LOUISVILLE, Ky. — From missed rides to late pick-ups, people shared their frustrations over TARC3 service with Metro Councilmembers on Tuesday.
Members of the Metro Disability Coalition testified they have been left without a way home or have had to wait hours for a ride on TARC-3 without reimbursement.
The paratransit service is contracted through MV Transportation.
At least one person called for the current TARC Board to be dissolved.
"You can't have a compassionate city that leaves a segment of its population to the mercy and the will of people making money," President Marcellus Mayes said.
Councilwoman Donna Purvis said a representative with MV Transportation was invited to the meeting but had a scheduling conflict.
In a statement, a TARC spokesperson said over the past few months, they've experienced an overall increase in TARC3 ridership, have maintained over 90% on-time performance and had a continuing reduction in missed trips.
They said they've also seen an increase in driers which they believe has improved the service.
The results of a survey of TARC3 riders is expected to be released in the next few months.
Read TARC's full statement here:
In the past few months, we’ve experienced an overall increase in TARC3 ridership, have maintained over 90% on time performance, and had a continuing reduction in missed trips. We’ve also seen a steady increase in the number of drivers, which we see as a direct relation to the improvement in service. We recently surveyed our TARC3 riders and are in the midst of a full paratransit assessment study—these results will be available in the coming months.
We explore every option available to best accommodate requests for new and additional service. Unfortunately, some requests are outside of our current hours of operation and cannot be met at this time.
We appreciate hearing from all our passengers, and strive to provide the best service possible. We continue to encourage the Metro Disability Coalition to be a partner with TARC, especially through the TARC Accessibility Advisory Council (TAAC), which meets monthly on initiatives and projects regarding both fixed route and paratransit service.
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