We hope that you have a happy and safe Derby week! For a complete list of events click here! 

TARC will provide service to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks and Derby on existing routes that will detour away from the track starting at about 4:30 p.m. on both race days. Routes providing the closest access are:   #4 – Fourth Street; #6 – Sixth Street; and #29 – Eastern Parkway.  Passengers are encouraged to plan their trips ahead by checking Oaks and Derby routes and schedules on TARC’s website.

After the races, due to detours, buses will pick up passengers at different stops than where they were dropped off.  Non-Derby TARC riders also will be affected by detours near the track. 

On Derby and Oaks days, TARC service will be available at the regularly scheduled times on all routes.  Regular fares will apply.  One-way adult cash fare is $1.75.

For the eighth straight year, TARC bus rides on Derby Eve starting at 6 p.m. will be free, thanks to the Miller Lite Free Rides™ program. The program is designed to reduce drunk driving around major events by providing a safe transportation option.

For more information about schedules and fares, visit www.ridetarc.org or call TARC’s Customer Service Department at 502-585-1234, TTY 502-213-3240.  Miller Lite Free Rides program information is available at: www.MillerLiteFreeRides.com. 

Approximately 300 bicycle parking spaces will be available during Derby Week at Wayside Park near Churchill Downs, thanks to a partnership between Bicycling for Louisville and Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation. Bike parking will be free of charge at the park, which is located in the 3100 block of S. Third Street, on Thursday (Thurby), Friday (Oaks Day) and Saturday (Derby Day). No motorcycles will be allowed in the parking area, and cyclists who leave their bikes at Wayside Park do so at their own risk, as the park will not be monitored during those three days.

Beargrass Creek was the focus of one of the Earth Day activities in D9.  Between sips of Beargrass Brew (yes, made from creek water!), a crowd at Apocalypse Brew Works honored Daren Thompson. Flood Manager for the Metropolitan Sewer District with the “Steering the Future of the Creek Award”.   (Daren is in the middle of the photo.)

As creek advocate David Wicks (shown on the right) said, “Daren spends more time around, on and in the waters of Beargrass than most of us combined.”  In addition to his important work with MSD, Daren was recognized for his efforts on three projects:  Beargrass Falls (an educational program located at Story Avenue and Brownsboro Road); other environmental education programs, including canoe trips on the creek; and his service as Chair of the Board of the ACE Mentor Program (ACE is an acronym for architecture, construction, and engineering).   

Congratulations, Daren!

We’d like to feature your sustainability story - a resident or business doing good things for the environment.  Riding the bus, bicycling, walking, gardening and more - our eNews will feature practices which can benefit all of us.  Send your story to Bill Hollander or Kyle Ethridge. 

Louisville’s “pothole blitz” is over but you can still help us repair the remaining potholes by reporting them with a specific address.   

Citizens are urged to report potholes to MetroCall by dialing 311 or 574-5000. Reports may also be made through an online service request at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/metrocall-311. You can now download a smartphone application to report issues.  For more information click here. Potholes on interstate highways should be reported to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet at 1-877-For-KYTC (367-5982).

Potholes result from a combination of water that seeps through cracks caused by normal wear and tear in asphalt, repeated freezing and thawing temperatures, and the weight of traffic. Cold temperatures cause the water to freeze and expand, weakening the pavement. The weight of traffic on the weakened pavement then breaks the asphalt, eventually leaving a hole that grows as more traffic goes over it.

Please help us make driving better and safer by reporting potholes to MetroCall. 

The Louisville Water Tower is hosting walking Wednesdays at the Crescent Hill Reservoir on the second Wednesday of the month between May-September from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. AND 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tour the beautifully restored Gatehouse and learn more about the history of Louisville Water. The Crescent Hill Reservoir is located on Reservoir Avenue, across from the Crescent Hill Filtration Plant, 3014 Frankfort Avenue. For more information visit louisvillewater.com. 

A free bulk waste and junk drop-off event will be held on Sunday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Waste Management Outer Loop Landfill, 2673 Outer Loop.  Residents throughout Jefferson County may drop off bulky items not accepted during regular garbage collection such as appliances, furniture and mattresses.

The drop-off event is a partnership of Metro Public Works and Waste Management of Kentucky. Residents are asked to separate metal items from other junk so it can be recycled to conserve limited landfill space.

Items that will not be accepted during the drop-off event include yard waste (grass, limbs, leaves, etc.), hazardous materials, paint, tires and commercial trash.

The event is in addition to regular bulk waste disposal available throughout the year at the Waste Reduction Center located at 636 Meriwether Avenue. In the year round service, up to three bulk items per household are accepted free of charge during regular operating hours Tuesday - Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Materials such as oil and lead-based paints, lawn fertilizers, batteries and household chemicals may be taken to the Household Hazardous Materials Collection Center, known as Haz Bin, at 7501 Grade Lane. The center is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is no charge for Louisville residents for HAZ BIN services.

Louisville residents can now sign up to receive an automatic notice, via text or email, when their street is scheduled to be swept by Metro Public Works. The notices are meant to alert residents in advance that they must find alternate parking on street sweeping day. No parking is allowed on affected streets during street sweeping.

Residents can subscribe to the alert service by going to www.louisvilleky.gov, entering their address in the MyLouisville box at the bottom of the page, and following the brief instructions for choosing text or email alerts. They will also be able to subscribe to the existing reminder system for Project Pickup junk collection dates.

Subscribers will be alerted one week in advance that street sweeping is scheduled for their general area. A second alert will go out the day before street sweeping to tell residents that their particular block is to be swept. The alerts are in addition to signs that are posted on affected streets on the business day preceding street sweeping.

Street cleaning is scheduled from March through November. During that time, curbed neighborhood streets are generally cleaned three times.

• Street cleaning signs are posted prior to 5 p.m. on the business day before sweeping occurs. They alert residents that there is No Parking between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on sweeping day.
• Sweeping is conducted each day on east/west streets only, or north/south streets only to make it easier for residents to find alternate parking.
• Vehicles parked in No Parking areas are subject to citation and/or towing.
• Residents should not park in affected areas until after 5 p.m., even if it appears an area has been swept, as sweepers may return before that time.
• The No Parking zone covers both sides of the street, though signs may only be posted on one side.

The Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA) will host the 8th Annual Buy Local Fair on Sunday, May 22 from 12:00pm - 6:00pm at Louisville Water Tower Park, 3005 River Road. Presented by Louisville Water Company, admission to the Buy Local Fair is free and parking is $5 per vehicle, or free for bicycle parking.

The fair will include a marketplace of more than 200 booths from local businesses, artists and craftspeople, community organizations, and farmers, as well as a craft beer tent sponsored by ValuMarket, over 25 food and drink vendors, a cooking competition, aerial circus acts, a silent auction, and the H2O Kid's Zone sponsored by Louisville Water. You can also BYOB (bring your own bottle - for water!) to fill up at the Louisville Pure Tap® to GO stations.

To volunteer, please sign up here to select a shift and location.