Knox County Transit may cut Saturday service starting on July 1 and continues to leave vacant positions open as funding programs have fallen through.
The potential reduction in service comes as Knox County Transit faces a shortfall in anticipated contract revenue. According to a video recording of the meeting, Transit Director Bethany Celmar said, "What that means, in brief, we do about 75 trips on Saturdays, about 50 of those are workforce transportation, taking people to work, and about 26% is personal or shopping. So that is going to have a very big impact on them." Celmar also said the agency is running short on expected funding from programs such as Jobs and Family Services, which was projected to provide $130,000. Goodwill has offered a $1,000 sponsorship, which she described as the only firm commitment at this point. The agency needs $200,000 in local matching funds to reach its $2.2 million budget cap for federal funding.
Celmar said Saturday routes cost the transit agency $65,000 annually, and cutting that day's service will help address the funding gap. She expects a reevaluation of contract rates will bring increases that could further assist with some of the financial challenges. Although Saturdays average 50 trips, she estimates it will affect around 30 people since some use the bus for round trips.
Knox County Transit had a strong month in April with 7,158 trips completed despite reduced staffing levels compared to early 2025 numbers when there were three to four more full-time employees. Summer typically brings fewer trips; therefore, Celmar anticipates lower numbers for May and June. The Kenyon route saw significant usage during April with 2,198 trips while Mount Vernon routes accounted for 1,013 trips. According to the video recording, workforce transportation makes up 52% of ridership—over half of all trips—followed by medical trips at 19% and education at 10%. Celmar said Knox County Transit continues to provide many essential trips for community members.
