TARC board preserves some routes proposed to be cut

TARC’s Board of Directors voted today to cut back service on many routes in February because of a budget shortfall caused by a fall in occupational tax receipts in the local area. The board voted to cut about $275,000 in service to help cover TARC’s budget shortfall in the current fiscal year, which ends in June. Annually, the cuts will save about $800,000.

The board approved eliminating four routes and reducing service on 17. Under the initial proposal, 10 routes were proposed for elimination and 22 routes were slated for reduction. After weighing some of the 250 comments collected over the last two weeks, some of the proposed cuts were postponed. They will be reviewed further and alternative transportation options and funding sources will be sought. Another round of cuts may be unavoidable at the end of the fiscal year in June.

It is projected that about $2 million less in local funding will be available for TARC service during this fiscal year than originally forecast. The board voted to proceed with eliminating the following routes, all of which have alternative service:
#46X – 26th/42nd G.E. Express
#69X – New Albany Express
#70X – Clarksville Express
#96 – West Louisville Circulator
#22 – 22nd St. (Saturday)

Little-used route segments on the following routes will also be discontinued:
#31 Middletown
#43 Poplar Level
#49X Westport Express
#61X Plainview Express
64X Southern Oldham County Express.

Finally, there will be service reductions on the following routes: #1 Fourth Street Trolley; #2 Second Street; #4 Fourth Street; #6 Sixth Street; #12 Twelfth Street; #15 Market Street; #19 Muhammad Ali; #25 Oak Street; #45x Okolona Express; #49x Westport Express; #53X Breckenridge Express; #58 Bashford Manor; #61x Plainview Express; #63 Crums Lane; #64X Southern Oldham County Express; #67X Oldham I-71 Express; #72 Clarksville-New Albany.
A description of the specific route changes is listed below.

The route eliminations that will be postponed for further review are:
#37X Fourth Street Express; #38X Deering Road; #59 River Road; #62 Breckinridge-Shepherdsville Express; #68X Prospect Express; #73X Charlestown Express.
The #84 South Louisville Shuttle will be discontinued after June, and one route, #71 Jeffersonville, will have expanded hours to serve the increase workforce at the U. S. Census office.

The routes that have been preserved were slated for elimination because of low ridership, but most riders do not have an alternative travel option. Among the options to to be explored are combining low-ridership routes with more productive routes, organizing vanpools or reducing rather than eliminating service on low-ridership routes. Also, those serving large numbers of students may be eliminated in June to give students time to find an alternate means of transportation.

Adjustments to take effect on Sunday, February 21, 2010:

Route 1 Toonerville Trolley - Route will be discontinued south of Theatre Square on weekdays; time adjustments on all trips.

Route 2 Second Street - Minor schedule adjustments on Saturdays and Sundays.

Route 4 Fourth Street - Minor schedule adjustments on weekdays; Minor schedule adjustments during early morning and late evening hours on Saturdays and Sundays.

Route 6 Sixth Street - Minor schedule adjustments on Saturdays and Sundays.

Route 12 Twelfth Street - Service on Saturday and Sunday will only operate from 10:00 am to 6:00 p.m.

Route 15 Market Street - Minor schedule adjustments during weekdays and rush hours.

Route 19 Muhammad Ali Blvd. - Schedule adjustments on Saturdays and Sundays.

Route 22 Twenty-Second Street - Saturday service will be discontinued.

Route 25 Oak Street - Minor schedule adjustments all days.

Route 31 Middletown - Service to Eastpoint will be discontinued on Saturdays and Sundays. Weekday service to Eastpoint will be reduced to peak hours only. Saturday and Sunday service will operate to and from downtown, via Lyndon and will not serve Oxmoor Center.

Route 37X Iroquois Park Express - Reduce service south of Iroquois Park to Fairdale to one run only.

Route 43 Portland – Poplar Level Road - Service will be discontinued east of Outer Loop Plaza and to GE Appliance Park. Service will be eliminated on Poplar Level Road, between the intersection with Rangeland Road and Shepherdsville Road. Minor schedule adjustments all days.

Route 45X Okolona Express - One morning and one afternoon trip will be discontinued.

Route 46X West Louisville – GE ExpressThis route will be discontinued.

Route 49X Westport Road Express - Service east of Westport Road and Hurstbourne Lane will be discontinued. All trips will originate/terminate at Hurstbourne Parkway and Westport Road. One a.m. and one p.m. trip will be discontinued.

Route 53X Breckenridge Lane Express - One morning and one afternoon trip will be discontinued.

Route 58 Bashford Manor – Oxmoor One Saturday afternoon round-trip will be discontinued. Schedule adjustments on Saturdays and Sundays.

Route 61X Plainview Express - Service will be discontinued east of Middletown Station Park & Ride. Eastbound morning trips and westbound afternoon trips will operate directly from TARC garage at 10th & Broadway to I-64 to Blankenbaker Parkway to Shelbyville Road. One morning and one afternoon trip will be discontinued.

Route 63 Crums Lane - Minor schedule adjustments all days.

Route 64X Southern Oldham County / new name - Fincastle – Forest Springs ExpressThis route will be discontinued east of Westport Road and Lagrange Road. One morning and one afternoon trip will be discontinued.

Route 67X Oldham County Express - One afternoon trip will be discontinued.

Route 69X New Albany Express - This route will be discontinued.

Route 70X Clarksville Express - This route will be discontinued. (Route 72 express trip will take the place of the morning and afternoon route 70X trips, but service on Lombardy Drive and Redwood Drive will be discontinued.)

Route 71 Jeffersonville - Minor schedule adjustments on weekdays.

Route 72 Clarksville – New AlbanyMinor schedule adjustments on weekdays.One morning and one afternoon trip will operate as route 72X.

Route 78X Downtown – Bluegrass ExpressMinor schedule adjustments on weekdays.

Route 84 South Louisville - This route will be discontinued after relocation of Catholic Charities this summer.

Route 96 West Louisville Circulator - This route will be discontinued.