For years, the most requested improvement to the KAT system has been more Sunday service. Thanks to an approved budget request from the city of Knoxville, that is beginning to change. The Knoxville Transportation Authority (KTA) approved a proposal for extended hours and additional routes to operate on Sunday, beginning Aug. 24. Service on Sunday will begin at 8:15 a.m. and have a final trip from downtown at 8:15 p.m. This extends the current Sunday routes – Kingston Pike, Broadway, Magnolia and Chapman Highway – an additional four hours. In addition, Route 12 – Western Avenue and Route 20 – Central Avenue will begin operating on Sundays.
The board also approved several other changes at last Thursday’s meeting, including:
- An extension of the Route 41- Chapman Highway to serve Mountain Grove Shopping Center, just south of Gov. John Sevier Highway;
- Extended weekday and Saturday hours on Route 16 – Cedar Bluff Connector to 8:15 p.m.;
- A minor timepoint adjustment on Route 45 – Vestal;
- A minor routing adjustment on Route 90 – Crosstown in the Whittle Springs/Washington Pike area.
“An expansion of Sunday service is something KAT has wanted to do for several years,” says Dawn Distler, KAT director of transit. “We are grateful to Mayor Rogero and Knoxville City Council for their support of transit and their understanding of its importance in our community.” The $273,000 approved budget request also includes an expansion of hours of the Customer Service Counter at Knoxville Station.
