The Knoxville Transportation Authority will hold a public hearing on Thursday, July 26, 2012 to hear comments on the proposed elimination of KAT's Route 101X - The Cedar Bluff Express. The route has suffered from low ridership for the past twenty-four months, consistently in the lowest performance quartile, but more recently, KAT was informed that the route would no longer be able to use the current Park & Ride location on Executive Park Drive, effective September 30, 2012.

"While we don't want to see any of our services go away, we have to be realistic about the track record of this particular route, as well as the challenges associated with offering park & ride services," says Cindy McGinnis, KAT General Manager. "Finding a park & ride lot is the most challenging part of providing express route services, and while we have worked on identifying a new location, we have not found anything that will work."

KAT does not purchase or lease locations for park & ride facilities due to budget constraints, so park & ride lots must be provided through an agreement with a private property owner, or, in the case of the Farragut Express, by the Town of Farragut. If approved for elimination, the route will end effective September 30, 2012. Current 101X passengers are encouraged to use the 102X - Farragut Express or the Route 11 - Kingston Pike bus.

The public is encouraged to comment on the proposal. Comments can be made by attending the meeting, scheduled for Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building, 400 Main Street. Comments can also be made to KAT by calling 865-637-3000 or by visiting katbus.com and clicking on the "Contact us" link.