Parking & Transportation Updates

Updates as of September 22, 2023

West 10th St. and Peachtree Ave. intersection now OPEN to vehicles
William L. Jones Drive west of Derryberry Hall expected to close Wednesday, Sept. 27 

Students, faculty and staff:

As work on the new pedestrian walkway along Peachtree Ave. continues, we are happy to share that the intersection of W. 10th St. and Peachtree Ave. between Lewis and Clement Halls is once again OPEN to vehicles and pedestrians.

University leaders have listened to student, faculty and staff concerns and worked with our contractor to expedite their timeline in order to reopen this intersection more than a month ahead of schedule and resume an important part of our normal traffic pattern around campus.

While construction in this area of campus nears completion, additional construction will soon begin with the demolition of part of William L. Jones Dr. leading into the employee parking lot behind T.J. Farr Building and Henderson Hall.

Beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 27, William L. Jones Dr. will be closed at the west end of the Derryberry Hall parking lot and vehicles will need to use W. 10th St. as their access point for the T.J.Farr/Henderson parking lot.

These updates are shown in the map below:
 

As noted in earlier messages, plans for enhancing the appearance, walkability and safety of our campus call for converting the area of William L. Jones Dr. that currently leads vehicles to the T.J. Farr/Henderson parking lot into a pedestrian walkway.

The Derryberry Hall parking lot will continue to be accessed from Dixie Avenue, however vehicles parking in the T.J.Farr/Henderson parking lot will need to enter through W. 10th Street via access points on W. 7th Street, Willow Avenue and E. 12th Street.

This is shown in the map below:
 

We will be reaching out over the coming weeks with additional reminders and tools to help our campus community adapt to this change.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to enhance our campus for current and future students.

Wings Up!

 

Updates as of September 20, 2023

No changes to pedestrian route; small parking area temporary closed between Johnson and Foster Halls

There are no changes this week to the pedestrian pathway around the Peachtree Avenue construction site. However, as noted in yesterday's campus message, work on the City of Cookeville's utility repair project will temporarily close off a small parking area between Johnson and Foster Halls (about 10 parking spaces in total).

Additionally, the intersection at Stadium Drive and University Drive near the Tech tennis courts will be restricted to right turns only headed east on University Drive beginning Monday, Sept. 25. This is to allow continued work digging a new manhole that will service the Ashraf Islam Engineering Building.

Please see the updated map below for reference: 

 

Updates as of September 12, 2023

No changes to pedestrian route; road and parking lot closure on Stadium Drive starting tomorrow

While there are no changes this week to the pedestrian pathway around the Peachtree Avenue construction site, construction work will temporarily impact vehicles on campus beginning tomorrow. 

Construction personnel will begin work tomorrow, September 13, cutting and digging the new manhole at the corner of Stadium Drive and University Drive near the Tech tennis courts. This work will result in a temporary, 2 to 3-week closure of part of Stadium Drive, including a small portion of the western end of the parking lot behind the Volpe Library.

Vehicles entering this end of campus from E. 12th Street can turn onto McGee Boulevard, as opposed to Stadium Drive, for better access to campus. Please see the images below for reference: 

Updates as of September 6, 2023

No recent changes to pedestrian pathway around Peachtree construction site

Construction is continuing on the new bricked walkway and plaza where much of Peachtree Avenue currently stands. The latest map is shown below. There are no changes to the pedestrian route from last week. You can also download an image of the map here. 

University meeting with contractor on manhole at Stadium Drive

There is a manhole at the corner of Stadium Drive and University Drive as part of the underground work connecting utilities to the Ashraf Islam Engineering Building. The university is now at the point in that work where the manhole can be taken out and a new one installed. University personnel are meeting with the contractor this week to discuss project details. We will share updates with campus as this work is performed. 

Work continuing on accessible crossing from Lab Science Commons lawn to Memorial Gym 

Work is continuing on an accessible pedestrian walkway from the Lab Science Commons lawn to the area immediately north of Memorial Gym. This project had been delayed due to discovery of an improper utility conduit installation on a previous project. Exact timing of the walkway's opening is dependent on remediation of the conduit issues. 

