“It wasn’t a little dip, it was an extreme pullback,” Matthew Dutkevicz, Butler County Regional Transit Authority executive director, said about how people used transportation following the pandemic.
The agency lost workers — many of whom decided not to work in public-facing positions — and almost 60% of its ridership, due to the loss of Miami University students taking the bus to classes and workers no longer commuting.
“We did retain some essential trips,” he said. “People still had to go to the grocery store, still had to see a doctor … those types of things.”
Ridership in 2018 and 2019 was around 840,000 each year. In 2020, it dipped to 355,353. Numbers climbed to 820,507 riders in 2024. This year, the agency expects to hit a similar number.
2022 saw the biggest increase in riders coming back to the service, jumping from 413,552 riders in 2021 to 625,778 in 2022.
The way people work today has changed. The commuter service is about 30% of what it used to be, according to Dutkevicz.
“People don’t work as rigid of schedules from what we’ve seen,” he said.
He also said while there are still people commuting, they don’t commute five days a week anymore.
“That’s been our challenge. How do we adapt? How do we provide reliable service and meet all the needs and demands but still be efficient?” he said.
Dutkevicz said “frequency” drives ridership.
“The more frequent you make the service, the more convenient it is, the more people you see using it,” he said.
Gary Sudberry told Journal-News he rides the bus almost every day.
“It’s important because it takes me back and forth to my doctor’s appointments, dentist appointments,” Sudberry said. “It’s great for me and a lot of other people because they do rely on this bus.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
What does BCRTA offer?
BCRTA operates three fixed, regional routes in Hamilton, four in Middletown and six university routes in Oxford Monday through Friday from 4:45 a.m. until 11:55 p.m.
Dutkevicz said numbers for these regional services are “way up.”
The R1 route, which runs between Hamilton and Middletown, saw about 17,000 trips in 2018; this year, it’s expected to make 50,000 trips.
Fixed, regional routes became fare free in 2020 during the pandemic — and they’re still free.
“We were spending more money collecting fare than we were actually bringing in, so … that was an easy decision for us,” he said.
Sudberry told Journal-News he is “grateful” for the buses being free.
“It helps me get to the places that I need to be,” Sudberry said.
BCRTA’s curb-to-curb service, BGo, which is similar to an Uber or Lyft, has grown the most, according to Dutkevicz.
Before the pandemic, about 20,000 BGo trips were made. A total 100,000 trips are expected by the end of 2025.
These rides can be scheduled up to seven days in advance and are $5 per trip.
For BGo, Dutkevicz said the agency turns away probably 20-35% of requests.
“I just don’t have enough buses and people,” he said.
Commuter services like CincyLink, which connects BCRTA with downtown Cincinnati, are also $5.
“We have demand in lots of places for things where we’d like to add service, but we just don’t have the budget for it,” Dutkevicz said.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
How is BCRTA funded?
BCRTA is primarily funded by federal grants through the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration.
A major source is the Urbanized Area Formula Funding program, which makes federal resources available to governors and other recipients for transit capital and operating assistance, according to FTA’s website.
In fiscal year 2024, this fund distributed $7.2 billion to transit authorities across the country.
The agency also competes for discretionary grants at a national and local level, collects fare revenue from CincyLink and BGo services, and enters into revenue contracts (like providing services to Miami University and the Veterans Service Commission).
“Most federal grants … they don’t give it to you for free,” he said. “(They’ll) give you 50%, and we have to come up with the other 50%. When we do work for the veterans and Miami University, that’s our match.”
BCRTA has had a contract for over six years with the Butler County Veterans Service Commission, and Executive Director Mike Farmer said the commission relies “exclusively” on BCRTA to get “veterans where they need to go.”
“BCRTA’s reliability has allowed us to build a transportation program that veterans can truly count on,” Farmer said. “When a veteran has a medical appointment, getting there on time matters and BCRTA delivers.”
BCRTA also provides urgent or last-minute trips if needed, which Farmer said makes a difference for veterans and survivors navigating Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs or specialty care.
“Their performance directly strengthens our ability to fulfill our mission every day,” Farmer said.
The contract between BCRTA and the commission was just renewed for another three years (2026-2029).
Additionally, most transit systems rely on sales and/or property taxes, which BCRTA does not collect.
“We don’t get any general fund money from anyone,” Dutkevicz said.
During the government shutdown, BCRTA still received funds from the Federal Transit Administration — something that was written into the last FTA bill.
What’s next?
BCRTA will spend about $15 million in 2026 on public transit with goals of providing more BGo trips, increasing frequency on regional routes and adding routes.
“We’re pretty small and nimble, so it’s easy for us to listen to the consumer and adapt,” Dutkevicz said.
BCRTA has about 80 buses in its fleet and 140 employees, 90% of which are bus drivers.
Dutkevicz tries to catch the bus when he can.
“You can’t know what’s going on in the system if you don’t use it,” he said.
Dutkevicz said there are many misconceptions about public transport, including buses being “dirty” or “unsafe.”
“I challenge anybody to get on one of our buses and check that out,” he said. “There’s security cameras all over the vehicles, all of our operators have a radio in their bus that will connect them directly with the local police jurisdiction or the sheriff’s office.”
All bus drivers are background checked and drug tested, and all buses have to be held to a minimum standard of maintenance and care.
All employees now receive health insurance, something that wasn’t the case before the pandemic. Bus driver wages start at over $20 an hour.
Sudberry said BCRTA bus drivers have “good communication” with the riders, so “it’s really safe, and then we help keep the bus drivers safe, too.”
Sudberry said he has bonded with some of the bus drivers.
“Everybody does a good job, everybody wants to be here,” Dutkevicz said. “These are the people you want transporting your children, grandparents and family. We’re very proud of the workforce we have.”
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