The present route numbering system was adopted in 1954. Four streetcar lines were discontinued in 1930, without bus replacements. Two of those lines were previously through routed with other streetcar lines, which continue to survive as numbered bus routes.
Route 11, in parentheses, was eventually combined into route 43. Additional routes in parentheses were originally created as extensions of streetcar routes. And after the conversion of those streetcar routes to buses, the bus extensions were combined into the main converted bus routes.
Not included are routes serving Indiana. On 1/31/83, TARC introduced four rush hour express bus routes between downtown Louisville and points in Indiana, and assumed operation of the one local bus route operating in the New Albany and Jeffersonville area. TARC initially numbered the local route 72, and subsequently divided the route and linked the segments with routes 2 and 22.
Route Route Name Streetcar Buses Notes
Number (Segment/Former Route Name) Or New Bus Introduced
Bank-West Jefferson Streetcar 6/21/30 No bus replacement
Brook Streetcar 6/30/30 No bus replacement
2 2nd St. Streetcar 12/29/46
(Crittenden) New Bus 5/20/41 Was Route 34
(Jeffersonville) TARC Bus 1/31/83 Indiana
4 4th St. Streetcar 5/ 1/48
6 6th St. Streetcar 9/21/41
(7th St.) Streetcar 1930 No bus replacement
(Taylor) Streetcar 9/21/41
(11) Portland-Shelby Streetcar 12/28/45 Now Route 43
12 12th St. Streetcar 11/20/32
(Slevin) Streetcar 6/30/30
(15th St.) Streetcar 1930 No bus replacement
15 Market Streetcar 3/23/42 Trolleybus
(Brownsboro) New Bus 9/12/26 Was Route 36
(Veterans Hospital) New Bus 1/ 2/52 Was Route 35
17 Bardstown Streetcar 10/27/40
(Fern Creek) Interurban 12/28/33 Blue Motor Coach
(Buechel) New Bus 1938 Newberg Bus Line
18 18th Streetcar 12/28/45
(Valley Station/Orell) Interurban 8/17/35
19 Muhammad Ali (Walnut) Streetcar 1/17/37 Trolleybus
(Crescent Hill) Streetcar 12/27/36 Trolleybus
(Cane Run) New Bus 8/ /43 Was Route 32
(La Grange) Interurban 8/10/35 Chaudoin Bus Lines
21 Chestnut Streetcar 10/28/45
(Barret) Streetcar 10/28/45
(Norris) New Bus 9/ /25
22 22nd St. New Bus 4/21/48
(New Albany) TARC Bus 1/31/83 Indiana
23 Broadway Streetcar 11/24/40
25 Oak Streetcar 12/26/45
(Lexington) New Bus 9/ /25
27 Hill New Bus 1924
(41st/44th) New Bus 9/12/26
28 Preston Streetcar 12/28/45
(Okolona) Interurban 5/ 5/31 Virgil Pierce bus line (began 1927)
29 Eastern Parkway New Bus 5/ 8/40
(Highlands) New Bus 7/22/23
(St. Matthews) New Bus 1940's
31 Shelbyville Road New Bus 1940's
(32) Cane Run New Bus 8/ /43 Now Route 19
(34) Crittenden New Bus 5/20/41 Now Route 2
(35) Veterans Hospital New Bus 1/ 2/52 Now Route 15
(36) Brownsboro New Bus 9/12/26 Now Route 15
40 Taylorsville (Jeffersontown) Interurban 11/29/32 Blue Motor Coach
43 Poplar Level New Bus 1950's Blue Motor Coach
(Portland-Shelby) Streetcar 12/28/45 Formerly Route 11
(44) St. Regis Park New Bus 1953 Blue Motor Coach/disc.
(59) River Road (Prospect) Interurban 10/31/35 Paxton/disc. 2010
Effective 9/23/45, trolleybuses returned to the Market route, and buses returned to the 6th St. route, operating through to Taylor Blvd.
All trolleybus segments were replaced with motor buses effective 5/6/51.
Interurban railway routes were operated by Louisville & Interurban Railroad Co. Routes serving La Grange and Shelbyville were constructed by Louisville & Eastern Railroad Co., which was acquired by Louisville & Interurban Railroad Co. in 1911.
As the interurban railway lines were discontinued, replacement bus service was usually provided by independent bus companies, which eventually became part of the publicly owned TARC. The only Louisville Railway Co. bus route replacing an interurban railway, was an extension of the 18th St. route. After conversion of the main 18th St. streetcar route to buses, the extension was combined into the main converted bus route.
The only interurban railway line not to evolve to a TARC bus line was the line to Shelbyville. Competing bus service between Louisville and Shelbyville had already been operated by Southeastern Greyhound Lines, continuing to Lexington, when the railway line was discontinued.
The Middletown route was originally created by the Louisville Railway Co. as the St. Matthews Express route. In October 1953, Louisville Transit Co. extended the route to Middletown, replacing service which had been provided by Southeastern Greyhound Lines. Blue Motor Coach Co. also had introduced service between Louisville and Middletown effective 8/15/48. But Southeastern Greyhound Lines sued, and the Blue Motor Coach Co. service was discontinued effective 1/13/51.
The Blue Motor Coach Co. was formed in 1932 to replace some interurban railway lines, and acquired the Virgil Pierce bus line in 1935.
Paxton Bus Line replaced an interurban railway line in 1935, and after World War II was succeeded by Goebel's Bus Line, and finally Prospect Bus Line.
Chaudoin Bus Lines replaced an interurban railway line in 1935, and in 1945 was sold to Kentucky Bus Lines. Also operated was a line through Okolona and Shepherdsville, ending in Paducah. In 1972, Kentucky Bus Lines local service sold to Louisville Transit Co., and intercity Paducah route sold to Continental Trailways.
The Buechel Bus Co. was originally the Newberg Bus Line, and was acquired by the Louisville Transit Co. in 1958.
In 1974, Louisville Transit Co. became the publicly owned TARC. TARC acquired Blue Motor Coach Co. in 1976, and Prospect Bus Line in 1977.
Electric interurban railways historically operated in several directions from Louisville. Some segments of these interurban railways eventually evolved to bus routes still operating in Louisville.
In addition, there existed a company Suburban Bus Lines, reportedly connecting Louisville with Coral Ridge, Fairdale, Valley Station, until the 1960's. Operating into Indiana, there existed at least 1930's into 1950's a company Corydon Bus Line, connecting that town with New Albany and Jeffersonville.