Reminder: New shuttle routes now in place 

As noted last week, the university is providing new and improved shuttle routes with more stops to bring riders closer to the center of campus. The updated shuttle stops are as follows:

•University Drive and Laurel Ave. (current stop)
•Purple Lot (current stop)
•Red Lot north of tennis courts (NEW STOP)
•Volpe Library — B Street and Peachtree Ave. (NEW STOP)
•Roaden University Center (current stop)
•Foundation Hall (current stop)
•Crawford Hall (current stop)
•Stonecipher Lecture Hall (NEW STOP)
•The Burn (current stop)
•Prescott Hall (NEW STOP)

As a reminder, the university offers three shuttles to serve you. Two of these shuttles run from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. The third shuttle runs from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Shuttles run Monday through Friday, on days when classes are in session during the fall and spring semesters. You can see the real-time location of our campus shuttles here or by downloading the app for free in the Apple Store or from Google Play. 

Updates as of August 30, 2023

Latest map of pedestrian pathway around Peachtree construction site 

Construction is continuing on the new bricked walkway and plaza where much of Peachtree Avenue currently stands. The latest map is shown below. There are no changes to the pedestrian route from last week, however the map is updated to reflect the temporary closure of A Street to vehicular traffic for utility repairs. 

As always, small changes in the map may occur from week to week as this project evolves. You can also download an image of the map here. 

 

Accessible walkway now open between Foster and Johnson Hall 

University personnel have worked to ensure that the entirety of the pedestrian route around the construction on Peachtree Avenue is accessible for all of the Tech community.

Previously, an area spanning from the corner of Foster Hall to the sidewalk to the south of Johnson Hall was not easily accessible for scooters, wheelchairs, etc. That section of campus has now been paved with an asphalt connector for better accessibility (see photo below). 

Work continuing on accessible crossing from Lab Science Commons lawn to Memorial Gym 

Work is continuing on an accessible pedestrian walkway from the Lab Science Commons lawn to the area immediately north of Memorial Gym. This project had been delayed due to discovery of an improper utility conduit installation on a previous project. 

University personnel hope to have the walkway opened as soon as next week, however exact timing is dependent on remediation of the conduit issues. 

New shuttle routes beginning this Friday 

Beginning this Friday, the university will offer new and improved shuttle routes with more stops to bring riders closer to the center of campus. The updated shuttle stops will be as follows:

•University Drive and Laurel Ave. (current stop)
•Purple Lot (current stop)
•Red Lot north of tennis courts (NEW STOP)
•Volpe Library — B Street and Peachtree Ave. (NEW STOP)
•Roaden University Center (current stop)
•Foundation Hall (current stop)
•Crawford Hall (current stop)
•Stonecipher Lecture Hall (NEW STOP)
•The Burn (current stop)
•Prescott Hall (NEW STOP)

As a reminder, the university offers three shuttles to serve you. Two of these shuttles run from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. The third shuttle runs from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Shuttles run Monday through Friday, on days when classes are in session during the fall and spring semesters. You can see the real-time location of our campus shuttles here or by downloading the app for free in the Apple Store or from Google Play. 

Expected opening of 10th Street crossing by Oct. 31 

10th Street crossing between Lewis and Clement halls is expected to reopen by Oct. 31, depending on weather delays. Once reopened, this will be the vehicular access point in and out of the Henderson/Farr parking lot.

When 10th Street crossing reopens, William L. Jones Dr. will be closed at the west end of the Derryberry parking lot and work will begin on its conversion to a pedestrian walkway. The Derryberry parking lot will continue to be accessed from Dixie Avenue.

Updates as of August 23, 2023

 With the fall semester underway, the university will provide weekly email updates on construction, parking and transportation to help you navigate our community as we make improvements to campus to better serve you.

Check out this week's updates below: 

Latest map of pedestrian pathway around Peachtree construction site 

Construction crews are continuing their work on the new bricked walkway and plaza where much of Peachtree Avenue currently stands. 

The latest map is shown below. You can also download an image of the map here. 

Change to pedestrian access between Volpe Library and engineering quad 

As reflected in the above map, a recent change to the temporary pedestrian pathway includes the unanticipated closure of a path between the library parking lot to the interior of the engineering quad. 

The contractor performing work on the campus's new bricked walkway and plaza advanced west on University Drive at a pace quicker than expected and made the decision to close this area to protect our students, faculty and staff. Thank you for your understanding. 

Fortunately, no further closings of areas of campus for this project are expected. As sections of the walkways are completed, they will be opened. This work is expected to be substantially complete with all areas reopened by February.

Temporary closure of A Street 

A Street is temporary closed between the Roaden University Center and Pennebaker Hall for a utility repair project. Facilities personnel expect that this closure may last for two or more weeks. The sidewalk south of Johnson Hall is open for pedestrian traffic from the RUC to Volpe Library.  

