Here’s something you should know about Mayor Ron Williams: he is absolutely passionate about solving problems to make Farragut a better place. After all, he’s an engineer. If you know an engineer, you know what I mean when I say they can’t help fixing things. It’s not a bad quality in a mayor.
Ron comes and hangs out in my office from time to time, and I always take the opportunity to find out what he’s working on. Sometimes he talks about what businesses he’s trying to bring to Farragut. Other times he talks about problems that need solving, like flooding or where a new elementary school should be built.
But the topic we’ve spent the most time on is traffic. Ron is the kind of person who drives around town during morning rush hour just to see what routes people take to get to the interstate. He and his fellow board members have long advocated for a more efficient interchange at Campbell Station and I-40/I-75, and that effort paid off last week when Gov. Bill Lee included $48 million for improving the interchange in a proposal to spend $626 million dollars on infrastructure improvements throughout the state. The proposal also includes $35 million for reworking the Watt Road interchange.
Ron sits on the Knox Regional Transportation Planning Organization Executive Committee, which tackles big-picture transportation problems like keeping traffic flowing on I-40/I-75. When traffic backs up on the interstate, drivers will opt for other east-west corridors. When Kingston Pike comes to a standstill, it’s most likely due to a backup on the interstate, he says.
He’s optimistic that a new Advanced Traffic Management System will help when traffic slows down in Farragut. This town-wide signal system upgrade will allow signal timing to be changed to accommodate temporary traffic situations, like a backup on the interstate. After a long wait, the town received notice to proceed with construction on the project from TDOT last week.
The mayor has long advocated for getting KAT bus routes extended to Farragut. In addition to bringing customers to Farragut businesses, bus service could provide transportation for employees when many businesses are facing shortages. Ron thinks Topgolf and the new SKORE Hotel opening on Outlet Drive could be a driver for getting bus service extended. (At this time, there are no KAT bus routes west of Parkwest Medical Center.)
Even as he addresses traffic issues, the mayor favors smart growth. The town will always have new residents moving in, and those residents will need goods and services. He often hears complaints about there being an abundance of tire or mattress stores in Farragut, but these businesses are all meeting needs.
“It’s all part of the puzzle,” he says.
Bringing in new businesses also provides tax revenue that enables the town to offer amenities that residents demand, like parks and greenways. The town center, a new grocery store at Watt Road and Topgolf are examples of development that will fund future projects in Farragut.
The trick is allowing Farragut to grow while addressing traffic needs. If we want people to spend money in Farragut, we’ve got to keep traffic flowing.
“People won’t go where traffic is snarled,” he says.
I’ve learned a lot from my chats with the mayor. If you want to learn more about Farragut, I’m sure he’d chat with you, too. Drop him a line at rwilliams@townoffarragut.org.
Town of Farragut marketing and public relations coordinator Wendy Smith is your reliable Farragut insider.