Metro News

The City of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), and Metro are working together to ensure students have a safe, reliable, and efficient way to travel to and from school as the 2025-26 academic year begins this week.

The three organizations have implemented a series of measures designed to reduce congestion and improve safety at Government Square, downtown’s central bus hub, while continuing to support student success and community well-being.

New this year, all CPS students in grades 7–12 will now use Metro. Only about 300 of the 13,000 students expected to use Metro this year are anticipated to need a transfer each afternoon at Government Square.

Key Initiatives and Results:

• Service Improvements: Metro’s public transit network continues to improve with new and better crosstown routes, which reduce the number of students who need to transfer downtown.
• Smarter Student Passes:
  • CPS and Metro introduced RFID-tracked student passes for improved oversight;
  • Adjusted cutoff times of passes at 5 p.m. each school day;
  • Color-coded passes identify students with a direct route from those needing to make a transfer.
• Enhanced Family Communication: Structured communications to families include a robocall initiative that reminds families to use available direct routes- decreasing the number of students traveling through Government Square; and messaging that reinforce the student ridership Code of Conduct.
• Increased Safety Presence: The City and Metro partnered to launch the 311 Community Responder program with aides offering expanded youth engagement and support at Government Square each afternoon, in addition to Cincinnati Police presence. Enhanced safety measures at Government Square and other downtown areas this past year have resulted in a decline in youth-involved calls (down 18%) and incidents of youth-involved crime (down 35%).

Metro will have staff stationed at its transit centers during the first week of school to assist families. Parents are also welcome to ride free with their student to and from class during the first week, Aug. 20-27.

“By working together, the City, Metro, and CPS are making sure that students can focus on learning, while families and the community can feel confident that their safety is the top priority,” said City Manager Sheryl Long.

Andy Aiello, Metro CEO & General Manager, added, “These improvements show the power of partnership. Every decision we’ve made—whether it’s adjusting routes, enhancing safety, or improving the student pass system—has been about ensuring students have a safe and dependable trip to and from school.”

“Strong schools depend on strong communities,” said CPS Superintendent Shauna Murphy. “We are proud to work with Metro and the City to make sure our students arrive safely, on time, and ready to learn.”

The three organizations remain committed to monitoring outcomes and making continuous improvements throughout the school year to support student success and community safety.