KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Knoxville Area Transit is considering changes to how their buses run and they are asking for input from public transit users.

As a part of the KAT Reimagined project, the service is collecting feedback on proposed changes to their bus network such as where the buses go and how often they will be there to best serve the community.

To help give feedback, anyone can take the survey which asks a few questions and explains the Pre-Covid routes compared to a proposed network. According to KAT, the network that they call the “Draft Network,” would help more people get to more places sooner, so ridership would be higher, but some places would lose coverage.

In the redesign, KAT mentions needing to collaborate with others to answer question like:

• Where should buses go, and how often should they come?
• What kind of bus service should we have on weekends or at night?
• Should some locations get new service or more service?
• How are connections made between buses?

The non-demographic questions of the survey focus on asking how people think the changes would affect them, their family and friends, and how it would affect Knoxville. Additionally, there is a place for survey takers to let KAT know anything else that they think should be noted or considered.

For those who are interested in making their voice heard, the public survey on katreimagined.com could be one of the last crucial points to speak. According to KAT’s website, the survey is the last step before public hearings on the proposed changes are held. After this, KAT’s website says the new bus network would be implemented this year.

The biggest positive changes would be for the areas around Western Heights, West High School, and Tennessee College of Applied Technology. According to KAT, each of these areas would have access to over 20,000 more jobs within 45 minutes, and most areas listed would see an increase in the amount of residents served.

Some areas that might see less coverage under the Draft Network would be the areas near Knox Road Transfer Point and Westbrook Walmart. These area’s saw decreases in access to jobs and residents, but they were the only two that had decreases in either category in the 10 areas that were listed by KAT.

For more information, click here.