Insider’s guide to traffic/parking for Asheville’s Fed Cup

Posted on by Christy Edwards
Feb Cup Poster

The 2019 Fed Cup brings international professional tennis competition returns to the ExploreAsheville.com Arena in Asheville’s U.S. Cellular Center on Feb. 9-10 for the USA vs. Australia World Group First Round.

The U.S. Tennis Association and United States Fed Cup Captain Kathy Rinaldi have announced that No. 17 Madison Keys, No. 23 Danielle Collins, No. 36 Sofia Kenin and doubles No. 13 Nicole Melichar will represent the U.S. in the 2019 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group First Round vs. Australia Feb. 9-10 in Asheville. Find more information about the players here. For frequently asked questions about Fed Cup, visit this link.

 

Tickets for the second annual event are nearly sold out; however, there are several related events, including kids clinics featuring over 1,100 tennis youths from Western North Carolina and beyond.

 

The City of Asheville is excited
to have the Fed Cup
at the U.S. Cellular Center
for the second consecutive time! Because this is an international competition, there will be some traffic and parking impacts, so we are offering information to help people navigate getting to
and from these events.

 

In anticipation of this year’s event, we have compiled a list of pro tips to make sure you have the best Fed Cup experience possible.

 

All about timing

Doors for the event open at 11:30 a.m. for both days with matches scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. We encourage fans to arrive early to enjoy pre-match exhibition activities and entertainment.

 

Plenty of kids events

For the 2019 Fed Cup tie in Asheville, USTA North Carolina is sponsoring a variety of community events. These kid events, powered by Net Generation, coincide with the Fed Cup matches on Feb. 9-10. This year’s programming will feature more than 1,100 youth and child participants from Asheville City and Buncombe County schools.

 

 

Parking garages

Download the free Asheville App on your Android or Apple device for its Find Parking feature to get real-time information on parking spaces available at the City’s four downtown parking garages as well as Buncombe County’s two parking garages, both a short walk away. You can also check this USCC parking link for parking information.

 

Surface parking lot closures

Feb. 4-10: Cherry Street gravel lot will be closed to the public and available by permit only from 6 a.m. Feb. 4 to 6 a.m. Feb. 11.

Feb. 9 -10: The following parking lots will be available by permit only:

  • Paved Cherry Street parking lot below the Skate Park, from 6 a.m. Feb. 9 to 6 a.m. Feb. 12.
  • One City parking lot across the street from the USCC, next to City-owned property on Haywood Street and Page Avenue.
  • Rankin Avenue parking lot behind the USCC.

 

For a visual guide to this information, see the map below.

 

Street closures and temporary one-way street

6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 6, 7 and 8: Hiawassee Street will close from Rankin Avenue to Flint Street for the Net Generation Kids Days. Flint Street from Haywood Street to Cherry Street may periodically be closed during this time.

Feb. 9-10:

  • To help best load and unload the Civic Center and Rankin Avenue parking decks, Rankin Avenue from Walnut Street to Hiawassee Street will become a temporary one-way street eastbound.
  • Both before and after the events, expect rolling street closures adjacent to the U.S. Cellular Center for pedestrian safety and crowd control.

 

For a visual guide to this information, see the map below.

 

ART bus options

Several Asheville Redefines Transit (ART) buses run either past or close to the U.S. Cellular Center, including the N, N1, N2, N3, E1, E2 and 170 routes. Fans staying at the Grove Park Inn may find using ART bus a helpful resource, for example, as the N bus runs both by the hotel and in front of the USCC.

Check ART’s new Transit App for real-time information on routes/times. Be aware that while Sunday service is offered on all routes, it ends earlier in the day.

You can map your ART bus route to the USCC using these two sites:

  • Google Maps Transit: Very easy to use. Enter your starting location and final destination, and the time that you are leaving, and it will generate your trip schedule, including transfers to different routes.
  • NextBus: Use this site to get real-time transit data to see when the bus is going to arrive. This will be important because currently the Google information is based on the schedules and not what the bus is actually doing. With added traffic downtown during Fed Cup, some buses may be running late.

 

The ART Station at 49 Coxe Avenue is a 5-minute walk from the US Cellular Center and provides transit access to the entire city.

 

Other events

This same weekend as the Fed Cup, the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium will host Whose Live Anyway? on Feb. 8. Whose Live Anyway? Is the live spin off from the popular television show Whose Line is it Anyway? featuring appearances from Chip Esten, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis and Joel Murray.

Upcoming events at U.S. Cellular Center Asheville include:

  • Walk the Moon | February 14 – Tickets
  • Trevor Noah: Load & Clear Tour | February 17 – Tickets
  • Sesame Street Live! Let’s Party! | February 20 – Tickets

 

Local businesses and community will benefit

This is an exciting addition to the City of Asheville menu of events at the U.S. Cellular Center. The 2019 Fed Cup is expected to generate more than $3.5 million in economic impact for the city and growing tennis community.

After the 2018 Fed Cup event, the City of Asheville received a $35,000 grant towards improvements at Aston Park Tennis Center from the USTA.  Additionally, participation in programs at Aston Park has seen a great boost.

  • Pass holders are up 30% year to year.
  • Participation in the Asheville Open increased 62% for juniors, and 34% for adults.
  • Number of juniors participating in summer programs at Aston Park have doubled year to year.

 

Feb Cup Parking Map