Wed
Aug 28 2024
06:36 am

I'm sure many of us are happy there is a bus service in Knoxville, Knoxville Area Transit (KAT). That's the mass transit we get. However, it doesn't seem there is enough funding to support the needs. Bus services are not usually funded by riders fares, they are funded by the community and local governments. I feel for Knoxville. I read where the City proposed a 2023-2024 budget that included $15 million for KAT. That's a lot of money, some of which is for new electric buses.

However, services seem to keep being reduced.

KAT launched the new Reimagined project Monday, free fares for two weeks.

However, it was announced earlier this year that they would "phase out the free downtown trolley system."

Knoxville Area Transit has discontinued its rides for people going to and from dialysis centers through KAT Lift. They want these people to use CAC (Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee) instead. However, the CAC service does not appear to be as good for the dialysis patient as the discontinued KAT service. This person lives 1.6 miles from the dialysis center in South Knoxville, but ended up having to ride all the way out to Magnolia Avenue before being taken home after treatment. Say what?!?!

Reimagined? I guess we can just hope KAT doesn't get discontinued.

fischbobber's picture

I've been making a point of riding buses more

I'm hoping my next area of civic engagement goes beyond fighting terrorism. There's still work to do in Knox County.

Up Goose Creek's picture

Earful

I was pulling out of the family dollar at Bertrand and Told a fellow who was walking up it was closed today. Heard it was going to close eventually but today might be a sick employee.

Back to the subject at hand, I got an earful about the new KAT routes. Something about the Broadway route not picking up disabled people at the towers and plus he would have to walk to a fire station to get to work. Then gripes about a couple more routes and I couldn't keep up.

There is an ableist attitude that has infested our city. I see it coming from the proponent of that d\*μ pedestrian bridge. Why aren't they planning electric vans that can pick up disabled students as well as neighbors?

bizgrrl's picture

Exactly. Not a good plan by

Exactly. Not a good plan by Knoxville leaders?

Up Goose Creek's picture

Board

Not a good plan by the KAT board. I understand there's some Urbanist myth that if busses run every 15 minutes people will automatically forgo their cars. But this has to be achieved at the expense of extending routes to senior housing? Because seniors and the disabled don't exist in the Urbanist Utopia.

Update, I revisited the family dollar this afternoon and it was indeed open. That's a private enterprise so I'm not sure what incentives might be available to keep it open in a location where it is clearly needed.

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