Metro meets Uber in Sharonville starting next week, as Cincinnati’s bus system launches the first test of its new curb-to-curb, $2-a-ride MetroNow service.
That means a roundtrip from, say, an address on the south side of Sharonville to a restaurant or store on the northern boundary would cost a total of $4. The lowest-cost fare on Uber or another ride-share service? Likely more than $20 – and that’s before a tip.
Bonus: MetroNow drivers can’t take tips.
The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority will start running MetroNow! vans in the Sharonville/Springdale area – each with room for eight passengers – this coming Monday. Service in Northgate/Mount Healthy will follow in mid-June. By year’s end, it will add service in Blue Ash/Evendale, Montfort Heights/Finneytown, Pleasant Run North and Bond Hill/Roselawn.
Four other zones will follow.
Previously called Mobility on Demand as it was being developed, the new service is part of SORTA’s Reinventing Metro plan, aimed at upgrading its overall services.
“Imagine the convenience of Uber or Lyft, but with the affordability of public transit!,” the Metro website exclaims.
The site’s FAQ explains how to order up a MetroNow ride and other key information. Officials will provide more detail Wednesday in a kick-off event.
As for curb-to-curb rides, those are real. But you’ll want to consider corner-to-corner, Metro says on its site.
“Corner-to-corner service means that the vehicle will pick you up at a nearby point within a short walk's distance from your current location and drop you off within walking distance of your destination," the web site notes. "This will usually be the fastest travel option,”
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