FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2007

WARREN COUNTY PROPOSES $3.25 FARE FOR KINGS ISLAND ROUTES
Effective date for the $1 fare increase not yet known

CINCINNATI - This morning, the Warren County Commissioners voted to increase the fare for the Rt. 71X Kings Island Express and Rt. 72 Kings Island service to $3.25 one-way. This is a $1 increase over the current $2.25 fare.

Metro operates Rt. 71X and Rt. 72 under contract with Warren County, City of Mason, Deerfield Township and Hamilton County (reverse-commute only). The funding partners pay the full cost of operating these routes and an administrative fee. The fares for these routes are set by the Warren County funding partners.

The fare increase will affect both commuters riding Rt. 71X from Warren County to jobs in downtown Cincinnati, as well as Cincinnati residents who ride the Rt. 72 reverse-commute service to jobs in Warren County including Kings Island.

The effective date of the fare increase is not yet known; the contract must still be approved by all funding partners.

Beginning in August 2006 Metro funded two additional weekday express trips to accommodate increased ridership, but continuation of these trips was dependent on available funding. Those two trips will also be cancelled under the terms of the new contract.

The new proposed Warren County contract will fund seven morning and seven afternoon express trips. The reverse-commute service will be unchanged.

Metro began the Rt. 71X and Rt. 72 service in 1996 as part of the I-71 construction project and the service has been funded by the Warren County funding partners since 1998. About 140,000 rides were provided on this service in 2006.

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

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