Shuttles available to serve campus 

As work continues on various construction projects to enhance our campus and improve the student experience, please be reminded that the university offers three shuttles to serve you. 

Two of these shuttles run from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. The third shuttle runs from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Shuttles run Monday through Friday, on days when classes are in session during the fall and spring semesters. 

You can see the real-time location of our campus shuttles here or by downloading the app for free in the Apple Store or from Google Play. 

Updates as of August 17, 2023

Updated map and video for pedestrian pathway along Peachtree Avenue

As classes begin today for the fall semester, work is continuing on the new bricked walkway and plaza where much of Peachtree Avenue currently stands. Once complete, this project will further enhance the appearance of our campus and provide new sidewalks and green spaces to enjoy.

Below is the latest map of the current pedestrian pathway to navigate around the construction site along Peachtree Avenue. The pedestrian pathway is shown with the yellow dotted lines. The red zones indicate the active construction site and road closures impacting both Peachtree Avenue and University Drive near the Volpe Library. You will receive a new map by email when we are made aware of any anticipated and unanticipated changes to pedestrian paths. 

New signage is also being installed today along the pedestrian pathway to better help students, faculty and staff navigate around the construction site. A drone video offering a bird's eye view of the site is below, along with information about anticipated changes. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding as this project progresses. We look forward to completion of this construction in time for students to enjoy our new walkway and plaza this spring. For your safety, please do not enter the designated construction zone and adhere to the pedestrian walking pathway.

Updates as of August 15, 2023

Update to pedestrian detour path along Peachtree Avenue. 

Check out the new pedestrian path created so that you can navigate campus. The new path, created due to an unanticipated increase to the Peachtree Avenue active construction site work, follows the bright yellow line shown on the updated map below. 

Facilities is working to create two gravel walkways between the Foundry and Lab Sciences, as well as against the Library. As seen on the map below, there is no longer a detour behind Clement Hall. Facilities is also working to build an accessible ramp between the Lab Sciences Commons lawn and Bartoo Hall, located beside Memorial Gym.

Please remember the area inside the detour path is an active construction site. Pedestrians are encouraged to use caution and follow the designated pathway as indicated on the map below.

Updates as of August 7, 2023

Parking & Transportation project update

The longstanding Parking and Transportation Improvements project (SBC #166/011-02-2016C) has reached the point where it is necessary to close Peachtree Avenue to pedestrian traffic as this is now an active construction site, not just a place equipment for the project is being stored.

Entering a construction site, even when there is no active construction taking place, is extremely dangerous. Be aware that entering a construction site is illegal.

Pedestrian crossing of Peachtree

The project’s contractor is setting up a crossing on Peachtree immediately to the south of Memorial Gym’s outside basketball court. Please note that this path will not be accessible as it has a set of stairs. This crossing is marked in yellow on the map and is planned to be open by the start of fall classes, pending weather delays and construction progress.

Until this crossing is opened, please use Wings Up Way to the south of the construction site or A Street to the north to proceed around the site.

Lewis Hall access

Once the sidewalks in front of Lewis Hall are removed, entrance to the building will be via the shop entrance on 10th Street.

Clement Hall access

The entrance to Clement Hall on Peachtree has been blocked. Access to the building is via entrances from the engineering quad parking lot.

The Pit

Contractors are currently dealing with substandard soils in the part of The Pit slated to reopen. Once resolved, the area will be paved and is expected to be open by the start of fall classes (depending on weather and the resolution of the soil issue).

The other half of the lot will not reopen at this time, as it is currently being used to store stonework and masonry supplies being used in the construction of the pedestrian walkway.

Other projects that may impact pedestrian traffic in this area

The roadway south of Foster Hall is currently closed for the installation of conduit. Enough of this project will be completed next week to give a clear path from the RUC backyard to A Street.

The City of Cookeville’s water line construction on Wings Up Way between Memorial Gym and ROTC was delayed to allow for easy access to the College of Education’s Freedom School program this summer. This project will be proceeding later this month and is expected to be completed by the end of September.

The demolition of Foster Hall will start this fall with prep work and is expected to be completed next spring.

Future of project

We are entering the final phases of this project, which is expected to be substantially completed next spring. Once construction on Peachtree is completed, construction will move to the final section on University Drive, between Stadium Drive and Peachtree.

The Parking and Transportation Improvements project, which began with the parking lot behind Henderson Hall and TJ Farr Building in the summer of 2022, has been one of the largest capital projects the university has undertaken in terms of the amount of the campus it impacts in one way or another and has been completed in phases to lessen the direct impact as much as possible.

