MOUNT VERNON — Knox County Transit had a near-record month despite significantly reduced staffing, but a shortfall in contract revenue is forcing the agency toward cutting Saturday service.
Transit Director Bethany Celmar told county commissioners Thursday the agency completed 7,158 trips in April, despite being down five drivers.
“That is huge for the staffing level that we’re seeing. We’re almost to what our early 2025 numbers would have been with three to four extra full-time people,” she said.
“So we’re getting more efficient, and we are squeezing those trips in.”
However, the agency has lost approximately $130,000 in contract revenue through discontinued programs. Celmar spent April talking with stakeholders, trying to recruit sponsorship for a local match.
Except for Goodwill, which contributed $1,000, no one else has stepped forward, she said.
A $200,000 local match would bring Celmar’s budget to $2.2 million, which is where the federal government has capped it.
KCT has around 30 contracts with day care centers, the Veterans Services office, nursing homes, and municipal court, among others. However, they use KCT occasionally, and most contracts generate less than $1,000 annually.
Celmar did get a $20,000 grant to continue the Night Bus service.
She must make a decision by June 1 if the transit agency is cutting service. Cuts would take effect July 1.
“I have to give 30 days public notice, and we’ll have to have a meeting. But right now it looks like Saturdays are probably going to go away as far as on demand,” she told the commissioners.
Cutting Saturday service affects workforce transportation
Celmar estimates cutting Saturday service would affect about 30 people.
“We do about 75 trips on Saturdays. About 50 percent of those are workforce transportation, and about 26 percent is personal or shopping. So that is going to have a very big impact on them,” she said.
Celmar noted that FT Precision has mandatory Saturday hours right now; KCT takes a worker there.
“It’s not the end, but it is the 11th hour where I’m not getting a response about the severity of where we are. Because these are people’s jobs, these are workforce transportation, and there are not a lot of other options.”
Bethany celmar, knox county transit
Walmart has the most employees who ride KCT. However, most employers only have one or two employees who utilize public transit.
“That’s kind of the response I’m getting, that that’s not enough for people to really [support],” she said.
Commissioner Barry Lester has attended several stakeholder meetings with Celmar and said he is disappointed at the response.
“I think most people in the community of manufacturing are doing pretty well right now, and the reception we get is kind of, ‘Thanks for a definite no,’” he said.
Saturday service costs about $65,000 annually. Eliminating Saturdays reduces half of the agency’s $130,000 gap; raising contract rates in July will help cover some of the gap as well.
Kenyon College pays for the Kenyon route, so that will continue on Saturday. It includes stops in downtown Mount Vernon and at Walmart, so some service will remain available if Celmar is forced to cut Saturday service.
However, she noted that it is likely not during the hours people need to get to work.
Fleet and operations constraints
Celmar said Knox County Transit has already cut staff through attrition after federal funding cuts last year. Additional staffing cuts would significantly affect service.
Using vans instead of busses is not viable because 30 percent of trips include wheelchairs or walkers scattered throughout the day. A van only accommodates one passenger if there is a wheelchair in the back. Additionally, it is difficult to load a walker into a van.
Knox County Transit is currently the only provider that handles wheelchairs.
KCT loses revenue on out-of-county bookings because people cancel their ride the day before or are no-shows. Meanwhile, dispatch denied other riders because the rides are booked.
“There’s nothing we can do to recoup the loss on that; that just has to be built into the net rates,” Celmar told the commissioners.
Lester does not believe the community understands the importance of public transportation in Knox County.
“I think a lot of people have taken it for granted that it is funded and there needs to be no outside money in order to make it work,” he said.
“I think they think that the commissioners and funding will keep the transit going.”
