Metro will add three new routes starting Aug. 16, including a bus line that directly connects University of Cincinnati’s Uptown and Blue Ash campuses.
Cincinnati’s transit agency will also make schedule and route adjustments to 21 other routes, according to an Aug. 10 press release.
Brandy Jones, Metro chief communications and marketing officer, told The Enquirer the agency updates its routes and schedules four times a year and that “each season brings with it its own needs.” This month, Metro is preparing for kids across the city to go back to school.
What are the new routes?
Metro will add a new route that runs from Ashwood Apartments on Casey Drive in Northside to the Oakley Transit Center. This route, Route 47, will stop at the Northside Transit Center, the Kroger store on Kenard Avenue, the intersection of Dana Avenue and Reading Road, the intersection of Dana Avenue and Montgomery Road, Surrey Square and the Hyde Park Plaza.
The second new route, Route 53, will run between the Northside Transit Center and Oakley Transit Center and also serve Winton Place, St. Bernard, Bond Hill, Paddock Hills and Norwood. Jones said this route will make it easier for riders to get to Factory 52, a Norwood center with retail stores and housing.
“So it’s really hitting some of those very popular destinations that maybe we weren’t having great connection to prior, but they have picked up a lot of traffic and people (are) wanting to get there,” she said.
Metro’s UC Connector route, Route 70, will only have two stops: UC Blue Ash Campus and the UC Campus Green Layover located near the intersection of Bishop Street and MLK Drive. This route will only run on weekdays from 6:55 a.m. to 10:22 p.m.
What other routes are changing?
Twenty-one existing routes will also see changes this fall. Metro highlighted three in its Aug. 10 release:
Metro posted schedules and maps for other impacted routes online.
Bus Rapid Transit push forward launch dates
As it implements seasonal changes, Metro is also moving forward to create two new Bus Rapid Transit lines that allow buses to travel faster in dedicated lanes. Jones said Metro is finishing the design phase, with plans for its Reading Road line to be operational by mid-2028. The Hamilton Avenue line will launch around six months after that.
Metro originally estimated the Reading Road line would be operational in fall 2027 and the Hamilton Avenue line would launch in summer 2028. Jones said the agency pushed back its initial timeline to have more time for community engagement. Metro plans to host more public feedback sessions later this fall, she said.
Impacts on Cincinnati Public Schools
As in past years, Cincinnati Public School (CPS) students in seventh to 12th grade who live more than a mile away from school can receive a free Metro bus pass.
During the 2025-26 school year, over 10,000 CPS students rode Metro buses, Jones said.
According to the Metro website, all of the district’s students can get between home and school with one or no transfers. The agency estimates around 3,700 students this year will require a bus transfer at a transit center, “where students have seating and added security measures, including cameras,” Jones said.
“In recent years, we have prioritized having students transfer at transit centers outside of Downtown,’ Jones said. “If a student transfers Downtown even though another available route would provide a direct trip, Metro notifies the school, which then communicates with the student’s parent or guardian.”
Metro staff will go to school orientations to assist families with transit information and will be at transit centers during the first week of school, Aug. 19-26, according to the agency’s website. Parents and guardians can also ride Metro free with their students from Aug. 19-26.
Enquirer education reporter Grace Tucker contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Is your Metro route one of 21 changing this month? Check here
Reporting by Mia Hilkowitz, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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By Mia Hilkowitz, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
