LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville's public transportation system will discontinue three bus routes in January, areas serving downtown, west Louisville, Pleasure Ridge Park and Shively with a total of more than 500 daily boardings last month.

The Transit Authority of River City said the changes also include four route adjustments, affecting Bardstown Road, Dixie Highway, Oak Street and Eastern Parkway. All changes will take effect Jan. 26, TARC said.

When asked why the company is cutting routes, TARC's executive director Ozzy Gibson said the riders on these routes have other options, unlike other routes it considered eliminating.

"There's alternative routes that you can get on," Ozzy Gibson, TARC Executive Director, said. "Yes, it'll be a little inconvenient, but when you talk about the savings behind that and what we can do with the the personnel shift around."

For years, TARC has said it faces "historic financial challenges." The agency collected months of public input as part of its "TARC 2025" plan, an effort to "ensure the system's long-term sustainability."

Gibson said cutting routes and reducing others is a result of the looming $30 million financial cliff. A deficit that Gibson said is less about mismanagement, and spreading itself too thin.

“I don't believe anybody has mismanaged," Gibson said. "We've just tried to be so much to this community and stretch every resource we have."

Gibson said the other issue is too many routes and not enough drivers.

He said right now around 50% of its routes are delayed.

"We want to show Louisville that we can spend the money wisely and be very, very reliable," Gibson said.

The routes cut serve downtown, west Louisville, Pleasure Ridge Park and Shively with a total of more than 500 daily boardings last month.

Currently, every paycheck for work performed in Jefferson County is taxed at 0.2% for TARC, a rate that has hasn't changed since the agency was created in 1974. And in April, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said TARC will lose about 20% of its annual revenue when American Rescue Plan funding ends years after the COVID-19 pandemic spurred the need for federal assistance.

In its 2025 budget, TARC's board approved a plan it calls "Saturday Plus," meaning that the majority of its existing bus routes will shift to the level of service normally seen on Saturdays. That meant fewer scheduled buses moving along routes every hour and less frequent service on weekdays.

TARC's four busiest routes — 4th Street, Dixie Rapid, Broadway and Preston Highway — remained unaffected, with their usual 15-minute intervals. But two of those routes — 4th Street and Dixie Rapid — will see frequency changes in 2025, moving to 20-minute intervals .

"One of the reasons TARC is facing both reliability challenges and a fiscal cliff is that hard decisions were put off for too long," Gibson said in a news release Tuesday. "TARC leadership is focused on effective strategies to navigate through the current financial challenges and ensure a stronger, more reliable, and more sustainable TARC."

TARC hosted 120 public meetings this year, allowing the city's bus riders to share which routes are most important to them. In a news release Tuesday, TARC said the new changes will "ensure a more reliable TARC" and "continue to address TARC's fiscal cliff," which it describes as a projected $30 million deficit coming in fiscal year 2027, if action isn't taken by then.

The changes outlined below will save the agency $4 million annually, officials said, a way to "ensure future sustainability."

"Above all, TARC needs to ensure reliable, predictable service and to ensure long-term financial sustainability," Gibson said in a news release Tuesday. "These changes are necessary to accomplish those goals."

These are the changes set to take effect in January, TARC said Tuesday:

Discontinued Routes:

  • The #22 Twenty Second Street, which serves the 22nd Street corridor from Portland to Park DuValle
    • Route alternatives: In place of the #22, the #18 18th Street will be rerouted to absorb the #22's previous coverage north of Algonquin Parkway. Riders will also continue to have the option of using the #19 Muhammad Ali Boulevard.
    • Route stats:
      • September 2024 average daily boardings: 49
      • Current # of trips: 23 weekday trips. No current service Saturday or Sunday
  • The #52 Medical Center Circulator, which serves Market @ 8th Street to the LOUMED Hospital District
    • Route alternatives: Riders will continue to have the option of accessing the LOUMED hospital district via Routes #15, #19 #21, #23, #28, and #43.
    • Route stats:
      • September 2024 average weekday boardings: 57
      • Current # of trips: 13 weekday, 13 Saturday, does not operate on Sunday
  • The #63 Crums Lane, which serves Pleasure Ridge Park, Shively, into Downtown
    • Route alternatives: In place of the #63, the #29 will be rerouted to absorb coverage of Crums Lane (now Farnsley Lane due to permanent detour).
    • In addition to the #29, riders can use Routes #6, #10, #18, or #19 as alternatives, depending on where they are boarding.
    • There will be loss of service in the neighborhood south of Greenwood Road that will not be picked up by route #29
    • In addition to the #29, riders can use Routes #6, #10, #18, or #19 as alternatives, depending on where they are boarding.
    • Route stats:
      • September 2024 average daily boardings: 399
      • Current # of trips: 30 weekday, 26 Saturday, 24 Sunday

