FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2007

UNIVERSITY, STUDENT FEES TO FUND NEW UC*METRO PROGRAM
UC students, faculty, staff ride free beginning Monday, April 30

CINCINNATI - Beginning Monday, April 30, all University of Cincinnati students, faculty and staff can show their UC photo ID cards to ride free on any Metro bus, thanks to funding from the university and UC student government.

The UC*Metro Program is intended to lessen traffic congestion in the uptown area, free up valuable parking on and near campus, and reduce transportation costs for students. The program provides free rides on any Metro route, any time, for all UC students and employees on all UC campuses.

The two-year program is funded equally by UC administration and UC student government, which is using designated student transportation fees for its portion. The total two-year cost is just under $300,000; the first year cost is $150,000.

The program also includes the following, to be implemented during the contract:

• Three new Metro shelters at key main campus bus stops, similar in design to Metro's Government Square shelters downtown
• 32 solar-powered lighted bus stops to enhance visibility and security
• Internship in planning or other area

Metro's objective in the program is to boost ridership by filling unused seats during non-rush-hour times. Special services to Riverfest, Oktoberfest, Bengals are not included in the program.

Nine Metro routes serve the UC's main campus and uptown area:

Route #: Serving these communities:

• Rt. 17 Seven Hills, Mt. Healthy, Northgate, Mt. Airy, North College Hill, College Hill, Northside
• Rt. 18 Northgate, White Oak, Monfort Heights, Mt. Airy
• Rt. 19 Colerain Ave. corridor from Northgate
• Rt. 24 Anderson Township, Mt. Washington, Mt. Lookout, Hyde Park
• Rt. 31 Evanston, Walnut Hills, West End, Lower Price Hill
• Rt. 39 Western Hills Plaza, Cheviot, Westwood
• Rt. 51 Oakley, Hyde Park, Norwood, Evanston, Avondale
• Rt. 75X Amelia, Cherry Grove, Anderson Township
• Rt. 78 Tri-County, Springdale, Lincoln Heights, Woodlawn, Lockland, Wyoming, Hartwell, Elmwood Place, Bond Hill, St. Bernard

"Students can hop on and off Metro buses for short trips around campus or commute from home," said Mike Setzer, Metro's CEO. "We are delighted to partner with UC and its student government and we’re anticipating a very successful program."

In 2005, UC and Metro partnered to offer a six-week pilot program to assess possible impact of a free-ride program. During the pilot, UC-related ridership tripled, from 4,000 rides the first week to more than 12,000 rides in the final week.

For bus schedules and complete information, call Metro at 621-4455, weekday 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or visit www.uc.edu or www.go-metro.com.

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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