Metro News

Free rides April 8-11, April 24-25, May 8-9 and May 22-23 to help improve access to vaccination sites

CINCINNATI – Metro and Access paratransit service will once again offer free rides on designated days to improve access to COVID-19 vaccination sites.

To support “Get Out the Vax” efforts, all Metro and Access service will be free on all routes on April 8, 9 and the second and fourth Saturdays and Sundays in April and May: 

• – Thursday, April 8
• – Friday, April 9
• – Saturday, April 10
• – Sunday, April 11
• – Saturday, April 24
• – Sunday, April 25
• – Saturday, May 8
• – Sunday, May 9
• – Saturday, May 22
• – Sunday, May 23

Free Rides to Cintas Center Mass Vaccination Site

In addition to the Saturday and Sunday free fare dates, Metro will provide free rides on all routes each day of the upcoming COVID-19 mass vaccination event being held Thursday, April 8, through Saturday, April 10, at the Cintas Center. The Cintas Center is served by Metro Rts. 4, 31, 51 and Metro*Plus. Customers are encouraged to use the Transit app to plan and track their trips in real-time. 

Metro will also provide a free shuttle service transporting riders from Metro bus stops located at Montgomery & Dana and Woodburn & Dana, in addition to making stops at the Xavier University parking lot C-2 and the overflow parking lot, to the main entrance of the Cintas Center from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

“Transportation plays a key role in ensuring all eligible populations have equal access to COVID-19 vaccinations,” said Darryl Haley, Metro CEO & General Manager. “We’re proud to be able to support the effort by removing this hurdle and providing free rides, which will help move our community one step closer towards getting back to ‘normal.’”

Metro is offering the free rides in partnership with the Regional COVID Communications Center, a collaboration between the Cincinnati Regional Chamber and the Health Collaborative; the Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Department of Transportation, City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. The rides will be funded through the “Rides for Community Immunity” program announced by the Ohio Department of Transportation, which is distributing funds across Ohio’s 88

counties to help get the state’s most vulnerable populations transportation to vaccine locations.

Metro is a non-profit, tax-funded public service of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, providing about 13.5 million rides per year.