Unlike buildings, which are bounded by the site of the facility under construction, this project has entailed the alteration of pedestrian and vehicular traffic throughout campus to make Tech a much more pedestrian-friendly campus.

The new pedestrian walkways and plaza areas will not be available for vehicular traffic (except for facilities and emergency vehicles), providing for a safe and attractive space for pedestrian, bicycles and other non-vehicular traffic. The new pedestrian walkways and plaza areas include: 

•Peachtree Avenue from Wings Up Way north to A Street
•University Drive from Stadium Drive east to Peachtree Avenue
•William L. Jones Drive from the Derryberry Hall parking lot west to the Peachtree walkway
•The area encompassing the current intersection of University Drive and Peachtree Avenue (between Volpe Library and the Roaden University Center) will become a plaza and a valuable outdoor space for students and organizations.
 

This will enhance campus safety, as well as help to create the collegial atmosphere that will have a positive impact on the student experience at Tech.

Updates as of August 2, 2023

10th & Peachtree Intersection to close tomorrow

10th & Peachtree intersection to close tomorrow
The paving of the Derryberry parking lot has been completed and William L. Jones Drive has been reopened.

As announced last week, access to the Henderson/Farr parking lot will be by William L. Jones Drive only once the intersection of 10th Street and Peachtree is closed sometime tomorrow (Aug. 3).

The intersection is expected to be closed for two months, pending weather or supply delays.

 

Access to parking lots
The Henderson/Farr parking lot will be accessed via William L. Jones Drive during the intersection’s closure.

The parking lot behind Bartoo Hall (The Pit) is expected to partially reopen by the start of classes. When it reopens, access will be from William L. Jones Drive as well.

The Engineering Quad parking lot will be accessed via 10th Street, with access to 10th Street from the Stadium Drive intersection.

Updates as of July 28, 2023

10th & Peachtree intersection closure delayed

UPDATE: In order to be able to pave the Derryberry parking lot prior to the start of the semester, the closure of the 10th & Peachtree intersection announced yesterday will be delayed until the Derryberry lot paving is completed, which is expected to take three days, barring any weather delays.

The Derryberry lot will be closed starting Monday morning, with William L. Jones Drive closed at Dixie Avenue. The crosswalk at the west end of the lot will remain open to pedestrian traffic.

The 10th & Peachtree intersection will remain open until the Derryberry parking lot paving is completed. Once that happens, the intersection will be closed, and the project will continue as described in yesterday’s email.

This delay will also allow the parking lot behind Bartoo Hall (The Pit) to be paved sooner than anticipated and help to ensure The Pit is partially reopened before the start of classes.

Updated original message:
With work progressing north on the former Peachtree Avenue, the intersection of 10th Street and Peachtree (currently an entrance into the Henderson/Farr parking lot) will be closed for approximately two months to install infrastructure needed for the pedestrian walkway, such as storm drains and sidewalks. The intersection will close next week upon the completion of the paving project for the Derryberry parking lot and is expected to be closed for two months.

Access to parking lots once 10th & Peachtree intersection closed

The Henderson/Farr parking lot will be accessed via William L. Jones Drive during the intersection’s closure. The Pit will also be accessed from William L. Jones Drive.

The Engineering Quad parking lot will be accessed via 10th Street, with access to 10th Street from the Stadium Drive intersection.

Cross campus traffic

Cross campus traffic will be by B Street (Dixie to Stadium), Wings Up Way (Willow to Peachtree) or 7th Street.

Pedestrian paths

Pedestrian paths will be available and routed around the work.

Upcoming work this fall

The front walkways at Lewis Hall will be demolished. This will require the closure of the front doors on the building with access via other doors until the new walkways are in place. The plan is to replace the walkways as soon as possible after their removal to restore normal access. 

Pedestrian walkways throughout all of the work on Peachtree are currently being worked out and campus will be notified when these are established prior to the return of students. 

Once the 10th and Peachtree intersection reopens, William L. Jones will be closed to vehicular traffic at the west end of the Derryberry Hall parking lot. This roadway will become a circle with access to the parking lot via Dixie Avenue only. 

Late this fall, The Pit will be closed to accommodate work on the William L. Jones pedestrian walkway and connecting The Pit to the Henderson/Farr parking lot. Campus will be notified in advance once this date is known. 

Please note that any of these projects may be affected by weather or supply delays.

