TARC's executive director resigns after 3 tumultuous years leading Louisville's bus service

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The executive director for Transit Authority of River City resigned this week after more than three years in the position.

Carrie Butler's resignation is effective Dec. 31, according to a news release Tuesday from Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and TARC's board of directors.

An interim executive director, who has not yet been named, will take over until a permanent replacement is found through a nationwide search being conducted by Greenberg's office.

Officials said Butler will serve "as a consultant to TARC" during the transitional period, Jan. 1 through June 30, 2024.

"I am proud of the work we were able to accomplish during the most tumultuous time in TARC's 50-year history," Butler said in a statement Tuesday. "I'm especially grateful for the men and women of TARC who kept our buses rolling during COVID. I'm confident I'm leaving TARC in better condition than when I came on board."

Butler, a Louisville native, was appointed to the leadership position at TARC by former Mayor Greg Fischer in August 2020, replacing former executive director Ferdinand Risco. Risco had resigned from the role amid accusations of sexual harassment and potentially wasteful spending of hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars.

Prior to the promotion, Butler served as TARC's director of planning from 2002-10, then as general manager of Lextran, Lexington's public transit agency, for five years. She has also held several leadership roles in transit and consulting across the country.

During her time as TARC's executive director, Butler answered to issues with TARC3, it's paratransit service, staffing shortages and contract negotiations.

Over the years, WDRB News exposed issues with TARC3. Riders often said they were left stranded for hours or their routes routinely didn't show up at all.

In April 2022, TARC3 riders called for Butler's termination and a "no-confidence" vote by Louisville Metro Council.

In November 2022, after months of negotiations and threats of a strike, TARC union members and the transit agency's board approved a new contract. Drivers in the union were fighting for higher pay and increased safety.

More recently, TARC announced a plan to improve its on-time performance over the next nine months. The plan includes more consistent communication with riders through text alerts, the use of bus operator trainers to cover short and/or peak-time only shifts, and upcoming adjustments to reduce operator shifts that are consistently hard to fill.