CINCINNATI – Metro is providing free bus service along the CB Connector route to supplement suspended streetcar service in the Central Business District. 

Streetcar service in downtown has been on pause since Sunday, June 12, when the roof of a 110-year-old six-story brick building collapsed, prompting the emergency closure of Main Street between Central Parkway and 12th Street. 

The streetcar station stop adjacent to the collapsed building also was closed due to its proximity. 

“We know the closure of the streetcar’s downtown loop has been very disruptive to our passengers and we apologize for the inconvenience,” said Matthew Hulme, interim streetcar director. “We are thankful that our partnership with Metro allows us to continue to serve streetcar passengers by bus in the CBD while Main Street is closed.”

This type of so-called bus bridge service is commonplace for rail transit systems that need to temporarily discontinue normal operations, Hulme added. 

Meanwhile, streetcar service continues uninterrupted in Over-the-Rhine. The downtown loop between Central Parkway and The Banks will remain suspended until City of Cincinnati officials determine it is safe to reopen Main Street.

Demolition of the former Davis Furniture building is underway. It is expected to take at least another two weeks, possibly longer. The City will share updates via email and Twitter @RoadmapCincy as demolition progresses. 

The date for reopening this block of Main Street also may be affected by the status of a second companion building immediately adjacent to the one being torn down. 

How Bus Bridge Will Work
Two Metro buses will travel nearly the same route as the streetcar alignment to serve passengers who would otherwise use the Cincinnati Bell Connector. 

Service will match the streetcar’s normal schedule, arriving about every 15 minutes.

Passengers traveling only in OTR may use the streetcar as normal. Those who wish to travel south of Washington Park into downtown or from downtown into OTR should use the bus bridge instead of the streetcar.

The bus bridge stops will be located at existing Metro bus stops but will be clearly marked with additional signage to guide streetcar patrons. 

In addition to directional signage at streetcar stations and their counterpart bus bridge locations, the buses will display a digital destination similar to a typical streetcar:  “Route 100: OTR/The Banks” 

The map below shows the locations of the temporary bus bridge stops. 

Most of the bus bridge pickup and drop-off locations are immediately adjacent to the streetcar’s 18 station stops. 

Streetcar Ridership Records
Prior to this service disruption, the streetcar had been hitting record ridership levels every month since November. Passenger counts were continuing to increase this month, with average daily ridership at 2,812 for the first 11 days of June, up from 2,600 in May. By comparison, the average daily ridership during the first 11 days of the best June on record was 2,286 in 2017.

Read more about the streetcar.