Updates as of November 2, 2022

A Street closed to through traffic, parking impacted

The third and final phase of the infrastructure work around Foster Hall has begun, closing A Street to through traffic and limiting available Gold level parking on the street.

The work will run from the library, up the center of A street, and will end close to parallel with the southeast corner of Johnson Hall. 
 
 
 
As Foster Hall is currently not used and the sidewalks will remain open, we hope that the impact will be minimal. 
Parking on A street in proximity to Johnson and Foster will be impacted as the spaces on either side of the street will not have access. This should not affect A Street parking by Pennebaker and the RUC.
Completion of this phase is expected to be in mid-December. At that time the area will be restored to normal use until work on the pedestrian promenade commences in this area in late 2023.
The chilled water line replacement is being performed to accommodate the future demolition of Foster Hall.

Stadium Drive update
Once the construction on Stadium Drive has progressed far enough north of Wings Up Way, the road between 7th Street and Wings Up Way, including the intersection at Wings Up Way, will be reopened.
Access to the parking lots near Southwest Hall is currently via 10th Street, near the intersection with Stadium Drive.
The Stadium and 10th intersection will not close until Wings Up Way is completely reopened in order to maintain an east-west passage through campus.
 

Updates as of September 9, 2022 

Peachtree Avenue from 7th Street to Wings Up Way is expected to reopen next week. This work and the Henderson/Farr parking lot were the first phases of the massive Parking and Transportation Improvements project (SBC #166/011-02-2016C).

With the completion of the current work on Peachtree, the project will move to new areas on campus:

Stadium Drive between 7th Street and Wings Up Way
Area of the intersection of Peachtree Avenue and University Drive (in front of the Volpe Library, which has been closed to vehicular traffic since 2020)
Significant change to the campus shuttle routes due to the impact of this construction resulting in a single route for all campus shuttles

1. Stadium Drive

With the completion of the current work on Peachtree Avenue in front of Maddux/McCord, the contractor will be moving work to the next phase of the project: Stadium Drive from 7th Street to Wings Up Way. During this phase, the road will be closed, including the intersection. Wings Up Way will be blocked at the access road for between the Burnett Student Recreation & Fitness Center (the Burn).

This phase is expected to take two months to complete, with the timeline subject to change due to weather or other delays.

For pedestrians, the sidewalk on the north side of Wings Up Way will remain open to maintain access to the Burn and Ray Morris Hall (location of Oakley STEM Center).

The ADA entrance at Browning/Evins and the walkways leading to it, as well as the stairs facing north, will remain open at this time. Towards the end of work on this phase, this entrance and stairs will need to be closed briefly as sidewalk in this area must be replaced. Once we know when that will be, the campus, along with Residential Life and the Accessible Education Center, will be notified.

The small Gold parking lot immediately next to Ray Morris Hall will be closed during this phase.

A part of the larger Red parking lot at the corner of Stadium Drive and Wings Up Way will be closed as the existing pavement will be demolished and replaced to tie in with the new streetscaping. Access to the remainder of this lot will be by the access road, entering off of either 7th Street or Wings Up Way.

Be assured, the Stadium Drive closure will not happen until the current work on Peachtree is complete. While the contractor may start preliminary work on fencing the new phase, streets and sidewalks will remain open until the construction work begins.

2. Peachtree Avenue near University Drive intersection closed

Over the summer, work on the greenspace behind the Roaden University Center was done to install stormwater structures and piping. Next week, the next part of infrastructure work in the area will begin to install new chilled water lines. This work will be done in three phases in order to minimize the number of streets and pathways in this area closed at any one time.

Work on the first phase will start next week, and will see the closure of Peachtree Avenue (street and sidewalks) from the north side of the Henderson/Farr parking lot to the intersection of Peachtree Avenue and University Drive. The expected completion date for this phase is Oct. 6, subject to weather and other delays.

The second phase will cover the actual intersection of Peachtree Avenue and University Drive, with the third phase impacting A Street north of Foster Hall. Impacts on sidewalks and parking in these areas will be determined and announced as we get closer to the start of work on these phases.

3. New single campus shuttle route

The largest impact of this work will be the rerouting of the campus shuttles. Starting on Monday, Sept. 12, there will be a single route that will travel from the large Purple West parking lot, located across Willow Avenue, to Foundation Hall.

A complete round-trip of each shuttle should take no more than 15 minutes, and there will continue to be multiple shuttles operating on this route in order to reduce the amount of time between shuttles at each stop.

