By María Marta Guzmán, 10 News
A group of community advocates and faith leaders is calling for Knoxville leaders to invest more in the city’s micro-transit system, which effectively brings people who live outside of Knoxville Area Transit’s range to one of its bus routes.
The system is known as “katConnect” and operates similar to rideshare apps like Uber or Lyft. It connects passengers to fixed-route services, but currently the program is only available in a single North Knoxville neighborhood.
The program has given 50 rides since it started in August 2024. Ann O’Connor, a member of grassroots advocacy organization Justice Knox, said the city should invest more in the program to help it meet expectations.
“It’s not a micro-transit. They did it with a zero budget, so you get what you pay for,” said O’Connor.
Justice Knox originally proposed the program in 2019 as a way to give more people access to public transportation. However, members said Friday that the micro-transit system has long wait times, technology issues and does not benefit the rider.
To book a ride through katConnect, passengers can call a phone number and arrange a pickup or dropoff in a minibus. It is only available for the Holston Ridge, Cassel Ridge and Elk Hill Way apartments.
“The area we are focusing on has minimal transit. You are basically in a transit desert,” said Isaac Thorne, who works with KAT. “We are greatly improving the life of these people, who live in these apartments.”
He said KAT had received a $1.4 million grant to help improve the micro-transit system. However, federal funding freezes have resulted in uncertainty over whether that money can be spent.
Similar programs are available in other cities, such as Chattanooga or Birmingham, Alabama. In those cities, micro-transit services are growing.
“The transit authority in Chattanooga, they just told straight out, ‘Chattanooga and Knoxville, this is the perfect time,'” said O’Connor.
Justice Knox is set to soon meet with Birmingham leaders to learn ways Knoxville’s micro-transit system can improve.
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