # 12
Where should transportation investments seek to
encourage future growth?
a) Existing corridors
b) New corridors
c) Existing centers
d) New centers
e) Outlying areas
f) Grow anywhere we can

69. Lightening Round
CONSIDERING THE TRADEOFFS

70. Question # 13
What will provide the biggest bang for the region’s
bucks?
a) Widen existing roads
b) Build new roads
c) Expand transit service
d) Create more quality
walking and biking choices

71. Question # 14
What’s the most important regional transit corridor?
a) Light Rail (Chattanooga Way)
between downtown, airport, and
Enterprise South
b) SR-153/US-27 BRT route between
Hamilton
Place, Airport, Northgate, and
Soddy-Daisy
c) Express bus on I-75/I-24 to the
suburbs
(Collegedale, Ringgold, Lookout
Valley)
d) Free Circulator Shuttles
(Downtown East/West, Hamilton
Place)

72. Question # 15
Regarding transit…Rank the following from most
important to least important.
a. Expand local bus service to
areas not currently served
(Red Bank, East
Ridge, Collegedale, North
Georgia)
b. Frequency of service
c. Length of weekday service
d. Weekend service
e. Low fare
f. Type of transit vehicle

73. Question # 16
Which intermodal facility should be the top priority
area for coordination and collaboration?
a. Chattanooga Metropolitan
Airport passenger and/or freight
improvements and expansion
b. Chickamauga Dam and Locks
Reconstruction
c. Development of a freight
intermodal (rail/truck/waterway)
center/facility within
Chattanooga
d. Atlanta-Chattanooga High Speed
Rail

74. Question # 17
What do you believe best supports business
recruitment and retention?
a. Less congestion
b. Increased choice (travel
modes)
c. Increased accessibility
d. Attractive streets
e. Complete streets

75. Question # 18
It’s important to begin building a rapid transit network
in our region in the near future.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Neither
d. Disagree
e. Strongly disagree

76. Question # 19
Priority transit investments in the region should
include:
a. Within community (Service
within the cities and towns
b. Community to region
(Express bus from the
small towns to the large
employment centers)
c. Region to region (Service
connecting between the
cities and towns)

77. Question # 20
What would it take to make your community bicycle
friendly?
a) Safe streets
b) Greenways
c) More signed routes
d) Better intersection design
e) All of the above

78. Question # 21
What would help my daily commute most?
a) Widen existing roads
b) Build new bypasses
c) Add rapid transit
d) Quality housing choices
within close proximity to
employment centers

79. Question # 22
Considering that our financial resources are fixed; how
would you prioritize the following funding scenarios?
a) Large/expensive transportation
improvements
b) Smaller/less expensive local
transportation improvements
c) System maintenance and
operation enhancements
(traffic control enhancements
& use of technology) with
remaining funds used for
system expansion

80. Question # 23
Considering that our financial resources are fixed; how
would you prioritize the following funding scenarios?
a) Regional congestions solutions
b) Project specifically intended to
spur economic development
c) Projects that improve the
quality of life for local residents
d) Other

81. Question # 24
If you had control over the transportation budget, how
would you rank the following in importance?
a) Neighborhood traffic safety &
calming
b) Sidewalk construction and repairs
c) Bikeway construction on roads
and greenways
d) Widening and building roads
e) Improving condition of roadways
f) Improving traffic flow
g) Public transportation
h) Other

82. Question # 25
If additional funding for transportation improvements is
needed, would you support any of the following sources?
a) Higher gas tax
b) Higher sales tax
c) Higher property tax
d) Toll roads
e) Development impact fees
f) Transportation bonds
(borrowing)
g) Other
h) Do not support additional
funding

83. Question # 26
Which of the following is most important when
considering which projects to fund?
a) Does the project open up
new land for development
b) Does the project reduce
congestion
c) Does the project result in
travel time savings

84. Questions & Comments
CLOSING THOUGHTS AND REMARKS

85. Next Steps
• Draft Needs Plan
• Project Evaluation / Costing
• Policy Board Review and Endorsement of
Financial Constrained Project List
• Public Review and Comments
• Draft Final Plan