KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Knoxville Area Transit will be returning several bus routes back to their regular service levels on Monday, March 14, 2022. KAT will also be adding some all new electric buses to their fleet.

The changes include:

• Route 17 – Sutherland returns to 30-minute frequencies on weekdays

• Route 20 – Central Street returns to 30-minute frequencies on weekdays

• Route 32 – Dandridge returns to 30-minute frequencies on weekdays

• Route 34 – Burlington returns to 30-minute frequencies on weekdays

• Green Line Trolley returns to 10-minute frequencies on weekdays, but still ending at 8pm on Friday and Saturday evenings.

“We are so glad to finally be bringing back some of our regular service levels,” says Isaac Thorne, Director of Transit for the City of Knoxville. “The workforce shortage that we have experienced along with so many others has been unprecedented. We are so grateful to our passengers and their patience during this past year.”

There are still routes experiencing reduced service including: the weekday peak 15-minute service on Routes 11 – Kingston Pike, 22 – Broadway, and 31 – Magnolia; and the weekday 30-minute service levels on Routes 40 – South Knoxville and 45 – Vestal. KAT hopes to return these back to regular service within the year.

Along with Route 17 returning to their 30-minute route it will also feature KAT’s new all-electric bus. The electric bus fleet will continue to expand to other routes throughout the city as testing continues.

“We feel like we are coming out of this long and challenging period,” says Thorne. “However, because the pandemic is not fully over, KAT wishes to remind the public that the mask mandate from the Transportation Security Administration is still in place for public transit through March 18th.”