Author: jkammes

Football fans! TANK We will now be offering Game Day shuttle service, picking up from all of our Southbank stops, and dropping you off right inside the Riverfront Transit Center – directly across from Paycor stadium!

Just look for the buses that say Paycor Stadium on the head sign!

Game Day service begins 2 hours before game time and will run for 1 hour after the game ends…and it’s still just $1 a ride. Skip the expensive parking and traffic and let us get you to the game with ease!

View the Southbank schedule HERE

Riverfest Park & Ride Shuttle service is returning this year! Catch a ride on Sunday, September 3rd for just $6 round trip (cash only)! Parking will be at NKU in lots K, L, and M with shuttles running from 4-7PM to get you down to the festivities.

Please no coolers, tents, etc. You can bring a foldable chair in a bag; it must fit within your bus seat space.

Return service to NKU will begin once the fireworks end, customers are encouraged to get back to the bus pickup location as quickly as possible. Supervisors will be onsite to assist customers with boarding and will ensure all passengers make it back to NKU. See you at Riverfest!

Exciting changes are coming for Northern Kentucky residents, that will help them better connect to CVG using public transit with TANK.

Starting August 12th, getting to the Airport will be a lot easier for NKY residents. TANK’s 2X Airporter route currently connects downtown Cincinnati to CVG, and runs every 30 minutes, from 4am-1am, 7 days a week. When TANK service adjustments take effect in August, this route will be extended south to terminate at the Florence Hub transit center on Mall Rd. and will have intermediate stops on Turfway Rd. at the Houston Rd. interchange.

People living along the Dixie Highway corridor (Florence, Elsmere, Erlanger, Crestview Hills, Lakeside Park, Ft. Mitchell) will now be able to get to the Airport in about half the amount of time it takes today. Just catch a #1 or #42X to the Florence Hub to transfer to the 2X.

Today, it can take up to 2 hours for residents of Boone County looking to get to CVG, as they must take their local bus into downtown Cincinnati in order to take the 2X to the airport. This new connection in Florence was one of the most requested comments from TANK’s 2020 System Redesign Plan, and thanks to the completion of Wendell Ford Blvd., it is now possible. View the new schedule HERE

25-year TANK veteran to lead transit agency into the future.

Ft. Wright, KY– The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) is pleased to announce the selection of Gina Douthat to the role of General Manager, effective immediately. 

Douthat has held various positions with TANK since 1997, most recently as Deputy General Manager and Director of Communications and Development. 

During her time at TANK, Douthat has provided oversight to areas including marketing and communications, planning, IT and customer service.

“I am honored by the faith the TANK Board of Directors has placed in me and am excited to jump in and begin the work to determine priorities and lead this organization.  I believe in our mission to provide exceptional transit services to the people of Northern Kentucky, and I am grateful for the opportunity to build on our strong foundation and continue to serve the community,” said Douthat.

Scott Guenther, partner at Adams Law and current chair of TANK’s Board of Directors, stated, “TANK has an excellent culture that has enabled it to successfully navigate many recent challenges, including the COVID pandemic and an expansive system redesign.  In her role as Deputy General Manager, Ms. Douthat has been a huge part of those successes.  TANK’s Board of Directors believes that Ms. Douthat’s qualifications, vast experience in public transit, and unique skill set make her the perfect candidate to maintain the positive momentum TANK has and to make TANK an even better organization moving forward.”

Douthat replaces Andrew Aiello as General Manager.  She has served as Interim General Manager since August when Aiello resigned to join the Executive team at Cincinnati Metro.

Are you ready for BLINK? Familiarize yourself with our shuttle hours and parking lots to make your experience easy and fun!

Beginning at 6 p.m. all TANK service – including direct bus service for BLINK- will be free of charge.

Park & Ride at Northern Kentucky University (Lots K, L, M).

·      TANK will have promotional giveaways, drawings, refreshments, and fun at NKU as people wait for their bus to leave. 

·      Service begins each night at NKU at 6 p.m. Last trip from NKU to Covington is at 9 p.m.

·      Bus makes no stops in between and goes straight to the Covington Transit Center.

·      Beginning at 9 p.m. each night, buses will ONLY travel from the Covington Transit Center and drop off at NKU (no pick-ups).

·      Buses will operate from the Covington Transit Center back to the park and ride for drop offs until 11 p.m. each night.

