CINCINNATI — Hamilton County leaders announced on Tuesday a new partnership between Metro, the county and the Veterans Service Commission. They hope to make it easier for veterans to get to doctor's appointments and the VA by letting them ride the bus for free.
"We want the more than 40,000 veterans in Hamilton County to be able to have access to jobs, to health care, to education," said Darryl Haley, CEO of Metro.
That's why Metro has offered half-off bus fares for veterans since 2020 with its MVP card. Now, veterans can get a day pass for free trips to and from doctor's appointments or the VA.
"So they’re not afraid whether they can ride a bus to their appointments or not," VSC Commissioner Steven Staniford said. "We don’t want that."
The announcement comes after WCPO 9 News anchor Craig McKee spent months investigating veterans' concerns — including the VSC's lack of spending in the county — and brought them to local officials.
"I think Craig McKee reported on some of what was going on with the VSC. We know we can do better. I think we all acknowledge that and said to ourselves what can we do," Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus said.
County leaders said Tuesday's announcement is just one of the solutions they're working on.
Staniford said in the 2025 budget, the VSC is proposing funding for vans to pick veterans up at their homes and bring them to appointments. Plus, Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehause said after Mckee's reporting, veterans started coming to meetings and sharing their concerns.
“They talked about transportation and access. OK, let’s make those rides for free," she said. "They talked about the board and more representation. We’re working with folks at the state level to try to figure that out. They talked about having more public-facing events."
Officials also announced the first Veterans Appreciation Day. The event is set to take place July 20 at Great American Ballpark. McKee will be one of the emcees for the event. Officials said there would be food, activities and all of the county's veteran resources in one place.
The event is free, but officials are asking veterans to register here.
