New Riders, Added Programs, More Opportunities: Cincinnati Metro’s Growth Mode Continues

By Harrell Kerkhoff, Busline Magazine Editor

From left to right are Khaled Shammout, Cincinnati Metro’s Chief Strategic Planning, Development and Innovation Officer; and Darryl Haley, Metro’s CEO and General Manager. The men are standing next to a Metro Access paratransit vehicle produced by Frontrunner® Bus. (Photo courtesy of Metro)

Growth mode remains in full force at Cincinnati Metro, the Southwest Ohio public transportation provider that continues to succeed with key programs and initiatives in the Queen City, Hamilton County, and surrounding counties.

Such achievements and highlights over the past several years at Metro have included:

• Provided 13.1 million rides for people in Hamilton and surrounding counties in 2023, a 32 percent increase from 2022. That ridership growth involved Metro’s fixed-routes, Access paratransit service, and its new mobility on-demand MetroNow! service.
• Plans were announced in January 2023 that Hamilton Avenue and Reading Road, located within the Metro system, would receive the region’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, following months of community engagement and study. Two additional corridors — along Glenway Avenue and Montgomery Road — are also planned for BRT service in the future.
• Metro Transit Infrastructure Funds (MTIF) are providing funding for transit-related improvements located within 3⁄4 mile of Metro’s service area in Hamilton County. Funds are awarded to help improve the state of roads, bridges and sidewalks for county residents. Since 2021, Metro has awarded $294 million in grants for 97 projects, including $205 million for the Western Hills Viaduct over the next 15 years.

The MTIF program was made possible by the passage of Issue 7 in May 2020, when voters approved a 0.8 percent sales tax to fund Metro for the next 25 years. Twenty-five percent of those funds are used for transit-related infrastructure improvements throughout Hamilton County.

• Four thousand Metro stops will soon be getting major upgrades through $1 million in federal funding that involves the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority’s (SORTA) Bus Stop Enhancement project.
• Metro was honored in April with the Transit System of the Year Award at the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Civil Rights Transportation Symposium. The recognition highlighted Metro’s commitment to fostering tangible and measurable contracting opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses.

Metro has implemented a comprehensive strategy to ensure that small and disadvantaged businesses have equal access to contracting opportunities. In 2023, through intentional outreach programs, streamlined processes, and dedicated support services, Metro doubled contracts with those businesses from the previous year.

• It was announced in July that leadership from Cincinnati Metro and Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) convened to discuss strengthening relations and to sign a collaborative Memorandum of Understanding. That agreement covers various transit initiatives, including system design, emerging transit technology, customer amenities, integrated and user-friendly mobility applications, and connected and real-time mobility systems.

During the meeting, representatives from both organizations shared best practices in public transportation, modern and sustainable systems, and expanding current and future mobility services. They expressed a common vision to transform their regions into international hubs for commerce and tourism, aiming to position each among the world’s top living destinations.

Despite such accomplishments, one of the greatest achievements for Metro over the past three years, according to Metro CEO & General Manager Darryl Haley, has been the transit system’s rise in ridership since the height of the COVID pandemic. Haley explained how Metro addressed the pandemic head-on, which resulted in a quicker rebound compared to many other U.S. systems.

“We established early in the pandemic that Metro’s core purpose was not as a social service agency but rather as a provider of key transit connections for an entire region in southwestern Ohio,” Haley said.

After the passage of Issue 7 in 2020 Metro launched “Reinventing Metro,” a plan used to reach out to community members. The ongoing objective of Reinventing Metro was (and is) to offer the Greater Cincinnati region bold, new transit innovations that will help grow the regional economy and better connect community residents to jobs, education, health care, and entertainment. Since the start of Reinventing Metro, the transit system has expanded overall service by approximately 20 percent.

“The progression of Reinventing Metro led to a better understanding of Metro’s core purpose during the pandemic — that there were still people who needed to get to their jobs and leave their homes for other important reasons,” Haley said. “In response, 100 percent of Metro’s services continued through COVID. We didn’t scale back and we didn’t lay off employees. In fact, we added programs during the pandemic, such as 24-hour service for the first time in the 50-year history of our organization.

“We understood that not all jobs are nine to five. There are transit riders working second and third shifts — even during a pandemic. Metro also added 35 percent more service on Saturday and 97 percent more Sunday service. We paid a lot of attention to where people needed to go and then built the Reinventing Metro plan around those needs — connecting our region in a way it’s never been connected before.”

During that process, Metro’s marketing and communication department brought to light all the service options still available — even as the pandemic continued. Those efforts were led by Chief Communications & Marketing Officer Brandy Jones and her staff and included a comprehensive marketing and communications plan that utilized local media, social media, and paid advertisements.

