The New TARC Network launches August 2, 2026!

The New TARC Network will include new routes, route numbers, schedules, bus stops and bus stop signs. All TARC riders will need to learn about the new network before it is launched on August 2, 2026. 

The New TARC Network will begin on Sunday, August 2, 2026. TARC will offer free rides for all customers for the first two weeks from August 2-16 to encourage community members to try out the new network. 

Existing local and state dollars for transit are not enough to pay for current levels of service so TARC has had to find ways to be more efficient while still meeting the needs of the Louisville community.  

In June of 2024 TARC began working directly with the community to design an updated transit network that aligns with Louisville’s priorities and needs while reflecting the agency’s available funding. TARC presented options and gathered feedback from over 300 community meetings, and workshops; the New TARC Network is the result of that process. 

Although the New TARC Network requires less funding, it will create a bus network that is more useful and dependable for many residents across the Louisville region.  It includes simpler routes, more frequent 15-minute service on major corridors, and a new Downtown Transfer Center to make transfers easier and more convenient. 

Most bus routes in the New TARC Network will have new route numbers.  The new route numbers will help riders understand that their route is changing and may not go to the same places it went before.   

The new route numbers will also help to make the system easier to understand and use.  Routes with lower numbers (e.g. 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10) are the core routes that connect to Downtown Louisville with frequent service running every 15-30 minutes seven days per week.  These routes are usually more direct and are more convenient to use.  Routes with higher numbers (e.g. 20, 57, 81, 93) operate with less frequent or specialized service and may not run on weekends. 

Some routes will also have letters, like Routes 8A and 8B.  The letters indicate routes that branch to provide service on multiple corridors.  On these routes, the trips will alternate (e.g. 8A, 8B, 8A, 8B) so that every other trip will follow the A alignment and every other trip will follow the B alignment.  If you are using a route that has a letter on it, make sure you know which specific letter branch(es) you can use to get to your destination.  

To identify your new route(s), use the comparative trip planner to plan a trip, or use the New TARC Network Route Comparison Table.

New TARC Network route maps and schedules can be found above.

Most TARC routes will have new route numbers, but some of the new routes will be very similar to existing routes. For example, the new Route 1 will be very similar to the existing Route 23.    

While most riders will continue to have access to TARC service, some areas will no longer be served due to low ridership. Areas that will no longer be served after August 1, 2026 include: 

• National Turnpike 

• Glengarry Center 

• Bardstown Road (east of Breckenridge) 

• Manslick Road 

• St. Andrews Church Road 

• Riverport 

• Greenwood 

• Louisville International Airport 

• Middletown (Taylorsville Road will be served by Route 20) 

• Berrytown 

• Plantside Drive, Bluegrass Parkway (Jeffersontown) 

• Outer Loop (east of Shepherdsville Parkway) 

• Middle Road, Centennial Boulevard (Jeffersonville) 

• 10^th Street North (north of Jeffersonville Commons) 

TARC riders in these areas may be able to use alternate routes in the new network. Please use the NTN Trip Planner to enter your specific trip details to determine whether your trip will be possible in the New TARC Network. 

Any additional feedback or questions about the route changes should be directed to the TARC Customer Service Department.  All feedback will be provided to the TARC Planning Department and TARC Leadership for consideration as part of future service adjustments. 

Many bus stops will be changing or removed in the New TARC Network due to route alignment changes and stop consolidations.  On many streets, the current TARC network has a bus stop on every block, which means the bus must stop more often, it takes people longer to get where they want to go, and the service is less reliable.  By rebalancing the stops so buses only need to stop once every 2-3 blocks, the service TARC provides will be more convenient and reliable.  Fewer stops will also make it easier for TARC to provide bus stop amenities like shelters, benches, and trash cans since fewer of installations are needed.  This allows us to invest more in the places where the riders use the system the most.   

Notices will be posted at any bus stops that are subject to removal.  No existing TARC bus stops will be removed prior to August 2, 2026. 

A full list of bus stop changes can be found here.

TARC will also be using the New TARC Network as an opportunity to improve accessibility and amenities at many of its bus stops.  All new bus stops will be fully ADA compliant and TARC will be working to update existing stops to make them more accessible.  Additionally, TARC will be relocating shelter and benches from discontinued bus stops to bus stops served by the new network beginning in the fall. 

