FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 5, 2007

METRO'S I-71 "BUS-ON-SHOULDER" PROJECT OFF TO A GREAT START
Safe operation, frequent use, time savings for commuters

CINCINNATI - From late July to the end of October, Metro buses used the I-71 left shoulder lane between Kenwood and Kings Island almost 400 times during morning and afternoon rush hours and commuters on-board approve.

Of the 204 Rt. 71X/72 commuters who completed a recent survey, 94% have ridden on a bus that used the shoulder lane. Customers were very positive about the project:

• 99% felt safe using the shoulder lane
• 98.9% felt that they arrived faster because of the shoulder lane
• 96.2% would recommend Metro to others because of the shoulder lane

There have been no accidents related to the Bus-on-Shoulder project and no problems with buses merging back into traffic.

Project partners include Metro, the Ohio Department of Transportation, ARTIMIS and the Federal Highway Administration. The goals of the one-year pilot project are to reduce traffic by encouraging the use of Metro as a faster alternative and to fully utilize the capacity of the highway system.

How it works: The 11.7-mile Bus-on-Shoulder corridor includes I-71 northbound and southbound between Kenwood Road and Western Row Road. The 12-ft.-wide shoulder lane is used when traffic slows below 30 mph. Buses are not permitted to go more than 15 mph faster than the speed of the highway traffic. Buses are not allowed to exceed 35 mph on the shoulder.

Only Metro buses and emergency vehicles are permitted to use the shoulder; buses yield to emergency vehicles. Metro bus operators who drive I-71 routes are trained to safely use the shoulders.

ARTIMIS provides a direct fiber-optic feed with real-time camera images to Metro’s radio control center to monitor traffic in the area.

Project background: Metro and the project partners worked for more than a year on the development of the Bus-on-Shoulder project, which required approval from both ODOT and the Federal Highway Administration.

"This is a true multi-modal strategy for reducing congestion and increasing safety on our highways," said Hans Jindal, ODOT District 8 deputy director. "We cannot build our way out of congestion, we must find creative ways to utilize the full capacity of our highway system and work to incorporate multi-modal solutions into our highway projects."

"No one wants to sit in traffic. By using the shoulder lane, Metro gets commuters to work and home faster than driving," said Mike Setzer, Metro's CEO. "That's a real-time advantage that we believe will attract more people to transit. We're grateful to ODOT for its leadership in making this innovative project happen, and to all of our partners for their support."

Metro's one-year pilot project was modeled after successful programs in Minneapolis and other cities. However, this is the first use of the left shoulder.

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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