Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
| File:SORTA Metro logo.png | |
A Cincinnati Metro Route 41 bus heads West on Galbraith Road in North College Hill, Ohio in 2010
|
|
| Parent | Hamilton County and Cincinnati City Council |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | 602 Main Street |
| Locale | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Service type | bus service, paratransit, express bus service, streetcar |
| Routes |
|
| Stops | 4,465[1] |
| Stations | 17 streetcar station stops |
| Fleet | 353 transit buses, 5 streetcars, and 46 paratransit vehicles |
| Daily ridership | 48,000 unlinked passenger trips[2] |
| Operator | Veolia Transportation[3][needs update] |
| Website | go-metro.com |
Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, abbreviated SORTA, is the public transport agency serving Cincinnati and its Ohio suburbs. The agency provides Metro transit bus services, as well as Access paratransit services through MV Transportation.[4] SORTA replaced the Cincinnati Transit Commission, which operated buses from 1952 to 1973. The agency currently operates 46 routes and facilitates approximately 48,000 passenger trips each day.
SORTA is funded primarily by Cincinnati's city earnings tax, second by fares, and third by federal sources, with some other minor sources. This stands in contrast to other Ohio transit agencies, such as COTA and GCRTA which are primarily funded by sales tax. For a sense of perspective, the portion of Cincinnati's earnings tax going to Metro's budget is about 0.3%.
Downtown Cincinnati is also served by the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK), whose transit services extend over the Ohio River into Northern Kentucky.
Contents
Routes
SORTA operates about 40 major fixed bus routes, as well as a demand-responsive paratransit service. Of the major routes, roughly half run only at rush hours and are essentially commuter services, some of them serving the reverse commute. The other half operate throughout the day, and some offer better frequency at the rush hours. Approximately 90% of all trips are made on the all-day routes, 10% on the express commuter routes. In 2012 SORTA released its schedule information in the General Transit Feed Specification, making schedules more easily available to customers.[5]
SORTA also provides school bus services to Cincinnati Public Schools with vehicles from their fleet of transit buses. School bus routes are technically open to any fare-paying customer, though they are circuitous, not well advertised, and mostly used by CPS students. School bus routes are not listed in the table below.
SORTA will operate the Cincinnati streetcar between downtown and Over-the-Rhine when construction is completed.[6] On October 23, 2015, Brad Thomas, a member of SORTA's board, announced that the five different brewers that line the streetcars route had each agreed to brew a new specialty beer to honor the delivery of the first five vehicles.[7]
| Number | Route name(s) | Average weekday boardings [8] | Off-peak service | Weekend service | Reverse commute | Goes Downtown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | Cincinnati Streetcar | (under construction) | planned | planned | N/A | planned |
| 1 | Museum Center - Eden Park | 270 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 2X | Madeira Express | 185 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 3-3X | Montgomery Express
Montgomery Job Connection |
350 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 4 | Kenwood- Blue Ash, Ridge Road, Silverton - Blue Ash, Norwood | 3,774 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 6 | Queen City | 1,406 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 11 | Madison Road - Oakley
Erie Avenue - Hyde Park |
2,890 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 12X | Madisonville Express | 67 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 14X | Forest Park Express | 240 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 15X | Daly Express
Mt. Healthy Express |
347 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 16 | Mt. Healthy | 814 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 17 | Seven Hills, Mt. Healthy, Mt. Airy, Northgate | 4,467 | Yes | Northgate runs Mon-Sat | N/A | Yes |
| 19 | Colerain - Northgate | 2,102 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 20 | Winton Road - Tri-County | 941 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 21 | Harrison Avenue | 2,343 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 23 | Forest Park Northside Job Connection | < 300 | No | No | Yes | No |
| 23X | Forest Park Tri-County Express | < 300 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 24 | Uptown - Mt. Lookout - Anderson | 1,408 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 25X | Mount Lookout Express | 67 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 27 | Northside - Casey | 1,382 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 28 | East End - Milford | 261 | Yes | Milford extension operates on weekdays only | N/A | Yes |
| 29X | Milford Express | 205 | No | No | Partial | Yes |
| 30X | Beechmont Express | 203 | No | No | Partial | Yes |
| 31 | West End - Evanston Crosstown | 1,703 | Yes | Yes | N/A | No |
| 32 | Delhi - Price Hill
Glenway Crossing - Price Hill |
