July 29th Update

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) - Monthly Meeting

Date: Wednesday, August 2

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 

Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue

What: The merchants and other interested stakeholders meet to discuss items of interest or concern and get updates on the City's Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project. 

We are in the final countdown for the Cumberland Avenue Streetscape Project! 

The Two Week look ahead for construction information is available here or at www.cumberlandconnect.com.

Parking: Available parking is located at Copper Cellar. 

Community Events

Friday, July 28, 2017

Shakespeare on the Square – Two Gentleman of Verona

Market Square

7:00pm

The Two Gentlemen of Verona is commonly agreed to be Shakespeare’s first comedy, and probably his first play. A comedy built around the confusions of doubling, cross-dressing, and identity, it is also a play about the ideal of male friendship and what happens to those friendships when men fall in love.

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Market Square Farmer’s Market
Market Square, Market Street, Union Ave.
9:00am – 2:00pm
The Market Square Farmers’ Market is an open-air farmers’ market located on Market Square in the heart of downtown Knoxville. Everything at the MSFM is grown or made by the vendor in the East Tennessee region. Products vary by the seasons and include produce, eggs, honey, herbs, pasture-raised meat, bread, baked goods, salsas, coffee, artisan crafts, and more. With interactive fountains, delicious local food, and surrounded by shops and restaurants, the MSFM is a perfect family destination

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Eating Lean in ‘17

Jacob Building at Chilhowee Park

9:00am-3:00pm

For information visit http://www.100blackwomen-greaterknoxville.org/events.html

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Shakespeare on the Square - The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)

Market Square

7:00pm

Features all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays, performed in 97 minutes, by three actors. Fast paced, witty, and physical, this show is full of laughter for Shakespeare lovers and haters alike!

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Shakespeare on the Square – Two Gentleman of Verona

Market Square

7:00pm

The Two Gentlemen of Verona is commonly agreed to be Shakespeare’s first comedy, and probably his first play. A comedy built around the confusions of doubling, cross-dressing, and identity, it is also a play about the ideal of male friendship and what happens to those friendships when men fall in love.

July 21st Update

CUMBERLAND AVENUE CORRIDOR PAVING SCHEDULED;

TEMPORARY NO-PARKING ZONES ON SIDE STREETS

                The $17 million Cumberland Avenue reconstruction project is drawing to a close, with the next big step starting on Sunday evening, July 23. Milling will begin on Cumberland Avenue and a dozen side streets that connect to Cumberland in preparation for paving.

                The milling and paving will be done by contract crews overnight – 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. – through Sunday, Aug. 6. Cumberland Avenue will be paved from 22^nd Street to Henley Street, and side streets will be paved north of Cumberland to White Avenue and south of Cumberland to Lake Avenue.

Motorists should anticipate intermittent night-time detours, depending on where the milling and paving crews are working.

In addition, no-parking zones will be in effect on these side streets from 8PM - 6AM:

North of Cumberland to White Avenue

n  North 22^nd Street;

n  North 21^st Street;

n  North 20^st Street;

n  North 19^th Street;

n  North 18^th Street; and

n  17^st Street.

South of Cumberland to Lake Avenue

n  South 22^nd Street;

n  South 21^st Street;

n  Mountcastle Street;

n  South 19^th Street;

n  South 18^th Street; and

n  Melrose Place.

The Cumberland Avenue reconstruction project began with Knoxville Utilities Board infrastructure improvements in April 2015, and it’s scheduled to be completed by next month (August 2017).

Cumberland Avenue has been reconstructed between 22^nd and 17^th streets into a safer, more pedestrian-friendly corridor with a three-lane cross section, a raised median and left-turn lanes at intersections.

An earlier phase of work on the western end of Cumberland focused on improving traffic flow between the Alcoa Highway ramps and 22^nd Street; that phase finished at the end of 2015, on time and under budget.

More information is available at www.CumberlandConnect.com, on the Cumberland Connect Facebook page, facebook.com/CumberlandConnect, and on the Cumberland Connect phone app. Or text VFL to 313131 to get text messages on the most current traffic updates.

