Larsen Jay

"Traffic is getting worse." We hear this said constantly, yet no real solutions have been presented for the ever-increasing congestion along the I-40 corridor where four major interstates come together to form one of the busiest stretches of highway in the country.

As more people are living and working in our community and major infrastructure projects are put off, the problem continues. The growth won't stop anytime soon, so something new has to be proposed. It's clear that it's time to think differently about how traffic flows in and around Knoxville and Knox County. With help from the talented team at Design Innovation Architects (DIA), I present to you KnoxConnect, a public proposal for (Sky)ways, (Bridge)ways, and (Reclaim)ation of our busiest corridors.

This proposed idea is an opportunity to vision an elevated expressway that reduces need for land acquisition, bridges roads with pedestrian-focused green spaces to reconnect downtown with East Knoxville and the riverfront, and populates underpasses and overpasseswith pedestrian-friendly spaces infrastructure improvements. In addition to ideas within the major corridors, this proposal also solidifies the need for a new regional-bypass that helps divert the nearly 25% of the heavy truck traffic that passes through our narrow stretch of I-40.

This type of infrastructure improvement has been completed in other cities in the US and across the globe - so we know it's possible. And before someone cries "it'll cost a fortune!" the question is what will it cost if we do nothing.

I've sent this KnoxConnect proposal to several lawmakers as well as the team at TDOT for consideration -- and will continue to advocate for it with local decision makers. Will anything bold take shape and change our traffic congestion once and for all? Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain, we have to start dreaming a little bit and thinking about the decades to come before another generation slips by without seeing much positive change.

Gov. Bill Lee
Lt. Governor Randy McNally
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs
Mayor Indya Kincannon
Tennessee Senator Becky Massey
State Senator Richard Briggs
Speaker Cameron Sexton
Mayor Ron Williams
myTDOT

Unfortunately, we weren’t successful on Primary Election Day, but I am so thankful to my family, my campaign team and each one of the thousands of people who supported our run for Mayor. I also want to congratulate Betsy Henderson on becoming the Republican nominee.

As for me and my family, we’ll continue to wake up every day and ask “how can we be helpful today?”, because community service is part of who we are.

Thank a teacher this Teacher Appreciation Week. Every single person in Knox County has been impacted by a teacher at some point in their lives. I am so appreciative of the educators who dedicate their lives to the students and communities they serve.

Enough is enough. I'm fed up with Betsy Henderson's lies and empty campaign promises, and you should be too. Check out my guest column in this week's Knoxville Focus.

The Knoxville Focus for May 4, 2026 | The Knoxville Focus Betsy Henderson has continuously lied to you throughout her campaign for mayor, and she’s counting on you not figuring it out. Sadly, I’m not surprised. She’s a former Washington, D.C., bureaucrat who learned her tricks in the heart of the “Swamp.”

✈️A Final Flight & Job Well Done 🇺🇲 - https://mailchi.mp/a95549e90a8f/a-final-flight-job-well-done May 2026 Constituent Update