 

Updates as of August 23, 2022

While several vehicles were being towed on Monday from the local hospital lot and on streets near campus, hundreds of Tech parking spaces sat empty. Say no to the tow bill and have a much less stressful semester.

Parking across Willow in the purple lot is checked daily, and most of the spaces are unused. Foundation Hall’s red parking lot also has many unused spaces each day. 

Two regular shuttle routes run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to both of these lots, with multiple shuttles running on the Gold route (which runs from the purple lot across Willow to the center of campus) during peak times during the day. You can find more information about the shuttles, including links to a shuttle tracker app, at https://www.tntech.edu/parking/shuttles.php.

You can still purchase a parking pass and avoid worrying every day about getting towed or being issued a ticket. You can purchase permits online at https://www.tntech.edu/parking by clicking on the “Parking Portal” yellow button. 

You will find parking spaces in the purple lot. 

On campus, do not park on the grass, on sidewalks or in roadways.  

Neighboring businesses, including the hospital and Peachtree Learning Center, have asked that students, faculty and staff stop parking in their lots. Vehicles without the proper tags for these locations will be towed. Also, the city will give citations, and in some cases tow, vehicles not properly parked on city streets.  

Here are some areas where issues have been reported.    

Peachtree Learning Center (corner of 4th & Peachtree) 

·         No parking in lots, on grass, or on North side of lot blocking safe exit 

Cookeville Regional Medical Center (the hospital)

·         No parking  

Public streets around Bell Hall (and city streets in general)

·         No parking in grass

·         No double parking 

·         No blocking driveways 

Updates as of August 15, 2022

Henderson/T.J. Farr Parking Lot Open

The parking lot behind Henderson/Farr is now open, via William L. Jones Drive. After some minor work to smooth out the entrance on Peachtree Avenue at 10th Street, that access point will be open as well later today.

Please be aware that while the lot is open for parking, there will be additional work on the lot, such as to install crosswalk markings, landscaping and irrigation. These will be completed as soon as possible and should not substantially interfere with the use of the parking lot.

 

Updates as of August 5, 2022

Update on Henderson/T.J. Farr Parking Lot

The parking lot behind Henderson and T.J. Farr is expected to be completed on or around Friday, Aug. 12, if there are no issues with the final curbing, paving and striping for the lot. 

As we approach the start of the fall semester, there will be more faculty, staff and students arriving on campus and there may be times that parking is tight. Already this summer, those of you who have traditionally used the Henderson/Farr parking lot have been using alternative spots. At this time, you should familiarize yourself with additional areas that are available in case your preferred lot is occupied.

As you may recall, the university expanded select parking lots last fall in preparation for this work (across Dixie from Pennebaker Hall, at Southwest Hall) and rezoned others (behind Crawford Hall, in front of MS Cooper/Dunn).

We plan to start the year off with the lot open. The contractor has multiple crews working today to help move this project to completion as soon as possible. The expected completion date is prior to when we will see the greatest number of students returning to campus.

Thank you for your continued patience as we continue to make progress on the campus-wide parking and transportation project.

 

Updates as of July 14, 2022

Parking and Transportation Improvements Project

The Parking and Transportation Improvements project (SBC #166/011-02-2016C), which began with the parking lot behind Henderson Hall and TJ Farr Building, is one of the largest capital projects the university has undertaken in terms of the amount of the campus it impacts in one way or another and is being completed in phases.

Unlike buildings, which are bounded by the site of the facility under construction, this project entails the alteration of pedestrian and vehicular traffic throughout campus in order to make Tech a much more pedestrian-friendly campus. This will enhance campus safety, as well as help to create the collegial atmosphere that students value.

 

Parking Lots

1. The realignment of the parking lot at Henderson/TJ Farr to set access at W. 10th Street (the street between Lewis and Clement halls). Diagonal parking will be changed to straight parking and the lot will have dedicated walkways to enhance safety. This portion of the project is currently underway and is expected to be completed by the start of the fall semester, depending on potential weather delays.
2. The Pit (the parking lot located behind Bartoo Hall currently accessed via Peachtree Avenue) will be realigned and connected to the Henderson/Farr lot. The Peachtree access will be removed.
3. The Derryberry Hall parking lot will only be accessible from Dixie Avenue (William L. Jones Drive will no longer be a through street).

 

Pedestrian Walkways and Plaza

In order to enhance campus safety and atmosphere, Tech is converting most of Peachtree Avenue, part of University Drive near the Volpe Library, and part of William L. Jones Drive into bricked walkways and a plaza. These areas will not be available for vehicular traffic (with the exception of facilities and emergency vehicles), providing for a safe and attractive space for non-vehicular traffic. 

