For the 2025-26 school year, Cincinnati Public Schools has renewed its partnership with Metro, the city鈥檚 fixed-route public transit system. In years past, 7th-8th graders had the option to take either Metro or a yellow bus, but now Metro is the first and only free bus option for those grades.
The school Board made the decision to forgo yellow bus service for those grades in July 2024, a move that will save the district more than $2 million this year. Some Board members at the time said while the decision was a difficult one, it was one families could manage.
"We've seen a number of parents actually opt to have their kids on the Metro rather than having them on the yellow buses in some of the 7-12 schools for the exact reason that Metro offers a few more opportunities to have a variety of times and that type of thing to get your kid to and from school," Board member Brandon Craig said previously.
With school for CPS students starting soon, here鈥檚 what students new to Metro should know about using the system.
Free Metro student passes are available
Free Metro student passes are available for 7-12th grade CPS students to travel on Metro buses Monday through Friday between the hours of 6-9:30 a.m. and 1-5 p.m.
For students who participate in after-school activities, Metro will provide season-specific passes to use for transportation to and from school-sponsored extracurriculars on weekdays between 6:30-10:30 p.m. The passes only will be active for the duration of the students' involvement.
, each school is responsible for distributing each kind of Metro pass to student riders.
Getting oriented
Metro's Chief Communications and Marketing Officer Brandy Jones suggested that families who have concerns about their student using Metro for the first time should familiarize themselves with their student鈥檚 route and ask questions as they arise. Parents and guardians can ride Metro for free during the first week of school Aug. 20-27 to help their student get comfortable with the system.
Additionally, 鈥淲e will have Metro staff at each of the schools during orientation week,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淎lso, during the first several days of school, we will have staff stationed in all of our transit centers and at major connection points.鈥�
to help students.
Jones said Metro has undergone several major improvement projects since 2020, including more trip options and increased frequency, as well as adding Wifi and charging ports on buses.
鈥淲e even that is available to families,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淵ou can actually see (your bus) on a little map and when it's going to get to you. It really takes all the guesswork out of using our service.鈥�
The Transit App is available for all devices, and offers route and safety information to users. You also can view this information in .
Is riding Metro safe?
"We have a very safe system," Jones said on a recent Cincinnati Edition. "All of our buses have cameras on board, all of our transit centers have cameras, we work very closely with CPD if there's any issues on board. We have officers stationed at our facilitates, they ride along on our buses..."
Tips for a smooth ride
Ronny Salerno and Milan Weaver are 禁漫天堂 employees and our in-house resident transit experts. They helped us compile a list of tips and tricks to help first-time and experienced riders alike maneuver the Metro system efficiently and effectively this fall.
- Arrive at your designated bus stop at least five minutes before your scheduled pick-up time. Weaver suggests accounting for walking distance to and from the bus stop in your commute time as well.
- Consider traveling with a buddy. Not only does it give you someone to chat with to help pass the time, it's an added safety precaution.
- When boarding, have your pass or payment method ready. For students, tap your bus pass on the farebox and listen for the beep to make sure your pass worked properly.
- Once boarded, quickly find a seat and avoid changing seats while the bus is moving. Be mindful of those around you, and try to be social. Salerno says riding the bus can be a great way to meet people and get to know the city.
- If you must stand, hold onto the closest handrail for safety, ensuring that you are listening for instruction from the driver.
- Make sure you are paying attention. When you need to alert the driver of your stop, pull the cord at the top of the bus to signal to the driver that your stop is coming up. If you miss your stop, Weaver says to make sure you know an alternative route. This can be found in the Transit App.
- While riding, be courteous of your fellow passengers. Profanity, playing music without earphones, making loud noise and rowdy behavior may result in removal of your riding privileges on Metro.
- Before leaving the bus, make sure to check for all of your belongings and clean up any mess you鈥檝e made during your trip.
- When exiting, don't cross in front of the bus. Unlike with yellow buses, it is not illegal for cars to pass stopped Metro buses. So wait until the bus pulls away before starting to cross the street. Only cross at crosswalks and obey traffic signals.
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