Adjusted/Absorbed Routes:

  • Route #17 Bardstown Road
    • Reduction in route length from northern end of line on 8th @ Market to Eastern Parkway @ Bardstown
    • Eastern Parkway @ Bardstown to become major transfer point.
    • Route alternatives: Riders needing to go downtown can catch the #23 Broadway along Bardstown, or #40 starting at Taylorsville Road
    • Route stats
      • Current # of trips: 22 trips per day
      • Proposed # of trips: 22 per day
      • Current span of service: 6:00 am - 9:40 pm
      • Proposed span of service: 6:15 am -10:00 pm
  • Route #18 Dixie Highway
    • Will absorb Route #22 north of Algonquin Parkway
    • North end of line to be moved from Jefferson @ 6th to Northwestern Parkway @ 22nd.
    • Improved service on Saturday and Sunday (Route #22 did not operate on weekends).
    • Frequency improved from 60 minutes to 40 minutes.
    • Will no longer go downtown.
    • Loss of downtown connection to Routes #2, #4, #6, #28 #31, #40, and #72
    • Route alternatives: opportunities to reconnect along Routes #10, #15 #23, and #43
    • Last southbound trip will leave Portland Family Health Center 10:09 pm.
    • Last northbound trip will leave Dixie @ Greenwood @ 11:00 pm.
    • Discontinued service south of Greenwood Road to Meijers via Stonestreet Road and Valley Station Road
    • Route stats:
      • Current # of trips: 55 trips per weekday, 52 trips Saturday and Sunday
      • Proposed # of trips: 52 per day
      • Current span of service: 5:40 am - 11:45 pm
      • Proposed span of service: 5:30 am -11:00 pm
  • Route #25 Oak Street
    • Route adjustment eastbound to eliminate left turn on Springhurst Blvd from Westport Road. Instead, the route will continue down Westport Road, make a left turn on Chamberlain Lane and terminate at Norton Hospital.
    • Route adjustment westbound to eliminate right turn on 28th St from Oak Street. Instead, the route will continue on Virginia Ave, make a right turn on Cecil Ave, a right turn on Broadway, and terminate at Nia Center. The route will no longer continue to Shawnee Park.
    • Frequency improved from 70 minutes to 60 minutes.
    • Route stats
      • Current # of trips: 29 per day
      • Proposed # of trips: 30 per day
      • Current span of service: 6:15 am - 10:15 pm
      • Proposed span of service 5:20 am - 8:45 pm
  • Route #29 Eastern Parkway
    • Absorbing #63 coverage of Crums Lane (now Farnsley Lane due to permanent detour), Cane Run Road, Terry Road to West Pages. Trips will travel to West Pages Lane on Terry Road and alternate trips via Farnsley Lane and Rockford Lane.
    • Frequency improved from 60 minutes to 50 minutes
    • Route stats
      • Current # of trips: 36 per weekday, 29 per Saturday and Sunday
      • Proposed # of trips 44 per weekday, 40 per Saturday and Sunday
      • Current span of service: 5:15 am - 10:15 pm weekday, 6:00 am - 9:00 pm Saturday and Sunday.
      • Proposed span of service: 5:00 am - 11:15 pm weekday, 5:30 am - 10:30 pm Saturday and Sunday

Other Changes:

