LOUISVILLE — What does the Transit Authority of River City have in common with a fine wine?
They both get better with age.
TARC, the Louisvillle-based public transportation agency that provides services to Clark and Floyd counties, celebrated its 40th anniversary at Union Station on Monday. TARC officials touted a new logo for the organization, and also unveiled the newest additions to TARC’s growing fleet of buses.
TARC will soon put 10 new ZeroBuses on the streets, part of an $11 million investment that also includes two charging stations for the buses.
“Investments like these build on that 40-year history,” said J. Barry Barker, who has served as TARC’s executive director for 20 years. “We’re going to keep going. We’re going to keep doing it. We’re going to enable people to get to where they need to go.”
The 40th birthday party was well-attended by dignitaries from the federal, Kentucky and local governments, including Federal Transportation Administration Regional Administrator Yvette Taylor. The new ZeroBuses were purchased with $4.4 million in federal grant funds.
“In the words of our acting administrator [Therese McMillan], the FTA could not be more proud to be a partner with TARC to bring cleaner, more reliable buses to Louisville, where residents depend on public transit every day,” Taylor said. “Whether you’re going to work, to school or other important destinations, these new, state-of-the-art buses will offer an attractive, convenient option for riders accessing the downtown area while also reducing emissions and improving air quality.”
U.S. Rep John Yarmuth, D-Kentucky, expressed pride that federal dollars were being put to work in Louisville through TARC’s new ZeroBuses.
“Maybe I’m crazy, but when I’m in another city and I see very, very high-tech public transportation vehicles right in the streets, I think very positively about that community,” Yarmuth said. “I think they are a symbol of the mindset of that community, and I think what we’re seeing here with the ZeroBuses is going to be another example of sending that message for Louisville.”
Because of their relatively low range at 30 miles per charge, the TARC ZeroBuses will start off running exclusively in downtown Louisville. They will also replace the trolleys used during First Friday, said TARC spokesman Jon Reiter. The trolleys will still be used for the Frankfort Avenue Trolley Hop, Reiter said.
“These ZeroBuses are cool,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “I saw them coming in here — they look like the future. I know some people are going to be sad to see our trolleys go away, but they have served their time.”
The ZeroBuses are the latest in a trend of new technology being introduced by TARC. A $20 million grant from the Ohio River Bridges Project allowed TARC to put express buses on the road that have more comfortable seats, luggage racks, WiFi and electrical outlets for charging electronic devices. TARC also has partnered with Google for real-time bus tracking and trip planning. All told, TARC have received more than $66 million in grant funding in the last four years, Barker said.
That’s a far cry from TARC’s humble roots. The transit authority was founded during a time when private mass transit providers were struggling. Louisville voters approved an increase in occupational taxes to make it possible.
Over the years, TARC has worked to increase accessibility to public transportation, particularly for people with disabilities, students and workers.
Technological advancements will continue next year. TARC will introduce an electronic fare-collection system that will allow customers to pay fares with “tap-and-go” smartcard technology, according to a TARC news release.
Though TARC has put together a string of recent successes, the 21st Century also presents new challenges, Barker said.
“Our challenges are about having enough resources to maintain service, to do service correctly, to do it right,” Barker said. “We also have a continuing trend in our communities of sprawl.”
TARC also has the oldest fleet of any public transportation agency in Kentucky — or for that matter, Indiana or Ohio — as the average TARC bus is more than 10 years old. But TARC easily the largest public transportation agency in Kentucky, and delivers more passenger miles than IndyGo, the public transportation organization in Indianapolis.