Transportation and Land Use Transportation and Land Use in Tennesseein Tennessee

Phil Armor, Greater Nashville Regional CouncilPhil Armor, Greater Nashville Regional Council

Ken Belliveau, Tennessee Advisory CommissionKen Belliveau, Tennessee Advisory Commission

Ed Cole, Cumberland Region TomorrowEd Cole, Cumberland Region Tomorrow

Ralph Comer, Dept. of TransportationRalph Comer, Dept. of Transportation

Alan Jones, Dept. of Environment and ConservationAlan Jones, Dept. of Environment and Conservation

Jeanne Stevens, Nashville Area MPOJeanne Stevens, Nashville Area MPO

Integrating State, Regional Integrating State, Regional and Local Planning Processesand Local Planning Processes

BackgroundBackground• Growth planning and zoning – local Growth planning and zoning – local

governments onlygovernments only

• Little coordination and no shared regional Little coordination and no shared regional visionvision

• Growth pressures mountingGrowth pressures mounting– Infrastructure costs Infrastructure costs – Environmental impactsEnvironmental impacts

BackgroundBackground

• State budget problems, revenue State budget problems, revenue constraintsconstraints– Transportation wish list exceeds available Transportation wish list exceeds available

fundingfunding– Inefficient infrastructure investmentsInefficient infrastructure investments

• Need to maintain mobility and provide Need to maintain mobility and provide wider range of transportation modal wider range of transportation modal choices choices

Team and PurposeTeam and Purpose

Tennessee’s team, which unites state, Tennessee’s team, which unites state,

regional, local and nonprofit stakeholders, regional, local and nonprofit stakeholders,

will work to strengthen and integrate will work to strengthen and integrate

diverse planning processes and seek to diverse planning processes and seek to

coordinate regional transportation, land coordinate regional transportation, land

use and growth decisions.use and growth decisions.

Tennessee’s VisionTennessee’s Vision• A national model of integrated planning A national model of integrated planning

processes across federal, state, regional and processes across federal, state, regional and local levelslocal levels

• Local land use and growth plans and Local land use and growth plans and transportation plans linked and mutually transportation plans linked and mutually supportivesupportive

• Transportation projects support local and Transportation projects support local and regional land use and growth plans to regional land use and growth plans to receive fundingreceive funding

Tennessee’s VisionTennessee’s Vision• Diverse and accessible transportation Diverse and accessible transportation

choices that meet citizen needschoices that meet citizen needs

• Good communication networks and Good communication networks and multiple feedback loops among planning multiple feedback loops among planning processesprocesses

StrengthsStrengths• Governor concerned about infrastructure Governor concerned about infrastructure

costs and committed to preserving special costs and committed to preserving special lands, farmlands and forests lands, farmlands and forests

• Strong DOT - high quality roads and no Strong DOT - high quality roads and no road debtroad debt

• Opportunities to change development Opportunities to change development patternspatterns

• Modest congestion – adequate mobilityModest congestion – adequate mobility

StrengthsStrengths

• Recent state growth planning law – a Recent state growth planning law – a foundationfoundation

• Growing public concerns - quality of life Growing public concerns - quality of life and growth issuesand growth issues

– Cumberland Region Tomorrow visioningCumberland Region Tomorrow visioning

• Leadership and fresh ideas in NashvilleLeadership and fresh ideas in Nashville

WeaknessesWeaknessesState RoleState Role

• State growth planning lawState growth planning law– Little state oversightLittle state oversight– Quality of local plans varyQuality of local plans vary– Little consideration of infrastructureLittle consideration of infrastructure

• Land use and growth planning - local Land use and growth planning - local governments onlygovernments only

• No state planning office, little oversight or No state planning office, little oversight or guidance on land use planningguidance on land use planning

WeaknessesWeaknessesGrowth and DevelopmentGrowth and Development

• Suburban sprawl dominant development patternSuburban sprawl dominant development pattern– 640,000 new households by 2025 640,000 new households by 2025 – Land consumption outpacing population growthLand consumption outpacing population growth– Low densitiesLow densities– Few models of integrated planningFew models of integrated planning– Few incentives for desirable developmentFew incentives for desirable development

