The Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA) proposed four new Oxford bus routes to start running in the fall of 2024.
Transit planner Russell Auwae said they will replace existing routes in a way that will streamline two-way journeys. Community members can comment on the proposed routes now.
“All we’re trying to do is get rid of the lengthy loops,” Auwae said. “The common complaint is, you know, it’s fast, it takes about 5 minutes to get to campus, but 15 minutes to get home. And that’s because they’re still just old-style loops.”
The more linear routes that make up the new map hinge at the BCRTA’s new Chestnut Street Station, under construction and set to be completed around the fall of 2025.
“We’re trying to get all these routes to pulse from this new location on Chestnut,” Auwae said. “It’s going to be covering most of the current stops, and basically at each destination there’s going to be an inbound and outbound option for efficiency.”
BCRTA director of customer care and public engagement Shawn Cowan said the plan to change routes originated with a consultant who did public surveys and focus groups in 2022 to suggest route changes.
“So now we’re taking their report that they gave to us, and then we’re trying to see if it aligns with the students, really, what Miami University is really looking for, and getting feedback that they want to see those changes,” she said.
The Miami University Police Department gets the last say on what gets finalized after the BCRTA finishes its plans, she said.
Miami junior Alex Patneaude said the current bus schedule serves him well, although he would appreciate more stops on campus.
“I visit the Rec Center a lot, I use the buses to get to the grocery stores, Walmart, stuff like that, so it really gets me to everywhere that I need to be in Oxford,” he said.
Ridership rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic, but not to pre-pandemic levels. The BCRTA is trying to pinpoint the cause of the shift as it develops different services.
“We’re still trying to figure out if it’s a lot of hybrid working,” Auwae said.
