CINCINNATI — With gas prices still hovering around $5, Metro will offer free bus rides on weekends this summer to offer motorists some “relief at the pump.”

The promotion will be in place through Labor Day weekend (Sunday, Sept. 4). The free rides will be available on Saturdays and Sundays.

The goal is to ensure “the community has an affordable and convenient alternative to driving to their favorite, local weekend destinations,” according to a release from Metro. 

Metro runs fare-free promotions throughout the year to help increase ridership. In the past, promotions have coincided with holidays like Election Day or a local celebration like the Cincinnati Bengals making the Super Bowl.

Recently, the bus provider has focused on gas prices. The national average is $4.84, almost $2 more than last year.

In March, Metro made buses free to ride from Sunday, March 20, through Saturday, March 26 to help motorists deal with “sticker shock” at the gas pump. Gas prices had just shot up by about $0.60 in the previous two weeks.

Metro deemed the program a success. Average weekday ridership was 44,358 during fare-free week, a 26% increase compared to the previous month, per data from the transit agency.

Though less dramatic, weekend ridership during the promotion was up as well. On Saturday, there were 20,709 rides and on Sunday 16,517, both of which exceeded pre-pandemic weekend averages from March 2019.

Overall, the week’s figures represented a 50% increase in ridership over the same time last year. 

“We saw such a positive response to our fare-free week in the spring following the initial spike in gas prices,” said Darryl Haley, Metro’s CEO and general manager. “As those costs continue to rise into summer, we want to make sure everyone knows Metro is not only a cost-effective way to connect to their destinations, but, with our recent service improvements, it’s now more convenient than ever.”

The improvements Haley alluded to are part of the Reinventing Metro plan, a series of innovations that aim to better connect the region to jobs, education, health care and entertainment.

Some enhancements already in effect include 24-hour service on seven routes and two new crosstown routes. Several routes have also seen new weekend service, besides increased frequency and span of service hours on most weekend routes. 

New buses now include free Wi-Fi and charging ports at each seat.

On days when fare isn’t free, Metro bus rides cost $2 a trip or $4 for an unlimited day pass.

Metro is a nonprofit, tax-funded public service of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority. Metro builds free-fare days into its marketing budget. 

Metro serves Hamilton County communities but provides commuter routes from Clermont, Butler and Warren counties into Cincinnati.

Those looking for more about Metro can visit go-metro.com. The free Transit app allows a bus rider to pay their fare and track their bus in real-time.