TARC to add two routes from Louisville to River Ridge

Jun. 2—SOUTHERN INDIANA — TARC is adding two routes from Louisville to Southern Indiana to increase transportation access to employment opportunities.

The lines, connecting River Ridge to both East and West Louisville, will start running Aug. 7.

TARC, Transit Authority of River City, has worked with major employers in the area for the routes to coordinate with travel patterns, shift times and employer needs, a news release said.

The new Route 74 will go from Chamberlain Lane in East Louisville to River Ridge. The route will use the Lewis and Clark Bridge and has an estimated run time of 40 minutes. There will be three morning and afternoon peak roundtrips during the week.

Along with all of the companies at River Ridge, Route 74 will serve the City of Fincastle, Westport Road Walmart Supercenter and the Ford Truck Plant.

Route 73 will connect West Louisville to Indiana, running from Broadway to River Ridge with an estimated run time of 45 minutes. This route will have three morning and afternoon peak roundtrips during the week and two morning and afternoon peak roundtrips on the weekends.

In Louisville, the route will have stops at the Nia Center, Norton Hospital "Opportunity Campus," Goodwill Industries Headquarters, West Louisville YMCA, Kentucky African American Heritage Center, Beecher Terrace Apartments and Kentucky International Convention Center.

In addition to River Ridge, Jeffersonville will have stops downtown at Jeffersonville City Hall and the 10th Street corridor.

The routes and public comments will be monitored so they can be adjusted to meet major employer and community needs, the news release said.

"These new routes will provide better access from residential areas to existing and growing centers of employment," Executive Director of TARC, Carrie Butler, said in the news release.

Jerry Acy, executive director of River Ridge Commerce Center, said that companies are very interested in providing access to more people who want to take on employment at River Ridge.

"I think this is a grand opportunity for River Ridge and companies at River Ridge to have a larger pool of potential employees having access to get in and out of River Ridge," Acy said.

What the availability of public transportation looks like near River Ridge is a question that Acy said they are frequently being asked by companies considering locating at the commerce center.

When it comes to Louisville residents making their way to River Ridge for a job, Acy said he noticed that paying for the bridge tolls plays a big factor in their decision.

"Just having access to those people who maybe don't have their own transportation, or would rather not have the transportation. A lot of people would rather have access to public transit," he said.

Priority areas of low-income and minority populations will be served by these new routes, according to TARC's website.

"The intent of the routes is to provide connections to and from eastern and western Jefferson County and Southern Indiana on established, heavily used stops that already serve minority and low-income communities," Butler said.

"It's about getting community members to the destinations that provide job opportunities."

The new stops have the funding to be in service for three years, with the potential for the routes to stay in place after.

"They are fully funded for the next three years, and if ridership and response from the community is strong, they may become a part of permanent TARC service," Butler said.

TARC used $500,000 of a $2 million federal grant for the service.

In another effort to help improve transit services in the country, The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) allocated $25 million to 50 transit agencies across 24 states.

TARC will receive $780,100 of the funds.

An FTA news release said the pandemic affected travel times and numbers of riders. The grant program will allow the agencies to plan projects to resolve these issues. The program will also help local efforts to increase quality or frequency of transportation for low-income populations and people living in disadvantaged communities.

"The Route Restoration Program will greatly assist transit agencies nationwide in eliminating barriers and increasing equity in underserved communities," FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said in the news release.