The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will receive more than $10 million through two federal grants to expand its T bus fleet, install pedestrian safety technology and identify areas for future safety improvements.
“By expanding transit service, partnering with Knoxville Area Transit and the City of Knoxville and rebalancing parking allotments, we’ve already taken deliberate steps to transform how our campus community travels, and this grant will facilitate another big step toward our vision of reducing vehicle traffic on campus,” said Executive Director of Parking and Transportation Tanara Teal-Tate.
UT was awarded more than $9.8 million by the Federal Transit Administration through the federal government’s Low- or No-Emission Grant Program, which provides funding to state and local government authorities for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses. For fiscal year 2025, approximately $1.1 billion was awarded to 101 projects across the country. UT was one of only two universities to be awarded funding through the program this year.
As a requirement of the grant, UT will provide a 15% match of nearly $1.5 million, bringing the total to more than $11 million that will fund the addition of 10 hybrid buses. New hybrid buses get nearly twice the fuel economy of the older T bus models and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30%.
“We’re making public transit easier and more convenient, and the results speak for themselves — we’ve seen a 74% increase in combined T and KAT bus ridership over the last year,” Teal-Tate said. “This investment in sustainable infrastructure isn’t just about reducing congestion; it’s about improving quality of life and environmental stewardship for our entire community.”
The addition of 10 new hybrid buses will allow the university to replace two older buses and add eight new buses to the fleet, which will reduce wait times on existing routes and support the creation of at least one new T bus route.
“We’re grateful for this federal investment, which will help us modernize our transit fleet and continue improving mobility on campus,” said Director of Parking Administration Phillip Reyes. “These new buses will reduce emissions, strengthen reliability, and support a better experience for our students, faculty, staff and visitors. Just as importantly, this award allows us to expand our transit routes and increase service capacity so we can better meet the growing transportation needs of our community.”
The buses purchased through the FTA grant are expected to begin service in fall 2027. With those additions, UT is on track to increase its fleet size and add one or more additional T bus routes in four consecutive years.
The second grant, awarded by the Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program, allocates $237,000 for the installation of additional pedestrian safety technology and identification of areas for future safety improvements.
“The Parking and Transportation team really went above and beyond in their efforts to secure this grant funding, and it underscores their commitment to exploring and pursuing all possible solutions when it comes to improving mobility options on and around campus,” said Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Operations and Real Estate Brian Browning. “These additional buses will further enhance the transportation landscape at UT, benefiting students, faculty, staff and visitors for years to come.”
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Lisa Leko (865-974-8698 [email protected])
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