Blog: South Waterfront Blog

Did You Know? Free Nights, Weekend Parking – 840 Spaces – Available Near Sevier Avenue

There were times last year when residents of Phillips Avenue and customers visiting night-time businesses along Sevier Avenue were jostling it out for the same parking spaces on Phillips.

On a hopping Friday or Saturday night, the visitors’ parked vehicles would sometimes block residents’ driveways or the no-parking zones of fire alleys.

The business patrons doing the improper parking might have been oblivious. Or maybe they were having trouble finding more appropriate parking – or just didn’t know where else to park.

Or maybe they simply preferred to not have to walk far.

A no-fee first-of-its-kind residential neighborhood parking pilot program is underway along the 700, 800 and 900 blocks of Phillips Avenue, between Barber and Empire streets.

City officials hope the pilot program resolves the problem, at least as far as the residents are concerned. Finding long-term solutions to create or share parking is another matter.

The Phillips Avenue pilot program, free to residents, is simple: Residents apply for tags to be hung from the rear-view mirrors of their cars. Signs are posted by the City, identifying the Phillips Avenue parking spaces as reserved for vehicles displaying the tags.

Signs have been posted along Phillips Avenue, informing motorists of the residential parking pilot program in effect.

Signs have been posted along Phillips Avenue, informing motorists of the residential parking pilot program in effect.

In the first month, more than 90 percent of the households in the pilot program area have applied for and received the tags. (Residents who want a tag and have not yet applied can still do so. Contact Parking Systems Manager Mark Elliott at [email protected].)

No illegal parking violations have been reported so far this year.

But what about the other lingering issue: Where should patrons of the breweries and restaurants park?

The City is always looking for ways to improve accessibility to parking.

On or near Sevier Avenue, some of the property owners are sharing parking: Daytime businesses make their parking available to neighboring businesses that are open at night, and vice versa. The City encourages more of that.

In downtown – a moderate walk from Sevier Avenue, just across the Tennessee River – entrepreneurs have taken stock of logistics and lifestyles and responded with new business models. Private companies have offered ride-share scooters, for example, while others have gotten permits to offer legally-allowed low-speed rides or even tours using golf carts.

Could these or other creative new business models help in South Knoxville?

Down the road, new parking lots – public or private – are likely to pop up as demand rises.

But did you know that free night-time and weekend parking – 840 parking spaces – already exists close to the Sevier Avenue?

More than 700 spaces are available at no charge on nights and weekends in the Regal parking garage, on the western edge of the Sevier Avenue corridor. Another 52 spaces on a surface lot behind the garage are available to the public anytime.

More than 700 spaces are available at no charge on nights and weekends in the Regal parking garage, on the western edge of the corridor. Another 52 spaces on a surface lot behind the garage are available to the public anytime.

Meanwhile, 20 parking spaces can be found at Suttree Landing Park, and another 50 spaces line Waterfront Drive.

Parking spaces are usually available at Suttree Landing Park or along Waterfront Drive.

Parking spaces are usually available at Suttree Landing Park or along Waterfront Drive.

Posted by evreeland On 18 February, 2021 at 9:24 AM