To enhance safety for children entering and leaving the new Lonsdale Elementary School at 1505 Louisiana Ave., the City is tweaking the traffic patterns on three blocks of two streets next to the school.

Louisiana Avenue from Burnside Street to Gloria Garner Street will become a westbound one-way street as of Tuesday, Sept. 6.

At the same time, Connecticut Avenue between Gloria Garner Street and Bragg Street will become an eastbound one-way street.

The change to one-way traffic flow will provide enough room for dedicated drop-off and pick-up lanes for students.

“There’s a clear benefit in creating ample space for children to safely get in and out of vehicles as they’re dropped off and picked up,” Mayor Indya Kincannon said.

“The City’s Transportation Division has been working closely with Knox County Schools. These short one-way sections of streets are in a low-speed school zone. With the dedicated drop-off and pick-up lanes, traffic will flow more smoothly.”

Lonsdale Elementary School Principal April Partin appreciates the safety measure that will benefit her students.

“Lonsdale is committed to providing a safe and efficient process for student drop-off and pick-up,” Principal Partin said. “I’m grateful to the City of Knoxville for these improvements and for their support of students and families.”

Knox County’s $20 million new school is the linchpin in more than $30 million in public and private investment in Lonsdale in recent years to create new youth- and family-serving amenities and opportunities.

Other amenities in place or in the works include a new City park; new City sidewalks, street lighting and street trees; and Emerald Youth Foundation’s Haslam-Sansom Ministry Complex, a $10 million facility at 1740 Texas Ave. that includes a community health clinic, two multipurpose synthetic turf fields, a 30,000-plus-square-foot multipurpose facility, two full-size gymnasiums with basketball courts, and a performing arts area.

The City supported Knox County’s construction of the new Lonsdale Elementary by swapping land with Knox County and the school board. The City provided the tract used for the new school, and in return, a new City park will be built where the vacated Sam E. Hill School now sits.