March 21st Update

CONSTRUCTION OF RAISED MEDIAN ON CUMBERLAND CONTINUES

                Since Monday, March 13, contractor crews have shifted the eastbound lane of Cumberland Avenue from 22^nd to 19^th streets and set the stage for the installation of the new concrete median. The next step in the process, starting Wednesday, March 22, is laying the new concrete curb with an extruded curb machine. This will require temporary, intermittent lane closures of Cumberland while the machine lays down the new median curbs.

                This is the latest development in the City’s $17 million reconstruction of Cumberland Avenue.

The concrete pours will be scheduled each day to avoid peak traffic hours and will be fully complete by 6 p.m. on Friday, March 24. Flaggers and police officers will be on site to direct traffic around the work zone. If traffic is heavier than expected, an alternate route will be designated and a detour will be implemented (see detour map).

Additionally, through traffic to points east or west of the area may want to consider using Neyland Drive as an alternate route.  

The work will occur starting at 19^th Street in the eastbound traffic lane.

Mid-block left turns have been prevented so far by temporary barriers. The new medians will be between 3 feet and 13 feet wide, depending on turn lanes and Knoxville Area Transit bus infrastructure. Even though the number of traffic lanes on Cumberland has been reduced, the design is expected to reduce fender benders and improve traffic flow by eliminating blockages created by vehicles turning left across incoming traffic in the middle of the block.

More information is available at www.CumberlandConnect.com, on the Cumberland Connect Facebook page, facebook.com/CumberlandConnect, and on the Cumberland Connect phone app. Or text VFL to 313131 to get text messages on the most current traffic updates.

March 10th Update - Construction Milestone

CUMBERLAND AVENUE MILESTONE: CONSTRUCTION OF RAISED MEDIAN TO BEGIN MONDAY, MARCH 13

                By 6 a.m. Monday, March 13, contractor crews overnight will have shifted the eastbound lane of Cumberland Avenue from 22^nd to 19^th streets to allow construction of new raised medians to begin.

                This latest development in the City’s $17 million reconstruction of Cumberland Avenue represents a milestone, by two accounts.

First, the shift to the new eastbound lane, roughly 13 feet south of the current lane, will mean commuters will be driving on the permanent roadway.

That means that, as the streetscape amenities are finished on the south side of Cumberland, between 22^nd and 19^th streets, pedestrians and motorists will be able to envision more clearly than ever what the new Cumberland Avenue will look like.

The decorative bricks, silva cell beds for trees and landscaping, street lights and other amenities have been in place since last year on the north side. A three-block section of the south side streetscape currently is being finished, and work on the two blocks on the south side between 19^th and 17^th streets is now underway.

Second, the raised median being built will be an important new safety feature – creating an “island” that will help pedestrians crossing the street, while also limiting left turns by motorists to designated intersections.

Mid-block left turns have been prevented so far by temporary barriers. The new medians will be between 3 feet and 13 feet wide, depending on turn lanes and Knoxville Area Transit bus infrastructure. Even though the number of traffic lanes on Cumberland has been reduced, the design is expected to reduce fender benders and improve traffic flow by eliminating blockages created by vehicles turning left across incoming traffic in the middle of the block.

                “The project remains within budget and on schedule for substantial completion in August 2017,” said Anne Wallace, the City’s Deputy Director of Redevelopment. 

“Our aim has always been to create a more attractive, safer, logistically-improved and pedestrian-friendly Cumberland Avenue Corridor. The City’s investments are helping the district to continue to thrive as a residential, retail and entertainment district. To date, we’ve helped leverage $190 million in new private investments.”

