Murfreesboro mayor wants to avoid being 'swallowed up by what Nashville’s doing' on roads
Murfreesboro's government could establish its own Metropolitan Planning Organization for roads rather than only being suburban members of Nashville's MPO.
The Murfreesboro City Council that's led by Mayor Shane McFarland discussed the possibility of establishing an MPO during a March 14 meeting. The objective would be for a council-appointed MPO to make local planning decisions on desired road projects, such as the city's goal to get interchanges built at Interstate 840 and the planned extension of Cherry Lane on the northside.
"One of our number one priorities is road construction and transportation inside our city," McFarland said. "And if we can find a way that cuts through the bureaucracy of being able to get those projects done quicker, that’s a benefit to all of our residents.”
Federal transportation law requires that urban areas with 50,000 or more residents establish MPOs "to maintain a continuing, comprehensive and cooperative transportation planning process," according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Fast-growing Murfreesboro more than triples the population requirement with a resident count that exceeded 162,000 by July 2022, according to a U.S. Census estimate. Commuters face traffic congestion throughout the city while Murfreesboro officials await long-planned TDOT projects, such as the widening of Thompson Lane (state Route 268) between Memorial Boulevard (U.S. Highway 231) and Northwest Broad Street (U.S. Highway 41). The busy Thompson Lane includes Siegel Elementary, Siegel Middle and Siegel High.
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A proposed Murfreesboro MPO could include Rutherford County
The mayor expects to the council and staff to research a possible Murfreesboro MPO "to see if it’s better to have that local control."
"What we're really going to have to see is what the financial ramifications are going to be for the taxpayer," McFarland said.
Federal, state and local taxes support MPOs to work on plans. About 59% of the Nashville MPO comes from federal taxes, according to the organization's website. About 25% of the Nashville MPO funding is from state tax dollars. Local governments provide 16% of the funding, which can be as high as 63 cents per capita based on recent U.S. Census count of population.
The Nashville MPO has membership from 13 counties, including Rutherford and its four cities: Eagleville, La Vergne, Murfreesboro and Smyrna.
If Murfreesboro starts an MPO, McFarland expects Rutherford County to be part of the local organization.
"It's all based upon the boundaries," said McFarland, whose city includes the Rutherford County Courthouse in the center of the downtown Square. "We are very preliminary in this discussion and will get much more information to make a decision."
Rutherford County Commission Chairman Jeff Phillips said he'd have to research the possibility of the county being part of a proposed Murfreesboro MPO before taking a position. Phillips, though, said he does support both governments coordinating and cooperating on road plans to serve the growing communities.
"The more conversation we can have the better off we are going to be," said Phillips, who's also a member of the Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission and is a past chairman.
Murfreesboro ponders creating a third MPO in Middle Tennessee
Montgomery County and Clarksville are part of the Nashville MPO, and this includes Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts serving as the regional organization's vice chairman.
In Murfreesboro's case, McFarland said he has a designee, city Transportation Director Jim Kerr, representing the mayor's seat on the Nashville MPO.
Clarksville also has its own MPO, which is one of 11 organizations in Tennessee.
Only two MPOs exist in the growing Middle Tennessee region for Nashville and Clarksville at this time.
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Mayor: 'We don’t want to get swallowed up by what Nashville’s doing'
The Murfreesboro mayor said a city appointed MPO would work with TDOT and the Federal Highway Administration "to get projects through a little quicker."
"We are one of the larger cities that do not have their own MPO," McFarland said. "We don’t want to get swallowed up by what Nashville’s doing. Nashville has It’s own challenges it needs to work on."
Many state and U.S. highways go through fast-growing Murfreesboro, McFarland said.
“You ask the average resident in Murfreesboro what’s one of the biggest concerns in Murfreesboro, they are definitely going to say transportation and road construction," McFarland said.
Other projects the city seeks include an interchange at Interstate 24 at Blackman Road and another part of the future extension of Cherry Lane.
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Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription.
Tennessee's 11 Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Bristol: northeast side of East Tennessee
Chattanooga: southwest side of East Tennessee
Clarksville: northwest side of Middle Tennessee
Cleveland: southwest side of East Tennessee
Jackson: central part of West Tennessee
Johnson City: northeast side of East Tennessee
Kingsport: northeast side of East Tennessee
Lakeway: eastside of East Tennessee
Knoxville: central part of East Tennessee
Memphis: southwest corner of West Tennessee
Nashville: north central part of Middle Tennessee
Note: Metropolitan Planning Organizations are required by federal law for urban areas with 50,000 or more residents. MPOs maintain a continuing, comprehensive and cooperative transportation planning process.
Source: Tennessee Department of Transportation website
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Murfreesboro council weighs forming its own MPO to address roads
