Following the April 19th Cumberland Avenue Streetscape Public Meeting, the City of Knoxville has determined that it will continue to move forward with plans to develop a three lane street section including two through lanes, a center turn lane for left turn movements, and wider sidewalks.

After considering all the alternatives and hearing from the public and affected property owners, City administration staff believe this plan best balances the goals of providing good service and enhanced safety to all users of the corridor whether they walk, bike, take transit or drive their automobile.

Initial design work will move forward with the goals of accommodating KAT buses, delivery trucks, business access and emergency vehicles. 

"We are looking forward to providing this direction to our consultants, and getting into the detailed design of the corridor over the next several months," said Anne Wallace, the city's Cumberland Avenue Project Manager. "We really appreciate the interest and support of the entire community as we proceed. We will continue to work with the general public and corridor stakeholders in determining the details of this new alignment." 
 
The detailed design phase should be completed within 12 months and there will be other opportunities for public comment during that time. As a reminder, federal money for the construction has been allocated, though it hasn't been obligated. That won't occur until completion of the detailed design phase and other steps required by federal and state officials. The University of Tennessee and Covenant Health have also been financial partners for the implementation of the project.