Blog: City Blog

Neighborhoods Get Spruced Up When Hosting Special Events Like Open Streets

City workers patch pot holes on Magnolia Avenue in preparation for Open Streets.

One of the best ways to draw attention to a location is to bring foot traffic with an event, and that’s just what the Open Streets Knoxville organizers aim to do.

To be held this Sunday, May 21, from 2-6 p.m., Knoxville’s fourth Open Streets event will highlight businesses along the Magnolia corridor, closing the street to cars and filling it with more than 60 performers, activity providers and vendors. The activities are all free.

And, similar to cleaning your house for visitors, special events tend to bring to light areas that need a little TLC. That’s where the City’s Public Works departments come in.

The City has a special events crew that delivers tables and chairs used by vendors at various festivals. They also place additional trash cans, pick up litter, put out traffic cones, and, when applicable, hang event banners prior to an event.

City street sweepers are used to clear the street of debris and grime that has built up over time.

Presented by Bike Walk Knoxville with support from the City and other sponsors, the Magnolia Avenue corridor is receiving some extra finishing touches prior to event day.

In the case of this pedestrian- and bicyclist-promoting event, crews have made repairs to sidewalks and streets, improving curb cuts, pruning trees, and getting curb lines cleaned and edged. They have also replaced a City bench that had been removed.

City Traffic Engineering is repairing the cross walks and ensuring that all traffic signs are properly located. Additionally, Codes Enforcement makes sure that all dirty and overgrown lots are cleaned up prior to the event.

Crosswalks on Magnolia Avenue intersections have been re-striped.

After everyone has gone home, the Public Service special events crew circles back, collecting all items that had been placed and cleaning up litter from the aftermath left by hundreds of visitors. Often, crews leave the site better than it had been beforehand.

“It’s often a thankless job for our special events crew members, who work on hundreds of events annually,” said Chad Weth, Public Service Director. “They work through all seasons of weather and provide reliable, quality service to help our outdoor festivals, concerts and races run as smoothly as possible.

“I think people are going to be surprised at what good shape the Magnolia Corridor is in when they attend the Open Streets event this weekend.”

For more information on the Open Streets Event, visit www.OpenStreetsKnoxville.com.

Posted by On 18 May, 2017 at 3:05 PM