                In other developments related to the Cumberland Avenue Corridor:

n  Vaughn & Melton, the City’s consulting engineers for the reconstruction project, reminds businesses to proactively coordinate deliveries of goods with their transport companies. Similar to how businesses downtown and on Market Square operate, Cumberland businesses are encouraged to request deliveries using smaller trucks, because full-size trucks will have difficulty making turns onto Cumberland between 17^th and 22^nd streets. Vaughn & Melton has offered to help businesses tailor a plan for deliveries if use of a smaller truck isn’t an option.

n  From mid-March to mid-August, the University of Tennessee will be installing new steam lines, vaults and water hydrants on a section of Volunteer Boulevard, requiring some lane closures.

http://tntoday.utk.edu/2017/03/08/campus-road-closures-set-spring-break/

n  From March 27 to March 31, a lane on Cumberland Avenue near the intersection with Philip Fulmer Way / James Agee Street will be closed while AT&T crews perform utility work.

More information is available at www.CumberlandConnect.com, on the Cumberland Connect Facebook page, facebook.com/CumberlandConnect, and on the Cumberland Connect phone app. Or text VFL to 313131 to get text messages on the most current traffic updates.

As always, thanks for your interest in Cumberland Avenue. Have a safe and fun filled weekend. Remember its Spring Break for UT and Knox County Schools!

February 24 Update

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) - Monthly Meeting

Date: Wednesday, March 1

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 

Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue

What: The merchants and other interested stakeholders meet to discuss items of interest or concern and get updates on the City's Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project.

Parking: Available parking is located at Copper Cellar. 

Cumberland Avenue Construction Updates

For more information on what has been happening on the Avenue, make sure to check out our Two Week Look Ahead at www.cumberlandconnect.com or click right here! 

City of Knoxville Neighborhood Conference - March 11

Trying to decide whether to spend part of Saturday, March 11, at The Neighborhood Conference in Knoxville?

 

Sure, you’re thinking, there is no charge to participate and enjoy a free continental breakfast, a fun-packed photo booth, a neighborhood tee shirt contest, and door prizes.

 

But what else?

 

Well, there IS the free luncheon, where Knoxville Jazz and Blues Singer Kelle Jolly will be on stage with middle and high school students singing blues songs. And eight individuals will be honored for their service to their communities, with Mayor Madeline Rogero presenting one of them with the Diana Conn Good Neighbor of the Year Award.

 

But what else?

 

Granted, there will be over 80 information booths provided by city and county departments, nonprofit organizations, and conference sponsors.

 

But what else?

 

True, you can meet elected leaders, local government officials, and some of the candidates running in City Council races this year.

 

But what else?

 

And, yes, you will be meeting residents and leaders from other neighborhoods, and you will be inspired by others who also care about the quality of life in THEIR neighborhoods.

 

But what else?

 

Here’s what else: These 22 workshops brimming with speakers and information for Knoxville residents and neighborhood organizations:

 

** Youth Workshop: How Local Government Works

** Neighborhood Umbrella Groups

** How to Save on Your Utility Bill

** Creative Placemaking

** Engaging Neighbors to Build Your Neighborhood Organization

** Youth Recreation Opportunities for your Community

** Legal Issues for Homeowner Associations

** Pets, Wildlife & Nuisance Animals

** How to Run for Knoxville City Council

** Understanding the City Budget

** Zoning and Why You Should Care

** Youth Workshop: Getting Things Done in Your Community

** Communication Strategies for Your Neighborhood

** When a Neighbor Needs Help

** Fight the Blight

** Diversity Matters: Finding Common Ground

** How to Get Involved in Your Local Schools

** Homelessness in Knoxville

** Fighting Crime in Your Neighborhood

** Neighborhood Walkability

** Funding Resources for Neighborhood Groups

** Creative Event Making

 

See the Workshop Descriptions for the details and speakers. Register here or call Inas Al-Sarmad at 215-2113 to receive a hard copy of the workshop descriptions and the registration form. See you at the conference!

As always, thanks for your interest in everything related to Cumberland Avenue. Have a wonderful weekend. 

January 27th Update

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) - Monthly Meeting

Date: Wednesday, February 1

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 

Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue

What: The merchants and other interested stakeholders meet to discuss items of interest or concern and get updates on the City's Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project.

Parking: Available parking is located at Copper Cellar. 

