Knoxville Area Transit

Knoxville Area Transit
Slogan Ride For Change
Founded 1967
Headquarters 301 Church Avenue
Locale Knoxville, TN
Service area Knox County, Tennessee, United States of America
Service type transit bus, paratransit
Routes 25
Fleet 80
Annual ridership 3.6 million per year
Fuel type CNG,Diesel
Operator Amalgamated Transit Union local #1164.
Chief executive Cindy McGinnis,Operations Manager
Website katbus.com

Knoxville Area Transit, commonly referred to as KAT, is the operator of public transportation in Knox County, Tennessee. Twenty five routes operate. Service on KAT routes operate weekdays and Saturdays with route 11,22,31 and 41 offering Sunday service. All routes except for routes 10,16,19,43,44,51 and 90 start at the Knoxville Station in Downtown. Knoxville Trolley Lines is a free shuttle service which provides service to the university and the downtown area.[1] KAT formerly operated the transit service for the University of Tennessee, known as The T.[2]

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. Knoxville's transit system has come a long way since; other dates of note are listed below: 1890 Knoxville Streetcars are converted from animal to electric power. The first electric streetcar ran from Gay Street to Lake Ottosee (now Chilhowee Park). 1910: Knoxville had 42 miles of track and was carrying 11 million passengers per year. 1929: The first buses were used, serving on feeder routes for the streetcar system. 1947: Electric streetcars made their last run in Knoxville on August 1. 1958: Bus service was first added to the University of Tennessee. 1972: The first air-conditioned GMC buses arrived in Knoxville. 1989: K-Trans moved into a new facility on Magnolia Avenue. 1995: K-Trans became Knoxville Area Transit (KAT). 2003: KAT began Clean Fuels Program with propane-powered vehicles. 2004: KAT named APTA's North American Transit System of the Year 2010: KAT begins operating out of the John J. Duncan, Jr. Knoxville Station, a brand-new, state-of-the-art, LEED-certified transit center.

Routes

Regular Knoxville area routes

Knoxville Trolley Lines

Discontinued Routes

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.

Fleet

The current fleet of buses includes Gillig LF 35 and 40 foot plus Chance Opus 30 and 35 foot. In addition, KAT uses Ford E350 or Ford E450 vans where a bus cannot fit. In January 2014, KAT began operating 3 40 foot Gillig LF That are hybrid electric.

Roster

Number Model Foot

31-40 Gillig Trolley. 40' 150-153 Ford E350 321-326 Ford E350. 707-720 Chance Opus 30' 931-936 Chance Opus 35' 1500-1505 Ford E350. 2001-2005 Ford E450. 4001-4026 Gillig LF 35' 5001-5008 Gillig LF 40' 5009-5011 Gillig LF Hybrid Electric. 40'

Hours

KAT buses normally operate between 5:45 a.m till about 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday with a start time an hour later On Saturdays and ending an hour later. Service on routes 11, 12, 17, 20, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33 and 41 run till 11:15 p.m. Weekdays and Saturdays. On Sundays, only routes 11,22,31 and 41 operate between 10:15 a.m. until 6:15 p.m. departing from Knoxville Station. KAT does not operate on New Years Day,Independence Day,Thanksgiving and Christmas. Saturday Schedule is in effect on Martin Luther King Day,Memorial Day,Labor Day, Day after Christmas and Day after Thanksgiving.

Future Order

KAT will be ordering new buses once the 700 series and 900 series reach 300,00 miles.

References

  1. ↑ Knoxville Area Transit Trolley Lines
  2. ↑ The T - the University of Tennessee's transportation system, operated KAT