Cincinnati Metro Launches Routes, Weighs Fare and Tax Decisions

Cincinnati Metro will add three new bus routes and expand service on August 16, 2026, while SORTA confronts an $184 million projected deficit that could force fare hikes or cuts.

The timing matters because the agency completed its latest audit and policy review just before the city council locked in the 2026 budget in late June. Officials now face choices on whether to raise fares, trim routes or seek voter approval for a tax levy to close the gap.

New routes and BRT corridors move forward

The Fall 2026 improvements include Route 47, Route 53 and Route 18, drawn from public meetings held in April and May. Construction on the first two Bus Rapid Transit lines along Reading Road and Hamilton Avenue is also scheduled to begin this year under the Cincy On Track infrastructure plan, which carries an $80 million recommended allocation for fiscal 2026. Those corridors are projected to cost $300 million total and open for service in 2027 and late 2027 or early 2028.

State planners continue to flag the I-71/I-75 junction as the nation’s second-worst truck bottleneck, a factor that influences how SORTA coordinates local service with regional freight movement.

Decisions ahead on fares and service

Agency leaders have not set a date for announcing fare or route changes. They must weigh the impact on riders who rely on the existing network while the new routes begin operation in mid-August. Residents can review the full list of service adjustments on the go-metro.com website and submit comments through the agency’s ongoing channels before final schedules are printed.

Any levy proposal would require separate action by the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners and would appear on a future ballot, separate from the August service rollout.