Cincinnati City Council and Metro are commissioning a study from consultants to evaluate the best location for the city’s primary downtown bus stop.
One potential location is the Riverfront Transit Center (RTC), which is located in The Banks neighborhood near Paycor Stadium on Plum Street and West Third Street.
According to Metro, RTC can “accommodate large numbers of charter, school and transit buses serving riverfront venues and activities.” The center has a capacity of 20 buses at one time, and can transport up to 20,000 passengers per hour.
Metro is currently collecting bids from consultants for the study. In the study, Metro is hoping to assess the possibilities of relocating the transportation hub to RTC, choosing another new location or relocating only Stop D from Government Square. The study will compile data on ridership, pedestrian access, impacts to travel time and other important factors.
While it’s not stated in the project documents, the potential relocation may be linked to crime near the Government Square location.
Ken Kober, president of the Federal Order of Police union, previously emphasized to CityBeat that serious illegal activity is a problem at Government Square.
“There were 103 arrests that occurred at Government Square in 2023: 10 guns recovered, 62 offense reports, two homicides, five felonious assaults, shootings, seven robberies,” Kober said. “This has become a very, very violent area. Metro has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into paying for outside employment for police officers to be there to combat these very crimes that are being committed.”
Kober’s comments came after the release of a viral arrest video at the Government Square bus stop. The video depicts a CPD officer tasing a man sitting at the bus stop, and another officer pointing a gun near the direction of the man recording, sparking backlash online.
As of now, the timeline and price tag for the project are unknown. Consultant proposals are due by Aug. 20.
This article appears in Aug 7-20, 2024.