Metro and TANK are again offering free rides to BLINK this year.
BLINK Executive Director Justin Brookhart says it’s helped get a lot of people to the festival before.
“We partner with Metro and TANK. In 2022 they offered a similar service for us and they showed great ridership,” he says. There were an estimated 185,000 free rides during the last BLINK.
The two transit authorities, along with the Butler County Regional Transit Authority will again offer free rides from Park & Ride locations.
Where Park & Rides are located
- Cincinnati State, 3658 Central Pkwy, Cincinnati, OH 45220
- Crossroads Oakley, 3500 Madison Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45209
- Northern Kentucky University, 1 Louie B. Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099 (Fri. & Sat. only)
- Meijer, 3651 Towne Blvd., Middletown, OH 45005
- Meijer, 7390 Tylersville Rd., West Chester. OH 45069
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Riders will be dropped off and picked up at the Riverfront Transit Center. Government Square will close each evening at 6 p.m.
Metro service information
The free rides on Metro will begin at 6 p.m. each evening, and end at 12:30 a.m. TANK buses will run between NKU and the Riverfront Transit Center from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. The BCRTA will operate shuttles from 5:30 to 11:30 each night.
- All Metro Fixed-Route service will be free between 6 p.m.-12:30 a.m. and Access service will be free until 2 a.m.
- The Government Square information booth will be staffed from 5 p.m. - 1 a.m. nightly during the event.
- The Metro Customer Care Center (513-621-4455) will remain open until midnight nightly during the event.
- Metro staff will be on hand at Cincinnati State, Crossroads and the Riverfront Transit Center to assist with information, wayfinding and general assistance.
RELATED: BLINK 2024 map shows a bigger event footprint
TANK details
- Beginning at 6 p.m. all TANK services, including the Friday and Saturday evening direct bus service for BLINK, will be free of charge, for all four nights of BLINK.
- Service begins Friday and Saturday nights at NKU at 6 p.m. Last trip from NKU to RTC is at 9 p.m.
- Bus makes no stops in between and goes straight to the Riverfront Transit Center.
- Beginning at 9 p.m. each night, buses will ONLY provide return transportation from the Riverfront Transit Center and drop off at NKU (no pick-ups).
- Buses will operate from the Riverfront Transit Center back to the Park & Ride for drop-offs until 11 p.m. each night.
- TANK staff will be on-hand at Northern Kentucky University and the Riverfront Transit Center to assist with information, wayfinding and general help.
- The Southbank Shuttle will be on a detour for all four nights of BLINK after 6 p.m. and will not be servicing the normal Southbank Street stops. Instead, the Southbank Shuttle will connect BLINK goers with one stop in Newport, one stop in Covington and a stop at the Riverfront Transit Center for anyone wanting to experience BLINK on both sides of the river.
Local fixed bus routes
All local TANK service will operate as scheduled, with this exception: bus service in Cincinnati will be limited after 6 p.m. and will operate only to the Riverfront Transit Center after 6 p.m. No “on street” service will be provided in Cincinnati by TANK after 6 p.m. for the duration of the BLINK event. Metro and TANK will both offer fare-free rides beginning at 6 p.m., Oct. 17-20. All rides on both transportation networks, including direct routes to BLINK, will be free.
RELATED: BLINK road closures to know
Butler Co. Regional Transit Authority
CincyLink will offer free transportation from Oct. 17-20 from the above Park & Ride locations. The CincyLink BLINK shuttle will start at 5:30 p.m. and run hourly until 11:00 p.m. The service will be a direct route from Butler County to the Riverfront Transit Station.
Brookhart says, “We like to say 'Don't BLINK and drive,' because this festival is meant to be experienced walking through the streets of Downtown and NKY.”
He says if you choose to drive to BLINK and need a place to park “I know of a lot of parking providers that are providing advanced pay parking, which I think is really great.”
Brookhart says people can always use ride-hailing or ride-sharing options, but there are a number of street closures that could complicate navigation.
He says the Cincinnati streetcar will be operating as many cars as possible during BLINK, and they will get police escorts for added safety.