Cumberland Avenue Construction Updates

For more information on what has been happening on the Avenue, make sure to check out our Two Week Look Ahead at www.cumberlandconnect.com or click right here! 

As always, thanks for your interest in everything related to Cumberland Avenue. Have a wonderful weekend. 

December 30th Update

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) - Monthly Meeting

Come celebrate the start of 2017 with your friends and fellow merchants!

Date: Wednesday, January 4

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 

Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue

What: The merchants and other interested stakeholders meet to discuss items of interest or concern and get updates on the City's Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project.

Parking: Available parking is located at Copper Cellar. 

Cumberland Avenue Construction Updates

For more information on what has been happening on the Avenue, make sure to check out our Two Week Look Ahead at www.cumberlandconnect.com or click right here! A lot of work has been accomplished over the Winter Break, including trolley track removal from 19th Street to 17th Street, rebuilding of the 17th Street intersection, new sidewalks poured between 22nd Street and Zaxby's, storm water lines installed to 19th street, and new lighting and signals! Work is progressing and slated to be complete in 2017!

As always, thanks for your interest in everything related to Cumberland Avenue. Have a wonderful and safe New Year's weekend. 

December 13th Update

INTERSECTION REBUILD TO CLOSE

CUMBERLAND AVENUE AT 17^th STREET

                The last intersection in the City’s $17 million Cumberland Avenue reconstruction – Cumberland at 17^th Street – will be rebuilt and repaved later this week, requiring detours of motorists on both streets.

                The work on the intersection at Cumberland and 17^th will require a full closure, starting at 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15. The intersection will remain closed through 6 a.m. Monday, Dec. 19.

Southern Constructors Inc. crews will be lowering the elevation of the intersection and repaving it as part of the reconstruction of a nine-block stretch of Cumberland between the Alcoa Highway ramps and 17^th Street. This is the final intersection rebuild of the project, which is more than halfway complete.

The Cumberland Avenue reconstruction project began with Knoxville Utilities Board infrastructure improvements in April 2015, and it’s scheduled to be completed by August 2017. The existing four-lane Cumberland between 22^nd and 17^th streets is being remade into a safer, more pedestrian-friendly corridor with a three-lane cross section, a raised median and left-turn lanes at intersections. An earlier phase of work on the western end of Cumberland focused on improving traffic flow between the Alcoa Highway ramps and 22^nd Street; that phase finished at the end of 2015, on time and under budget.

The rebuild of the Cumberland-17^th intersection was strategically scheduled to take advantage of light traffic during the University of Tennessee’s winter break.

Here are recommended detour routes (please see attached map):

n  Westbound motorists on Cumberland: Turn left onto Volunteer Boulevard; right onto Melrose Place; left onto Lake Avenue; right onto Volunteer, back to westbound Cumberland.

n  Eastbound motorists on Cumberland: Turn left onto 18^th Street; right onto White Avenue; right onto 16^th Street, back to Cumberland.

n  Southbound motorists on 17^th: Turn right onto Clinch Avenue; left onto 22^nd Street to access westbound Cumberland. Or turn left onto White, right onto 16^th, to access eastbound Cumberland.

More information is available at www.CumberlandConnect.com, on the Cumberland Connect Facebook page, facebook.com/CumberlandConnect, and on the Cumberland Connect phone app. Or text VFL to 313131 to get text messages on the most current traffic updates.

November 28th Update

Cumberland Avenue Construction Update: 

Beginning Monday November 21, westbound traffic will shift to the north side of Cumberland Avenue between 19th and 17th Streets so that the contractor can remove the remaining trolley track located in the middle of the roadway.

During this week, construction crews will cut and begin the hammering of the asphalt and concrete around the trolley tracks next week during day time hours. 

Beginning at 6 pm Sunday, November 27 work will be 24/7 to complete the trolley track removal and crews will work around the clock through Wednesday, November 30 at 6 pm.

