On this week’s Truth To Power, we gather around the microphones to collectively envision a sustainable, just transportation system for Louisville! Forward Radio programmers, Justin Mog (Sustainability Now!), Hart Hagan (The Climate Report & Let’s Talk), and Ruth Newman (Election Connection) are joined in the virtual studio by Jackie Green, owner of Bike Courier Bike Shop, and local transportation advocate, Jackie Cobb. We not only discuss a new vision for a way forward, but chew on two big pieces of news this week:
BUDGET NEWS: The Mayor has just submitted a proposed capital budget to Metro Council for 2020-21 that did NOT include funding ($60,000) to conduct a detailed traffic analysis of removing the Bardstown Road peak hours lane lights, a top recommendation for implementation of the Bardstown Road Safety Study. But the budget DOES include $2.5 million for intelligent traffic signal synchronization along the Bardstown Road corridor (from Broadway to the Gene Snyder) to support congestion mitigation and future bus rapid transit. It also includes funding for conversion of at least eight one-way streets in downtown Louisville to two-way traffic flow, and construction of 10 more miles of the Louisville Loop.
TARC NEWS: https://www.ridetarc.org/tarc-seeking-public-comment-on-proposed-route-changes/ On April 29th, TARC announced plans to dramatically realign its system map, ultimately eliminating 22 of 47 current routes (47%) and decreasing the frequency of its Dixie Rapid BRT route 10. Proposed changes include discontinuing all express routes and circulators (except the route 20 Riverport Circulator) and local routes 62 (Breckenridge Shepherdsville), 82 (New Albany - Jeffersonville) and 22 (Twenty-Second Street). Eventually, we may expect the frequency and service level of remaining routes to increase as a result but the details are unclear at this point.
TARC is reviewing the changes through an equity lens but 97% of riders use barely half of the current routes (which was true before coronavirus) and TARC’s cost per rider nears $60 in some parts of our community (versus $2.50 elsewhere), which threatens the enterprise. Detailed information concerning the changes is posted on TARC’s website, and public comments may be submitted to: PublicComment@ridetarc.org Public hearings will take place online May 13th at 5:30pm and May 18th at 12:00pm, via Zoom, as well. TARC is seeking the public’s input on three phases of potential service adjustments. The first, Phase A, would start on Aug. 9, 2020, and the others would be phased in as needed to achieve a sustainable financial standing.
Phase A: Proposed changes include discontinuing the LouLift circulators (routes 01 & 77), local route 62, circulator 96, and all express routes (except 61X, 67X, & 78X).
Phase B: Proposed changes include discontinuing local route 82, remaining express routes (exceptions from Phase A), circulators 52 and 75, and local route 22.
Phase C: Proposed changes include temporary frequency adjustments to the Dixie Rapid BRT (route 10). However, BRT service frequency will remain at 15 minutes weekdays, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
On Truth to Power, we gather Forward Radio programmers and friends to discuss the state of the world, the nation, the state, and the city! It's a community conversation like you won't hear anywhere else!
Truth to Power airs every Sunday at 4pm, Monday at 2pm, and Tuesday at 9am on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at http://forwardradio.org