Commission approves north-side bus-permit parking at Roy Acuff Place after safety debate

The Traffic & Parking Commission split on a staff proposal to convert a pay-parking curb on Roy Acuff Place near Music Square West into a daytime bus-permit parking space to serve a scheduled shuttle between the Country Music Hall of Fame and RCA Studio B.

NDOT presented the request and recommended bus-permit parking on the south side of Roy Acuff Place effective 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, reverting to pay parking after 5 p.m. NDOT staff described the request as similar to a bus-permit space approved in 2024 on Rep. John Lewis Way and said the intent was to avoid conflicts with the pay parking zone and provide a staging location for the shuttle. "We found that the bus doesn't have an adequate place to do loading and unloading," NDOT staff said, noting limitations caused by the pay parking zone.

Several commissioners raised safety and liability concerns because passengers would disembark on the street side of the bus. "If something were to happen and a pedestrian was exiting the bus and walking across the street and they were struck, the pedestrian would be considered at fault," one commissioner said, warning of legal exposure when egress occurs outside a marked crosswalk. Commissioners also explored alternatives including moving the permit to the opposite curb or into the alley; staff said alleys and adjacent private lots were either physically constrained or not under the applicant's control.

An initial motion to approve the staff recommendation (south-side permit) failed after several commissioners opposed it. The commission then considered and approved a second motion to authorize bus-permit parking on the north side of Roy Acuff Place with the conditions recommended by staff. The amended motion passed by voice vote.

NDOT committed to issue a time-limited permit (annual renewal) and to ensure the permit’s hours align with the approved time window; the permit holder must observe the approved time restrictions. Commissioners asked staff to monitor safety and to follow up if boarding or disembarking practices create hazards. The approval was limited to the parking/permit change described in the staff report and did not designate the curb as a formal loading zone in perpetuity.