No left turns will be allowed between 17th and North 19th streets during this time. Night time work will cease Wednesday, November 30, which is the first day of the University of Tennessee study period. All paving work will be complete and left turns at North 19th and 18th will be restored by the morning of Thursday, December 8, in time for University of Tennessee Graduation.

For more information about the work progressing on Cumberland Avenue, please visit www.cumberlandconnect.com and check out the Two Week Look Ahead. Every Thursday an update is posted with project progress and what to expect over the next two weeks. 

As always, thanks for your interest in everything to do with Cumberland Avenue. 

Wishing the Tennessee Vols all the best of luck in their final home game of the season, tomorrow, November 19, against the Missouri Tigers. Go Vols! 

August 31st Update - Happy Football Season Eve!

Happy Football Season Eve! 

Please remember to plan ahead for Thursday night's home opener: University of Tennessee Volunteers vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers - Kick Off at 7:30 PM 

Football Parking will NOT be available at East Tennessee Children's Hospital or Fort Sanders Regional Hospital. 

Remember to pack your patience and Volunteer Spirit in a clear, UT approved bag or small clutch! With careful planning and a backup plan, it should be a great start to a new season! More information is also available at the City of Knoxville website, here. Please keep in mind traffic patterns and construction along Cumberland Avenue will be changing over the course of the season for more information visit the TWO WEEK LOOK AHEAD.

Battle at Cumberland Avenue 

Scavenger Hunt begins Tuesday, September 6 at 8:00 AM and ends Friday, September 9 at 10:00PM

During the much-ballyhooed Battle at Bristol on Sept. 10, the University of Tennessee Vols will be taking on Virginia Tech at a neutral site midway between the schools. More than 150,000 seats were presold last spring, creating the largest crowd to ever watch a college football game.

Closer to Neyland Stadium, anticipate Big Orange fervor up and down the Cumberland Avenue Corridor during the four days leading up to what's simply being called the "Biggest Ever."

The Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association is offering the "Battle at Cumberland Avenue Scavenger Hunt - Celebrating College Football's Biggest Ever." And what a scavenger hunt it will be - big rewards for creativity, and big prizes worth thousands of dollars.

"This four-day Battle at Cumberland Avenue will be an exciting lead-up to the Battle at Bristol," says Jonah Riggs, general manager of Copper Cellar Cumberland and president of the Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association. "We think the scavenger hunt teams will get really creative and have a lot of fun. We're excited to see what they come up with!"

Sign Up right smack HERE!

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) - Monthly Meeting

Date: Wednesday, September 7 (during the Battle at Cumberland!)

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 

Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue

What: The merchants and other interested stakeholders meet to discuss items of interest or concern and get updates on the City's Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project.

Parking: Available parking is located at Copper Cellar. 

August 2 Update

OVERNIGHT PAVINGS SCHEDULED

ON 3-BLOCK SECTION OF CUMBERLAND AVENUE

A series of overnight pavings along a three-block section of Cumberland Avenue, starting at 9 p.m. today (Tuesday, Aug. 2), will establish the roadway at its correct new height while providing better access to the entrances of businesses.

The carefully-sequenced series of pavings – involving the future westbound lane of Cumberland and closures of one-block sections of 19^th, 20^th and 21^st streets north of Cumberland – will take place over three consecutive nights. The paving work is the latest development in the City’s $17 million reconstruction of the seven-block main stretch of Cumberland Avenue.

The first closure begins tonight. From 9 p.m. today until 6 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3, North 21^st Street between Cumberland and White avenues will be closed while Southern Constructors Inc. crews pave the westbound lane of Cumberland from 21^st Street east toward 22^nd Street.

The side streets are being connected with Cumberland at its new elevation, so about 30 feet of North 21^st Street also will be paved as the new connection is made.

North 21^st Street will be closed overnight during the paving; motorists may use either 20^th or 22^nd streets as alternative routes. Cumberland Avenue will remain open to both westbound and eastbound traffic.

Next, the paving work will cascade eastward and follow the same pattern. From 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3, until 6 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, North 20^th Street will be closed between Cumberland and White avenues. Crews will pave the westbound lane of Cumberland from North 20^th toward 21^st Street.

