METRO Regional Transit Authority

Last updated
METRO RTA
METRO Regional Transit Authority logo.svg
Akron METRO Gillig Advantage 2307.jpg
Founded1969 [1]
Headquarters416 Kenmore Blvd.
Locale Akron, Ohio
Service area Summit County, Ohio
Service type bus service, paratransit, express bus service
Daily ridership17,600 (weekdays, Q2 2025) [2]
Annual ridership5,340,700 (2024) [3]
Website www.yourmetrobus.org
METRO Regional Transit Authority previous logo style METRO Regional Transit Authority old logo.svg
METRO Regional Transit Authority previous logo style
Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center AkronRTA.jpg
Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center
Metro Bus lineup Metrobus in station parking lot (Akron, Ohio - 26 03 2009).jpg
Metro Bus lineup

METRO Regional Transit Authority (METRO RTA), also known as Akron Metropolitan Regional Transit Authority, is the public transit agency serving Summit County, Ohio and the city of Akron. It operates a number of local routes, and also operates one route into downtown Cleveland. [4] Akron Metro transports passengers to/from school, work, grocery stores, malls and jobs all across Summit County. METRO RTA's fleet consists of about 200+ vehicles running on diesel, diesel-electric hybrid and as of 2022/2023, two fully electric Gillig vehicles, compressed natural gas fuels. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 5,340,700, or about 17,600 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2025.

Contents

In 2023, METRO RTA restructured their bus network to prioritize frequent routes with service every 15 minutes and added more weekend service. By the following year, ridership had increased 24 percent. [5] The American Public Transportation Association awarded METRO RTA an Outstanding Public Transportation System Award in 2025. [6]

Facilities

Head Office

Address: 416 Kenmore Boulevard, Akron
Coordinates: 41°02′58.6″N81°32′26.8″W / 41.049611°N 81.540778°W / 41.049611; -81.540778
Facilities: Head office, administration, vehicle storage and maintenance

Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center

Address: 631 South Broadway Street, downtown Akron [7]
Coordinates: 41°04′10″N81°31′23″W / 41.06944°N 81.52306°W / 41.06944; -81.52306
Facilities: Terminus for local bus routes, suburban routes, X61 North Coast Express bus service to Cleveland, [8] intercity Greyhound services, and Stark County & Portage County connecting buses. [9] [10] Youngstown’s WRTA route 81 serves as the Akron Youngstown express
Opened: 18 January 2009

Rolling Acres Transit Center

Address: 2340 Romig Road, Akron
Facilities: Connector hub for routes 3 and 9 serving West Akron and Barberton, Ohio. This hub is in the former Rolling Acres Mall parking lot. The mall has been shut down since 2008.

Independence Transit Center (Chapel Hill)

Serving North Akron/Cuyahoga Falls and routes 10, 19, 20 & 22, "Independence Transit Center" is similar to Rolling Acres Transit Center which also has no public restroom but does have indoor waiting shelter facilities. [11]

Connecting services

METRO RTA service offers a number of connection opportunities to other area transit agencies.

GCRTA, a neighboring transit agency, provides connecting services between Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Greater Cleveland) and Akron METRO RTA. The two systems connect with two lines in Maple Heights at Southgate Transit Center (31 & 32), near the Southgate USA plaza. GCRTA does not serve METRO RTA's Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center. [12]

METRO RTA's "North Coast Express" route 61 connect with GCRTA routes in downtown Cleveland.

PARTA, a neighboring transit agency, offers services between Portage County, Ohio (Kent/Ravenna) and Akron, including service to METRO RTA's Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center (90), along with connections in Stow(30), and in Maple Heights (100). [13]

SARTA, a neighboring transit agency, operates one hourly weekday and Saturday route between Canton and Akron starting at 6:00am, 6:45am and every :45 until 8:45pm. This route, 81 Canton Akron Express, connects with METRO RTA. SARTA route 81 also serves Downtown Canton, Akron-Canton Regional Airport, Belden Village Transit Center in North Canton, Ohio, & Staples on Arlington Road in Akron from both Akron and Canton. SARTA's route services METRO RTA's Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center. Effective in 2018, SARTA also operates a direct express route in the fall and spring directly from Akron Metro Transit Center to Stark State College in North Canton Ohio. This route is named the 88 Stark State Express and runs five times a day and services Akron Metro's RKP Downtown Transit Center Stark State College and Belden Village Transit Center respectively.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Metro's History
  2. ↑ "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2025" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. August 27, 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Akron Metro". METRO RTA.
  5. ↑ Strassmann, Mark; Wender, Samantha M. (September 9, 2025). "Akron's bus system won top honors after a major overhaul. Here's how they boosted ridership". CBS Evening News . Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  6. ↑ "APTA Announces 2025 Public Transportation Awards, Hall of Fame Winners" (Press release). American Public Transportation Association. June 24, 2025. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center". METRO RTA.
  8. ↑ North Coast Express to Cleveland, Routes X61
  9. ↑ "Akron Metro Transit Center FAQs". METRO RTA.
  10. ↑ "Greyhound.com : Locations : Akron, Ohio". Greyhound Lines.
  11. ↑ "Akron Metro". METRO RTA.
  12. ↑ "Out-of-County Connections". Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. Archived from the original on 2009-04-10.
  13. ↑ "PARTA". Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority.
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