Politics
Cincinnati Mayor Updates Neighborhood Mobility Policy, Affecting Bus Routes for 180,000 Residents
The policy change reallocates city funds to extend service hours on six routes serving Over-the-Rhine, Avondale and Price Hill starting October 1.
How we reported this
The mayor's office issued an update to the Neighborhood Mobility Policy on July 7 that directs $4.7 million from the 2026 general fund to lengthen evening and weekend bus service on routes operated by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority.
The update arrives as the city prepares its final 2027 budget proposal, which must be approved by council before the October 1 start of the new service schedule. City documents show the funds were previously earmarked for pavement repairs that have now been deferred to 2028.
Changes for daily travel
Residents who rely on the No. 17 and No. 43 routes will see buses run until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays instead of the current 11 p.m. cutoff. The policy also adds two morning express trips from Price Hill to downtown that depart at 5:45 a.m. and 6:15 a.m.
Local advocates note that the added trips are expected to cut average wait times at 12 stops in Avondale from 22 minutes to 14 minutes during peak hours. Policy analysts say the change will primarily affect workers at hospitals and warehouses who finish shifts after midnight.
City budget papers list the $4.7 million figure as a one-time transfer from the capital projects reserve, with no increase in property taxes or fares required for the first year of operation.
Timeline ahead
The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority board will vote on the revised schedules at its August 19 meeting. Public hearings on the route changes are scheduled for July 22 at the Cincinnati Public Library main branch and July 24 at the Price Hill Recreation Center.