A short section of North 20^th will be paved as well. While North 20^th is closed overnight, motorists may use 19^th or 21^st streets as alternative routes. Just like on Tuesday night, Cumberland will remain open to both westbound and eastbound traffic.

Finally, from 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, until 6 a.m. Friday, Aug. 5, North 19^th Street will be closed between Cumberland and White avenues. The westbound lane of Cumberland will be paved from 19^th Street toward 20^th Street. Cumberland will remain open, and 20^th and 18^th streets are alternate routes.

“This paving is a small step in the overall project, but the Cumberland Corridor merchants, restaurants and their customers will definitely find it interesting,” said Anne Wallace, the City’s Deputy Director of Redevelopment who’s managing the Cumberland Avenue reconstruction project. “While work will be continuing in these blocks, this will give people a better glimpse of what the new-and-improved Cumberland will look like.

“First of all, the new asphalt is replacing a gravel lane, so the entrances to businesses are being improved.

“Second, on the north side of Cumberland between 19^th and 22^nd streets, you’ll be able to more easily visualize the finished streetscape – the new westbound traffic lane, the wide new decorative sidewalk, and the silva cells, where new trees will be planted next year.”

The complete project will be finished in about a year. The City’s investment in infrastructure and streetscape upgrades will create a more attractive, safer, pedestrian-friendly and better-functioning Cumberland Avenue Corridor.

Utilities are being upgraded from Alcoa Highway to 17^th Street. The existing four-lane Cumberland between 22^nd and 17^th streets is being reconfigured to a three-lane cross section with a raised median and left-turn lanes at intersections.

An earlier phase of work on the western end of Cumberland focused on improving traffic flow between the Alcoa Highway ramps and 22^nd Street; that phase finished at the end of 2015, on time and under budget.

More information is available at www.CumberlandConnect.com, on the Cumberland Connect Facebook page, facebook.com/CumberlandConnect, and on the Cumberland Connect phone app. Or text VFL to 313131 to get text messages on the most current traffic updates.

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) - Monthly Meeting

Date: Wednesday, August 3

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 

Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue

What: The merchants and other interested stakeholders meet to discuss items of interest or concern and get updates on the City's Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project.

Parking: Available parking is located at Copper Cellar. 

August 2 Update

OVERNIGHT PAVINGS SCHEDULED

ON 3-BLOCK SECTION OF CUMBERLAND AVENUE

A series of overnight pavings along a three-block section of Cumberland Avenue, starting at 9 p.m. today (Tuesday, Aug. 2), will establish the roadway at its correct new height while providing better access to the entrances of businesses.

The carefully-sequenced series of pavings – involving the future westbound lane of Cumberland and closures of one-block sections of 19^th, 20^th and 21^st streets north of Cumberland – will take place over three consecutive nights. The paving work is the latest development in the City’s $17 million reconstruction of the seven-block main stretch of Cumberland Avenue.

The first closure begins tonight. From 9 p.m. today until 6 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3, North 21^st Street between Cumberland and White avenues will be closed while Southern Constructors Inc. crews pave the westbound lane of Cumberland from 21^st Street east toward 22^nd Street.

The side streets are being connected with Cumberland at its new elevation, so about 30 feet of North 21^st Street also will be paved as the new connection is made.

North 21^st Street will be closed overnight during the paving; motorists may use either 20^th or 22^nd streets as alternative routes. Cumberland Avenue will remain open to both westbound and eastbound traffic.

Next, the paving work will cascade eastward and follow the same pattern. From 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3, until 6 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, North 20^th Street will be closed between Cumberland and White avenues. Crews will pave the westbound lane of Cumberland from North 20^th toward 21^st Street.

A short section of North 20^th will be paved as well. While North 20^th is closed overnight, motorists may use 19^th or 21^st streets as alternative routes. Just like on Tuesday night, Cumberland will remain open to both westbound and eastbound traffic.

