Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) will be making changes to several routes starting on January 6, 2020.
The Knoxville Transportation Authority (KTA) approved these changes at their regular monthly meeting in October.
APPROVED CHANGES BY ROUTE
Route 12 – Western Avenue:
To improve on-time performance and connections as well as streamline the route, the current detour routing through the area of Western Heights will be made a permanent change, using Virginia to Murphy. Due to the recent street realignment of Western Avenue, portions of Virginia and Tennessee will no longer be served.
Route 13 – Beaumont:
• Adjust the service area of the route to cover additional areas along Middlebrook Pike, including Big Oak Apartments and Helen Ross McNabb’s Military Service Center, while terminating the route at Central Street and Dameron near the Knox County Health Department. Additional new bus stops to be added along Middlebrook Pike. Transfers to Route 20 – Central will provide direct service to Knoxville Station with almost immediate transferring. Direct service provided to Public Works Building will be on the outbound leg only, with inbound service along Middlebrook Pike.
• Additional evening trip on weekdays.
Route 20 – Central Street:
Remove the service extension to Melstone and McClain, keeping the route consistent throughout the day.
Route 34 – Burlington:
Remove a 3-block portion at Catalpa, Kirk and Lilac streets, keeping the bus straight on Fern to improve route performance.
Route 42 – UT/Ft. Sanders Hospitals:
• Improve headways to 30 minutes on weekdays;
• Continue service through 11:15 p.m. trips in the evening, weekdays and Saturdays;
• Add new Sunday service.
Route 90 – Crosstown:
• Change routing to serve Walbrook Superstop (at Wal Mart west), rather than West Town Mall by following Middlebrook to Gallaher View. Eliminate service through West Hills along Vanosdale and at West Town Mall. Add new bus stops along Middlebrook Pike.
• Saturday schedule adjustment to create consistency with weekday service.
• New routing through I-640 Plaza to improve efficiency, along with service along Third Creek rather than Ed Shouse Drive to Middlebrook.