Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) is the operator of public transportation in Knoxville, Tennessee. KAT operates 20 fixed bus routes, on-demand service, paratransit, and football shuttle buses. KAT formerly operated the transit service for the University of Tennessee, known as The T.[3] In 2024, the system had a ridership of 2,500,800.
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.[4]
Operations
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.
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.[6]
Route #
Outer Terminus
51A
Civic Coliseum
51D
Old City
51E
Market Square / Krutch Park
KAT also provides shuttles to Covenant Health Park from the Market Street, Langley, and Summer Place parking garages during Knoxville Smokies and One Knoxville SC games. The shuttles are free and operate every 10 minutes.[7]
katConnect
katConnect is an on-demand service launched in August 2024. It serves the Holston Ridge, Cassel Ridge and Elk Hill Way apartment complexes, connecting them to nearby bus stops.[8]
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.[5]
Fares
Cash fares are $1.00 for adults and $0.50 for seniors and disabled people. Day passes and 30-day passes are available using a katpay card or the Transit app.[9]Knox County Schools students can ride for free through the Youth Freedom Pass program.[10] Fares for Football Shuttle buses are $10.00 round trip and must be paid using the Transit app.
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