While the New TARC Network seeks to provide an overall benefit for the Louisville community, it will have a negative impact on a small number of riders who are no longer be within ½ mile of a TARC bus stop.   

Riders who no longer have access to TARC service within ½ mile in the new network may be able to walk or bike further than ½ mile to reach the nearest TARC route.  Riders with limited mobility may be eligible for TARC 3 paratransit service (https://www.ridetarc.org/getting-around/tarc3/).   

Additional information on the planning process and the factors that shaped service decisions can be found on the TARC 2025 project page. Customers who would like to provide feedback on the New TARC Network should contact the TARC Customer Service Department so that their feedback can be considered as part of future service planning processes. 

The New TARC Network will include a temporary Downtown Transfer Center at the corner of Muhammad Ali Boulevard and 8^th Street, featuring on-street bus bays, shelters, and customer wayfinding information.   

The purpose of the Downtown Transfer Center is to provide a central location where all the different buses serving downtown can come together in a scheduled “pulse” that will allow passengers to transfer between routes in 5-10 minutes.  By providing a comfortable, convenient Downtown Transfer Center with timed transfers, TARC customers will be able to travel across the Louisville region, even with routes that only run every 30 or 60 minutes.  Work to establish the temporary Downtown Transfer Center will be completed by Summer 2026, and it is expected to remain in use until a permanent Downtown Transfer Center is constructed in the future. 
 

More information about the new Downtown Transfer Center can be found here.

The New TARC Network will include fewer, simpler routes with better frequency (i.e. more trips) for more reliable TARC service. The number of TARC routes with frequent service running every 15 minutes or better will increase from three routes in the current TARC Network (23, 28, 94) to five routes in the New TARC Network (1, 3, 4, 10, 94). As a result of these new routes, the new network will provide frequent service to 35,000 additional residents in Louisville and the number of jobs near frequent service will increase by 5%. 

Service frequencies will also be more consistent with most routes running every 30 or 60 minutes. The current TARC network includes many routes that run every 40, 45 or 80 minutes which are harder to remember, less useful, and make timed transfers nearly impossible to coordinate. 

The key to the New TARC Network is frequency, — how often a bus arrives on each route. Colors like red, blue and green are used to communicate how often each route will be running. Routes that are shown in red on the map or on the bus stop signs are core routes will typically come every 15 minutes. Routes in blue run every 30 minutes and routes in green run once per hour. Several other routes like the 57, 93 and 99 run less consistently and are shown in black or gray. 

Yes, TARC worked diligently to maintain as much TARC service as possible to JCPS high schools in the New TARC Network. As a result, the New TARC Network will continue to serve all ten (10) JCPS magnet high schools and most other JCPS high schools and middle schools. JCPS high schools that are currently served by TARC buses but will not be served after the New TARC Network launches on August 2, 2026 include Doss High School, Eastern High School, Fern Creek High School, Moore High School, and Southern High School.  

TARC previously identified a plan that would maintain TARC bus service to all high schools, but it would require significant additional funding that is not currently available.  

TARC fares were adjusted in March 2026, but no further adjustments will be included as part of the New TARC Network launch. 

The New TARC Network will be free to ride for all customers for the first two weeks (August 2-16, 2026) to encourage community members to try out the new network and learn the new routes. 

There will be no changes to TARC3 paratransit service as part of the New TARC Network launch on August 2, 2026, however, both TARC 3 and TARC fixed-route service will be free to ride during the first two weeks of August (August 2-16, 2026).   

TARC will launch the New TARC Network on August 2, 2026. No major service changes are planned before then as the TARC team works to prepare for the introduction of the new network. 

TARC is conducting an extensive public education effort throughout the summer to help customers learn the new system before it starts. The campaign will include updates to this website, in-person outreach events, community group outreach, extensive advertising, bus stop flyers, bus stop announcements and TARC ambassadors out on buses talking to riders.  TARC staff and volunteers will be deployed across the service area in the weeks immediately before and after the launch date to make sure that riders are aware of the impacts of these changes and have the information they need to understand how their travel will be affected.