About KAT
About KAT Quick Links
Knoxville Area Transit
KAT is the City of Knoxville’s public transportation system, operating buses and paratransit service across the city.
Passengers & Routes
Our team carries around 3 million passengers each year. Our 20 fixed routes reach over 80% of the City of Knoxville’s entire population within half a mile.
We are happy to welcome everyone aboard our system, regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender or sexual orientation.
Knoxville Station Transit Center
Learn About Our Transit Center—Knoxville’s First LEED-Certified Government Building
History of KAT
The History of Knoxville Transportation from 1876 to Today
Doing Business With KAT
Interested in doing business with KAT? Here’s a few things you should know:
- Many people inquire about advertising on KAT buses and shelters. Currently, KAT does not have an advertising program, so we do not offer advertising space.
- All of KAT’s purchasing is handled through The City of Knoxville’s Purchasing Department. If you are interested in becoming a vendor, please register with the City of Knoxville by filling out their online form.
- If you are interested in partnering with KAT on one of our many programs, contact KAT.
Shelter Process, Guidelines & Requests
KAT knows that covered waiting locations across the city are important to our passengers. As we continue to expand the number of bus stop locations that have shelters, each location has unique circumstances involving issues of safety, feasibility, and passenger ridership levels. All requests are carefully evaluated and prioritized based on these and other factors. Below you will find detailed information about our current process and guidelines.
If you have any additional questions related to KAT’s bus shelters or would like to make a request, please contact us.
Funding & Union
Our funding comes from the City of Knoxville, the State of Tennessee, the federal government, and fare revenues.
Many of our operators and service personnel are members of the Amalgamated Transit Union local Number 1164.
In addition to this, we are committed to being an equal and diverse place to work. If you’d like to know more about this, please visit our transparency and accountability section.
