LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Transit Authority of River City (TARC) is aiming to improve service for its four most popular bus routes. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Transit Authority of River City (TARC) is aiming to improve service 

  • As part of the Operational Schedule Adherence Program, staff will monitor and adjust bus positioning in real-time 

  • When a bus is running late and another is close behind, the late bus will become "Drop Off Only" so customers already on the bus can get to their destination quicker

  • Waiting customers will be able to board the next bus 

As part of the Operational Schedule Adherence Program, TARC staff will monitor and adjust bus positioning in real-time. TARC said if one bus is running late and another is close behind, its control center will tell the late bus to switch to "Drop Off Only" so customers already on the bus can get to their destination quicker. Waiting customers will be able to board the next bus.

According to the authority, this will help more buses stay on schedule or get back on schedule if they've fallen behind. 

"TARC customers say that reliable on-time buses are their most important priority," said TARC Interim Executive Director Ozzy Gibson in a release. "This effort will be a big step toward improving our results in this key area." 

The program will affect the routes which make up TARC's core "frequency" network, where buses are scheduled to arrive every 15 minutes or fewer during most of the week: the #4 4th Street, the #10 Dixie Rapid, the #23 Broadway and the #28 Preston Highway. Since June 2023, nearly half of boardings have been on one of these four routes, TARC said.

The authority added first tested the program in fall 2023 on the #23 Broadway. It saw a 4% improvement in on-time performance between August and December 2023.

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