1,213 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 33 | Western Hills - Glenway | 3,778 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 38X | Glenway Crossing - Uptown Express | 97 | No | No | No | No |
| 40X | Montana Express | 144 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 41 | Glenway Crossing - Oakley Crosstown | 886 | Yes | Yes | N/A | No |
| 42X | West Chester Express Job Connection | 468 | No | No | Partial | Yes |
| 43 | Reading - Lockland
Evendale - Woodlawn, Roselawn, Winton Hills, Bond Hill |
5,975 | Yes | Evendale-Woodlawn runs weekdays only | N/A | Yes |
| 46 | Avondale - Zoo | 1,791 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 49 | Fairmount - English Woods | 311 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 50 | Sayler Park | 284 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 51 | Glenway Crossing - Hyde Park Crosstown | 1,655 | Yes | Yes | N/A | No |
| 52X | Harrison Express | 177 | No | No | No | No |
| 64 | Glenway Crossing - Ferguson | 1,968 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 67 | Sharonville Job Connection | 51 | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| 71X | Kings Island Express | 306 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 71 | Kings Island Job Connection | 306 | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| 74X | Colerain Express
Colerain Express via Banning |
356 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 75X | Anderson Express
Anderson Job Connection |
193 | No | No | Partial | Yes |
| 77X | Delhi Express | 127 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 78 | Springdale - Vine
Lincoln Heights |
2,757 | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| 81X | Mount Washington Express | 65 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 82X | Eastgate Express | 136 | No | No | No | Yes |
| 85 | Riverfront Parking Shuttle | 501 | Yes | No | N/A | Yes |
| 90 | Metro*Plus | 1,564 | Yes | No | N/A | Yes |
Ridership
Transit ridership in Greater Cincinnati has generally been on the decline for at least the last several decades. Of particular note, the 2008 recession significantly cut into SORTA's budget, resulting in service cuts and fare increases which seem to have had a very large impact on overall ridership. A few main lines, those running most frequently, account for a majority of all trips, while weekday rush-hour express services account for only about 10% of all trips.
Ridership also varies dramatically by time of day. Almost twice as many people board transit during the peak of either rush hour as do during midday. This phenomenon is also observed on the all-day lines, even if peak-hour-only services are disregarded.
| Year | Total unlinked passenger trips |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 28,845,617 |
| 1992 | 27,883,500 |
| 1993 | 26,009,113 |
| 1994 | 25,212,426 |
| 1995 | 23,980,156 |
| 1996 | 26,456,015 |
| 1997 | 26,227,001 |
| 1998 | 28,809,040 |
| 1999 | 26,383,074 |
| 2000 | 26,637,640 |
| 2001 | 25,066,546 |
| 2002 | 24,615,383 |
| 2003 | 24,143,526 |
| 2004 | 23,319,650 |
| 2005 | 26,158,352 |
| 2006 | 25,555,566 |
| 2007 | 26,146,916 |
| 2008 | 26,072,321 |
| 2009 | 23,120,952 |
| 2010 | 19,007,620 |
| 2011 | 18,957,732 |
| 2012 | 17,553,120 |
Stops and stations
Most of SORTA's roughly 5,000 stops are simply marked with a sign on a pole listing routes the stop serves, and are fairly infrastructure-light. Several dozen stops include bus shelters and covered benches. Several suburban stops are park-and-rides. Government Square is the main transit station, located downtown near Fountain Square. SORTA owns and operates the Riverfront Transit Center though it's only used for a layover point for the Metro*Plus route. No passengers are allowed at this layover.
Fares
Currently, standard zone-1 fare is $1.75. Destinations outside the city of Cincinnati can cost between $2.65 and $4.25. Transfers are $0.50 extra; no charge next two uses within 2 hours. Day Passes are $4.50 within Zone 1 or $6.30 within Zone 2. No fare to kids under 35 inches (89 cm); limit 2 per fare-paying passenger.[9]
On April 30, 2007, SORTA began a partnership with the University of Cincinnati to provide free rides to its students, staff, and faculty. The partnership was scheduled to last for two years and the initial response to the offer had been positive.[10] Current policy requires students and faculty to purchase a special UC*Metro card, costing $53 and $160 per semester, respectively.[11] A similar offer is available to students at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and to Antonelli College students. Students can register for a free card which provide them with a $1 fare for any bus ride one direction. University of Cincinnati students and faculty are also eligible to choose this card instead of purchasing the other UC*METRO card.
Fleet
SORTA operates about 350 buses on fixed routes, and about 50 smaller vehicles as part of their demand responsive services. All vehicles in SORTA's fleet are ADA accessible. On average, vehicles in the fixed route fleet are 6.9 years old, and in the demand-responsive fleet 1.4 years. Vehicles in the fixed route fleet are rated, on average, for a capacity and 65 passengers, both sitting and standing. [12]
All fixed-route buses have a bike rack mounted on the front with room for two bicycles.
