Metro News

Metro is pleased to announce that Hamilton Avenue and Reading Road will receive the region’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services, following months of robust community engagement and the results of a study initiated in the fall of 2022.

CINCINNATI – Metro is pleased to announce that Hamilton Avenue and Reading Road will receive the region’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services, following months of robust community engagement and the results of a study initiated in the fall of 2022. Two additional corridors, Glenway Avenue and Montgomery Road will also receive enhanced treatments as part of this project.

“BRT will be a game-changer for our system,” said Metro CEO and General Manager Darryl Haley. “We are excited to see the positive impact this new and innovative transportation option will bring, not only in terms of faster travel times through these corridors, but as a new economic growth driver for our region for decades to come.”

The two corridors selected to initially receive BRT reflects months of valuable data collected during in-depth public engagement, including public meetings, townhalls, surveys and meetings with local businesses and municipality leaders to understand the communities’ preferences and priorities. Additionally, detailed technical analysis from the Metro BRT Study of the four corridors evaluated both the physical advantages and limitations of each.

“We’ve worked diligently to understand where we should begin implementing BRT in the region and believe this decision will launch BRT successfully in Hamilton County, and give us a solid foundation to expand,” said Khaled Shammout, Chief Strategic Planning, Development & Innovation Officer for Metro. “That said, we also know the Montgomery and Glenway corridors are very important segments of the Metro system. Based on the study, we’ll also boost services and amenities along these two corridors to better serve those communities.”

Over the course of the study, the project team analyzed each of the four proposed corridors in terms of their ability to:
– Attract riders
– Improve transit speed and reliability
– Enhance transportation network connectivity
– Provide equitable access
– Support the installation and operation of BRT infrastructure (smart traffic signals, BRT stations, designated travel lanes, etc.)
– Support economic development opportunities 

This process also considered current ridership, ridership potential, connections needed to rider destinations and/or other transit services, economic development and future land use opportunities, as well as local environmental, historic, and community issues.

“Public input was such a critical step in this process and we are humbled and encouraged by the outpouring of support this project has received from communities along all four of the corridors, and I’m excited to say that this is just the beginning as we plan to bring more online once the initial two corridors are up and running,” added Haley.

Selecting these first two BRT corridors marks a major milestone in the Reinventing Metro plan approved by Hamilton County voters with the passage of Issue 7 in 2020, which provides additional funding to support bold, new transit innovations. BRT and the additional corridor enhancements are part of the plan to help grow the regional economy and better connect communities to jobs, education, health care, and entertainment.

BRT will improve travel times through the use of frequent service, limited bus stops, smart traffic signals, and dedicated bus lanes where possible. Enhanced bus stops offering same-level entry improve accessibility for all riders while paid-in-advance fare systems reduce wait times when boarding vehicles. In addition, BRT systems support economic growth by encouraging equitable transit-oriented development around BRT stations and stops. As with all of Metro’s services, the use of BRT will help reduce local congestion and vehicle emissions, thus improving local air quality and reducing noise levels.

Public input was a crucial part of the study to this point, and it will continue to be an integral part of this process. Public meetings and additional input opportunities regarding various aspects of the project design as Metro works to determine how best to implement BRT along the corridors will be announced as they are scheduled. Details about these input opportunities will also be posted on the BRT Study website, MetroBRTStudy.com, as information becomes available. Anyone who would like to request a meeting can do so by contacting the project team at info@metrobrtstudy.org.