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Young rider and advocates urge BRT, better shelters and expanded regional connections
Summary
Public commenters urged Knoxville Area Transit to pursue bus rapid transit starting on high-ridership corridors, expand fare-free periods and youth outreach, and improve bus shelter design and regional connections to reduce isolation for outlying communities.
Several public commenters used the board's public-comment period to press for more ambitious transit improvements. Braxton Morris, who said he is 14 years old, urged implementation of bus rapid transit (BRT) beginning on Route 11 along Kingston Pike, describing a phased approach that starts with increased frequency, improved stops and express peak-hour service. "A BRT system would be incredibly beneficial to Route 11," Braxton said, and he urged the agency to pilot such changes to increase ridership.
Elliot Lloyd called for more regular free-fare windows (suggesting free fares until 5 p.m. on weekdays or targeted rollouts around University of Tennessee student returns), better shelter design (larger canopies, seating oriented away from traffic, and in some locations restrooms and water fountains), and support for the TPO urban-area transit study that envisions regional connections to Alcoa, Maryville, Farragut, West Knox County and Oak Ridge. Both speakers framed changes as ways to reduce car dependency and increase access for residents with medical or economic barriers to driving.
