“Cumberland Avenue is open for business, and KAT is the best way to get to it and through it.”  This is the message that the City of Knoxville and KAT want to send with the new Cumberland Connect Free Fare Zone program, to begin June 1.

Anyone catching a bus along Cumberland – From Gay Street to West Volunteer – can board fare-free starting June 1st.  All stops in the zone will be designated with a bright round sign, indicating a fare-free boarding location.

“This is great for the many people who work in the UT and downtown areas,” says Dawn Distler, Director of Transit. “Instead of worrying about any construction-related congestion, they can just relax, check 
e-mails or plan the day, and enjoy the ride on the way to work, then get a free ride home.  It’s also great for anyone coming to businesses along Cumberland.  KAT can get you there and back easily and inexpensively.”

The promotion is intended to attract more people to transit, and thus relieve congestion through Cumberland, as well as provide easy access to businesses along the corridor during the City's ongoing construction and redesign project.

"The Free Fare Zone will help people get to and from Cumberland Avenue during the construction, it will support the merchants there, and it will help reduce traffic," Mayor Madeline Rogero said. "It's also a reminder that public transit is a great resource for our city."

The Cumberland Free Fare Zone will be in effect during the length of the construction project. For more information, visit www.cumberlandconnect.com.