CPS and Metro outline 2025–26 student transit plan: 12,000+ passes, color coding and parent ride weeks

Cincinnati Public Schools and Metro on the joint panel on Wednesday laid out operational changes for student transit ahead of the 2025–26 school year, saying the system will support more than 12,000 student Metro passes, add color-coded transfer indicators and run expanded outreach the first weeks of school.

Officials said the RFID smart-card passes issued to students will be encoded to show whether a rider has a direct trip home or will need a transfer at a transit center; passes that require transfers will be color-coded so drivers and staff can identify them quickly. "We have over 12,000 CPS passes for all students grades 7 through 12," said Chris Burkhardt, chief operating officer for Cincinnati Public Schools.

The district and Metro said pass hours for regular students have been shortened to end at 5:00 p.m. to prioritize moving students quickly to their final destination; students who participate in extracurricular activities will receive separate passes that run later in the evening. "Those last well into the…