• Extreme automobile dependenceExtreme automobile dependence

WeaknessesWeaknessesAir Quality and VMTAir Quality and VMT

• Nonattainment looming – ozone and PMNonattainment looming – ozone and PM2.52.5

• Projections of continued VMT growthProjections of continued VMT growth

• Significant increases in congestionSignificant increases in congestion

• Clean air may depend upon reducing VMT Clean air may depend upon reducing VMT growthgrowth

WeaknessesWeaknessesPlanningPlanning• Inadequate land use planning processInadequate land use planning process– Few standards for local land use plansFew standards for local land use plans– Local governments not required to plan Local governments not required to plan

• Insufficient communicationInsufficient communication– Planning processes fragmented, no Planning processes fragmented, no

collaborationcollaboration– Utility districts not required to follow local Utility districts not required to follow local

land use plansland use plans

WeaknessesWeaknessesPlanningPlanning• Lack of funding for regional planningLack of funding for regional planning

• Lack of consultation among key decision makersLack of consultation among key decision makers

OpportunitiesOpportunities• 25-year statewide multi-modal transportation 25-year statewide multi-modal transportation

planplan

• Growing interest in alternative Growing interest in alternative transportation modestransportation modes

• Strengthen state growth planning lawStrengthen state growth planning law

• Growing awareness of air quality issuesGrowing awareness of air quality issues

• Few public participants, but they have energy Few public participants, but they have energy and ideasand ideas

ChallengesChallengesCulturalCultural

• We love our carsWe love our cars– Transit neglectedTransit neglected

• Social equity for those who do not or cannot Social equity for those who do not or cannot drivedrive

• Lack of public involvementLack of public involvement– Little awareness or understandingLittle awareness or understanding– Public apathyPublic apathy– Citizens do not believe their voice is heardCitizens do not believe their voice is heard

ChallengesChallengesPoliticalPolitical

• Tennessee is the “Volunteer State”Tennessee is the “Volunteer State”

• Strong sentiment against regulations and Strong sentiment against regulations and land use controls land use controls

• Strong resistance to state role in land useStrong resistance to state role in land use

• Public opposition to taxesPublic opposition to taxes

• Potential diversion of transportation fundsPotential diversion of transportation funds

Tennessee’s Growth InitiativeTennessee’s Growth Initiative• Work to strengthen the planning process at all Work to strengthen the planning process at all

governmental levelsgovernmental levels– Improve the quality of land use and growth Improve the quality of land use and growth

plansplans

– Build better linkages between plansBuild better linkages between plans

• Fund only those transportation projects that Fund only those transportation projects that support local and regional planssupport local and regional plans

• Transfer technology to other MPOsTransfer technology to other MPOs

PrioritiesPriorities• Near-TermNear-Term– Develop an alternatives assessment Develop an alternatives assessment

systemsystem

– Identify local barriersIdentify local barriers

– Identify ways to improve and better link Identify ways to improve and better link land use, transportation and growth land use, transportation and growth planning processesplanning processes

– Gain support of MPO policy makersGain support of MPO policy makers

PrioritiesPriorities• Long-TermLong-Term– Implement an alternatives assessment Implement an alternatives assessment

systemsystem

– State dollars to planned growth areas State dollars to planned growth areas onlyonly

– Transportation projects support local Transportation projects support local and regional land use and growth plansand regional land use and growth plans

Selecting PrioritiesSelecting Priorities• Address root problems, not just symptomsAddress root problems, not just symptoms

• Need near-term successesNeed near-term successes

• Take advantage of low-hanging fruitTake advantage of low-hanging fruit

• Build momentum and supportBuild momentum and support

• Develop decision-making tools to span Develop decision-making tools to span multiple administrationsmultiple administrations

Next StepsNext Steps

• Select strategies and action stepsSelect strategies and action steps

• Schedule milestonesSchedule milestones

• Identify needed components of Identify needed components of alternatives assessment systemalternatives assessment system

• Initiate dialogue with MPOInitiate dialogue with MPO

ExpectationsExpectations

• Learn from other states, NGA and Learn from other states, NGA and Academy facultyAcademy faculty

– Catalysts for changeCatalysts for change

– Alternatives assessment systemsAlternatives assessment systems

–Methods for measuring integration of Methods for measuring integration of transportation and land use planningtransportation and land use planning