Oak Ridge Council approves ETHRA transit contract after heated debate over bag limits and rider input
After hours of questioning and public testimony, Oak Ridge City Council approved a one-year contract (with annual renewals allowed) with East Tennessee Human Resources Agency to operate the city's paratransit service. Council rejected two proposed amendments — to raise the bag limit to five and to require formal citizen representation in annual reviews — before approving the contract as drafted.
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Oak Ridge City Council approved a resolution authorizing a contract with the East Tennessee Human Resources Agency (ETHRA) to operate the city's public transit and paratransit service in an amount not to exceed $230,000, contingent on grant funding. City staff said the contract extends daytime hours from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. to 7 a.m.–6 p.m., adds quarterly performance-review meetings, and proposes a one-year trial period for waiving passenger fares while the city analyzes operating impacts.
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