Farragut receives Municipal League Innovation Award
With a growing population and amenities that attract visitors from surrounding areas, the town of Farragut utilized technology to solve traffic congestion and related pollution issues.
For the effort put forth by city officials to mitigate an important issue and improve the quality of life for their growing community, TML is proud to present the town of Farragut with an Excellence in Innovation Award. The award will be presented Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, at the 85th Annual Conference of the Tennessee Municipal League (TML) held at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Farragut’s population has averaged an increase of around 20% each decade since the 1990s, with many commuters passing through the town on their way to and from Knoxville. This commuter traffic often coincides with drop-off times at the town’s four public schools, all within 1.4 miles of the town center.
Additionally, the town’s primary east-west artery, Kingston Pike – runs parallel to the most congested segment of interstate in Tennessee with many commuters using Kingston Pike as a detour to avoid the interstate. In a domino effect, the four traffic signals on Kingston Pike have become focal points for congestion in the community.
Town leaders knew by managing traffic signals they could better control congestion and the resulting air quality issues from idling vehicles. This process began in 2016 when Farragut’s engineering department applied for and received a Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) grant through the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).
Funding from the grant program was used to install an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) on all 26 traffic signals in the town. Town Engineer Darryl Smith had never used an ATMS before, but he learned about the opportunity through consultants and thought such a system would serve Farragut well. TDOT approved the project in April 2017, which covered 100% of installation cost.
Extensive research into traffic patterns at each intersection and how they could be improved was turned into timing plans at each signal, allowing for the most efficient traffic flow during the day. Multiple timing plans also allow for situations such as interstate closures, traffic accidents, and other anomalies that may impact traffic.
The system also allows centralized control over each signal, meaning the town’s engineering department can override a scheduled plan if needed. These overrides can be done from the comfort of Farragut Town Hall rather than having to visit signal boxes in person. Major intersections are also monitored from cameras at town hall, allowing problems to be quickly spotted and corrected.
“Our ability to be notified of issues with intersections happens much more quickly than before,” Assistant Town Engineer Eric Schindler said. “The system increases the chance to catch issues early and fix them before motorists notice them.”
The entire project was completed in 2025 with residents and commuters noticing a difference. Officials have received positive feedback from motorists and data proves that travel times have improved at peak hours in both east and westbound lanes.
Each year the Tennessee Municipal League honors cities throughout the state for overall excellence, improvement, specific outstanding programs, or department accomplishments. Award winners for 2025 include Chattanooga for Excellence in Energy Efficiency and Conservation; Cleveland for Excellence in Economic and Community Development; Farragut for Excellence in Innovation; Franklin for Excellence in Fire Services; Gatlinburg for Excellence in Municipal Governance; Greeneville for Excellence in Parks and Recreation; Jackson for Excellence in Police Services; Kingsport for Excellence in Economic and Community Development; and Pulaski for Small City Progress.