“I think the successes that Darryl talks about, while not reducing our service over the past few years, shows how committed Metro has been to its customers,” Jones said. “They know they can count on us to provide safe and reliable public transportation in this region. That has helped us recover faster than some others. We are also very excited about new services planned for our area.”

Growth in Metro ridership has continued — 32 percent higher in 2023 compared to the previous year. Ridership numbers in 2024 are following suite.

In other good news, Haley noted that a recent survey has shown that 30 percent of current Metro passengers have been using the transit system for less than two years.

“That tells us new riders are finding value in what we have to offer,” Haley said.

When asked if Metro’s bullish plan in 2020 and 2021 to “go full speed ahead” was a gamble, he replied: “I don’t view it as a gamble. Our core purpose is to properly connect people in this region to their destinations; and if you stray from your core purpose, you’re going to see a negative outcome in the long run. It’s important that Metro always provides a product that our residents deserve, even during a pandemic.”

Haley has especially been pleased with the outcome of Metro’s new 24-hour program, which involves seven routes. Also implemented are six cross-town routes to better connect riders who do not live near the original 24-hour routes.

“We accomplished all of that by leadership working together to meet the needs of our communities,” Haley added.

Metro Chief Strategic Planning, Development & Innovation Officer Khaled Shammout added: “As a public transportation provider, it was important during the pandemic to not forgot the most fundamental principle in transit — if you cut service you are going to lose a portion of your key ridership when normal times return. For example, people will find other ways to get to work, such as using a car or sharing a ride with another person. That is why many transit systems have struggled with ridership numbers since the pandemic.”

Ever-Expanding Services

Established in 1973 as a tax-funded, not-for-profit transportation provider by SORTA, Metro today provides various fixed-routes (featuring 307 buses), Access paratransit (involving 57 vehicles), and MetroNow! mobility on-demand services (14 vehicles). The latter program was launched in 2023.

Besides serving Hamilton County, which is the third most populated county in Ohio with an approximate population of 830,600, Metro also provides commuter service to the outlying counties of Warren, Butler, and Clermont. Those are direct express routes provided by Metro to and from downtown Cincinnati and are funded by the three outlaying counties.

Metro officials are also in the process of overseeing two Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors along Hamilton Avenue and Reading Road, with a 2027 targeted completion date. Future plans include two additional BRT corridors involving Glenway Avenue and Montgomery Road.

“BRT has been described as ‘passenger rail on rubber tires.’ BRT buses move very quickly through a corridor, with the help of technology, such as signal prioritization and queue jumping. With the latter, a BRT bus moves to a dedicated lane as it approaches a traffic signal. The traffic light for that lane turns green first, allowing the bus to get a ‘jump’ on vehicles that are next to it,” Haley said. “BRT buses also provide level boarding, helping people in wheelchairs and with such items as grocery carts and bicycles.”

He added BRT systems create economic development as well, often involving the building of affordable housing and new businesses.

Meanwhile, as part of its Reinventing Metro plan, MetroNow! provides regional transit access to neighborhoods that historically were underserved or had no public transportation service. MetroNow! is viewed as a neighborhood shuttle system, operated with vans that will stay within specific zones throughout the day. A passenger of MetroNow! can use an app, much like Uber, to request a trip within that zone. MetroNow! also connects passengers to the broader Metro fixed-route network.

Metro also provides Access paratransit service, which is origin-to-destination transportation involving smaller buses for people whose disabilities prevent them from riding fixed-routes.

“We (at Metro) understand the challenges members of the paratransit community have when they travel. A major objective for the future is to make paratransit travel within our communities easier. One way is to consolidate the certification process between our area’s public and private paratransit carriers, making it less burdensome,” said Shammout, the architect of the Regional Paratransit Coordination. “We have received federal dollars to help with that process. We feel there are some exciting things in store for the future as it pertains to paratransit.”

That includes an app for paratransit riders, designed to help them track their scheduled ride, including an accurate arrival time.

Metro recently announced the official launch of 10 new Access paratransit vehicles into service. These state-of-the-art vehicles, designed and produced by Frontrunner® Bus, feature updated technology, including a kneeling suspension system and a new ramping system. The kneeling suspension system is a feature that allows the vehicle to lower its height, making it easier for passengers with mobility challenges to board and exit. The new ramping system replaces traditional lifts, providing a smoother and more efficient process for wheelchair users and those with mobility aids. The introduction of these new vehicles also marks the first time Metro’s new branding has been prominently displayed on Access equipment.

“Metro continues to prioritize the needs of all riders across every line of service,” Haley said. “By incorporating these new features from Frontrunner, we are ensuring that our passengers with disabilities have a comfortable and convenient travel experience.

