As we get ready to cut the ribbon on a substantially completed Cumberland Avenue, Eric Vreeland, Deputy Director of Communications for the City of Knoxville, has taken the opportunity to highlight some of the great amenities installed on Cumberland Avenue. Be sure to check out these stories:
Smokey Banners Wave Throughout Cumberland AvenueEven Smokey is giving a big warm bluetick coonhound welcome to the new and improved Cumberland Avenue. If you've walked or driven along Cumberland in the past week, you've probably noticed City... more»
The New Cumberland Avenue: Safer, More Functional - and Also GreenerThe two-year top-to-bottom reconstruction of Cumberland Avenue will be substantially completed this week – on time and within budget. Cumberland between 17th and 22nd streets has been transformed...more»
New Cumberland Avenue is Even More Transit Friendly!More KAT passengers ride the Route 11 Kingston Pike buses than ride any other route. When the reconstruction project was in high gear along Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville Area Transit responded with...more»
'Street Furniture' Installed Along Cumberland Avenue
No one builds a new house and chooses to refill it with the old broken-down furnishings, right? Similarly, attractive and functional new "street furniture" is now installed along Cumberland Avenue...more»
New Cumberland Crosswalks Being Installed This WeekThere are still dozens of tasks on the Cumberland Avenue to-do list, as crews wrap up the details and prepare for the Aug. 17 ribbon-cutting, the City’s official celebration of the completion of the...more»
Welcome to the New Cumberland Avenue!If you're walking or driving along Cumberland Avenue at night, be sure and check out the new gateway monuments, welcoming you to the newly rejuvenated entertainment, residential and retail corridor...more»
Here's a link to the details of the Ribbon-Cutting event scheduled for 4:00 PM on Thursday, August 17th at the Baker Center.
UT Student Welcome - It’s that time of year again!
Thousands of University of Tennessee students are making their way to Knoxville and will be moving into apartments and dormitories.
The City of Knoxville and Public Building Authority (PBA) officials welcome the students and remind them and their parents of City parking enforcement regulations that took effect July 1, 2016.
The City has installed over 1,000 parking meters, adjusting rates for on-street and City garage parking, and increasing parking enforcement. The goal is to create more turnover of on-street parking spaces in high-demand areas, which benefits merchants and restaurant owners.
For general parking information, visit http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/parking. For information on downtown parking garages, visit http://www.knoxparking.com.
To contact PBA, please call 865-215-4218, during regular business hours.
Meanwhile, here’s a Q&A to help newcomers to Knoxville better understand the dos and don’ts on parking on City streets in the Cumberland District and in downtown:
QUESTION: How and where is parking enforced by the City of Knoxville near the UT campus?
ANSWER: City parking enforcement in the Cumberland District includes White and Lake avenues; Melrose Place; and Mountcastle, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd streets. PBA has assigned four PBA officers to handle parking enforcement in the Cumberland Avenue area.
PBA officers also enforce 30-minute limits for commercial vehicles only to park in designated commercial loading zones, and they also will be ticketing drivers who park vehicles illegally on sidewalks or in other non-designated areas.
QUESTION: How much does it cost to park at a metered on-street space? What are the hours of operation, when I’m subject to getting a parking ticket?
ANSWER: The rate for parking in an on-street metered space is uniformly $1.50 an hour. Vehicles typically can be parked for up to two hours at a time.
Hours of operation in the Cumberland District are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. (The same hours are in effect downtown, except on Gay Street and around Market Square; on those streets, enforcement hours extend til 11 p.m.)
QUESTION: If I’m downtown, isn’t it cheaper to park in a City-owned garage?
ANSWER: The downtown City garage rate is $1 an hour – that’s 50 cents an hour less than metered on-street rates. You can park all day in the garage for $7/day (maximum). Parking in City-owned garages will remain free on weekends and upon entry after 6 p.m. on weekdays.
QUESTION: If I get a parking ticket, how much would I have to pay? Can I pay it online? What if I think the ticket is undeserved and I want to talk with someone in City Court?
ANSWER: The smallest fee, for a meter violation, starts at $11. But the penalties vary depending on the violation. Parking in a space reserved for a disabled driver, for example, is punishable by a $50 fine.
Anyone wishing to pay a ticket for a traffic meter violation or other parking violation can do so online at http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/payticket. Or contact City Court at 865-215-7474 or visit the court in the Safety Building, 800 Howard Baker Jr. Ave.
QUESTION: What do I do if the Knoxville Police Department has authorized my vehicle to be towed for illegally parking in a commercial zone or a fire lane?
ANSWER: Vehicles that are towed are taken to the City’s Vehicle Impoundment Lot on Vice Mayor Jack Sharp Road in East Knoxville. The contact number for the lot is 865-215-6215.
To retrieve a vehicle from the Impoundment Lot, you’ll need a government-issued photo ID, a licensed driver, and proof of ownership. The Impoundment Lot is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but vehicles are only released between 8 a.m. and midnight. Impound fees may be paid with cash, a Mastercard or VISA credit card, a debit card with a VISA emblem, a company check, a cashier’s check or a money order.
QUESTION: I’m new to town and I see red trolley buses around downtown and near UT. Really – I can park and ride for free?
ANSWER: The City’s transit service, Knoxville Area Transit, operates three free trolley routes, Mondays to Thursdays until 8 p.m. (and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). Visit www.katbus.com for more information.
The Orange Line serves the UT, University Commons and World’s Fair Park areas, with a trolley rolling by every 15 minutes.
The Green Line serves the Old City, Market Square and Gay Street, with a trolley rolling by every 10 minutes.
The Blue Line is KAT’s Waterfront Connection, linking the Civic Coliseum parking garage to downtown and the City County Building, returning via Hill Avenue. A trolley rolls by every 7 minutes on weekdays (every 15 minutes on Saturdays), offering a direct connection on to UT campus for residents east of downtown or for parkers at the Coliseum.
QUESTION: I’m a parent, and I’m moving my child into student housing off Cumberland Avenue this weekend. Can I unload the vehicle and then go park somewhere?
ANSWER: There’s a Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center surface parking lot at 19th Street and White Avenue, the most eastern of a series of parking lots in that block. It’s available to UT parkers and the general public after 6 p.m. weeknights and on weekends. To be sure you’re parking in the right place, pay attention to the posted signs on the lots – the signs will indicate if you’re in the hospital’s lot or a non-public tow-away lot.
University of Tennessee Knoxville Move-In 2017
For information from UT on Move- In Day, please visit: http://housing.utk.edu/move-in/
Move-In Day: August 19
During the Day on Saturday, August 19, UT Police and staff will be working to manage traffic flow in the most efficient way possible. To assist with this, we ask that you approach your residence hall according to the directions linked below. Lines of vehicles will likely exist close to the residence halls, and the directions below will ensure that you are in the best position possible for a smooth Move-in Day!
Special Programs
Students participating in special academic programs have received prior written approval to move in early*.
Sunday, August 13: Summer School, Band Camp, Math Camp
Monday, August 14: Ignite Serves & Ignite Knoxville
Wednesday, August 16: Sorority recruitment, upper division students
Thursday, August 17: Ignite Summit Session 2
Friday, August 18: Living & Learning Communities (times vary by community. Download the Volunteer Life app for details)
Saturday, August 19: Opening Day
*students without prior approval to move-in early will not be checked in. To request an early move-in date, please contact the University.
It's (almost) Football Time in Tennessee...
Remember for a relaxing and fun filled game day, plan ahead. The parking shaded in Orange on this map is reserved for parking permit holders so be sure to check out other resources like the downtown parking garages and the KAT shuttles. For more information visit Cumberland Connect.
