Cincinnati Metro announced on April 14 a $6.5 million initiative to upgrade bus stops across the county, in partnership with the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP).
The project aims to improve accessibility and visibility at more than 3,700 bus stops over the next two years. The first new stop was unveiled on April 9 at Clifton Avenue and Clifton Court near the DAAP building. The upgrades include larger route numbers, a redesigned layout, reflective materials for nighttime visibility, QR codes for real-time tracking information, and braille text for visually impaired riders.
Additional improvements such as new benches, shelters, and real-time updates will be installed at hundreds of locations throughout the county. Local media have reported that these changes are designed to make signs easier to read from a distance.
“Students come to DAAP here at UC because they want to use their creativity and their imagination to change the world, to make it a better place,” said DAAP Dean Stephanie Pilat on WVXU. “This partnership with Metro has given them the opportunity to do that in ways they can point to all over the city and say, ‘I had a part in that.'”
The project is led by Muhammad Rahman from UC’s School of Design with contributions from students Micah Shannon and Hoang Xuan Nam Anh. They collaborated closely with Metro employees as well as faculty members Danilo Palazzo and Vikas Mehta from UC’s School of Planning.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first upgraded stop, Dean Pilat was joined by Metro Board Chair Blake Ethridge, Metro CEO Andy Aiello, U.S. Representative Greg Landsman and Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece.
