KTA proposes service reductions starting Dec. 1 as federal CDL delays slow operator onboarding

KTA chair called the meeting to order but said the authority did not have a quorum, so no official votes were possible. Director Thorn presented a staff recommendation for service adjustments beginning Dec. 1, citing delays in issuing commercial driver’s licenses that are slowing operator training and reducing available staff.

Director Thorn told the Transportation Authority, "I provided a recommendation for service adjustments starting on December 1," and said agencies nationwide are seeing delays after a new federal emergency rule paused some license processing. Thorn said the delay has caused some trainees to wait "one week, three weeks" for credentials needed to complete certification and that the agency cannot safely maintain full schedules while operators face hour limits.

The nut graf: The recommendation would reduce frequencies on several bus routes and temporarily suspend at least one route segment to preserve safe staffing levels; the authority must hold a public hearing in November and complete a Title 6 analysis before voting on the plan.

Staff said proposed weekday changes include reducing Route 12 and Route 15 from every 30 minutes to every 60 minutes (Route 12 to depart Knoxville Station at :45 after the hour and Route 15 at :15 after); temporarily suspending Route 17 service where Route 11 provides service on Sutherland Avenue (to provide 30-minute service along the corridor rather than 15 minutes); reducing Route 20 from every 30 minutes to every 60 minutes (departing at :15 after); and reducing Route 42 from every 30 minutes to every 60 minutes (departing at :15 after). On Saturdays and Sundays staff proposed similar reductions for Routes 12, 15, 20 and 42; Route 17 would remain at a 60-minute frequency on Sundays while the Sutherland Avenue corridor would retain 30-minute service via Route 11.

Umar, a staff member summarizing the schedule changes, said the adjustments are intended to be "very, very precise in what we eliminate" and that if staffing improves the agency would restore service incrementally. Director Thorn said the timeline for the staffing problem is uncertain: "Could be 3 months. Could be 6 months."

Board members asked about the staffing history and the number of trainees. One commissioner asked, "Have you lost a lot of people over, like, that led to this or what?" Director Thorn said the operator pool has fluctuated "between 170 to 150 for quite a few months," that the agency is comfortable operating full service at about 180 operators, and that "we're at 153" currently. Thorn said the agency would prefer to reach 200 operators but that 180 is the level for full service.

On trainees, staff said there are 11 trainees currently in the program and that none of those 11 were presently waiting for learner permits. Thorn added that four trainees had recently started training and would be taking their permanent CDL exams in about two weeks, but the agency could not predict how long it would take for those credentials to be issued under the federal rule.

Because the meeting lacked a quorum, staff postponed a planned public hearing and vote on the downtown connector recommendation to the November meeting. Staff said the public hearing and the Title 6 analysis will occur before the KTA votes; the authority will consider the service-adjustment recommendation at the November meeting (staff referenced November 20 as the meeting date). Director Thorn said staff and other agencies are contacting licensing offices but that the delays appear to be nationwide and affecting both public and private operators.

Ending: With no formal actions possible at this meeting, the KTA set a public hearing and Title 6 review for November and postponed the downtown-connector vote to the November meeting; staff said service reductions would take effect Dec. 1 if the authority approves them after the required processes.