LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Representatives from Louisville's transit system hosted an open house on Tuesday for riders to ask questions about the changes, and some were concerned.
Deborah O'Gorman has been riding TARC buses since 1982. She's sad to learn that some of the frequent routes she rides could get cut or reduced because the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) is facing serious money problems.
"I ride 4th Street and 52; 52 is the medical circulator, it's awesome," she said. "It's only 35 cents or 30 cents and it runs every 15 minutes and takes you to all the medical places and I ride 72 because I meet people up in Indiana with neurology problems."
Buses 52 and 72 are just two of the 19 routes that TARC will be running on a Saturday Plus schedule. O' Gorman is concerned about the medical routes since she and others depend on them.
"People don't realize how much Indiana pays for #71 #72 because the doctors are all over here, the people over there come to our doctors," she said.
TARC leaders said without the cuts there could be a budget gap of $30 million by mid-2026.
This week TARC and Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) came to an agreement to loan 70 bus drivers to JCPS. The deal saves TARC jobs and will help JCPS in its transportation disaster.
"Everybody is on one level glad to help out JCPS, I think that it is a relief that we don't see the possibility of these layoffs coming right now, but obviously there's a lot of concern," said Alex Posorske, marketing & communications director at TARC.
TARC's four busiest routes will remain the same:
- #4 Fourth Street
- #10 Dixie Rapid
- #23 Broadway
- #28 Preston Highway
TARC3 won't be impacted as well.
"Sometimes when I need to go places and where, I have to plan ahead of time, because they don't run frequent as it is, and sometimes they don't run late enough," TARC rider William Mayes said.
Mayes is like other riders who will have to make adjustments since his route, #63, will be reduced.
He will have to take an Uber which he said is more expensive.
"Plan ahead about when I'm going to go and see if I can do it," said Mayes.
TARC's board will vote on the service reductions and it's agreement with JCPS on June 7.
The next public meeting will be at Douglass Boulevard Christian Church from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on June 5.
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