Tuesday was KAT Transit Driver Appreciation Day. Passengers throughout the City wrote thank-you notes to and took "safe selfies" with their favorite transit operators, and Mayor Madeline Rogero and Transit Director Dawn Distler met with drivers and mechanics and thanked them for their caring, conscientious efforts.
KAT’s operators do so much. For starters, they get us to where we need to be. They offer mobility. For some seniors and disabled residents, that’s literally a life-changing benefit.
KAT's 170 bus operators are skilled professionals – safety and dependability are always their top priorities.
And, as Distler and the Mayor told a group at Knoxville Station: There’s also the human element. KAT drivers deliver smiles and kind words.
KAT buses run more than 2.5 million miles a year, and they carry about 3 million passengers each year.
In recent months, KAT has expanded services along 13 routes – offering later weekday evening bus runs, increasing the frequency of Saturday routes, and offering new Sunday services.
In January, KAT added Wi-Fi connectivity to all its buses. From January 11 through March 15, KAT passengers have logged on 1.9 million times. Wow - that’s almost 1 million log-ons each month!
Congratulations and a hearty thank-you to all of KAT's drivers, mechanics and transit agents!
Mayor Rogero and Transit Director Dawn Distler celebrated with operators on Transit Driver Appreciation Day. Pictured here with them is Emily Whyte, a new KAT driver.
From left: Mayor Madeline Rogero, KAT driver and photographer Brian Dickey, and Director of Transit Dawn Distler. Dickey's photos of sunsets, taken during scheduled stops along his route, is part of an art gallery being exhibited now at Knoxville Station.
From left: Director of Transit Dawn Distler, KAT operator and painter Anthony Donaldson, and Mayor Madeline Rogero. Donaldson's artwork is on display at Knoxville Station now. His paintings have been featured at the Emporium in the 100 block of South Gay Street as well.
Click HERE to watch KAT's Facebook video featuring some of its drivers. Or click HERE to see a Flickr photo gallery of KAT operators, including those who are profiled in an exhibit at Knoxville Station, 301 E. Church Ave.
"Mayor on Board" - riding the KAT Route 31 bus on Magnolia Avenue.
Sharing popcorn with KAT's staff on Transit Driver Appreciation Day. Pictured here is Lloyd Fears, a 27-year veteran KAT driver.