TARC Uses Federal Funds to Continue Service on Popular Routes

The Transit Authority of River City has received another $1 million federal grant to continue more frequent bus service on popular routes.Mayor Greg Fischer says the county has seen a 20 percent ridership increase on routes 18 and 23, which cover Dixie and Preston highways and Broadway and Bardstown Road. Both routes carry nearly 30 percent of TARC commuters and have been running every 15 minutes for months.The increase on these major routes is encouraging as the county considers ways to enhance public transportation, said Fischer.“That really, ultimately, is when we’ll know when we’ve gone from a city that is not using its transportation as much as what you see in Chicago and New York, where taking transportation is just what people do," he said.Two additional afternoon trips will be added to route 18 beginning Jan. 29.The federal funds come from the U.S. Department of Transportation Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. The $1 million will be matched with local funds.