Southbank Shuttle from the Covington Transit Center to the Riverfront Transit Center in Cincinnati for anyone wanting to experience BLINK on both sides of the river.

Metro & TANK Offering Free Rides to BLINK®

Metro, TANK and BLINK® Announce New Partnership for 2022

Cincinnati, OH (September 30, 2022) – Earlier today, leadership from Metro, TANK, and BLINK® announced a new partnership that will provide fare-free rides and direct access from Park and Ride locations to this year’s immersive art experience. In 2019, BLINK, illuminated by ArtsWave, attracted 1.3M people to downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky – a similar number of attendees is expected for this year’s iteration.

“Offering a cost-effective and efficient option to attend the event was a huge priority for BLINK 2022,” said Justin Brookhart, Executive Director of BLINK. “Our amazing transit agencies providing free rides will enhance the BLINK experience for attendees from across the region.” 

Metro and Tank will offer fare-free rides beginning at 6 p.m. on October 13-16. All rides on both transportation networks, including direct routes to BLINK, will be free. Direct routes to BLINK will be available via four Park and Ride locations. These Park and Ride locations will drop attendees off at the Riverfront Transit Center for both Metro and TANK. TANK will also offer service to the Covington Transit Center.

The four Park and Rides will be located at:

·      Cincinnati State

·      Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education

·      UC Digital Futures Building

·      Northern Kentucky University

“We’re beyond thrilled for BLINK’s return this year!” said Metro CEO and General Manager Darryl Haley. “Not only is it one of the premiere art events in the country, but it also allows us the opportunity to show the public all the exciting improvements we’ve made through the Reinventing Metro plan and how easy it is to go Metro to connect not just to jobs, education and health care, but our region’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene, as well.”

“TANK is excited for the return of BLINK and our partnership to once again provide shuttle service to this amazing art experience for the people in our communities,” said TANK interim General Manager Gina Douthat. “BLINK is best enjoyed as a pedestrian, which is why we found it essential to offer free rides to everyone, so those that want to attend can enjoy this incredible event in the way it was meant to be seen.”

Full Details for TANK:

Beginning at 6 p.m. all TANK service – including direct bus service for BLINK- will be free of charge.

Park & Ride at Northern Kentucky University (Lots K, L, M).

·      TANK will have promotional giveaways, drawings, refreshments, and fun at NKU as people wait for their bus to leave. 

·      Service begins each night at NKU at 6 p.m. Last trip from NKU to Covington is at 9 p.m.

·      Bus makes no stops in between and goes straight to the Covington Transit Center.

·      Beginning at 9 p.m. each night, buses will ONLY travel from the Covington Transit Center and drop off at NKU (no pick-ups).

·      Buses will operate from the Covington Transit Center back to the park and ride for drop offs until 11 p.m. each night.

Southbank Shuttle from the Covington Transit Center to the Riverfront Transit Center in Cincinnati for anyone wanting to experience BLINK on both sides of the river.

TANK staff will be on-hand at Northern Kentucky University, the Riverfront Transit Center and the Covington Transit Center to assist with information, wayfinding and general help.

All local TANK service will operate as scheduled, with this exception– Bus service in Cincinnati will be limited after 6 p.m. and will only operate to the Riverfront Transit Center after 6 p.m.  No “on street” service will be provided in Cincinnati by TANK after 6 p.m. for the duration of the BLINK event.

Full Details for Metro:

All Metro rides will operate fare-free after 6 p.m. all days of BLINK.

Metro Park & Ride locations (all drop off at the Riverfront Transit Center):

·      Cincinnati State (3520 Central Parkway)

·      CPS Board of Education (2651 Burnet Ave.)

·      UC Digital Futures Building (3044 Reading Rd.)

Anyone who registers a new Transit with EZ Fare account (through the Transit app) during the 4-day event or uses the Transit app during the day to purchase Metro fare is entered to win a raffle prize from Metro.

All Transit users who use the app between Thurs. and Sun. – new and existing – to purchase Metro fare will be gifted a free Metro 24-hour pass through the app (gifted through the app, after the event on 10/17).

Due to street closures, Govt. Sq. will close nightly at 6:15 p.m. Any customers waiting at Gov. Sq. at 6:15 will be shuttled to the Regional Transit Center. Government Square will re-open nightly at 12:30 a.m. (subject to streets re-opening).

