Cincinnati Metro proposes extending Route 50 to serve North Bend and Hooven; seeks local buy‑in

Cincinnati Metro presented a short‑range transit proposal to North Bend council on April 27 that would extend Route 50 west from Addison to the Kroger in Hooven, serving North Bend, Cleves and parts of Whitewater Township.

"We are following through on the promises that we made with Issue 7 to expand bus service," said Nick Keeling, a transportation planner with Cincinnati Metro, describing the agency's post‑Issue 7 expansion and a target window around 2028 for the proposed changes.

Keeling said planners proposed midday and expanded evening trips on Route 50 at roughly the existing commuter frequency (about every 45–50 minutes) but with a longer service span so residents could use transit for grocery shopping and school trips. The extension would also expand the geographic envelope eligible for Metro's paratransit "access" service and make jurisdictions eligible to apply for Metro Transit Infrastructure Fund (MTIF) grants that help pay for sidewalks, ADA pads and other stop improvements.

Planners emphasized that the alignment shown was preliminary and conditional on local buy‑in. Operational constraints flagged by Metro include tight turns (notably at Cooper and Miami), safety concerns for left turns onto Miami Avenue, and union driver limits on certain maneuvers; the agency said those issues must be resolved before implementation. Metro staff also noted roundabout navigation and potential stop siting as items requiring field surveys and property‑owner conversations.

Local officials raised concerns about heavy commercial truck traffic and existing pavement conditions on US 50, questioned stop locations and called for careful stop siting and driver‑safety reviews. Metro said routing through North Bend would not create a direct cost to the village and that the agency prefers to secure jurisdictional and property‑owner support (including from Kroger) before finalizing alignment.

Why it matters: The proposal would extend fixed‑route transit farther west than current service, increasing travel options for residents who are transit‑dependent, older adults and students, and giving North Bend access to MTIF matching funds for sidewalks and stop improvements.

Next steps: Metro requested feedback from council and local residents, plans follow‑up meetings with neighboring jurisdictions and school districts, and said it will not move forward without buy‑in and solutions to the safety constraints the drivers and union have identified.