News
TARC Approves Proposed Service Adjustments
July 16, 2020Changes to Take Effect August 9th
*Update: Additional Proposal to Discontinue Route 20, Announced on June 22, was Approved. Route 20 will Discontinue Service on August 9th, 2020*
TARC has approved a set of service adjustments which will improve performance and better align services with actual ridership; changes will go into effect on August 9th of this year.
The following approved changes are part of a set of adjustments first proposed in April and meant to create efficiencies amid a challenging budget climate. They include the elimination of inefficient, low performing routes with historically low ridership and high cost per passenger, as well as the removal of duplicated non-revenue service in the downtown area.
Discontinued routes include routes 01 & 77 (the LouLift circulators), local routes 62 & 82, circulator 96, and express routes 45X, 49X, 53X, 54X, 64X, 65X, 66X, 67X, 68X, & the 78X.
Minor schedule adjustments will also take effect for routes 6, 10, 15, 18, 23, 28, 31, & 61X.
“Half of TARC’s current routes are used by only 3% of its riders— a fact that existed prior to the current COVID-19 pandemic,” said TARC Co-Executive Director Margaret Handmaker. “With almost half of our routes being little used by the community, these changes will help TARC invest where its passengers are.”
“In some parts of our community, TARC’s cost per rider is approximately $2.50; on other, less-frequently used routes, it nears $60 per rider. When TARC charges just $1.75 per trip, this is unsustainable and drains resources from where they are needed most,” said TARC Co-Executive Director Laura Douglas. “TARC does not want to merely move people around; we want a high level of service.”
Public meetings regarding the proposed changes were held, and comments from the public were taken into consideration prior to approval.
TARC will continue monitoring ridership and any potential impact due to these changes on all TARC customers—with a strong focus on our minority and low income passengers—and determine if additional mitigation measures are needed going forward.