CINCINNATI — Those looking to attend BLINK now have a free way to do so without having to worry about finding or paying for parking.
What You Need To Know
- Metro and TANK will offer free bus service each night of BLINK (Oct. 13-16)
- There are four park-and-ride locations planned, including one at Northern Kentucky University
- A goal of the promotion is to help cut down on traffic congestion during BLINK, a pedestrian-friendly event
On Friday, the organizers of the light-and-art festival announced a new partnership with Metro and TANK that will provide fare-free bus rides and direct access to the festival through a “park-and-ride” setup. A park-and-ride is when a person parks their car at a designated lot and gets taken by bus to their destination. They are then transported back to that lot at the end of the event.
BLINK takes place Thursday, Oct. 13 through Sunday, Oct. 16. The fare-free rides will start beginning at 6 p.m. each night.
“Offering a cost-effective and efficient option to attend the event was a huge priority for BLINK 2022,” said Justin Brookhart, executive director of BLINK. “Our amazing transit agencies providing free rides will enhance the BLINK experience for attendees from across the region.”
Beyond looking to make the event more accessible, the promotion will also aim to cut down on more than a few traffic jams on both sides of the river.
BLINK activates more than 30 city blocks in downtown Cincinnati and Covington, Ky., with art installations, displays and other activations.
In 2019, more than 1.3 million people attended over the course of the four-day event. A similar number of attendees is expected this year.
As of Friday, neither the City of Cincinnati nor the City of Covington had released specific traffic information for BLINK.
Direct routes to BLINK will be available via four park-and-ride locations a few miles from downtown Cincinnati and Covington, respectively. Northern Kentucky University is the only site south of the Ohio River.
Those using the park-and-ride sites will board a bus that will drop attendees off at the Riverfront Transit Center for both Metro and TANK. TANK will also offer service to the Covington Transit Center in Northern Kentucky.
Specific details about operations for Metro and TANK during BLINK are outlined below.
“BLINK is best enjoyed as a pedestrian, which is why we found it essential to offer free rides to everyone, so those that want to attend can enjoy this incredible event in the way it was meant to be seen,” said Gina Douthat, interim general manager, which serves Northern Kentucky.
For Darryl Haley, Metro’s CEO and general manager, the event is an opportunity to showcase improvements being made to bus service throughout Hamilton County and other parts of the region.
Both Metro and TANK plan to host giveaways and promotions throughout the festival.
“(The BLINK promotion) allows us the opportunity to show the public all the exciting improvements we’ve made through the Reinventing Metro plan and how easy it is to go Metro to connect not just to jobs, education and health care, but our region’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene,” Haley said.
Metro park and ride locations and other details
Cincinnati State and Technical College (3520 Central Pkwy.)
Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education (2651 Burnet Ave.)
- UC Digital Futures Building (3044 Reading Rd.)
- Because of street closures, Government Square will close nightly at 6:15 p.m. Any customers waiting at Government Square at 6:15 will be shuttled to the Regional Transit Center.
- Plans call for the area to re-open nightly at 12:30 a.m.
- The Government Square information booth will be staffed from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. nightly during the event.
TANK park-and-ride locations and other details
Park-and-ride at Northern Kentucky University (Lots K, L, M)
Service begins each night at NKU at 6 p.m. The last trip from NKU to Covington is 9 p.m.
Beginning at 9 p.m. each night, buses will only travel from the Covington Transit Center and drop off at NKU
Buses will operate from the Covington Transit Center back to the park and ride for drop offs until 11 p.m. each night
Southbank Shuttle from the Covington Transit Center to the Riverfront Transit Center in Cincinnati for anyone wanting to experience BLINK on both sides of the river
Most local TANK service will operate as scheduled after 6 p.m. each night
No on-street service will be available in Cincinnati by TANK after 6 p.m. throughout BLINK