KAT is proposing changes to the downtown trolley system, to include new service to The Old City, improved route schedule performance, later weekday service and better connections between trolley routes.
KAT is proposing three routes running Monday – Thursday until 8 p.m (until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday) with a central transfer location along Locust Street.
Route 1: UT/University Commons/World’s Fair Park. Frequency: Every 15 minutes.
Includes timing improvements to create a more consistent schedule, along with direct connections along Locust Street with routes serving Gay Street and The Old City, and the Civic Coliseum and east areas.
Route 2: The Old City and Gay Street. Frequency: Every 10 minutes.
Maintains a major downtown loop and includes service to the free parking near The Old City, a posted time schedule and connections to UT and the waterfront trolley routes.
Route 3: Waterfront Connection: Civic Coliseum Garage to downtown and City County Building, returning via Hill Avenue. Frequency: Every 7 minutes weekdays, 15 minutes Saturdays
Maintains high frequency service to connect Civic Coliseum parking to downtown, along with direct connections on to UT for residents east of downtown.
Other improvements proposed:
- Improved information and trolley stop branding at major stops, including map and schedule of routes.
- New enhanced shelter for residents of Summit Towers, as well as enhanced waiting along Hill Avenue for Marriott customers.
- On-sidewalk visual pathways to connect visitors from trolley stops to major destinations such as Krutch Park, the Waterfront, and the Knoxville Museum of Art.
The proposal follows an extensive outreach and input process involving Trolleys on Tap listening sessions downtown as well as an online survey, completed by over 500 individuals. The comments from each outreach event were summarized on KAT’s blog, along with survey results and current ridership data. This allowed those who attended to ensure that their comments were recorded, and also allowed those who were unable to participate to be informed of the discussions.
“This has been a huge effort and, while we know we can’t please everyone, we have managed to address the major requests we received while keeping the service budget-neutral,” says Dawn Distler, director of transit for the city of Knoxville. “We are hopeful that the new service to The Old City, improved connections between routes and more consistent trolley schedules will make the service even more useful to all who enjoy downtown Knoxville.”
