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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 15, 2006

METRO HOLDS OPEN HOUSE ON DOWNTOWN ROUTE CHANGES

CINCINNATI --When Government Square reopens later this summer, more Metro service will be consolidated at Government Square and peripheral Government Square bus stops on Walnut, Fifth and Main streets.

The following routes will change when Government Square reopens:

• Downtown routing changes: Rt. 12X (p.m. only), 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 33, 44X, 46, 75X (a.m. only to UC), 77X
• Government Square peripheral bus stop assignments: Rt. 2X (a.m. only), 3X (a.m. only), 6, 10, 32, 40X, 66, 67, 30X, 75X
• Government Square main square shelter assignments: Rt. 11, 12X (a.m. only), 24, 39, 43, 45, 47, 69, 71X, 72

The following routes will return to their pre-construction bus routing and bus stops when Government Square reopens with NO downtown routing or bus stop changes: Rt. 1, 2X (p.m. only), 3X (p.m. only), 4, 15X, 16, 22X, 23X, 25X, 27, 28, 28X, 42X, 49, 50, 52X, 62X, 64, 74X, 76X, 78, 81X, 82X, 85.

Most of the changes are related to how buses enter or exit downtown. Some routes have not used Government Square in the past and will require new downtown routing. The Rt. 17, 18, and 19 will be removed from Sixth & Vine and routed through Government Square for easier transfers between routes. These routes will exit downtown using Main Street instead of Vine.

Rt. 17, 18, and 19 also serve the UC area and this change will provide a new connection between UC and Main Street in Over-the-Rhine.

In conjunction with these changes, the Rt. 46 will be moved from Main Street back to Vine Street. The changes will help ease traffic congestion during rush-hour on the two-way segment of Vine Street and help balance service between Main and Vine.

Metro will hold an open house on Thursday, May 25, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Huenefeld Tower Room, 800 Vine Street, to provide information and solicit public comments about the Government Square routing and bus stop changes. The public may come anytime during the open house to talk with Metro representatives.

Comments may also be submitted by May 25, 2006, on e-mail at info@go-metro.com, or in writing to Metro, 1014 Vine Street, Suite 2000, Cincinnati, OH 45202.

For more information, call MetroCenter at (513) 621-4455 or visit www.go-metro.com.

Metro is a nonprofit public service of Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, providing about 22 million rides per year in Greater Cincinnati.

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