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Knox County Transit director warns of staffing, funding squeeze and outlines route changes
Summary
Knox County Transit Director Bethany Famar told commissioners the system logged about 6,000 trips in March but is coping with driver shortages, an estimated $100,000 shortfall in local match for federal funds, a totaled vehicle and route adjustments that have reduced door-to-door service for some riders.
Bethany Famar, Knox County Transit director, told the Board of Commissioners on April 2 that March ridership was “pretty strong” at about 6,000 trips but that service is strained by multiple drivers on extended medical leave, creating more trip denials and forcing staff to cover shifts themselves.
Famar said the transit system’s funding structure complicates fare policy. “Anything that I collect in fares…is going to be deducted off of my federal grant,” she said, explaining that rural transit grants are structured so collected fares reduce the federal share rather than increase overall revenue. She said that local matching funds must generally equal about 50% of the project’s eligible costs and that contract revenue or private contributions are used to meet that match.
The director said the system is roughly $100,000 short of a sustainable local match, which has led her to delay hiring additional staff until the county’s matching position is clearer. She also reported that an 18-month-old bus was totaled in February; insurance and a state contribution will not fully cover replacement because federal/state procurement rules require purchasing a new vehicle rather than a used equivalent.
To improve on-time performance, the system changed a flex route so passengers must now board at designated stops (the system can still drop riders off along the route). Famar said that change reduced deviations that previously made half-hour loops infeasible but has inconvenienced many riders: “65% of our riders are either disabled or elderly,” she said, and some cannot walk to a stop.
Famar highlighted outreach and assistance options: the transit office can walk riders through routes by phone, arrange ride-alongs or provide training to reduce anxiety about using the system. She suggested pursuing grants for group trips for seniors to support socialization without charging participants.
The director also described network coordination with other regional providers and noted gaps in payer rules that complicate access for older adults: Medicaid rides covered certain people up to age 59 under income rules, while Medicare’s rules differ after age 60.
The board did not take immediate formal action on the transit requests; Famar asked commissioners to continue exploring local-match and replacement-vehicle funding options so the transit system can restore service levels and hire as needed.
