TARC finalizes series of service reductions and changes on 11 routes – will take effect 1/26/2025

December 19, 2024

Service changes will improve reliability and continue to address TARC’s fiscal cliff

Louisville, Ky. (December 19, 2024) — TARC has finalized a series of service reductions and changes proposed earlier this fall. Those changes will take effect on Sunday January 26, 2025. 

The service changes will affect 11 different TARC routes. Members of the press, TARC customers, and the general public should carefully review current and upcoming TARC bulletins to determine how transit trips may be affected in different neighborhoods.

The most significant changes will affect TARC routes #22 Twenty-Second Street and #63 Crums Lane. 

• Those two routes will be merged into two other TARC routes.
  • The #22 Twenty-Second Street will be merged with the #18 Dixie Highway
  • The #63 Crums Lane will be merged into the #29 Eastern Parkway.

• In turn, riders of both the redesigned #18 Dixie Highway and #29 Eastern Parkway should note that each route will be rerouted.
  • The #18 Dixie Highway will now terminate in Portland and customers will need to make a transfer to get to downtown Louisville.
  • The #29 Eastern Parkway will be extended to cover what the #63 Crums Lane currently covers.      

In addition, the #17 Bardstown Road and #25 Oak-Westport Connection will see routing changes, frequency will be reduced on the #4 4^th Street and #10 Dixie Rapid, and frequency will be increased on the #25 Oak-Westport Connection, #29 Eastern Parkway, and #40 Taylorsville Road. There will be minor schedule changes on the #6 Sixth Street, #15 Market Street, and #21 Chestnut Street.

These service changes are intended to improve reliability and to continue to address TARC’s impending fiscal cliff.

“Above all, TARC needs to ensure reliable, predictable service and to ensure long-term financial sustainability,” said TARC Executive Director Ozzy Gibson. “These changes are necessary to accomplish those goals.”

Overview of service changes

• Route Mergers
  • #22 Twenty-Second Street will be merged into #18 Dixie Highway
  • #63 Crums Lane will be merged into #29 Eastern Parkway
• Route discontinuation
  • #52 Medical Center Circulator will be discontinued
    • TARC passengers will have multiple other downtown options to travel through the LOUMED District and downtown
• Route changes
  • #17 Bardstown Road will now end at Eastern Parkway and Bardstown Road
    • #17 passengers traveling to downtown will need to transfer to the #23 Broadway or #40 Taylorsville Road
  • #18 Dixie Highway will be rerouted to cover areas currently served by the #22 Street
    • #18 Dixie Highway customers will need to make a transfer to get to downtown Louisville
  • The #25 Oak-Westport Connection will see routing changes that slightly reduce coverage on the west and east ends of the route
  • The #29 Eastern Parkway will be rerouted to cover most areas currently served by the #29 Eastern Parkway, including Pleasure Ridge High School.
• Frequency reductions
  • The #4 Fourth Street will go from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes
  • The #10 Dixie Rapid will go from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes
• Frequency increase
  • The #25 Oak-Westport Connection will go from every 70 minutes to every 60 minutes
  • The #29 Eastern Parkway will go from every 60 minutes to every 50 minutes
  • The #40 Taylorsville Road will go from every 90 minutes to every 70 minutes
• Minor scheduling changes
  • The #6 Sixth Street, #15 Market Street, and #21 Chestnut Street will see minor scheduling changes

A full listing of all details of the approved service reductions and changes can be found on TARC’s website at: https://www.ridetarc.org/service-adjustments-for-january-26-2025/

The approved January 2025 service changes will help TARC accomplish two major current priorities: 

• Ensure a more reliable TARC: Currently, TARC has too many routes with very low ridership and not enough operators to consistently operate them. The service reductions aim to enhance TARC’s reliability and on-time performance, providing a more dependable transit experience for customers.

• Continue to address TARC’s fiscal cliff: At the beginning of 2024 TARC projected a $30 million deficit in FY 2027 if action is not taken before then. These reductions are anticipated to save $4 million annually, continuing to right size TARC to ensure future sustainability.

“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. “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 continues to advance the TARC 2025 network redesign process to determine the ultimate shape of the new TARC. Draft proposals are expected to be available for public review and comment this winter. Final proposals are expected by Summer 2025.