This Sunday, the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority will begin 24/7 Metro service on seven of its major routes. The union president doesn't think there are enough drivers to make it a reality. The bus company disagrees.
This new 24/7 Metro service is a part of the first phase of its Reinventing Metro plan. This was made possible with the passing of Issue 7 last spring. The additional 0.8% Hamilton County sales tax should provide about $100 million a year for the bus system plus another $30 million a year for road and bridge projects throughout the county.
Troy L. Miller, president and business agent of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 627, expressed his doubts about Metro's new venture.
"We don't have the people," Miller said. "I mean it's just everywhere you go right now there's not enough people."
Miller said the evidence of the shortage is the incentives Metro is offering to bring in new workers. The bus agency is offering paid training and up to a $1,000 signing bonus. Miller said bus operators are also wearing T-shirts, including the logos for Metro and the union, that tout the hiring benefits.
"If we're not hurting, then why are you giving out T-shirts (and) spending all this money?" Miller asked.
But Metro's Vice President of External Affairs Brandy Jones says otherwise.
"We actually do have enough operators to provide this 24-hour service as expected to roll out Sunday as a part of our Reinventing Metro plan," Jones said.
Metro provides bus services to Cincinnati Public School (CPS) students, which amounts to about 200 trips a day, Jones said. Once school for CPS students wraps up this week, all the drivers that were providing these 200 trips will work on the 24/7 routes.
Jones says Metro is actively hiring because it needs more drivers to accommodate for other enhancements in the Reinventing Metro plan.
The seven routes set to see the change to 24/7 service include:
- Route 4 serving Kenwood and Blue Ash via Montgomery Road.
- Route 11 serving Hyde Park, Oakley and Madisonville via Madison Road.
- Route 17 serving Mount Airy, Mount Healthy, Seven Hills and Northgate via Hamilton Avenue.
- Route 33 serving the Price Hills, Westwood via Glenway Avenue.
- Route 43 serving Mount Auburn, Avondale, Bond Hill and Roselawn via Reading Road.
- Route 51 crosstown from Glenway Crossing to Hyde Park.
- Route 78 serving Lincoln Heights, Woodlawn, Wyoming, Carthage.
In addition, these routes will see earlier and later service, according to a news release from Metro.
- Route 16 serving Camp Washington, Northside, Winton Place, Finneytown and Mount Healthy.
- Route 20 serving Northside, Winton Place, Finneytown, Greenhills, Forest Park and Springdale/Tri-County via Winton Road.
- Route 46 serving Avondale and Winton Hills.
Those interested in applying for a job at Metro can do so at https://www.go-metro.com/careers.
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