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Council authorizes application for nearly $11.9M in federal transit funds for KAT
Summary
City council approved a resolution to apply for an $11,898,636 FTA/TDOT urbanized area transit grant for Knoxville Area Transit, prompting questions about total local investment and program goals and a public comment in support of transit.
The Knoxville City Council authorized staff to apply for $11,898,636 in Federal Transit Administration and Tennessee Department of Transportation formula grant funding for Knoxville Area Transit covering fiscal years 2024–2026.
A public speaker, Elliot Lloyd, urged the council to invest in reliable public transit, stating that better transit reduces pollution and supports people who don’t drive: "Giving public transit the funding needed to ensure they have reliable buses and stops that are accessible and comfortable will give the city a return on their investment and improve the quality of life for everyone who travels through our city." Councilmembers asked for clearer context about overall transit spending and local matches; the mayor and transit staff estimated annual general fund support in the neighborhood of $20–22 million and confirmed the grant requires a local match included in the packet (the agenda text contained a formatting error that staff clarified during the meeting).
Staff said the grant would support formula urbanized area transit assistance and that additional federal and state capital funds complement the city’s general-fund operating support. Council member Parker asked for a follow-up summary of the city's total transit investment and staff confirmed they would email more detailed figures to the council. The resolution passed on a voice vote.