The Government Square information booth will be staffed from 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. nightly during the event.

Metro Customer Care Center (513-621-4455) will remain open until midnight nightly during the event.

FTA AWARDS TANK $3.1 MILLION GRANT FOR LOW-EMISSION BUSES

The award is part of a $1.66 billion award to transit systems across the country, funded by
the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will provide TANK necessary funds to purchase new
buses powered by hybrid-electricity.

The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) is pleased to announce
the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will award the agency $3.1 million in grant funds to
purchase hybrid-electric buses, as TANK replaces aging transit buses through an ongoing
fleet replacement program.

“TANK’s mission is to provide safe, reliable transit services to the people of Northern
Kentucky, while keeping abreast of technology and working to use resources in a
responsible way,” said TANK Interim General Manager Gina Douthat. “Federal funds like
these are critical in driving that mission and allowing us to continue to provide reliable and
sustainable public transportation to our community.”

The grant comes from the FTA’s Low-No program, designed to replace traditional diesel
buses with low and no emission vehicles.

This grant will provide gap funding to allow portions of TANK’s next two diesel bus orders
(14 buses) to be upgraded to hybrid-electric buses. A new bus costs approximately
$500,000 for standard diesel buses and up to nearly $800,000 for hybrid-electric buses.
TANK currently has 100 buses in its fleet; 23 of them are hybrid-electric. This funding
provides the direct benefit of introducing more fuel-efficiency into the fleet while at the same
time reducing the number of buses in circulation past their useful life

TANK’s Southbank Shuttle Trolley is back! Beginning on Saturday, August 20th, the trolley buses will once again be “clang-clanging” their way through the riverfront cities of Covington, Newport and downtown Cincinnati.

In March 2020, COVID impacts forced the temporary halt of service, with operator resources a primary challenge, even after pandemic restrictions eased. After a more than two-year hiatus, TANK has brought staffing to the levels needed to bring the Trolley service back.

TANK Statement, Gina Douthat, spokesperson: “TANK’s trolleys will be back in business on August 20, just in time for the end of summer and fall fun in the riverfront cities, including Blink in October. We are very excited to bring this frequent and easy to use service back – for the hotels, entertainment venues and tourists, the Shuttle is a great way for people that don’t want to fuss with driving, navigating, and parking to enjoy all that our riverfront and downtown areas have to offer. It’s time to bring people back to our riverfront and downtown destinations!” Look for fun promotions this fall! Click HERE for the route map.

Service Characteristics:
Every 15 minutes
Weekday: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Weekend: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Winter Hours (November – March)
Weekday: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Weekend: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For a supply of maps for your business/group or additional information about TANK or the Southbank Shuttle Trolley, call TANK’s information line at 859/331-TANK (8265) or use the chat feature on www.tankbus.org

We are making small adjustments to some of the schedules to accommodate changes that have occurred over the last several months; including added trips, stop changes, slight time changes, and more. These changes will take effect June 4th, 2022.
Please review the updated schedules below.

Express Route Service Reductions:
(Please take the time to review the new schedules)

17x – Buttermilk P&R – View Schedule Here
Two AM trips and Two PM trips have been removed due to low ridership. Please visit the schedule to see the service now available on this route.

22x – Mt. Zion P&R – View Schedule Here
One AM trip and One PM trip have been removed due to low ridership. Please visit the schedule to see the service now available on this route.

25x – Village Green P&R and Cold Spring P&R – View Schedule Here
Two AM trips and Two PM trips have been removed due to low ridership. Please visit the schedule to see the service now available on this route.

30x – Ft. Wright Hub – View Schedule Here
One AM trip and One PM trip have been removed due to low ridership. Please visit the schedule to see the service now available on this route.

32x – Burlington P&R – View Schedule Here
One AM trip and One PM trip have been removed due to low ridership. Please visit the schedule to see the service now available on this route.

Slight time adjustments to the following routes:
1 – View Schedule Here

2x – View Schedule Here

8 – View Schedule Here

25 – View Schedule Here

40x – View Schedule Here

42x – View Schedule Here

Please review these schedules to determine your new pick up or arrival times.
To see how your trip will change on June 4th, use the Real-Time Trip Planner on tankbus.org, and be sure to set the “On this day” to after June 4th.

Summer Holiday Schedules:
TANK will be running a weekend schedule for the following holidays –
Memorial Day
4th of July
Labor Day