Dixie Rapid is a bus rapid transit service in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It is operated by TARC and serves a 15 miles (24 km) corridor between Valley Station and downtown Louisville. Construction began in December 2017, with full service beginning in early 2020.[1] The system uses 40-foot (12 m) buses on a route featuring some BRT features, but notably lacking others such as dedicated lanes and off-board fare payment.[2]
History
In 2015, a $16.9 million grant was awarded to Louisville by the USDOT to begin the project by constructing bus shelters and purchasing new buses.[3] A combination of federal, state and local funding was used for the service as part of a larger project to improve safety and accessibility on the Dixie Highway. Groundbreaking occurred in December 2017 and the new route opened on January 6, 2020, largely replacing the Route 18.[4] As of late 2024, TARC is proposing to reduce service to 20 minute headways as a result of inadequate funding.[5]
Operations
Stations
The route runs north–south through primarily along the Dixie Highway in Louisville. The 37 stations often include benches, shelters and an arrival sign, however not all stations are built to this standard.[6]
The Dixie Rapid system uses GilligLow Floor diesel buses equipped with transit signal priority. Eight buses were purchased for the opening, with one more repurposed from the general bus fleet.[2]
