Knoxville Area Transit

Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) is the operator of public transportation in Knoxville, Tennessee. Twenty-five routes operate. Service on KAT routes operate weekdays and Saturdays with routes 11, 12, 20, 22, 23, 31, 33, 34 and 41 and 42 offering Sunday service. All routes, except for routes 13,16, 19, 44 and 90 start at the Knoxville Station in Downtown. The Knoxville Trolley is a free shuttle service which provides service to the university and the downtown area.[3] KAT formerly operated the transit service for the University of Tennessee, known as The T.[4] In 2022, the system had a ridership of 2,139,000, or about 7,800 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2023.

Knoxville Area Transit
Founded1967
Headquarters301 Church Avenue
LocaleKnoxville, Tennessee
Service typetransit bus, paratransit
AllianceKnoxville Community Actions Committee (CAC)
Routes23
Stops11,000
Destinationsaround 200-250
Hubs2
Stations1
Lounge66
FleetApprox. 100
Daily ridership7,800 (weekdays, Q2 2023)[1]
Annual ridership2,139,000 (2022)[2]
Fuel typeGasoline, Diesel, Hybrid-Electric, Electric
DirectorAquayla Maxwell
Websitekatbus.com

History

Public transportation in Knoxville dates back to 1876 when the first street cars of the Knoxville Street Railway Company were pulled by horses and mules along tracks on Gay Street. Since then, the transit system has undergone considerable changes, beginning in 1890 with the conversion from animal-drawn to electric-powered streetcars. In 1910, the system serviced 11 million passengers each year on 42 miles of track, introducing buses to serve the streetcar system's feeder routes in 1929. By the late 1940s, the system had mainly switched from electric streetcars to all buses, with electric streetcars making their last run in 1947. Later, in 1958, a bus service to the University of Tennessee was added to the system. The bus service continued to get upgrades, with air-conditioned GMC buses added to the Knoxville transit fleet in 1972.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Knoxville transit system went through some internal changes, first moving into a new facility on Magnolia Avenue in 1989 and then changing its name from "K-Trans" to "Knoxville Area Transit (KAT)" in 1995. From the 90s onward, the KAT system continued to upgrade, with a focus on environmental responsibility, beginning its Clean Fuels Program with the introduction of propane-powered vehicles in 2003. The next year, the KAT system was named North American Transit System of the Year by the American Public Transportation Association. In 2010, the transit system again changed facilities, moving its center of operations to the John J. Duncan Jr. Knoxville Station. In 2014, KAT introduced three hybrid vehicles into its regular fleet.[5]

Beginning in March 2020, all fares are free and riders must wear masks upon boarding, in addition to rear door boarding. Fare collections resumed in February 2021; all busses will have driver shields to minimize interaction.

Around Mid-2021 KAT has received a few 100% electric vehicles. These vehicles are New Flyer XE35's street numbered 3501-3512. (3511 is uncertain at this moment due to an accident involving the vehicle)

Around May 2022, KAT has ended the mask mandate and passengers are no longer required to wear a mask.

KAT is planning on redesigning the network in 2023.

Routes

Regular Knoxville area routes[6]
RTE #ROUTE NAMEINNER TERMINALOUTER TERMINALEXTRA
10SEQUOYAH HILLSKNOXVILLE STATION BAY NKEOWEE AT KENOSAW-CURRENTLY SUSPENDED AS OF 8/29/22
11KINGSTON PIKEKNOXVILLE STATION BAY OWALMART•
12WESTERN AVEKNOXVILLE STATION BAY EINDUSTRIAL PARKWAY•
13BEAUMONT CONNECTORKNOX COUNTY HEALTH DEPTMIDDLEBROOK AT 3RD CREEK
16CEDAR BLUFF CONNECTORWALMART WESTWINDSOR SQUARE
17SUTHERLAND/BEARDENKNOXVILLE STATION BAY QFOREST PARK*
19LAKESHORE/LONASEARTH FARELONAS AT COLEMANCURRENTLY SUSPENDED AS OF 8/29/22
20CENTRAL STREETKNOXVILLE STATION BAY GNORTHWEST CROSSING•
21LINCOLN PARKKNOXVILLE STATION BAY BCHICKAMAUGA AT BROADWAY
22BROADWAYKNOXVILLE STATION BAY HJACKSBORO AND ESSARY•
23MILLERTOWNKNOXVILLE STATION BAY ICHARLIE HAUN AT WASHINGTON•
24INSKIP/BREDAKNOXVILLE STATION BAY GKROGER - FOUNTAIN CITY
30PARKRIDGEKNOXVILLE STATION BAY BCECIL AT CROCKETT
31MAGNOLIAKNOXVILLE STATION BAY FBURNS AT ASHEVILLE•
32DANDRIDGEKNOXVILLE STATION BAY AGOLDEN AGE RETIREMENT VLGE
33MLK JRKNOXVILLE STATION BAY NCHARLIE HAUN AT WASHINGTON•
34BURLINGTONKNOXVILLE STATION BAY DKIRKWOOD SUPERSTOP•
40SOUTH KNOXVILLEKNOXVILLE STATION BAY RKROGER SOUTH
41CHAPMAN HWYKNOXVILLE STATION BAY PWALMART SOUTH•
42HOSPITALKNOXVILLE STATION BAY MUT HOSPITAL*
44UNIVERSITY PARK APARTMENTSUNIVERSITY PARK APTSUT TRANSFER POINT
45VESTALKNOXVILLE STATION BAY SKROGER SOUTH
90CROSSTOWN CONNECTORWALMART WESTCHARLIE HAUN AT WASHINGTON

Lines with asterisks (*) denote lines that operate daily.

Gameday Shuttles

KAT offers special shuttles for football games, which operate solely on specific dates. All lines terminate at Neyland Stadium. These lines are assigned the special "51" designator.[7]

Outer Terminus
51ACivic Coliseum
51CFarragut High Parking Lot
51DOld City
51EMarket Square / Krutch Park

Knoxville Trolley Lines
Knoxville Trolley bus
LineDestinations
Blue LineKnoxville Station, Civic Coliseum, Waterfront
Green LineOld City, Gay Street
Orange LineUniversity of Tennessee, Downtown

The LIFT

KAT offers Paratransit LIFT service for those persons who are unable to use regular fixed-route buses. The LIFT is by reservation only, and you must be certified by KAT to use the service.

Hours

KAT buses operate 6:15 a.m. until 9:15. Monday through Saturday except for routes 11,12,22,31 and 41 which run till 11:15p.m.. Route 42 operates until 10:15p.m. Sunday Service is from 8:15 a.m. until 5:15 p.m. KAT does not operate on the following holidays: New Years Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The Sunday schedule is in effect on Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, the day before Christmas and the day after Thanksgiving.

As of January 2, 2020 the following routes offer 7-day service: 11, 12, 17, 20, 22, 23, 31, 33, 34, 41, and 42.

As of August 29,2022 because of staff shortage route 10 and 19 were temporary suspended while most routes were cut back on times.

See also

References
  1. "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  2. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2022" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  3. Knoxville Area Transit Trolley Lines
  4. The T - the University of Tennessee's transportation system, operated KAT
  5. Knoxville Area Transit. "Knoxville Area Transit: General Info Page 2". Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  6. "Bus Routes". Knoxville Area Transit. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  7. "Football Shuttle". Knoxville Area Transit. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
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