TARC proposes network redesign plans for community consideration

The Transit Authority of River City (TARC) has released draft proposals for its TARC 2025 network redesign at different price points, including both short- and longer-term options for the community to consider. 

TARC says the release of the proposals kicks off a two-month period of public engagement until April 30.  Community feedback during the draft plan will help to guide TARC in making any changes to each proposal. After April 30, the TARC Board will consider community feedback as they finalize proposals. TARC notes the earliest that any redesigned network could be fully implemented is summer 2026. 

“We heard the community’s priorities during our concepts phase last summer when the TARC team made over 160 TARC 2025 presentations and received more than 2,800 survey responses,” said TARC Executive Director Ozzy Gibson. “Now we’re excited to bring formal draft proposals back to the community and give everyone the opportunity to have their say as we move closer to a new TARC.” 

TARC 2025 was launched in 2024 as a key strategy to address TARC’s projected fiscal cliff – then forecast to hit in the second half of 2026. 

TARC notes its strategic cost savings measures over the last year, including two rounds of service cuts in the last six months, has bought the region more time to make a decision and allowed TARC to provide additional options in the draft plans. 

For the TARC network over the next several years, there are two primary proposals: 

• The Limited Plan would provide significantly reduced service compared to current rates, but at a level TARC says it feels confident existing revenues can support over the next decade. This is a barebones plan that TARC hopes not to implement. TARC projects that this plan would only have to be implemented as a last resort if no additional funding is identified or no additional service reductions are made by 2028. 
• The Enhanced Plan would see slightly reduced service levels from current rates, but with a redesigned network that would provide better access to jobs than the current network – as well as better coverage and connectivity than the Limited Plan. It will also provide service to all Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) magnet high schools.  

While the Enhanced Plan provides better service than the Limited Plan, TARC says it could not maintain it indefinitely without additional funding. If TARC were to implement the Enhanced Plan in the summer of 2026, it would buy the region time until 2029 to determine if more investment is needed in transit. After that, if no more funding were available, TARC would need to cut service again by summer 2030. 

While the Enhanced Plan is a slight reduction in overall service levels from current rates, it would provide better overall workforce access to jobs and provide morning and afternoon service to all JCPS magnet schools. It would also restore coverage to areas like Jeffersontown and Cane Run Road that would not have any service in the proposed Limited Plan. 

“With the Enhanced Plan, TARC is pleased we can offer a plan that can provide assistance in getting kids to JCPS magnet schools,” Gibson said. “We don’t want to replace yellow buses, but if we can provide a safety net for kids and their parents, it will be an initial step to help the overall transportation issues in our community. Overall, the Enhanced Plan means a much better set of choices for TARC customers than the Limited Plan. But we would need additional revenue by 2030 to continue operating it or we would have to make further cuts.” 

Looking longer-term, TARC is also releasing two proposals that the region could consider if additional operating revenue is secured: 

• The JCPS Plan: The JCPS plan builds off of the Enhanced Plan network to provide morning and afternoon service to all JCPS high schools – magnet or otherwise. It would provide an additional option for parents and students throughout the school system and would also provide additional transit coverage to areas like Middletown and southern areas of Jefferson County, Ky., that would not be served in the Limited or Enhanced plans. 
• The Growth Plan: If the region determines to prioritize significant new investment in transit, TARC could implement the Growth Plan – which TARC says would see a sizeable increase in service levels, access to jobs, frequency and coverage. The Growth Plan is intended to be more of a long-term vision for regional transit and shows what the region would be able to achieve with ample new investment in transit.