A staff member told the KTA board that the regional household travel survey — conducted in partnership with the state department of transportation (TDOT) and the University of Tennessee Transportation Research Center — will resume mailing letters to randomly selected households on Aug. 7. The survey asks participants to track all travel for a single day using either a paper diary or an app. Staff said the campaign aims for roughly 3,000 responses across the broader region (not just the city) and asked board members to encourage recipients to participate so transit riders and low‑income households are not underrepresented in the sample.

The staff speaker noted the survey paused for the summer to capture travel patterns during the school year. He asked board members to reassure residents that the survey is legitimate if they query neighbors who receive the mailing. The speaker also thanked planning director Thorn and community media for recording a recent city council workshop on a transit support and development study funded through an FTA Areas of System Poverty grant; he said the workshop offers early examples of corridor development and density strategies.

In staff reports earlier in the meeting, staff said the system’s on‑time performance for the month was 86% and that the operations team was working toward a 90% target. The board also heard praise for staff and a note that new lift buses had come into service.

Why it matters: Household travel surveys inform long‑range and short‑range transit planning and can affect route and frequency decisions; getting a representative sample is important because transit riders and low‑income households are often underrepresented in voluntary surveys.

Next steps: Survey mailings to selected households to begin Aug. 7; staff asked board members to encourage participation and to direct residents to the TPO/TDOT/UT study contacts if they have questions.