<templatestyles src="Template:Hidden begin/styles.css"/>
| Year | Manufacturer | Model | Fleet Numbers | Engine & Transmission | Fuel Type | Garage | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Gillig | Phantom | 947, 950-974 (26) |
|
Diesel | 947, 950-952 Bond Hill
953-974 Queensgate |
924-946, 948-949 are retired in 2015.
947 was retired, but was temporarily brought back to service. 940, 942, 944, & 948 were sent to Lextran in Lexington, KY |
|
| 2002 | Gillig | Phantom | 2100-2119, 2121-2125, 2127-2137 (36) |
|
Diesel | 2100-2119, 2121-2122 QG
2123-2125, 2128-2137 BH |
2120 ran into a tree, resulting in 1 death in 2012. Bus is retired.
2126 caught fire on the interstate on 2/28/14. Bus is retired |
|
| 2004 | Gillig | Phantom | 4000-4022 (23) |
|
Diesel | 4000-4008 BH
4009-4022 QG |
||
| 2006 | Gillig | Advantage | 6000-6002, 6004-6021, 6023-6039 (38) |
|
Diesel | Queensgate | 6003 retired and scrapped in 2015 due to accident.
6016 was reported retired, but it had an accident and was returned to service on 4/5/16. 6022 scrapped in 2010 for unknown reason. |
|
| 2008 | Gillig | Advantage | 8000 (1) |
|
Diesel | Queensgate | ||
| 2008 | New Flyer | D40LF | 8001-8024 (24) |
|
Diesel | Queensgate | ||
| 2008–09 | New Flyer | DE40LF | 8025-8030 (6) |
|
Hybrid | Queensgate | ||
| 2009 | New Flyer | D40LF |
9000-9031, 9038-9067 (62) |
|
Diesel | 9000-9011, 9038-9052 BH
9012-9031, 9053-9067 QG |
||
| 2009 | New Flyer | D60LF | 9033-9037 (5) |
|
Diesel | Bond Hill | Used on routes 3/3X, and 78 Monday-Friday and route 43 on Saturdays.
9036 currently being refurbished by New Flyer due to engine fire on 10/12/15 |
|
| 2010 | New Flyer | DE40LF | 9068-9070 (3) |
|
Hybrid | Queensgate | ||
| 2010 | New Flyer | DE30LFR | 1001-1004 (4) |
|
Hybrid | Queensgate | The only transit company to order these before they were discontinued by New Flyer.
Used on Routes 1, 28 & 50. |
|
| 2011 | New Flyer | DE40LFR | 1101-1114 (14) |
|
Hybrid | 1101-1107 BH
1108-1114 QG |
1113 used on route 90 METRO*PLUS as a spare bus. | |
| 2011-12 | Gillig | Low Floor Standard | 1201-1245 (45) |
|
Diesel | 1201-1235 BH
1236-1245 QG |
1201 is a 2011 model. 1202-1245 are 2012 models. | |
| 2013 | Gillig | BRTPlus | 1301-1310 (10) |
|
Diesel | Queensgate | Used on route 90 METRO*PLUS | |
| 2013 | Gillig | Low Floor Standard | 1321-1343 (23) |
|
Diesel | 1321-1330 QG
1331-1343 BH |
||
| 2015 | Gillig | Low Floor Standard | 1501-1537 (37) |
|
Diesel | 1501-1525 BH
1526-1537 QG |
1526 currently wrapped for and only driven by "Operator of the Year" driver Orlando King.
1533-1537 are configured differently. They have Allison transmissions and include the kneeler on the door handle for easier access.[13] |
|
| 2016 | TBA | TBA | TBA | Diesel | Future order for 30 foot buses. Set to arrive in the summer. Manufacturer TBA soon. [14] | |||
| 2016 | TBA | TBA | TBA | Diesel | Future order for 40 foot buses. Set to arrive in the summer. Manufacturer TBA soon. Reported to be commuter styled buses.[15] |
Public relations
In 1993, SORTA began experimenting with the use of biodiesel. In 2001, SORTA operated about half of its bus fleet on a biodiesel blend. Since September 2005 (initially because of Hurricane Katrina), SORTA has continuously operated its buses with a biodiesel blend. In 2006, SORTA consumed almost 1.8 million gallons of biodiesel made from soybeans grown in Ohio.[16]
See also
- Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), serving Columbus, Ohio
- Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), serving Cleveland, Ohio
- Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (formerly the Miami Valley RTA), serving Dayton, Ohio
- Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK), serving Northern Kentucky
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.. University of Cincinnati.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.vapordoors.com/attachments/DDC_Brochure.pdf
- ↑ http://wvxu.org/post/leaders-metro-discuss-current-and-future-public-transportation-issues-and-new-initiatives
- ↑ http://wvxu.org/post/leaders-metro-discuss-current-and-future-public-transportation-issues-and-new-initiatives
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Go Metro, SORTA official website
