Studies and Planning Reports

Planning Program

GNRC serves as a regional partnership among the U.S. Department of Transportation, Tennessee Department of Transportation, transit agencies, local elected leadership, local planning and public works directors, the business community, and citizens across the seven-county transportation planning area. In this role, GNRC leads a variety of planning activities that support the development of the region’s Unified Transportation Plan and complements local planning efforts. 

The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), also known locally as the Transportation Planning Work Program, is updated annually to provide citizens and stakeholders the necessary transparency to see about how federal transportation planning funds are being used by GNRC, local governments and transit agencies, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation in order to meet federal metropolitan planning requirements. 

The UPWP is developed by GNRC staff in consultation with partner agencies and input from local citizens and stakeholders. It may be amended to account for changes in funding or project needs. The current UPWP, adopted in August 2019, provides over $7 million for planning activities between October 1, 2019 and September 30, 2021.

As of August 4, 2021, the proposed UPWP has been made available for public review and comment.  The new program will be considered for adoption by the Transportation Policy Board at their regular meeting on August 18, 2021.  Click here for more details about the meeting.

Current Studies

South Corridor Transportation Study

The South Corridor Transportation Study is focused on one of the heavily trafficked corridors in Tennessee, I-65 South from Downtown Nashville through Maury County. The study is being conducted to identify investments that can help manage traffic congestion and improve connectivity between people and businesses. Specifically, the effort will be used to:

  • Identify potential transit/ transportation investments,
  • Assess the financial, economic, and technical viability of each, and
  • Identify steps to move the project forward.

The study provides an opportunity for local agencies to collaborate with the public to evaluate the anticipated costs and benefits of major transportation investments. Additionally, the federal government requires the completion of studies like this when considering discretionary grants to assist in funding or financing major transit projects.

Learn more about the study here.

Downtown Interstate "Inner Loop" Concepts   

The Downtown Interstate Concepts study is a joint public-private endeavor to develop a shared vision for continued improvements to the Interstate 24/40/65 "Inner Loop" around downtown Nashville. The goal is to help guide short‐, mid‐, and long‐range investments into the loop and key facilities that support access, egress, and parallel movements. 

Learn more about the study here.

Regional Smart Mobility Assessment 

The Regional Smart Mobility Assessment is intended to provide community leadership, information technology directors, transit agencies, planning and public works departments, traffic operations managers, and other stakeholders within the region a framework for how emerging technologies can improve and optimize the efficiency of the transportation system.  It will provide direction for regional cooperation around technology and how it is poised to become a critical tool for all forms of governance, including transportation, as well as become a way of expressing shared values. 

Learn more about the study here.