TARTA Prepares for Starter Sunday Service to Launch in First Quarter of 2022
In preparation for rolling out a complete system redesign in late 2022, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) is laying the groundwork to introduce interim Sunday service, beginning in the first quarter of next year.
In the proposal presented to the TARTA Board of Trustees during its Nov. 18th meeting, Sunday Starter Service will include all fixed-line routes, with buses running from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. As part of this initiative, TARTA’s Saturday service will also be extended to start at 7 a.m. Final details of the rollout would be determined after public outreach, which will begin in December.
While a fully expanded service area and schedule will take effect in late 2022 with the rest of the TARTA Next system redesign, CEO Laura Koprowski outlined the importance of starting some form of 7-day-a-week service earlier.
“Work on TARTA Next gave us a chance to hear from so many members of the community who depend on public transportation,” Koprowski said. “They told us where and when they needed to go and how we could help get them there. By a wide margin, the suggestion we heard most often from our customers was the desire for Sunday service.
“While this isn’t the final version of the service, we’re pleased to start this sooner than we had originally planned for customers looking to get to work, religious services, or family gatherings, and in appreciation for the voters of Lucas County and Rossford passing Issue 12. One of TARTA’s biggest steps forward in the last two years has been vastly improved customer service, and we see this as another component of that.”
More information on how often routes will run on Sunday will be available after community feedback is collected in the coming weeks. A detailed cost of adding Sunday service will be presented to TARTA’s Board of Trustees in December.
TARTA plans to expand service countywide and update routes as part of the ongoing TARTA Next project. The TARTA Next Advisory Committee will make its suggestions to TARTA’s Board of Directors in fall of 2022, and service improvements – including an updated version of Sunday service – are slated to be in place before end of that year.
About TARTA TARTA provides a vital link in the Toledo metro area to jobs, education, health care and other destinations. It enables everyone in our community to have access to transportation regardless of their age, race, physical ability or economic background. TARTA is underway with exploring and introducing new initiatives and service options that will enhance convenience and customer experience while moving our region into the future of public transit. –
