Metro is mulling over the possibility of moving its current Government Square transportation hub in downtown elsewhere, following the completion of a city council-commissioned study.
To complete the study, Metro officials are seeking bids from consultants, which are due Aug. 20.
The Riverfront Transit Center is nestled next to Paycor Stadium in The Banks. The site, which is at Plum Street and West Third Street, was built in 2003.
"There are two bus routes that do go through there and [it] has a layover as well," said Brandy Jones, chief communications and marketing officer for Metro. "And in the event of major events in our cities, such as BLINK or other large festivals ... there are times where the Riverfront Transit Center is activated to accommodate the large flow of individuals."
Democratic Cincinnati Councilman Jeff Cramerding said the Riverfront Transit Center is a named possibility, but consultants will be tasked with evaluating all possible relocation options.
"There's a lot of benefits, but there's also a lot of potential negatives," he said. "The benefit is that there is a transit center down at the riverfront that's currently under-utilized. It's very large. It could bring some different functionality. So the fact that there is that facility is of interest."
The Riverfront Transit Center has a capacity of 500 buses per hour and 20,000 riders, according to Metro.
Cramerding said it's hard to put a price tag on any potential plans, since the study has yet to get underway.
The consultant picked to lead the study will be tasked with conducting an independent study, evaluating if Government Square is "the ideal location" for Metro's downtown transit hub.
"Is this another destination in the downtown core that we should consider?" Jones said. "They'll look at a number of factors including cost, travel, impact on customer convenience and a number of other factors."
Jones said their is no tentative timeline for the study to be complete.
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