Interstates

Cincinnati is served by three major interstate highways, one beltway, and one spur. Interstates 71, 74, and 75 are major routes connecting to Louisville and Lexington in Kentucky; Indianapolis; and Dayton and Columbus in Ohio. Interstate 471 connects a portion of Northern Kentucky to downtown Cincinnati.

• Interstate 71 splits off from Interstate 75 near the Brent Spence Bridge and heads eastward through Fort Washington Way. It junctions Interstate 471 before heading northeast towards Mt. Adams and Walnut Hills. It has major junctions with SR 562 (Norwood Lateral) and SR 126 (Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway).
• Interstate 74 begins at Interstate 75 west of downtown and proceeds towards Indiana. Its only primary junction is with Interstate 275.
• Interstate 75 is a north–south route through the Mill Creek valley. It enters from Kentucky on the Brent Spence Bridge, where it overlaps Interstate 71. Interstate 71 splits eastward at an elevated junction immediately north of the Ohio River. Interstate 75 has major junctions with Interstate 74, SR 562 (Norwood Lateral) and SR 126 (Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway).
• Interstate 275 serves as the metropolitan area's outer-belt and is currently the longest loop highway in the country.^[3] It has major junctions with all major interstate highways that radiate from the city.
• Interstate 471 is a spur that begins at the eastern terminus of Fort Washington Way and proceeds southward into Kentucky, where it terminates at the junction of Interstate 275 and US 27.

Notable expressways

Significant local routes maintained and managed at the municipal level include the Mill Creek Expressway (Interstate 75), Fort Washington Way (Interstate 71), the Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway, the Norwood Lateral Expressway, Columbia Parkway, and the Sixth Street Expressway.

The downtown area features a system of viaducts with names such as Western Hills, Ida, and formerly Waldvogel.

U.S. highways

Cincinnati is served by several U.S. highways:

• US 25 (only exists on the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge within Ohio, and is Kentucky maintained)
• US 27
• US 42
• US 52
• US 127
• US 22
• US 50
  • Columbia Parkway
  • Sixth Street Expressway

State routes

• SR 3 (Montgomery Rd.)
• SR 4 (Paddock Rd.)
• SR 32 (extends east from Cincinnati across southern Ohio to West Virginia)
• SR 125 (Beechmont Avenue/Ohio Pike)
• SR 126 (Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway)
• SR 264 (Glenway Ave.)
• SR 561
• SR 562 (Norwood Lateral)

Future routes

Proposed Eastern Bypass

A 68-mile eastern bypass is proposed to run east of I-275 and improve traffic flow in the Cincinnati area.^[4] The route would intersect the following routes:

I-75 near Crittenden, Kentucky

KY 17 in Atwood, Kentucky

KY 117 in Kenton, Kentucky

US 27 in Aspen Grove, Kentucky

KY 9 in Mentor, Kentucky

US 52 in Point Pleasant, Ohio

SR 125 east of Amelia, Ohio

SR 32 east of Batavia, Ohio

US 50 in Owensville, Ohio

SR 131 west of Newtonsville, Ohio

SR 28 east of Goshen, Ohio

US 62 / SR 3 west of Morrow, Ohio

I-71 in South Lebanon, Ohio

SR 48 in South Lebanon, Ohio

US 42 west of Lebanon, Ohio

SR 63 west of Lebanon, Ohio

SR 122 north of Lebanon, Ohio

I-75 west of Morrow, Ohio

Mile Road System

Some metropolitan streets in a range of municipalities (including Eastern Cincinnati) participate in a road naming scheme that assigns names based on the street's proximity to the mouth of the Little Miami River, which serves as its "zero" and origin. Two Mile Road is approximately two miles from the mouth of the Little Miami River along the Ohio River, Four Mile Road is approximately four miles from the river, and so on. Thus far, the following roads are established: Two Mile Road, Four Mile Road, Five Mile Road, Eight Mile Road, Nine Mile Road, and Ten Mile Road. Five Mile Road was rerouted and made to intersect the major traffic artery of Beechmont Avenue and terminate at Clough Pike. Land was acquired and cleared to extend the road once again by terminating it at Newtown Road, thereby creating a valuable corridor for local traffic, but obstacles in the form of community members successfully impeded and delayed the effort enough that the Township relinquished the land to its Parks Department, which currently still hosts a spacious trail for pedestrians and cyclists in the extension's stead. The historic original route still exists, functioning as a spur under the name Old Five Mile Road. With the narrow exception of Two Mile Road and Four Mile Road, all roads currently have their origins at their respective intersections with US-52.

