For the 2024-25 school year, Cincinnati Public Schools has renewed its partnership with Metro, the city’s fixed-route public transit system. In years past, 7th-8th graders had the option to chose Metro over a yellow bus, but now Metro is the first and only free bus option for those grades.
The school Board made the decision to forgo yellow bus service for those grades in July, a move that will save the district more than $9 million. Some Board members said while the decision was a difficult one, it was one families could manage.
"We've seen a number of parents actually opt to have their kids on the Metro rather than having them on the yellow buses in some of the 7-12 schools for the exact reason that Metro offers a few more opportunities to have a variety of times and that type of thing to get your kid to and from school," Board member Brandon Craig said.
During the 2023-24 school year, Metro provided more than 9,000 student trips each day with an average on-time performance of 95%. On time was defined by CPS as arriving within 10 minutes of the start of the school day.
With school for CPS students starting in about two weeks, here’s what students new to Metro should know about using the system.
Metro student passes are available
Free Metro student passes are available for 7-12th grade CPS students to travel on Metro buses Monday through Friday between the hours of 6-9:30 a.m. and 1-6:30 p.m.
For students who participate in after-school activities, Metro will provide season-specific passes to use for transportation to and from school-sponsored extracurricular activities on weekdays between 6:30-10:30 p.m. The passes will only be active for the duration of the students' involvement.
According to Metro’s website, each school is responsible for distributing each kind of Metro pass to student riders, and says passes will be distributed at orientation.
RELATED: CPS 7th and 8th graders will ride Metro buses to school this year
If you are not able to attend orientation, CPS has mailed postcards to student riders to use for the first day of school. Students are expected to pick up their Metro bus pass on the first day of school, Wednesday, Aug. 14, for their return trip home.
Getting oriented
Metro's Chief Communications and Marketing Officer Brandy Jones suggested that families who have concerns about their student using Metro for the first time should familiarize themselves with their student’s route and ask questions as they arise.
“We will have Metro staff at each of the schools during orientation week,” Jones said. “Also, during the first several days of school, we will have staff stationed in all of our transit centers and at major connection points.”
Staff will also be available to help with trip planning before school starts at the CPS cookout at Washington Park on Aug. 7. Metro also produced this video to help students.
Jones said Metro has undergone several major improvement projects since 2020, including more trip options and increased frequency, as well as adding Wifi and charging ports on buses.
“We even have an app that is available to families,” Jones said. “You can actually see (your bus) on a little map and when it's going to get to you. It really takes all the guesswork out of using our service.”
RELATED: What else is new for CPS students this fall
The Transit App is available for all devices, and offers route and safety information to users. You can also view this information in Google Transit.
Tips for a smooth ride
Ronny Salerno and Milan Weaver are Cincinnati Public Radio employees and our in-house resident transit experts. They helped us compile a list of tips and tricks to help first-time and experienced riders alike maneuver the Metro system efficiently and effectively this fall.
- Arrive at your designated bus stop at least five minutes before your scheduled pick-up time. Weaver suggests accounting for walking distance to and from the bus stop in your commute time as well.
- Consider traveling with a buddy. Not only does it give you someone to chat with to help pass the time, it's an added safety precaution.
- When boarding, have your pass or payment method ready. For students, tap your bus pass on the farebox and listen for the beep to make sure your pass worked properly.
- Once boarded, quickly find a seat and avoid changing seats while the bus is moving. Be mindful of those around you, and try to be social. Salerno says riding the bus can be a great way to meet people and get to know the city.
- If you must stand, hold onto the closest handrail for safety, ensuring that you are listening for instruction from the driver.
- Make sure you are paying attention. When you need to alert the driver of your stop, pull the cord at the top of the bus to signal to the driver that your stop is coming up. If you miss your stop, Weaver says to make sure you know an alternative route. This can be found in the Transit App.
- While riding, be courteous of your fellow passengers. Profanity, playing music without earphones, making loud noise and rowdy behavior may result in removal of your riding privileges on Metro.
RELATED: CPS updates policy to encourage stricter rules for student cellphone use
- Before leaving the bus, make sure to check for all of your belongings and clean up any mess you’ve made during your trip.
- When exiting, don't cross in front of the bus. Unlike with yellow buses, it is not illegal for cars to pass stopped Metro buses. So wait until the bus pulls away before starting to cross the street. Only cross at crosswalks and obey traffic signals.
Metro is a financial supporter of WVXU.
