Knoxville residents and visitors are looking forward to more pedestrian-friendly weekends downtown, with the city closing off certain streets to vehicle traffic for the remainder of the year. According to WATE, Knoxville officials have declared portions of Market Street, between Clinch Avenue and Union Avenue, as well as Union Avenue, between Walnut and Gay Street, to be vehicle-free zones from Friday evenings at 6 p.m. until Sunday nights at 6 p.m.
This initiative is not new to the city, which had previously experimented with pedestrian zones during a trial last year on a block of Gay Street and again for a First Friday block party in September, now the city aims to expand this concept to more areas, "Going forward, this will expand the footprint of our bustling Market Square, and provide additional safe pedestrian areas during busy UT football game weekends and the upcoming holiday season," in a statement obtained by WATE.
The current focus is on enhancing the downtown experience and the safety of those on foot, particularly during times when the area is most congested; aside from the health and environmental benefits of encouraging walking, the community is also set to enjoy the space with less worry about traffic. As a heads-up to drivers and residents, temporary "no parking" signs will be put up in advance each weekend to alert the public of the closures, WATE reported.
Despite the generally positive reception, there will be a slight modification for the upcoming weekend: due to prior scheduled events, the pedestrian zone's operation will start on Saturday, October 12, rather than Friday night, as detailed by WVLT.
