Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority

Cincinnati, Ohio area public transit operator

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) is the public transport agency serving Cincinnati and its Ohio suburbs. SORTA operates Metro fixed route buses, bus rapid transit, microtransit, and paratransit services. SORTA's headquarters are located at the Huntington Building in Cincinnati’s Central Business District. The agency is managed by CEO and General Manager Darryl Haley along with a 13 member board of trustees. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of
Downtown Cincinnati is also served by the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK), whose transit services extend over the Ohio River into Northern Kentucky.

SORTA replaced the Cincinnati Transit Commission, which operated buses from 1952 to 1973. In 2012 SORTA Metro released its schedule information in the General Transit Feed Specification, making schedules more easily available to customers. The Cincinnati Bell Connector was operated by SORTA until 2019; the City of Cincinnati has since owned and operated the streetcar. Until 2021, SORTA Metro was funded primarily by Cincinnati's city earnings tax, second by fares, and third by federal sources, with some other minor sources. This stood in contrast to other Ohio transit agencies, such as COTA and GCRTA which are primarily funded by sales tax. For a sense of perspective, the portion of Cincinnati's earnings tax going to Metro's budget was about 0.3%. On May 14, 2020, Hamilton County voters passed Issue 7, which switches the source of SORTA funding to a sales tax. The sales tax in Hamilton County will be raised to 7.8% and the Cincinnati earnings tax is eliminated. The levy is projected to generate $130 million a year, which will be split 100/30 between Metro and road infrastructure respectively. The new sales tax rate went into effect on October 1, 2020. The new funding will be used to implement Reinventing Metro, which is a transit network redesign of its fixed route services, but also introduces Mobility on Demand and Bus Rapid Transit to the region.

With the passage of Issue 7 in the spring of 2020, Hamilton County voters approved a sales tax levy of 0.8 percent and a new funding source for Metro. One example of the new Metro is the Northside Transit Center, which is located in Northside and replaced a basic bus stop. The new transit center, which opened in 2020, features eight boarding bays, each with an architecturally designed shelter and enhanced streetscaping, lighting and amenities. In addition, the transit center features artwork designed by winners of the transit agency's art contest for Northside residents. The contest asked residents to submit designs following the theme, "What does Northside mean to me?”
The artwork is displayed prominently on installations at the transit center's entrance and exit. The Northside project was a partnership with the Federal Transit Administration, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and other local stakeholders.

Most of SORTA's roughly 3,600 stops are simply marked with a sign on a pole listing routes the stop serves, and are fairly infrastructure light. Several dozen stops include bus shelters and covered benches. Several suburban stops are park and rides. Government Square is the main transit station, located downtown near Fountain Square. SORTA owns and operates several transit centers across the region including the recently constructed Northside Transit Center, Oakley Transit Center, and Glenway Transit Center. SORTA operates the Riverfront Transit Center though it's only used for a layover point for the Metro*Plus route and a stop for route 85.

On April 4, 2021, Metro introduced a simpler fare structure. With this new fare model, base fare increased 25 cents to $2 per ride on all local routes. Express buses are $2.65 within Hamilton County. Certain express routes turned into commuter routes and have a $2 fare. Express routes that go into Butler, Clermont, and Warren County have a fare of $3.75. Zone fares and paper transfers were eliminated. Transfers are only available to those using the Transit app and to 5 ride ticket users. There are several day pass options available to purchase. Mobile fares must be purchased through the Transit app. Refer to the charts for more information. Transfers to higher cost service require payment of the fare difference. Children under 36 inches ride for free with a fare paying rider; a limit of 2 children applies. + SORTA fares Fare type Price Half fare RoutesHamilton County Local$2$11, 4, 5, 6, 11, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 24, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 41, 43, 46, 49, 50, 51, 64, 65, 67, 78, 90 (M+). Hamilton County Commuter2, 12, 22, 25, 30, 38, 40, 77, 81Hamilton County Express$2.65$1.303X, 23X, 29X, 52X, 72X, 74X, 75XSuburban County Express (Clermont, Warren)$3.75$1.8571X, 82XAccess Fare$4Metro*NOW Fare$2 per ride. No discounted fare. + SORTA passes Fare type PriceHamilton County Local & Commuter 24 Hour Pass$4Metro/TANK 24 Hour Pass$5Hamilton County Express 24 Hour Pass$5.30Suburban County Express 24 Hour Pass$7.505 ride Hamilton County Local & Commuter Service Ticket$10Half Fare 24 Hour Pass (Child Fare, Fare Deal, UC, Cincinnati State)$2Hamilton County Local 30 day Pass$80Hamilton County Express 30 day Pass$105Metro/TANK 30 day Pass$105Suburban County Express 30 day Pass$150
Paper transfers are no longer be issued as of 4/10/2021. Zone fare was eliminated on 4/4/2021.