Finally, from 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, until 6 a.m. Friday, Aug. 5, North 19^th Street will be closed between Cumberland and White avenues. The westbound lane of Cumberland will be paved from 19^th Street toward 20^th Street. Cumberland will remain open, and 20^th and 18^th streets are alternate routes.

“This paving is a small step in the overall project, but the Cumberland Corridor merchants, restaurants and their customers will definitely find it interesting,” said Anne Wallace, the City’s Deputy Director of Redevelopment who’s managing the Cumberland Avenue reconstruction project. “While work will be continuing in these blocks, this will give people a better glimpse of what the new-and-improved Cumberland will look like.

“First of all, the new asphalt is replacing a gravel lane, so the entrances to businesses are being improved.

“Second, on the north side of Cumberland between 19^th and 22^nd streets, you’ll be able to more easily visualize the finished streetscape – the new westbound traffic lane, the wide new decorative sidewalk, and the silva cells, where new trees will be planted next year.”

The complete project will be finished in about a year. The City’s investment in infrastructure and streetscape upgrades will create a more attractive, safer, pedestrian-friendly and better-functioning Cumberland Avenue Corridor.

Utilities are being upgraded from Alcoa Highway to 17^th Street. The existing four-lane Cumberland between 22^nd and 17^th streets is being reconfigured to a three-lane cross section with a raised median and left-turn lanes at intersections.

An earlier phase of work on the western end of Cumberland focused on improving traffic flow between the Alcoa Highway ramps and 22^nd Street; that phase finished at the end of 2015, on time and under budget.

More information is available at www.CumberlandConnect.com, on the Cumberland Connect Facebook page, facebook.com/CumberlandConnect, and on the Cumberland Connect phone app. Or text VFL to 313131 to get text messages on the most current traffic updates.

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) - Monthly Meeting

Date: Wednesday, August 3

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 

Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue

What: The merchants and other interested stakeholders meet to discuss items of interest or concern and get updates on the City's Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project.

Parking: Available parking is located at Copper Cellar. 

July 22nd Update

TEMPORARY CLOSURES SCHEDULED NEXT WEEK

IN CUMBERLAND AVENUE CORRIDOR

Next week, motorists should anticipate temporary lane or street closures in the Cumberland Avenue Corridor, including two overnight closures of a two-block section of Cumberland.

Starting at 10 p.m. Monday, July 25, a contractor, Southern Constructors Inc., will be closing Cumberland Avenue between 17^th and 19^th streets to install a duct bank across the street. Cumberland Avenue is scheduled to reopen at 6 a.m. the next morning, Tuesday, July 26. The closure will be repeated starting at 10 p.m. Tuesday night, July 26, with the project to be completed by 6 a.m. Wednesday, July 27.

Westbound motorists on Cumberland Avenue will be detoured onto Melrose Place to Lake Avenue to 19^th Street before reconnecting to Cumberland. Eastbound motorists on Cumberland Avenue will be detoured onto 19^th Street to Clinch Avenue to 17^th Street before returning to Cumberland.

Meanwhile, Southern Constructors Inc. will be doing work on two other streets in the area as part of the City’s $17 million reconstruction of Cumberland Avenue:

n  17^th Street – A righthand northbound lane will be closed between Cumberland and White avenues from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27. Crews will be connecting a new water main.

n  North 19^th Street – Crews will close the street between Cumberland and White avenues from 6 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, to 6 p.m. Friday, July 29. The roadway is being rebuilt. Motorists can use 18^th or 20^th streets as alternate routes.

More information is available at www.CumberlandConnect.com, on the Cumberland Connect Facebook page, facebook.com/CumberlandConnect, and on the Cumberland Connect phone app. Or text VFL to 313131 to get text messages on the most current traffic updates.

June 22 Update

INCREASED PARKING ENFORCEMENT BEGINS FRIDAY, JULY 1

City of Knoxville and Public Building Authority officials remind visitors to downtown and to the Cumberland Avenue Corridor that a number of changes related to garage and on-street parking will take effect on Friday, July 1.