  • Route #4 Fourth Street
    • Change of frequency from 15 to 20 minutes
    • Elimination of third branch (Southside to Wal-Mart)
    • Branch Southside to Glengarry ends after 7 pm
    • No Service to Glengarry on Saturdays.
    • Last trip southbound leaves 6th @ Market, weekday 10:20 pm; Saturday and Sunday 10:31 pm.
    • Last trip northbound leaves Walmart, weekday 11:15 pm; Saturday and Sunday 11:10 pm.
    • Route stats
      • Current # of trips: 132 weekday, 74 Saturday, 71 Sunday
      • Proposed # of trips 104 weekday, 70 trips per Saturday and Sunday
      • Current span of service: 5:00 am – 12:00 am weekday, 5:30 am – 12:00 am Saturday, 6:15 am - 12:00 am Sunday
      • Proposed span of service: 4:50 am - 11:15 pm weekday, 5:45 am - 11:10 pm Saturday and Sunday
  • Route #10 Dixie Rapid
    • Change of frequency from 15 minutes to 20 minutes.
    • Service to Watson Lane discontinued.
    • Last bus southbound to leave downtown at 10:30 pm.
    • Last bus northbound to leave Dixie Gardens 11:27 pm.
    • Route stats
      • Current # of trips: 138 weekday, 100 trips per Saturday and Sunday
      • Proposed # of trips: 113 weekday, 100 trips per Saturday and Sunday
      • Current span of service 4:00 am -11:15 pm weekday, 4:30 a -11:15 pm Saturday and Sunday.
      • Proposed span of service: 4:00 am - 11:30 pm weekday, 4:30 am - 11:30 pm Saturday and Sunday.
  • Route #40 Taylorsville Road
    • Frequency improved from 90 minutes to 70 minutes seven days a week.
    • Route stats
      • Current # of trips: 22 per day
      • Proposed # of trips: 27 trips per day.
      • Current span of service: 6:00 am - 9:00 pm
      • Proposed span of service: 5:30 am - 8:15 pm.
  • Route #6 Sixth Street
    • Last trip southbound will leave 6th @ Market daily at 10:00 pm
    • Last trip northbound leaves Walmart daily at 11:09 pm
    • Last two trips northbound will service St. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital.
    • The 12:02 pm trip northbound from Walmart will be eliminated.
    • Route stats
      • Current # of trips 37 per day
      • Proposed # of trips 36 per day
      • Current span of service: 5:20 am - 11:00 pm
      • Proposed span of service: No change from current span of service.
  • Route #15 Market Street
    • Improved start time westbound leaving Holiday Manor at 5:51 am.
    • Route stats
      • Current # of trips: 34
      • Proposed # of trips: No change from current # of trips per day.
      • Current span of service: 5:40 am - 11:00 pm per weekday, operates 5:40 am - 9:15 pm per Saturday and Sunday
      • Proposed span of service: No change from current span of service per day.
  • Route #21 Chestnut Street
    • Improved eastbound timing leaving Shawnee Park at 4:27 am, arriving at WE Seay Plaza 15 min earlier.
    • Route stats
      • Current # of trips: 31
      • Proposed # of trips: No change from current # of trips per day.
      • Current span of service: 5:30 am - 9:30 pm per day
      • Proposed span of service: from 4:30 am - 9:30 pm weekday, no change to Saturday or Sunday current span of service.
  • Route #29 Eastern Parkway will be affected by permanent detour from Crums Lane to Farnsley Road because of the JCPS traffic
    • Losing front door access to some JCPS Schools:
    • Schools located on Crums Lane: Butler High School & Schaffner Elementary
    • Walkable distance approximately ½ mile to route 29 on Farnsley road,
    • Schools located on Greenwood Road: PRP High School and Greenwood Elementary
    • Walkable distance to #18 and #29 less than ¼ of a mile.
  • Route #29 Eastern Parkway will not service neighborhood south of Greenwood Road when heading to West Pages Lane.
    • Daffodil Drive, Morning Glory Drive, Devonshire Drive.
    • Walkable distance to #18 and #29 within ¼ of a mile.

'I'm screwed'

Debra Horrell, 70, relies on TARC Route #63 to get to work, and she's not alone. According to TARC, the route averaged 399 boardings every day in September.

"I don't know what I'm going to do if we lose this," Horrell said Tuesday. "... it's been a blessing ever since they brought it in."

Like other city transit agencies, TARC's ridership plummeted during the pandemic, a trend that began even before COVID-19 arrived.

Ridership rebounded about 17% through the first six months of 2022 but remained 57% lower than in the same period in 2017, according to WDRB's analysis of figures obtained in a public records request.

In 2022, as the agency eyed a tax increase for the first time in 15 years, former TARC Executive Director Carrie Butler said expenses were growing faster than its main source of revenue, forcing the agency to rely increasingly on federal grants and one-time funds from the federal COVID-relief packages, which soon expire.

"The rate of increase, that hasn't kept pace with the rate of increase of all our other expenses," Butler said. "... We have seen this gap between revenues coming in and our expenses going out."

Matthew Griffin was boarding a Route #63 bus Tuesday to get to the post office. One of its stops, he said, is one he depends on to get to work.

"Without those two buses, I'm screwed. I'd have to walk to work," Griffin said. "Without TARC, I don't have no other transportation."

Public Meetings Planned

TARC will hold two open houses next months when the public can ask questions about the proposed changes and submit they comments:

  • Wednesday, Nov. 13, 5-7 p.m. at the TARC Building, 1000 W. Broadway
  • Thursday, Nov. 14, 5-7 p.m. at Shively City Hall, 3920 Dixie Highway

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