By Myron Thompson, Knoxville News Sentinel
At the ninth annual Nehemiah Action Assembly on April 8, Justice Knox received confirmation from Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon on funding for the Eviction Prevention Program, but got pushback from Kincannon on the idea of adding privately owned public transit services in Knoxville.
The assembly focused on eviction prevention, homelessness and transportation as highlights for improvement and change in Knoxville and Knox County.
Established in 2016, Justice Knox is made up of congregations from several different faith backgrounds.
Its goal is to follow the scriptural mandate to “do justice” (Micah 6:8). The “Nehemiah Action” is modeled after the “Great Assembly” (Nehemiah 5) and directed at holding public officials accountable for justice, according to a Justice Knox news release.
The slogan “Transportation is not a luxury; it’s a lifeline,” was repeatedly chanted by Justice Knox officials and those in attendance in relation to a focus on providing safe, affordable and accessible public transit.
Accessibility can be a challenge for people who need to use public transportation but might have to walk for miles along unsafe roads to get to a bus stop.
“I appreciate my friends who pick me up when they can, but I would like the freedom and dignity that comes with being able to take care of myself. But I cannot walk safely to the bus stop,” said Elizabeth Johnson, a member of the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church.
The solution Justice Knox presented was for the city to supplement Knoxville Area Transit bus service with VIA Transportation, a privately owned on-demand transit service that has taken hold in Birmingham, Alabama.
Justice Knox showed a video of VIA transportation in action in Birmingham, providing a “micro-transit” alternative to public buses. Since its launch there, the service has provided over 500,000 rides.
Justice Knox asked Kincannon to create a plan for using VIA or a similar service in Knoxville to improve transportation accessibility compared to the current fixed bus route systems. Kincannon pushed back.
“The challenge is that I have reservations about micro-transit because of scalability and the cost, and also, the city of Knoxville can’t solve this alone. One thing you didn’t mention to the assembly is that the city of Knoxville already contributes to transit, $22 million a year,” Kincannon said.
Kincannon’s issue with the suggestion of using VIA transportation was not only the expense but also concern about the city using a private company that operates for profit.
Kincannon said the recently launched KAT Reimagined, which revamped bus routes, attempts to balance ridership and coverage needs with a cost-neutral approach.
Despite declining to commit to adopting a service like VIA, Kincannon did agree to continue discussions with Justice Knox about micro-transit.
Jacobs and Kincannon both were acknowledged for following through on their commitment last year to work toward having more people move out of homelessness than into it by spring 2025.
Jacobs this year agreed to the continued implementation of a tiny home village plan, which is set to start development in spring of 2026, and to work to house 145 veterans currently homeless in Knox County.
Jacobs and Kincannon agreed to provide $300,000 each in funding to continue to work with eviction prevention program partners to develop funding strategies.
Kincannon approved Knoxville’s participation in assessing the Eviction Prevention Program to develop long-term funding strategies.
View the original story here.
