Metro News

This statement is intended to clearly share the facts regarding Metro’s continued efforts to provide safe and reliable service to all CPS students who depend on its buses.
CINCINNATI – Metro became aware this week, via social media, of information presented during a Cincinnati Public Schools committee meeting, including the results of a survey gauging district high school principals’ perceptions student transportation on Metro’s network of fixed bus routes. We also learned of CPS’ request for a refund of previously purchased, unused student passes.

Although Metro, as of Friday morning, had not received any direct communication regarding the survey, this statement is intended to clearly share the facts regarding Metro’s continued efforts to provide safe and reliable service to all CPS students who depend on its buses.

CPS bus passes and student ridership
According to ridership data, CPS student ridership on Metro’s service has stabilized to pre-pandemic numbers, with approximately 9,000 student trips each school day.

As outlined in Metro’s contract with CPS, it is standard procedure for Metro to accept any unused passes from CPS through Oct. 31 for a “true-up credit.” Passes received after that deadline are pro-rated. For example, CPS returned 3,005 student passes during the previous school year, and the contract was trued accordingly.

To date, CPS has paid the first installment of $1.45 million out of the projected $4.5 million contract cost. As we do each year, Metro will verify the number of passes CPS has returned and adjust the projected remaining balance accordingly. 

Service challenges
We have worked closely with CPS’ administration since the start of the school year to address any known service issues impacting student riders. Our team has found that open line of communication very beneficial in helping us make adjustments quickly. We were disappointed when the district declined our most recent offer six weeks ago to meet with principals to collect feedback regarding service that could be used to determine if any additional changes were needed. Instead, during that time, the CPS administration chose to develop and conduct its survey of the district’s high school principals without Metro’s knowledge.

In terms of that survey’s results, at the start of the school year when Metro announced it would be transitioning to the new service model, we were transparent in communicating the changes that students should expect compared to the previous Xtra service.  We also made clear that conditions would have been worse had we maintained the existing Xtra routes, as an ongoing shortage of operators made those routes impossible to sustain.

That said, based upon our own direct, previous discussions with district principals, the service provided – while not without challenges – is working reasonably well.

To address the root of known service issues, Metro is proactively recruiting more bus operators to help manage a staffing shortage that is affecting numerous industries as the pandemic continues. Most recently, Metro has increased its hiring bonus, paid training wages and starting wages.

In light of these obstacles, Metro has committed to maintaining open and direct lines of communication with the school district and with CPS families. Those responsive actions have included:

– Direct mail to CPS families in order to provide individualized trip information and to support students and families, in response to reported confusion over new routes to school, upon learning that CPS never sent out such a communication directly, which previously had been protocol

– Service changes that included route adjustments, relocation of some bus stops and increased frequency in mid-August

– More than a dozen additional route adjustments are set to take place on Dec. 5, in order to provide more reliable service for students and other bus riders. These proposed changes were presented to the public in a number of different formats, including an Oct. 21 public meeting to inform the community and collect their feedback in making these route adjustments.

– Another direct mailing planned to inform CPS families of the upcoming route adjustments

Metro has and will continue to take every measure necessary to maintain safe, reliable service while also ensuring open and consistent communication with CPS and district families. It is metro’s priority to respond quickly to all service issues of which we are made aware.