In an effort to offer transit service options that meet riders’ needs while supporting sustainable operations, Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky announced 2026 service improvements that will take effect this fall.
Based on community input and a review of current service needs and available resources, TANK will implement the following service changes, effective Saturday, Nov. 7:
• Route 1 will be extended to Newport with service ending at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Ft. Thomas
• Peak frequency on Routes 3, 7 and 12 will increase from hourly service to every 30 minutes
• The Southbank Shuttle and Route 16 will be removed and replaced with a new high-frequency corridor connecting downtown Newport, Covington and downtown Cincinnati. Riders will continue to have access to the same communities, with service provided by a fixed-route bus rather than a trolley. Service will operate every 7-8 minutes along the areas currently served by Route 1, interlined Routes 3/12 and interlined Routes 7/25, and every 15 minutes along areas served by Route 1 and interlined Routes 7/25. Riders who currently use Route 16 will have access to the new Route 1 and the Licking River Link as alternative service options.
• The TANK Plus zone will expand to include the Alexandria Walmart and Village Green Shopping Center, with a six-mile distance cap designed to improve trip efficiency.
• Interlined route pairings will be updated to improve service coordination. Beginning in November, Routes 3 and 12 will operate as an interlined pair, as will Routes 7 and 25 and Routes 5 and 8. Route 1 will operate as a standalone service. Current interlined pairings are Routes 1 and 25, 7 and 12, 3 and 16, and 5 and 8.
In addition, route timetables will be updated to better reflect traffic conditions and actual travel times, helping improve on-time performance.
In 2025, TANK conducted extensive community outreach and gathered feedback from riders, employees, nonprofit organizations, major employers and local government officials to help shape its strategic direction for the next five to 10 years.
“These improvements reflect our commitment to building a sustainable transit system that continues to serve our community for years to come,” said Gina Douthat, TANK general manager. “We spent significant time listening to our community, gathering input from riders and stakeholders and carefully evaluating how we can continue to provide reliable transit service that connects people to jobs, education, healthcare, shopping and other essential services.”
TANK will host public meetings to discuss the upcoming improvements and answer questions from the community. The meetings will take place from:
• 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at the Campbell County Public Library Newport Branch (901 E 6th St.)
• 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24 at the Kenton County Public Library Covington Branch (502 Scott St.)
For more information, visit tankbus.org/building-better-transit.
Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky