May - UT Gardens - The University of Tennessee

Q& AQ: I came to visit the Gardens and I gota parking ticket. The visitor spaces werefull. What to do?A: There is a lot of construction on the campusthis year and there are a lot more students.The combination means that there are very fewparking spaces to go around during peak times.Although almost no one heeds us until they gettheir first parking ticket, we encourage visitors tocome to the University Gardens at times outsidethe peak of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays. If theGardens visitor parking spaces are full, do notassume that you can park near those 10 spaces.You cannot. At peak times, it can be difficult tofind any space available anywhere, either on themain campus or the agriculture campus. Evenif you find a space during that time, we recommendyou do not park in the space (unless it isone of the 10 visitor spaces near the Entranceto the Gardens) without getting a permit first.You are almost sure to get a ticket.The easiest option, if you must attend ameeting during peak times on weekdays, is togo to Morgan Hall (top of the hill and facingthe interstate on the north edge of the agriculturecampus) and obtain a parking pass so youdon’t take a chance on a ticket. Otherwise youcould pay for parking in the garage behind theUniversity Center and take a bus over to the agriculturecampus, or you can go to the parkingoffices at either Circle Park or on StephensonDrive and pay $5 for a day permit. Even with apermit, it can be tough to find a space.So, we recommend visiting the Gardens before8 a.m. on weekdays (it’s cooler for one thing!)and after 5 p.m. Weekends are usually fine,unless there is a sports event that attracts muchof the town—usually football. Spaces are mucheasier to find when classes are in recess forthe summer (generally early May to late August),plus holiday breaks. However, you still do not wantto park outside the allotted visitor spaces withoutgetting a parking pass if it is between 8 a.m. and 5p.m.If your group includes several vehicles for a specialevent, call Arlene King at 865-974-7439 to requestparking passes in advance.Q: Today I parked at the Third CreekGreenway lot and wanted to walk from thereto the Gardens, but then I realized that Icould not get in to the Gardens from thesouthern end unless I walked all the wayaround to the Entrance Plaza on the northend of the Gardens. Could there be gatesor a pass-through at each end along theGreenway so we could walk through theGardens?A: Good question. Smart idea to park on theGreenway lot. That’s what many Friends do duringthe week and then they walk to the campus fromthat public parking lot.Among the many details that are awaiting a masterplan are additional entrances or paths in, out andaround the Gardens. Security is also an issue,because right now we have no staff who couldregularly open and close gates every day yearround.We think that the fence has served to keepvandalism to a minimum but, as you note, thereare a lot of people who would like to be able tomeander through the Gardens from the Greenway.Most bicyclists, of course, routinely ride their bikesaround and up Jacob Drive and park outside theGardens near the Entrance Plaza while they visit theGardens. We will be adding a bike rack as part ofthe Entrance Plaza Project.We will also pass your query on to the EastTennessee Research and Education Center andTennessee Agricultural Experiment Station administratorswho manage the site. They may see agood, simple solution in the meantime while welook forward to a master plan that can help us withbetter traffic patterns overall.18