Defunct routes

Bypass 50

Bypass 50 ran concurrently with State route 126 heading east from Springfield Pike (Route 4) in Woodlawn and was known as Glendale-Milford Road then Pfeiffer Road after crossing Kenwood Road. Continuing to its Pfieffer Road terminus at Montgomery Road the route turned south then east at Remington Road. The road changed names back to Glendale-Milford entering Miamiville, then turned south heading through Camp Dennison before terminating at Route 50 (Wooster Pike) in Terrace Park, yards from the Hamilton-Clermont County line. The route was discontinued in 1997 when the Ronald Reagan highway was opened and designated at State Highway 126

Buses

Cincinnati is served by buses run by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA), the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) and the Clermont Transportation Connection.

Almost all transit lines, including those of TANK are centered on Downtown Cincinnati. This has led many people to criticize the system for being overly radial and reliant on transfers in Downtown. Several lines in Ohio, generally those ending in '1'(31, 51, 41) don't go downtown at all but provide a link between the radial arms created by the other lines.

SORTA is significantly larger than TANK, operating more lines, at higher frequencies, and carrying about six times as many passengers on an average day.

Most of SORTA's funding comes from the City of Cincinnati, and so the most intensive transit service is confined to the city boundaries. Outside of the city is considered Zone 2, and a higher fare is charged. The Clermont Transportation Connection and Warren County Transit partially fund SORTA routes that extend into Clermont County and Warren County, respectively.^[5][6] SORTA's paratransit services are partially subsidized by Hamilton County.^[7] TANK is funded by Campbell and Kenton counties.

SORTA and TANK primarily operate 40 foot diesel buses, though some lines are served by longer articulated or hybrid engine buses. Paratransit services generally make use of minibuses.

Streetcars

A single streetcar line, the Connector, runs between The Banks, Downtown, and Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine in a 3.6-mile (5.8 km) loop. It opened in 2016. Future extensions have been proposed to the Uptown area, home to the University of Cincinnati, the regional hospitals, and the Cincinnati Zoo; and to Northern Kentucky.

Streetcars were the main form of transportation in the city. The first electric streetcars began operation in 1889,^[8] and at its maximum, the streetcar system had 222 miles (357 km) of track and carried more than 100 million passengers per year. With the advent of inexpensive automobiles and improved roads, transit ridership declined in the 20th century and the streetcar system closed in 1951.^[8][9]

Public steps

The Steps of Cincinnati are a historic mode of transportation in the hilly city. In addition to practical use linking hillside neighborhoods, the approximately 400 stairways are often used for exercise.^[10]

Intercity transportation

Cincinnati Union Terminal serves Amtrak's Cardinal line and houses several museums

Amtrak's Cardinal train travels to Chicago and Indianapolis to the northwest and to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City to the east. It goes in each direction three times each week and arrives in Cincinnati between 1 and 3:30am. Its ticket office and station are at Cincinnati Union Terminal.

Greyhound operates a 24-hour bus terminal (formerly in Downtown Cincinnati, now in Arlington Heights) with trips to all major nearby cities and connections to the rest of the country. Regional carriers GO Bus and Barron's Bus also serve the terminal.^[11][12] For the last couple of years, Megabus has also operated several trips a week between Cincinnati and a few major cities in the midwest. Chinatown bus lines connect Cincinnati with New York City.^[13]

Abandoned subway

Cincinnati Subway - Race St. Station

Cincinnati has an incomplete subway system. Construction stopped in 1924 when unexpected post-World War I inflation doubled the cost of construction^[14] and the funds originally set aside weren't enough to complete the project. There have been several attempts in recent decades by the SORTA to use the subway tunnels for a light rail system, but ballot initiatives to generate funds for such projects have so far all failed. The most recent attempt was the 2002 MetroMoves plan which would have generated $2.7 billion for a comprehensive transit plan, but it failed by a 2–1 margin.^[15] Today the subway is used as a conduit for fiber optic and water lines. It's sealed off from the public, but is occasionally used by urban explorers and the homeless.