DaytonDailyNews.com

CINCINNATI – The goal was to keep Metro buses moving when traffic jammed on

I-71 — and it worked.

With approval from the Ohio Department of Transportation, Metro will continue to operate buses on I-71's left shoulder between Kenwood and Kings Island to avoid traffic congestion. The one-year pilot program is now permanent.

"We are thrilled to see this innovative strategy successfully reduce congestion and increase safety on our highways," said Hans Jindal, ODOT District 8 deputy director."We will continue to innovate and implement creative ways to utilize the full capacity of our highway system and work to incorporate multi-modal solutions into our highway projects."

Metro started its Bus-on-Shoulder pilot program in July 2007, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Transportation, ARTIMIS, Federal Highway Administration, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and local law enforcement agencies.

In the first year, Metro's Rt. 71X Kings Island Express and Rt. 72 Kings Island buses used the left shoulder lane 1,113 times, or 21 percent of the time. The shoulder was used most frequently during morning and afternoon rush hours. The buses using the left shoulder reported no accidents during the year-long pilot program.

Metro's shoulder lane project was modeled after successful programs in Minneapolis and other cities. However, this was the first use of the left shoulder, which avoids the highway on-ramps and exits.

The goals of the project were:

• To reduce traffic by encouraging the use of Metro as a faster alternative

• To fully utilize the capacity of the highway system

"Everyone's time is valuable. By using the shoulder lane, Metro is able to get commuters to work and home faster than driving," said Marilyn Shazor, Metro's CEO. "That's a big advantage to choosing Metro. We're grateful to ODOT and the Federal Highway Administration for its leadership in making this innovative project happen, and to all of our partners for their support."

About the corridor

The 11.7-mile Bus-on-Shoulder corridor runs I-71 northbound and southbound between Kenwood Road and Western Row Road, served by Metro's Rt. 71X Kings Island Express and Rt. 72 Kings Island. Fare from the Kings Island park & ride is $3.75 one-way.

The 12-ft.-wide shoulder lane is used when traffic slows below 30 mph. Buses are not permitted to go more than 15 mph faster than the speed of the highway traffic and buses cannot exceed 35 mph on the shoulder. Only Metro buses and emergency vehicles are permitted to use the shoulder; buses must yield to emergency vehicles. Metro bus operators who drive I-71 routes are specially trained to safely use the shoulders.

ARTIMIS provides a direct fiber-optic feed with real-time camera images to Metro's radio control center to monitor traffic in the area.

Metro's Bus-on-Shoulder project is the result of planning and creativity and required approval from both ODOT and the Federal Highway Administration.

Metro is a non-profit public service of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, providing about 23 million rides per year in Greater Cincinnati.