Public transit officials in Louisville released new maps Wednesday showing what the city’s bus network could look like as soon as next summer.
The three network redesign proposals are the product of more than 160 presentations and listening sessions that the Transit Authority of River City, or TARC, conducted over the past year. They include plans that would be possible with the agency’s current budget, as well as aspirational ideas that would require significant investments by local or state governments.
Leaders hope the proposed changes will help TARC manage a looming budget deficit.
Executive director Ozzy Gibson said the proposed network maps reflect a focus on increasing frequency of core routes, which is what a majority of residents told TARC they wanted.
“If you go down there and look at the map we’re on now, you don’t see a whole lot of red and blue,” Gibson said, pointing to colors that indicate high-frequency routes. “Nobody can predict ridership, but if you do want to ride TARC you can see we’re going to be a lot more frequent for the people who ride it.”
Gibson said the transit agency has worked hard to prevent more drastic cuts next year. However, depending on which network redesign option TARC adopts, it may need additional money after 2030.
The two short-term maps showing the TARC network’s possible future include reductions in service beyond the deep cuts the transit system already implemented last year. But they vary in the level of cuts, frequency and access to job centers.
One thing notably absent from the proposals is how many drivers would be required for each option. Nearly 70 TARC drivers were shifted over to the public school system last year to fill a school bus driver shortage and avoid layoffs at TARC. Gibson said the transit agency doesn’t know at the moment whether it will need to lay off bus drivers.
TARC is asking residents to provide feedback on the potential network redesigns for the near future, as well as long-term growth options. The proposed maps are available below and residents may submit comments at rideTARC.org/TARC2025 through April 30.
‘Limited Network Short-term’
This option represents a further 29% reduction in service compared to the cuts implemented last year. If implemented, this network is the most feasible long-term, requiring no additional investment from the local, state or federal government until about 2035, according to TARC officials.
While the number of people and jobs near frequent service routes would increase by 47% and 12% respectively, the people and jobs near any service would decrease substantially. That’s because it would entirely cut infrequent routes that serve Jeffersontown and Middletown to the east and the Riverport in the southwest.
Overall, riders’ access to job centers within 60 minutes would decrease by 9%.
This bare-bones plan is not the one TARC officials want to implement.
‘Enhanced Network Short-term’
The enhanced network plan is the one TARC would like to roll out next year.
It’s a smaller cut to service overall, about 13%, but would slightly increase riders’ access to job centers over what exists now.
Compared to the limited network option, there would be less of a cut to people and jobs located near any service. A route serving Jeffersontown would stay, as would an additional route serving the Shively area.
The downside of this plan is that it would only kick TARC’s financing crisis down the road for a few more years. Come 2030, Gibson said TARC would need an additional $8-10 million annually to avoid more cuts.
‘Growth Network Long-term’
This plan represents TARC’s aspirations for Louisville’s long-term public transit access.
The growth network has 64% more resources compared to 2025 levels, increasing frequency, access to jobs and overall coverage. Buses would arrive at stops every 15 minutes in the urban core and along Dixie Highway. Suburban areas in southwest Jefferson County would also see more frequent service.
Scudder Wagg, president of the consulting firm Jarrett Walker + Associates that’s helping TARC in its network redesign, said the growth plan would require an investment much larger than the enhanced network, something “in the range of more like $50, $60, $70 million per year.”
‘Draft JCPS Network’
TARC also unveiled a plan Wednesday that would build on the enhanced network plan to ensure that every JCPS school has 30-minute bus service available near start and end times.
Officials did not provide an exact figure for how much the additional routes would cost, but Wagg said “it’s a modest additional investment over the enhanced plan.”
Under the JCPS network design, there would be better service near schools in the afternoon so students could get to jobs or other opportunities after school.
