Knoxville-Knox County Planning received a grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation to hire a consultant team to conduct three transit studies for the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO).

All three studies should be accomplished sometime late Summer of 2022. The Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) Study will be managed by KAT staff. More details about each of the three studies can be found below.

KAT Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA)

The COA is focused on determining improvements needed for the Knoxville municipal transit system – KAT. The goals of the COA will be to help formalize service standards, identifying service gaps and additional services needed, defining transit corridors and transit priority areas, and creating a road map for transit stop infrastructure improvements. The COA will position KAT for future service improvements that will encourage ridership, enhance the rider experience, and make public transportation a viable and competitive option for all residents and visitors in the City of Knoxville. The KAT COA will have a robust public involvement process starting in late March of 2022.

Transit Coordination Study

This Study will include the regional transit providers Knox County CAC Transit, East Tennessee Human Resource Agency (ETHRA), and KAT. This Study will explore options for improving coordination among providers. For over 40 years, three separate transit systems have continuously served the Knoxville region. Despite decades of accomplishments and coexistence, there has been a growing need to: (1) improve coordination between the transit providers, (2) formalize coordination agreements to bring greater certainty and clarity to these relationships, and (3) settle long-standing debates regarding service area responsibility. This Study will concentrate on what type of short-term improvements can be made to increase coordination between the demand response transit services. Any potential long-term coordination strategies can be reviewed and recommended for further study.

Regional Transit Study

This Study will identify areas that might support higher capacity transit services throughout the region. The Knoxville region continues to see a growing interest in diversifying the overall transportation system by increasing public transit options. The aim of expanding public transit in the region is two-fold. First, to provide greater accessibility to the public within a defined area that can support public transit. Second, to connect these potential service areas to the greater region by linking major destinations and employment centers to where people live. This study will evaluate possible regional transit expansion opportunities that could occur over the next 5-10 years. Due to the limited budget, this evaluation will be high-level and technical in nature, resulting in a prioritized list of potential service areas for more detailed study.  

Keep checking knoxtpo.org for more information on the Coordination and Regional Transit Studies.

For more information on the KAT COA and to learn how to participate in the process visit katbus.com.

The TPO is a Metropolitan Planning Organization, which is an independent agency engaged in the performance of meeting the required federal transportation planning regulations for urbanized areas greater than 50,000 population. The TPO serves Anderson, Blount, Knox, Loudon, and Sevier Counties. Knoxville-Knox County Planning provides the professional transportation planning staff for the TPO.

Due to road conditions, our office will open at 10 a.m. on January 7, 2022.

Mobility Plan 2045 was adopted in April, but we’re still talking about it! Staff created an interactive story map that details what’s in it and what it means for all of us living in the region. If you want a good condensed version of the plan and the process, be sure to check it out. Don’t forget to take the survey at the end to tell us what topics you’d like to learn more about and how you’d like us to share that information.

Knoxville-Knox County Planning staff is undertaking a small area study for the portion of Alcoa Highway within Knox County. This work follows a design charette that was held by the East Tennessee Community Design Center in 2019. In 2020, the City of Knoxville and Knox County each approved resolutions for Planning to undertake a study to develop an approach and policies to envision and manage development along the highway. The final recommendations will look at land uses along the corridor, considering specific changes needed to spur that redevelopment and encourage retail, commercial, and increased housing.

A community meeting is scheduled for September 30, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. It will be held at the North Campus of Sevier Heights Baptist Church, 2939 Alcoa Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37920. The meeting will open with a short presentation followed by an open house.

In addition to this in-person meeting, a virtual meeting will also be held earlier that day. A presentation will be given, followed by time for questions, at 12:00 p.m. on September 30. Interested individuals can register to participate at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ygDcamdwRhOWEt9PjydUjA