LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville bus riders attended an open house Thursday to learn about the new route system set to begin next month for the Transit Authority of River City.
TARC said the new system, which starts Aug. 2, will include fewer stops, but buses will run more frequently. The new network will run most of its routes every 15-30 minutes.
TARC Director Ozzy Gibson said last month that the new network will consolidate the current 24 routes to 15. Buses currently make 3,341 stops throughout the day. Once Aug. 2 comes, TARC will only make 1,430 stops.
Another big change is the actual bus signs themselves, which will be double-sided and color-coded to show the most popular routes.
TARC said the open houses like the one held Thursday at TARC's headquarters on West Broadway, are a good way to get people used to the changes.
"It's a big enough change that we really want to make sure that our current riders, and the public at large, are aware of the changes," said David Meckle, director of communications for TARC. "And it's very important that people take action and plan their trip on the new network."
The network implements a new "pulse" system it will rely on, aimed at providing service for downtown Louisville transfers that is both faster and smoother. TARC said that system is a new downtown timed-transfer hub that will be a first in the public transit system's history. Other changes in the new network include:
- Increasing the number of accessible jobs via public transportation by 5%
- Service all JCPS magnet high school locations
- Provide more useful and more frequent service on key corridors, such as Broadway/Bardstown, Preston Highway, 4th Street, Dixie Highway and Market/Frankfort
At the beginning of 2024, TARC projected a $30 million deficit by the fiscal year 2027 if action wasn't taken before then. Because of the financial challenges, the agency launched TARC 2025 to ensure long-term sustainability for Louisville transit. TARC is striving to restore its pre-2020 service levels, but with federal funding no longer available and not enough existing local and state funding for transit to cover current service levels, leadership spent months gathering rider feedback to shape the future of public transportation in the region.
Maps for the new network are already available on TARC's website. To look at the countywide map, click here. To look at the "Inside the Watterson" map, click here. To look at the downtown Louisville routing map, click here.
TARC will hold three more open house meetings this month, starting July 28. For a full schedule of those meetings, click here.
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