As part of a comprehensive approach to managing public parking in downtown and in Fort Sanders, the City is installing more than 1,000 new parking meters, adjusting rates for on-street and garage parking, and increasing parking enforcement.

The goal is to create more turnover of parking spaces in high-demand areas. The ideal occupancy rate for parked cars in short-term metered spaces is 85 percent in a prime city block – meaning that a motorist should be able to find a parking space within a block or so of his or her destination.

In the Cumberland Avenue Corridor, PBA officers also will be enforcing 30-minute limits in designated commercial loading zones as well as discouraging drivers of commercial vehicles from parking illegally on sidewalks or in other non-designated areas.

Starting July 1, PBA will be assigning six officers to enforce parking regulations throughout downtown. In addition, four PBA officers will be handling parking enforcement in the Cumberland Avenue area. (Affected streets in the Cumberland Avenue Corridor include Cumberland, White and Lake avenues; Melrose Place; and Mountcastle, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd streets.)

In March, City Council approved the purchase of 1,022 new solar-powered parking meters. The new meters will accept credit cards or change, and will include sensors that will enable City engineers to track actual usage of street parking spaces.

As the meters are installed, uniform sets of short- and long-term rates will go into effect that encourage short-term use of high-demand street parking and long-term parking by commuters and residents in the City’s parking garages or in metered spaces on the edges of downtown.

Public garage parking will remain free on weekends and after 6 p.m. on weekdays.

“There’s plenty of parking downtown, and about 90 percent of it – more than 7,500 spaces – is in garages and City-owned lots,” Downtown Coordinator Rick Emmett said. “That’s clearly the best option for long-term parking.

“Short-term parkers – those visiting offices, shops and restaurants – might prefer the convenience of on-street parking, but most spaces are limited to two hours. The short-term meters will charge $1.50 an hour, versus $1 an hour to park in a garage.

“The new parking management plan will ensure regular turnover, and it’s also a more equitable way of sharing a public resource.”

Among the planned changes taking effect:

n  New meters will be installed throughout downtown, including the length of Gay Street from Summit Hill Drive to Hill Avenue that does not currently have meters.

n  The meters will be in effect Monday through Saturday throughout downtown, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Gay Street and around Market Square, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. everywhere else.

n  Long-term meters (on the north end of the Gay Street Viaduct and along Depot Avenue and South Central Street) will charge 30 cents an hour, with a 10-hour limit.

n  City-owned garages will continue to be free on weekends and after 6 p.m. on weekdays, and will continue to charge $1 an hour for parking during weekdays. Monthly parking rates at City-owned garages will rise by $5 a month.

n  The monthly parking rate for weekday commuters at the Civic Coliseum parking garage will decrease to $15 a month, from its current level of $20 a month. (New trolley routes provide free service from the Coliseum garage every 7 to 8 minutes on weekdays. The garage is also only a 5-minute walk from Gay Street.)

n  In addition to its downtown enforcement, PBA will enforce meters in the Cumberland Avenue District, between White Avenue and Lake Avenue from 17th Street west to the railroad tracks from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday (but not on home football game days).

Violators parking in commercial loading zones or no-parking zones will be subject to immediate towing, as will motorists with multiple outstanding tickets for meter violations.

Any funds generated from parking activities will be used to support parking infrastructure and downtown amenities. For more information about public parking in Knoxville, visit http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/parking.

Cumberland Avenue Construction - The Two Week Look Ahead

For more information about construction on Cumberland, be sure to check out the Two Week Look Ahead at www.cumberlandconnect.com. This week's update includes information on the UT steam line work at 16th Street, KUB project progress with waterlines to 16th Street, streetscape stormwater installation and sidewalk installation to the 1800 block. Given the amount of construction in the area for city, UT, KUB, and private development projects, be sure to check out the Google map with updates on where traffic is impacted right here. Of course for the latest updates sent directly to your phone or mobile device, simply text "VFL" to 313131! 

Thanks for your continued interest and have a great week!