Transit Authority of River City

Name

Transit Authority of River City

Legal name

Transit Authority of River City

Website

https://ridetarc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

TARC is a public transit authority operating fixed-route bus service and TARC3 ADA paratransit (about 1,300 trips per weekday) across the Greater Louisville metropolitan area including Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, Clark, and Floyd Counties. It serves general public riders, JCPS students, and seniors and individuals with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transit Services

NAICS

Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Special Needs Transportation (485991)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Transit Agencies (Bus, Rail, Metro, Paratransit) (BPAIALAB)

Keywords

• Public transit services
• Fixed-route bus service
• Paratransit transportation
• ADA accessible transit
• Urban mass transit

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Passenger Fares: Revenue from fixed-route bus fares and TARC3 paratransit fares ($3.00 standard paratransit fare).
2. Federal Transit Grants: Federal funding including Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility grants for seniors and individuals with disabilities. The TARC 2025 planning process was supported by a $1.2 million federal grant.
3. Advertising Revenue: Transit advertising on TARC buses and facilities through partnership with Adspposure, functioning as moving billboards through Louisville neighborhoods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Transit Authority of River City (TARC) operates scheduled fixed-route bus service throughout the Greater Louisville metropolitan area (Jefferson County KY and portions of Bullitt, Oldham, Clark, and Floyd Counties), complemented by TARC3, an ADA-mandated paratransit service for eligible riders with disabilities serving ~1,300 trips per weekday. Riders pay through the MyTARC fare system (mobile app, reloadable card, cash) and access real-time tracking via the website and partner apps.

Product overview

TARC operates as a single-platform public transit system offering fixed-route bus service across the Greater Louisville metropolitan area, complemented by TARC3 paratransit service for ADA-eligible riders. The core offering consists of scheduled bus routes with real-time tracking capabilities. Supporting the core transit service, TARC provides the MyTARC fare payment ecosystem (MyTARC Mobile app and MyTARC Card), the #RiderAlerts notification system for service updates, and public GTFS data feeds for developer and third-party app integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TARC3: TARC's complementary paratransit service for eligible customers with disabilities, serving approximately 1,300 trips per weekday.

Products and services

• Fixed-Route Bus Service Scheduled fixed-route bus service operating throughout the Greater Louisville metropolitan area, including Frequency routes, Local routes, and Limited Trip Service across Jefferson County (KY) and parts of Bullitt, Oldham, Clark, and Floyd Counties. Designed for general public riders commuting to jobs, schools, medical appointments, shopping, and entertainment.
• TARC3 Paratransit Service ADA-compliant complementary paratransit service for eligible customers with disabilities who are unable to use fixed-route bus service. Operates within 3/4 mile of fixed-route service and serves approximately 1,300 trips per weekday at a standard fare of $3.00 per trip.
• MyTARC Mobile Mobile fare payment application allowing riders to pay TARC fares directly from their smartphones as part of the MyTARC integrated fare ecosystem (paired with the physical MyTARC Card).
• MyTARC Card Reloadable fare card for transit payments forming the physical counterpart to MyTARC Mobile within the unified MyTARC fare system.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AdspposureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTARC partners with Adspposure for transit advertising. TARC buses serve as moving billboards traveling through Louisville neighborhoods, business districts, and busy streets, allowing advertisers to reach audiences throughout the community. Contact: Jason Klare at [email protected].
• Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTARC provides transportation services connecting students to all JCPS Magnet Schools. The New TARC Network will serve all JCPS Magnet Schools, providing another option to access educational opportunity for many Louisville families.
• Section 5310 Grant Program RecipientsminorOthersTARC distributes grant funds from the Federal Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities grant program to eligible applicants including private non-profit organizations, state or local governmental authorities, or entities with transportation service contracts with public transit authorities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo): Mid-sized Midwest public transit authority operating fixed-route bus service, BRT (Red Line), and paratransit in the Indianapolis metro; highly comparable in scale, recent network redesign experience, and ADA-mandated paratransit operations.
• Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA): Operates fixed-route bus service, paratransit, and trolley service in the Memphis metro; comparable mid-sized urban transit authority serving a similar-sized American city with the same ADA-driven paratransit mandate.
• Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (RideKC): Mid-sized public transit authority operating fixed-route bus service and paratransit in the Kansas City metro; comparable in scale, service mix, and federal/state/local funding structure.
• Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA): Mid-sized Ohio public transit authority operating fixed-route bus service and paratransit across the Columbus metro; comparable in service portfolio, ADA paratransit operations, and reliance on federal and local funding.
• Lextran (Lexington Transit Authority): Kentucky's other significant urban transit authority, operating fixed-route bus service and paratransit in the Lexington metro; directly comparable in governance, funding model, and service profile to TARC.
• Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT): Operates fixed-route bus service, light rail, and ACCESS paratransit in the Pittsburgh metro; comparable mid-sized transit authority with similar ADA-mandated paratransit operations and federal funding reliance.
• Pace Suburban Bus: Suburban bus and ADA paratransit operator serving the Chicago metro region; directly comparable on the paratransit and fixed-route suburban service dimensions, though operating at a larger scale.
• Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (Cincinnati Metro / SORTA): Operates fixed-route bus service and paratransit in the Cincinnati metro, an Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana tri-state area adjacent to TARC's service territory; comparable mid-size urban transit authority with a similar regulatory and funding structure.
• Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK): TARC's immediate Kentucky neighbor operating fixed-route bus and paratransit service across northern Kentucky counties that connect with the Greater Cincinnati region; directly comparable mid-sized public transit authority with similar service mix and funding model.
• WeGo Public Transit (Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority): Provides fixed-route bus service and paratransit in the Nashville metro area; comparable mid-size Southern US public transit authority with similar regulatory, funding, and service-mix profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ridetarc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ridetarc
• Facebookfacebook.com/ridetarc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ridetarc
• Instagraminstagram.com/ridetarc/?ref=badge

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Transit Authority of River City