4. Peachtree Avenue from Wings Up Way north to A Street

5. University Drive from Stadium Drive east to Peachtree Avenue

6. The area encompassing the current intersection of University Drive and Peachtree Avenue will become a plaza and a valuable outdoor space for students and organizations.
7. William L. Jones Drive from the Derryberry Hall parking lot west to Peachtree Avenue

 

Sidewalk and Streetscape Renovations

8. Peachtree Avenue between 7th Street and Wings Up Way will become a more attractive entrance to campus, with the limited street parking in front of Maddux/McCord halls removed (although a pull-off will be maintained with three parking spots for drop-offs) and better pedestrian walkways installed at the main doors to the residence halls. This portion of the project is currently underway, with expected completion this fall. There is a possibility of completion by the start of the semester, with progress dependent on potential weather delays and possible logistical delays in obtaining select materials and structures.

9. W. 10th Street on campus will be renovated and street parking removed.

10. Stadium Drive sidewalks and curbs will be enhanced.

 

Future parking and transportation projects

Tech’s master plan has additional parking and transportation projects included (such as Dixie Avenue and Mahler Avenue roundabout and streetscape, and parking garages). These are not included in the current project.

 

Updates as of May 6, 2022

Henderson Hall Parking Lot Closed This Summer

Starting Tuesday, May 10, the parking lot behind Henderson and Farr will be closed due to the university’s parking and transportation improvement project (SBC #166/011-02-2016C). Access to the lot will be restricted starting Monday evening. The lot is expected to be closed throughout the summer.

Gold permits are able to park in both Red- and Purple-zoned lots throughout campus.

The work on the lot will include changes to how the lot is accessed and how spaces are aligned.

Due to the centrality of this parking lot, work on this part of the overall transportation project is starting immediately after commencement with the intent to have the work on the parking lot completed by the fall semester.

Please note that while the parking lot located behind Bartoo Hall at the corner of William L. Jones Drive and Peachtree Avenue (affectionately known as The Pit) is not closing next Tuesday, it will need to be temporarily closed as part of this project at some point. While this date is not known as of now, it will be shared once it is established.

The larger transportation project – of which the Henderson/Farr lot is the first phase – includes subsequent phases that will impact both vehicular and pedestrian movement around campus, such as the conversion of much of Peachtree Avenue to a pedestrian only walkway.

Updates as of December 7, 2021

Southwest Hall Parking Lot expansion nearing completion

The expansion of the Southwest Hall lot at the corner of Stadium Drive and 10th Street is nearing completion, with the final paving and striping completed. The final step is the installation of curbs, which is expected to be completed this week. Once the curbs are installed, the expansion will be available for Gold parking. 

In addition to the parking expansion, a connector between this lot and the lot on the corner of Stadium Drive and Wings Up Way has been constructed to aid in vehicular flow in the two lots. 

 

REMINDERS

• If you are graduating or wish to return your current parking permit for a 50% refund, you must submit the refund request form and your permit to Parking & Transportation Services, RUC 122. The refund request deadline is Jan. 24, 2022. No refunds will be given after this date. The refund request form is at https://www.tntech.edu/parking/refund-request.php
• A donation of six canned, non-perishable food items may be turned in to the Parking & Transportation Services Office (RUC 122) in return for a fine reduction on the citation up to $15. Only citations for "parking in an unassigned parking lot" and "parking without a valid parking permit displayed" will be forgiven. No restricted area citations will be forgiven (illegal parking space, fire lane, disabled area, etc.). The donation of canned goods may only be used once per semester, per student.  All donations must be made within 15 business days of the citation date.

 

Updates as of November 23, 2021

Street parking on Stadium Drive will be removed effective Friday, Nov. 26

As part of the construction project for the new Ashraf Islam Engineering Building, the street parking on Stadium Drive, across from Prescott Hall, will no longer be available, effective this Friday, Nov. 26. 

The spots will be blocked off with barricades and caution tape, and enforcement of this no parking area will begin once the barricades are installed.

On Tuesday, Nov. 30, fencing will start to be installed around the building’s construction site.

REMINDERS

• There is a free shuttle tracker app available for both Apple iOS and Android. You can find it in the App Store or Google Play. You can also see a live map with real-time shuttle locations at https://www.tntech.edu/shuttles. Campus shuttles run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday on days when classes are in session during the fall and spring semesters. 
• Parking rules and regulations, including a list of fine amounts, is at https://www.tntech.edu/parking/rules-and-regulations.php.
  

