Red Bike and Metro have integrated the regional bike-share service into the Transit App, giving riders a single tool to plan trips that combine cycling and bus service across the Cincinnati area.
The partnership, announced Wednesday, lets users connect their Red Bike accounts within the Transit App to check out bikes, locate nearby docking stations, verify bike availability, and view real-time Metro bus arrivals — without switching between applications. Riders can also purchase Red Bike passes directly through the app.
“With Red Bike and Metro working in tandem, we’re creating a more connected and convenient transit experience,” said Doug McClintock, Red Bike executive director.
The integration targets what transit planners call the first- and last-mile problem — the distance between a transit stop and a rider’s actual origin or destination, which frequently deters people from using public transportation. By surfacing bike-share options alongside bus routes, the agencies say riders will have an easier time completing full trips without a car.
“By integrating Red Bike into the Transit App, we’re helping riders bridge the first and last mile and making the entire trip easier and more accessible,” said Brandy Jones, chief communications and marketing officer at Metro.
Both agencies have reported ridership growth in recent years. Metro serves the Greater Cincinnati region with fixed-route bus service, while Red Bike operates docking stations across Cincinnati, Covington and Newport.
The Transit App, a third-party platform used by transit agencies across North America, already aggregates real-time arrival data for hundreds of systems. The Red Bike integration extends its functionality to include bike-share trip planning within the same interface riders use to track bus departures.