CINCINNATI — Cincinnatians will soon get to participate in test runs of Metro's new Lyft-like, on-demand ride service program.
The public transportation system plans to roll out pilot testing of the MetroNow! program in late May, according to a spokesperson with Metro. The first pilot will test service zones in the Springdale area and in the Northgate/Mt. Healthy areas.
"These two zones were prioritized due to Springdale's need for improved access to healthcare and the potential in Northgate to connect more area residents to our major service routes along Colerain Avenue," reads Metro's website about the MetroNow! program.
The program aims to create a new public transportation system outside of the city's current two types of bus services, which currently offer bus routes with predetermined stops and on-demand shared-ride paratransit service for people with disabilities that prevent them from using the fixed-route buses.
As a result, MetroNow! will allow public transit to reach more people in neighborhoods that could be tricky for a full-sized Metro bus to navigate, according to a tweet from Cincinnati Metro. The 40-foot-long buses can't reach narrower Cincinnati roads — particularly those tighter ones with parking on each side.
The program is also designed to offer rides that connect residents more effectively to routine locations like their local grocery stores, pharmacies or physicians appointments at the same cost of a Metro bus ride.
Training for drivers will be completed before the pilot starts, so customers in the pilot neighborhoods will be able to utilize the new program when testing begins.
That pilot will run for several months before any additional zones are rolled out for testing; a Metro spokesperson said the public transportation department is aiming for the fourth quarter in 2023 for more neighborhood roll-outs.
But it's important to remember that with exciting, new programs comes plenty of bumps in the road to start — so customers may see some refining happening throughout the pilot tests.
"Like with any new transit service, there are numerous variables a pilot period allows us to test and refine for a larger service launch, including the logistical, technological and operational best practices (i.e. staging of vehicles, rotation of vehicles, use of software, etc.) as well as a more nuanced, precise understanding of customer need and demand, to name a few," said Brandy Jones, senior vice president of external affairs at Metro, in an email.
Below are planned zones MetroNow! will pilot test in the coming year:
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