New Overton Park shuttle set to launch
If you’ve ever sat in an Overton Park traffic jam and wished for a more convenient way to access the park, we’ve got excellent news for you.
This past weekend, Mayor Wharton announced that the City of Memphis would work with Overton Park Conservancy and the Memphis Zoo to end all parking on the park’s Greensward by the end of 2014. The Mayor’s statement affirmed that the highest and best use of the Greensward was as a gathering space for the citizens of Memphis. As a large park in the heart of the city, Overton Park serves as a connection point for people from all across Memphis. We’re thrilled to play a part in executing the Mayor’s vision of a livable city with healthy, interconnected neighborhoods and thriving green spaces.
The Mayor also expressed support for several short-term solutions that the Conservancy has proposed to try as we work with the Zoo toward a permanent solution. The most immediate of those solutions is set to launch next weekend.
Starting this Saturday, May 24, we’ll be piloting a free parking shuttle that runs from the Overton Square garage into Overton Park. The shuttle will run on Saturdays and Sundays for five weekends, during which there will be no parking on the Greensward. Pickups will begin at 10:00am at the corner of Monroe and Florence, just outside the new Overton Square garage. The shuttle will then run into Overton Park, stopping at the Memphis Zoo, Brooks Museum of Art, and Golf Clubhouse before returning to the garage. Pickups will occur every 10-15 minutes, with the last pickup at the Memphis Zoo occurring at 5:15pm and dropping off at the Square around 5:30.
The following is our route map; the route is subject to change, and we’ll replace it with a new version if it does. Check www.overtonpark.org/shuttle for the most current updates.
We’re so excited about this parking shuttle, because not only does it have the potential to alleviate parking and traffic congestion in the park, but it’s a convenient way for visitors to spend the day enjoying multiple Midtown attractions. After a morning at the Zoo, the Museum, or the playground, park users will be dropped off in the middle of the flourishing Overton Square, with its many great shops and restaurants. There will be no need to sit and wait for a parking space in the park, or to search for a space on the street. And because the Overton Square garage is free until 6:00pm every day, you can enjoy all this convenience absolutely free.
If you support the Mayor’s decision to seek solutions that will return the Greensward to its intended use while keeping the park accessible, please make it a point to ride the shuttle over the next few weekends. The higher our ridership, the more likely we are to be able to continue a service that we believe will make our park easier and more pleasant to access. Tell your friends–it’s time for a park field trip!
