LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville Metro councilwoman wants TARC to stop outsourcing their paratransit services after police had to give a man a ride home over the weekend.
According to those familiar with the situation, TARC3, which provides rides to people with disabilities, dropped him off at the movie theater but never came back to pick him up.
"I'm flabbergasted," Councilwoman Amy Holton Stewart, D-25, said. "This should not be happening in 2021."
Stewart said it's been decades since the Americans with Disabilities Act passed, and access-related issues shouldn't exist anymore.
"The services should be provided without any major kinks like what's going on right now with TARC 3 here in Louisville," Stewart said. "These people have the right for services and to be left like that is not acceptable."
Marcellus Mayes, president of Metro Disability Coalition, said the man scheduled a ride to a theater to see a movie.
TARC3 was late picking him up from home, so he missed the film but made it in time to see the next showing.
Mayes said the driver dropping the man off told him he'd call dispatch to change the pick-up time.
Monday, Jenny Recktenwald, TARC's director of marketing and communications said in an email they had no record of the man calling to reschedule his ride.
Recktenwald said the man was scheduled to get picked up at 6:55 p.m., but records show the driver didn't get there until 7:39 p.m.
The man was scheduled to be picked up from the theater at 9:40 p.m. and, according to TARC records, the driver showed up at 10:02 p.m. but the man didn't take the ride.
"When a customer misses their pickup window, they are then scheduled based on availability of driver or vehicle," Recktenwald said in an email Monday. "We have no record of Mr. Caldwell calling the 'Where's My Ride?' number during our normal operating hours to reschedule."
TARC operates under Louisville Metro Government.
"Reports of this type of service are unacceptable and we are working with TARC to resolve this issue," said Jessica Wethington, Mayor Greg Fischer's communication's director said in an emailed statement Monday. "TARC is looking at all options to improve TARC3 levels of service."
Mayes said this is the latest of countless instances of long wait times reported by those using the service.
"Oftentimes, with doctor's appointments, I've had passengers call me where the doctor's office is closed at 4:30 or 5 p.m. and they're still at the doctor's office at 8:30 at night trying to get away home," Mayes said.
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TARC3 is a shared-ride service for people who have a disability preventing them from using TARC's daily bus service.
People apply for the ADA paratransit service, and if approved, get door-to-door scheduled pick-up and drop-offs so long as the destinations are within 3/4 of a mile of a regular, non-express TARC route.
Right now the transit authority contracts the TARC3 service out to a private company, but Stewart said she thinks TARC itself should be in charge.
"I believe that TARC needs to bring TARC3 in-house," Stewart said. "TARC runs a pretty good operation here in Louisville. You don't see many late bus arrivals, people get on and off the TARC and get to where they need to go using regular TARC service."
Recktenwald said TARC has considered absorbing the TARC3 duties, but said at this time, it's not economically feasible.
She said the cost would be higher than what they pay MV Transportation, the company they contract through.
Recktenwald said TARC3 has about 24,000 rides scheduled each month.
In October 2021, TARC3 missed less than 4% of those rides.
Recktenwald said they've seen fewer missed trips in recent days, which she said correlates with MV Transportation's new general manager starting.
TARC said TARC3 is currently short between 20-30 drivers depending on the day, and they're actively recruiting for the positions.
At the time this story was published, MV Transportation had not replied to WHAS 11's request for comment.
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