The Pols KAT Bus Experience

I live downtown. I work out west. I wish it wasn't so.

I drive my little green Jetta from home to Cedar Bluff five days a week. That is until recently.

I decided to give the bus system a try for a few days recently to see if it would be something that would be beneficial to me (mostly financially). At $3.50 plus a gallon it was hard to see how I could lose. So i laid out a track and hopped on board the west town bus at 8:15. Strike one.


















You see I don't have to be at work until 9:15, but the last express bus leaves downtown even earlier and would put me out west at 7:50, waaay to early to sit around and wait to sit around most of the day. So with my bike on the front I get dropped off about a five minute bike ride from my office about ten minutes before I'm supposed to be there. hmmm

The cost was a little better. It cost me $2.50 for a round trip, which saves me a buck and I enjoy riding on the bus. I read the paper, do homework (yep I'm taking classes at pellissippi), watch the world go by, listen to the radio, etc. It's relaxing, except for the worry about getting to where I need to get on time.

The ride home is better I cath the 5:10 express in the park and ride lot on executive park dr. Though the bus never actually shows up on time, it is usually anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes late.

The ride home is a great way to unwind, very relaxing. The buses are always clean and there is lots of seating on the ride home, not so much on the way out as my bus drops at walmart.

Final analysis, going out west the options are not great. I take what I can get and so that means sometimes I'm still driving. We can go over and over the shortcomings of our bus system, and we will I'm sure, but I'm going to try and make the best of what we have. I'd love to know if any of you have similar experiences headed out west on the buses.

Here is the pick up for the express bus. They even provide bike lockers if you want to stash your bike at the drop off.