KATS to dedicate, cut ribbon on new transit garage
The Kingsport Area Transit Service is pleased to announce a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for its new Transit Garage.
The event will be held at 10:30 a.m. on October 24 at the new garage (850 E. Main Street). The public is invited to attend. Parking for the event will be in the employee parking lot on E. Sullivan Street.
Representatives from the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Federal Transportation Administration are scheduled to be in attendance and speak during the event.
For nearly a decade, KATS has been planning for and building a new comprehensive transit facility and garage at the corner of Main and Sullivan to serve the existing and future needs of Kingsport residents.
The first phase of the project – a new state-of-the-art transit facility – opened in 2019 and offered riders a much better transit experience while providing employees with an improved office in which to work.
The second phase of the project – a new transit garage – is now complete. The new 21,000-square-foot transit garage is adjacent to the transit facility and can house KATS’ entire 22-bus fleet, with extra space for future vehicles, heavy duty roadbed/parking and an area inside for light duty maintenance, such as cleaning and inspection.
The transit garage marks the final piece of a 10-year plan to relocate and modernize the city’s transit system. Funding for the transit garage came from three sources – $2.3 million in federal funds, $2.7 million in state funds and $1.1 million in city funds.
For more information about KATS’ services, call 423-224-2613 or visit www.kingsporttransit.org.