Among the many reasons drivers might avoid the stretch of Cumberland Avenue between 17th Street and Volunteer Boulevard, better known as the “Strip,” Starbucks customers who block traffic rank highly.
The Strip, which was narrowed down from four lanes to three lanes under the City’s Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project, completed in 2017, contains only one lane for the flow of traffic in either direction and the occasional third lane for turning.
As a result, when the Starbucks drive-thru gets backed up, it spills out into one lane of traffic, and any customer willing to sit in that lane to wait for coffee compounds the traffic problems which already exist on the busy road.
But now, after the city installed a new sign alerting drivers to the “strictly enforced” code against obstructing traffic, a sign which flashes if a car hangs out for too long beside it, local business owners and commuters say the problem is starting to improve.
Sandra Hobbs, manager at Stefanos Pizza, believes that Starbucks customers have a responsibility to find alternative ways of securing a drink.
“The problem that I have with it is, can you inconvenience all the people behind you that have to wait, just cause you want to go get a cup of coffee?” Hobbs said. “It’s like, go around the block and you be inconvenienced cause you’re the one that wants the cup of coffee…it’s a very rude thing to do to everyone that’s behind them.”
A major concern of some business people in the area is for the emergency vehicles that must sometimes pass through the Strip. Hobbs said that, although emergency vehicles typically avoid the single-lane flow of traffic anyway, obstructing traffic still poses a safety risk.
“I’m trying to tone it down a whole lot because I have gone out there and told people to move their cars and that they shouldn’t be blocking people,” Hobbs said. “But the big issue with it is that it’s a safety hazard because of all the hospitals that we have down here. They don’t need to be blocking the road.”
In addition to city signage, there is the threat of a hefty fine to prevent would-be traffic blockers. On Nov. 14, KPD officers issued four citations and a warning to students at Starbucks for blocking the intersection of Cumberland Avenue and 21st Street. The citations each cost $111.50, with the ability to go to City Court to dispute the fine.
Scott Erland, Communications Manager at KPD, said that blocking traffic is a direct violation of City Code 17-180, which states that no driver may obstruct the flow of other vehicles or pedestrians without indication from traffic controls.
“Our department had received numerous complaints from Cumberland Avenue businesses and other entities about the flow of traffic being severely impacted by motorists who were blocking the intersection while waiting to pull into Starbucks, and we took those enforcement actions to address that ongoing issue,” Erland said.
With this fine, KPD hopes to reduce the number of calls they get for the offense and to prevent further traffic problems.
“We can affect and alter the actions of motorists through the enforcement of the relevant traffic laws,” Erland said. “In the same way that high-visibility enforcement of speeders and distracted drivers deters that behavior, these enforcement efforts are intended to have the same effect. Our intention is not to be punitive but to address an ongoing issue that impacts area businesses and other commuters.”
Mark Orr, manager of the Shell gas station right next to the Starbucks, said he is glad that KPD is giving more attention to the problem. In order to get around the traffic on the Strip, drivers will cut through the Shell parking lot, which Orr said can create problems for the business. He also shared the concerns over safety.
“It’s a safety hazard cause ambulances and fire trucks, what if something critical was going on right in this area and they had to get there?” Orr said. “It’d be very difficult for emergency vehicles to get through.”
It is no secret that Starbucks is a favorite among UT students, given the traffic at various Starbucks locations around campus, including hour-long lines at Hodges Library. But it is students who have some of the strongest opinions about the traffic problems on the Strip.
Whether fully accurate or not, the problem of blocked traffic at Starbucks is mostly attributed to college students. Tyler Row, a junior architecture student, said he is passionate about the issue.
“Cumberland Avenue is without a doubt one of the busiest streets in Knoxville. For many Knoxvillians, it is a vital avenue for their morning commute. Yet, consistently, the street comes to a standstill. Dozens and dozens of people stuck with no way out. Because of an accident? No. Because of construction? No,” Row said. “It’s all because of a college student who wants an iced coffee and is willing to block the entire street to do so.”
Given the concentration of other coffee shops in the area around campus and the already heavy flow of traffic on the narrow thoroughfare, Row said that stopping on the street reveals a misplaced nonchalance.
“One person after the other blocking the entire flow of traffic on one of the busiest streets in Knoxville, all for a cup of coffee,” Row said. “If there was ever an example of self-importance, this is it.”
