The Knoxville community showed their support for transit by riding in big numbers on Get on Board Day on April 25, 2019.

KAT saw a 24% increase in ridership compared with the previous day, with many passengers posting their rides on social media.

Get on Board Day was a nation-wide event promoting transit and raising awareness of the benefits of transit, from economic development to promoting sustainable lifestyles.  Over 200 transit agencies participated in the event in various ways.  KAT offered fare-free rides and encouraged people to share their rides on social media.   In addition to the ridership increases, KAT’s social media engagement doubled for Get on Board Day.

“We were so pleased to see such a positive and supportive community response to Get on Board Day,” says Melissa Roberson, Director of Transit for the City of Knoxville. “We have been improving our passenger amenities with our KATbus Tracker App and free wi-fi on buses, along with steady improvements to route service.  I think the public is responding to these new conveniences and more people are interested in giving transit a try.”

The KATbus Tracker app, which provides real-time bus tracking along with trip planning and other features, was introduced at the end of March.  Thus far, the app has been downloaded over 900 times.

Learn more about KAT at http://www.katbus.com.