“The relationship between Metro and Frontrunner has been fantastic. They (Frontrunner) have done a very good job helping us understand the advantages of their vehicles. They are very easy for our paratransit riders to board and disembark. We have 17 Frontrunners in service right now and they require very little maintenance. Frontrunner’s service and representation are also very good. We believe this relationship will go a long way.”

Overall vehicle upgrades continue at Metro. That includes evolving the fleet to alternative-fuel vehicles. Efforts are ongoing.

“We understand that market hasn’t matured yet so we’re taking a measured approach when it comes to zero emission vehicles,” Haley said. “To remain an important part of this community, Metro must have a ‘green’ fleet. That is one of our major objectives for the future.”

In celebration of Earth Day earlier this year, Metro placed 10 new hybrid-electric buses into service. Those fleet enhancements are at the forefront of Metro’s sustainability efforts, which reflect a continued strategy toward greener and more efficient transit operations.

Metro is also testing new technology on these hybrid-electric buses aimed at eliminating emissions in targeted zones where air quality concerns are heightened, such as schools and hospitals. Once within such geotargeted areas, the buses transition to full electric mode, removing fuel use and resulting in zero emissions.

“Advances in vehicle technology play a huge part in our sustainability efforts, but it goes beyond just updating the fleet,” Haley said. “We have implemented a comprehensive range of initiatives aimed at minimizing our environmental footprint across all aspects of our operations.”

Employees And Passengers Come First

There are approximately 1,200 employees at Metro, working a variety of jobs. One constant, however, is a strong focus placed on customer service. It’s a trait that Metro officials look for during the hiring process.

“New hires must understand we serve a community of people. Riders expect, and deserve, to be treated well. That should be the main objective of each employee,” Haley said. “When it comes to our operators, in particular, they are on the frontlines and are very good at what they do. Several of them are members of the Two Million Mile Club, having driven at least two million miles without an accident during their time at Metro. There have also been times when a Metro operator has stopped the bus to help a small child found unattended near a road. We even had one operator pull people out of a burning building while making his rounds.

“And it’s not just our operators who help the community. It’s also our mechanics, the people who clean our buses and garages, and those who work in administration. We are always looking for people who are willing to serve our passengers and the community.”

Haley said the current hiring climate remains challenging at Metro, but that officials from the transit system continue to work together to find good employee candidates.

“I learned a long time ago that you hire people who are smarter than you and then you get out of their way,” Haley said. “For example, Metro has in place amazing marketing programs that not only help us better connect with passengers but current and potential employees as well. Brandy Jones, Khaled Shammout and their teams have been instrumental in that effort.”

He noted Jones has won several awards and recognitions during her tenure a Metro, most recently being honored as a “Changemaker” during the PRNEWS “Top Women” Awards Celebration in New York City on June 4.

Jones was recognized “for her tenacity, leadership and innovative communication approaches, which has resulted in the transit system (Metro) growing new ridership by more than 30 percent and ultimately leading the nation in pre-pandemic ridership recovery,” according to PRNEWS. “Her efforts also led the organization to roll out a fresh, bold, new brand earlier this year, while garnering positive national attention for the transit agency from both the media and the White House. That included facilitating a transit forum with United States Vice President Kamala Harris.”

Shammout, meanwhile, who is also an author and professor at the University of Cincinnati, has been recognized by Hamilton County Commissioners in celebration of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a proclamation recognizing his contributions to Hamilton County and his work to advance transit in the region. The proclamation named May 13, 2023, as Khaled Shammout Day in Hamilton County.

Among other accolades, Haley himself was recognized as a winner in the Chief Executive Officer

category involving the Cincinnati Business Courier’s influential 2023 C-Suite Awards, which honor stellar leadership by executives who have leveraged their skills to achieve strong results. The selection committee cited Haley’s stewardship through a host of strategic initiatives, as well as his success in advancing the employee culture at Metro to one of inclusion, empowerment and recognition.

Another Good Sign

Good signs are emerging in various ways at Metro as it prepares for the next 50 years. That includes an expansion of travel times for many people as they find different uses for the transit system.

“In terms of travel times, many transit systems experience two daily ridership peaks — one in the morning and one in the afternoon,” Shammout said. “There has been a recent change take place at Metro and some other systems, however, where midday travel is increasing, such as from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. That indicates more people are using transit for nonwork-related trips, which is good news.”

Haley added: “At Metro, we are seeing more people choose to take public transportation and leave their cars at home. They are using our service to attend a ballgame or other entertainment, go on a shopping trip, and/or for medical appointments. That change shows more people feel good about using public transportation in our region — and it’s refreshing.

“The most important objective is to make sure our services are safe, friendly, secure, and reliable. Those virtues will allow more people to use Metro during their daily lives.”

Visit go-metro.com.