Bus Rapid Transit Planning Underway in Cincinnati

A nine-month bus rapid transit planning process, one of the key components of the Cincinnati region’s “Reinventing Metro” long-range transit plan, launched recently.

1 minute read

September 29, 2022, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Cincinnati has launched a planning process for bus rapid transit (BRT) additions to its public transit system as part of the Reinventing Metro plan approved by Hamilton County voters in 2020.

According to the Reinventing Metro website, the BRT planning is underway as a collaboration between Cincinnati’s Metro and the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA). A nine-month study will narrow down the choices along four corridors identified by Reinventing Metro as the most popular transit corridors in the Metro system: Glenway Avenue, Hamilton Avenue, Reading Road, and Montgomery Road.

Chris Wetterich reports on the bus rapid transit plans in a paywalled article for the Cincinnati Business Courier. In 2021, the Cincinnati Business Courier identified bus rapid transit [paywall] as one of the most critical infrastructure projects for the region.

Public transit has faced challenges in Cincinnati in recent years, so successful planning of BRT routes would go a long way to instilling public faith in transit in the region. Despite voters approving the sales tax necessary to support Reinventing Metro, the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar has been dogged by political opposition, management crises, and low ridership from its inception.

Tuesday, September 27, 2022 in Cincinnati Business Journal

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

September 16, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

A map showing Brightline West's intended route from  Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Brightline West’s future may rely on $6 billion federal loan

The company has until Nov. 2 to make a $400 million equity investment into its proposed high-speed rail line.

5 seconds ago - Smart Cities Dive

A Metro bus drives down a street on a rainy day. Parallel to the bus is a line of parked cars, then, a line of umbrellas.

LA Metro’s ultimatum: no extra buses for LA28 if federal funding isn’t imminently secured

If Metro does not provide additional buses, LA28 organizers will have to find a new way to manage Olympic traffic. LA28’s budget does not include a line item for transit.

1 hour ago - LAist

Geese flock to a frozen pond in Aurora, Colorado. There are houses in the background.

Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing

The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.

2 hours ago - Capital & Main

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.