Metro to end extra bus services in contract with Cincinnati Public Schools, offer passes

Metro buses will no longer specifically provide direct service for students in Cincinnati public high schools.

Officials announced the change to a bus pass system for Cincinnati Public Schools students in grades 7-12 at Tuesday's Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority meeting.

The change means students will no longer ride vehicles filled with only students.

The negotiations with CPS leadership happened over the past six weeks, said Darryl Haley, CEO and general manager for Metro.

Haley said discussions about services for students with CPS have been ongoing for longer. He said transit agencies in Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton all operate under similar pass systems for public schools.

Metro's COO, board chair and GM declined to provide additional comments at the conclusion of the meeting. They directed questions to Metro's spokesperson.

CPS and Metro have a contract, so the details of the presentation were not discussed with partners earlier until the full Sorta board was informed, said Brandy Jones, a spokeswoman for Metro.

Metro bus drivers and union leaders expressed surprise and anger at the announcement.

“This seems to be the template for Metro’s management now where employees find out things later on,” said Jabar Dunbar, a Metro operator to the board. “And in the climate we’re in now with the levy that just passed, do you guys think this is a good idea that you shove this on the citizens and their children?"

Metro officials say they are trying to improve its service overall, and that includes changing the approach to student transportation.

Even as Metro prioritized CPS student service, there was a drop in service reliability in the spring, said John Raviaso, Metro's chief operations officer. 

The plan is a way to look to be more reliable in the fall, he said.

Buses will run more often in the morning and afternoon hours and two new crosstown routes will be added to address reliability concerns.

A new crosstown route will be a Route 37 bus from Glenway Crossing on the West Side of the city to Oakley Station on the East Side of town. A new Route 66 bus will run from Glenway Crossing to Northside.

Student passes for grades 7-8 will be valid from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., according to Metro's presentation.

Passes for students in grades 9-12 will be valid for 3.5 more hours until 9:30 p.m. with access to Saturday buses as well, according to Metro's presentation.

New route services including increased buses on routes serving high schools will start Aug. 15. The first day of school at CPS is Aug. 19.

The CPS board was told of the change at the same time Tuesday as the announcement at the transit board meeting.

"I'm disappointed in the removal of the extra services for our students," said Mike Moroski, a CPS board member. "I have great concerns about it. And I understand that Metro's hands are tied in a lot of ways, but I'm very displeased."

Moroski said he knows students are able to get on buses and make transfers, but that it's a lot to ask of parents of a seventh-grader.

"I have real concerns with thousands of our students being told to figure out the bus system, and ensuring they're getting to school on time," he said.

CPS board member Eve Bolton said the notice is too late and at the worst possible time for families and school staff preparing for a new year. It was "too radical" a departure.

Other details from the Metro changes:

• Students will not have to transfer buses more than once, said Raviaso, Metro's COO.
• The change to bus passes will also include Riverview East Academy, a CPS school in Columbia Tusculum that was previously served by private bus companies, Raviaso said.
• About 30 percent of CPS students were already using passes instead of extra routes, he said.
• The bus pass system will increase the times students can take buses so they can be more involved in extracurriculars at school, Raviaso said.
• Missed trips have been a concern raised by CPS, especially in the spring, he said. "Leaving students stranded at stops, that's not us holding up our end of this partnership," Raviaso said.
• Students will be able to catch another bus within minutes if they miss a bus now, he said.
• More buses will be added to 12 routes at peak commuting times, Raviaso said.
• Bus routes serving schools will also deviate from their routes to bring and pick up students closer to their school to reduce how far they walk, Metro officials said.
• Metro officials say they are running buses at 13 percent service increase compared to what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic started.
• There is an industrywide operator hiring challenge, and Metro is in a growth mode, said Raviaso said.
• There have been 82 operators hired so far in 2021 with 41 operators in training, Raviaso said.