She said the park and ride location at the Middletown Meijer has seen “quite a bit of activity.”
The bus service is funded by Middletown’s Federal Transit Administration dollars, said Shawn Cowan, director of customer care and public engagement for the BCRTA.
She made a presentation at last week’s Middletown City Council meeting. She said CincyLink eventually will become cashless, but until the technology has been installed, rides are free probably through the end of March.
Riders will be given a two-week notice before they will be charged fares, she told the Journal-News after the meeting.
Eventually, fares will be $5 each way and a monthly pass will be $120, she said.
“That’s a bargain,” she said, noting the cost of gasoline, parking and wear and tear on vehicles. She talked to one gentleman who said he pays $16 a day to park in downtown Cincinnati.
The commuter service features four peak morning round trips that start at 5:20 a.m. at the BCTA headquarters and four peak afternoon round trips that leave Government Square at 5:19 p.m. Monday through Friday, she said.
The routes and times will be periodically evaluated after more data is collected, she said.
City Manager Paul Lolli has asked if it was possible to add nightly and weekend routes for those interested in attending sporting events in Cincinnati.
Cowan said that’s the “goal” but the timing of adding routes depends of funding and hiring more bus drivers
The buses don’t run on major holidays, including New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Day after Thanksgiving and Christmas.
CincyLink features
- All forward-facing, high back seats
- Available three-point seatbelts
- USB-A and USB-C charging
- Additional overhead baggage space
- Free onboard Wi-Fi
- Cashless onboard payment with EZfare
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