Updates as of November 9, 2021

Parking garages coming to campus

One of the most-asked questions about parking on campus is when will Tech build a parking garage. 

These multi-level structures seem to be an obvious answer to parking concerns on campus, but it isn’t that simple. Parking structures have a significantly higher per space construction cost over a traditional surface lot (more than $30,000 per spot for a garage compared to about $6,000 per spot for a surface lot). And since parking projects cannot be submitted for state funding, these projects must rely on user-generated parking revenue and other university sources.

However, the initiative to green the university and make for a more traditional, pedestrian-friendly campus has resulted in the identification of three sites on campus for multi-level parking structures, with the first expected to be presented to the Tech Board of Trustees next month.

• Wings Up Way Garage: 4 levels, 412 spaces, located at the corner of Wings Up Way and Stadium Avenue, behind Ray Morris Hall ($13.93 million cost)
• Corner of Seventh Street and Peachtree Avenue, behind Crawford Hall (2 levels, 205 spaces; future development)
• Corner of University and Stadium drives, west of the Volpe Library (4 or 5 levels, 393 or 509 spaces; future development)

If approved by Tech’s board, the university will use a combination of bond financing and university funds for the Wings Up Way garage in the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget. While some planning and design work has been done, there is still a long process that can only begin once funding is secured for the project, with final construction design, putting the project out to bid to find the company who will handle construction, and finally building the structure.  

 

Updates as of August 10, 2021

Big campus improvements are coming, and we are getting prepared now.

You may have heard about Peachtree Avenue being converted to a pedestrian mall. This project, which is part of the university master plan and part of the overall priorities of greening the campus and pedestrian safety, is expected to start late in the fall semester. We are actively preparing for this project, along with the construction of the new engineering building (which also starts this fall) by making changes to parking on campus.

Some of these parking zone changes you may have noticed upon looking at the parking map that came with your 2021-2022 parking permit. Others will come into effect as we get closer to the start of the upcoming projects.

The university is sharing what we know now. The timeline for many of these projects depends on factors that will precede them. Many items on the following list will not happen soon, but will happen eventually. Our goal is to keep you informed along the way.

 

What we are doing now

Tech’s Office of Parking and Transportation, in conjunction with campus facilities staff, are actively working to expand and rezone select parking lots in order to minimize the impact on campus parking.

All parking zone changes will begin at the start of this fall semester (Aug. 16, 2021). 

• Southwest Hall Lot: Entire lot rezoned to Gold
• Crawford Hall Lot: 20 spaces rezoned to Gold; the lot will still have Green spaces available
• Lot in front of MS Cooper/Pinkerton: 17 spaces rezoned to Gold
• Stadium Gate 5 Lot: Closed to all parking
• Derryberry Hall Lot (William L. Jones Drive): Rezoned to be primarily visitor and reserved parking (more information about this coming Aug. 12)

 

Future plans (No current timeline for beginning these projects)

• Henderson Lot: Access points and parking layout will change and, as a result, there will be 32 fewer spaces available
• Memorial Gym Lot (The Pit): Will serve as the staging area for the Peachtree pedestrian mall project; as such, it will remain open until that project begins, but will close during the construction
• Parking on West 10th Street will be eliminated
• Parking on Stadium Drive across from Prescott Hall will be eliminated
• Southwest Hall Lot: Expanding to add 16 new Gold spaces
• Pennebaker Lot (across Dixie Avenue): Expanding to add 45 new Red spaces
• Foundation Hall Lot: Expanding to add 32 new Red spaces
• West Lot (across Willow): Expanding to add 40 new Purple spaces

Once the parking lot changes are completed, the net loss of zoned spaces on campus is only 15 spots.

 

Campus Shuttle

The campus shuttle routes will be impacted once the pedestrian mall project begins. The new routes, including where the stops will be located, are currently being finalized.

 

Visitor Parking

The process for obtaining a visitor permit is being streamlined for campus visitors. While campus departments will still need to request permits from the Office of Parking and Transportation for their official visitors, people coming to campus will be able to use their smartphone and a QR code available at visitor spots to obtain their day-use visitor permit.

 

Parking Garage

Tech has started initial planning for a parking garage. We are early in this process, which includes determining the best location on campus for a multi-level structure.

 

Future Updates

Tech is committed to keeping you updated as these projects go forward. We will be sending an email to you each Tuesday with information you can use to minimize the impact of these changes on your daily commute.