Knoxville revamps downtown parking on busy stretch along Market Square
Parking along the north side of Market Square has been a confusing mix of drivers stopping with their flashers on to grab takeout, big trucks unloading beer and those looking for a legitimate metered space so they can duck into an office for a meeting.
The city of Knoxville has a plan to clean things up on Wall Avenue.
Starting Oct. 23, the city will add 10 stop-n-go parking spaces on Wall Avenue. It is also converting four commercial parking spaces into two-hour metered spots.
In exchange, no parking will be allowed directly adjacent to Market Square on the south side of the street near the stage.
On Oct. 22, Wall Avenue will be closed to traffic until noon so crews can paint the new spaces. After that, police cadets will focus on educating drivers until Nov. 1, when ticketing will start for violators.
During the pandemic, as takeout food and retail orders soared in popularity, the city added stop-n-go spots in strategic places downtown so it was easier for drivers to find a quick place to pull over. The Wall Avenue parking revamp builds on the success of those designated spaces.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville downtown parking revamped along Market Square
