Southbank Shuttle
The Southbank Shuttle is a high-frequency rubber tire trolley that connects the Riverfront cities of Covington, Newport and part of Bellevue with Cincinnati. The system's route connects passengers with the three cities' entertainment districts, sports stadiums, and cultural destinations (TANK n.d. d). The service is geared towards a variety of passengers, including especially: commuters, tourists, and event attendees (Aiello 2013). The Southbank Shuttle service has been a success because of its frequent service schedule, the popularity of the destinations it services, its low fares, its ease of use, and its unique branding (Aiello 2013).
Background: The idea of a public shuttle that connected the three largest riverfront cities originally came from a non-profit coalition, Southbank Partners, which partnered with TANK to implement the project in 1998 (Flynn 1999). The Southbank Shuttle complemented the organizational mission of Southbank Partners, which is to promote economic development and collaboration among Northern Kentucky's riverfront cities (Southbank Partners n.d.). The project was also especially well-timed with new developments in Covington and Newport. When the Southbank Shuttle began operations in 1998, Covington's Northern Kentucky Convention Center had just opened and its entertainment district was continuing to expand. Newport was also developing at the time, its aquarium was opened in 1999 and the Newport on the Levee commercial development followed a short time later. Based on the rise of development in Northern Kentucky, as well as the service's frequency and initial ultra-low fare (25 cents), the Southbank Shuttle was a surprise, immediate success (Flynn 1999).
Vehicle Fleet and Route Adjustments: Over the course of the system's history, it has employed three different vehicle styles. Regular TANK buses, with special Southbank Shuttle branding, replaced the first generation of mini-buses. This worked well for the service until 2007, when an eleven ton vehicle weight limit was put on the Roebling Suspension Bridge, which cut off the route the Southbank Shuttle was using to connect Cincinnati and Covington (Aiello 2013). In response to the new restriction, a detour was established and the system used the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge; however, ridership rates dropped off significantly because of the route adjustment and it became clear to TANK that a different solution needed to be found (Aiello 2013).
The weight restriction on the Roebling Bridge led to the acquisition of the third and present generation of vehicles; and, since this acquisition was made, ridership rates have rebounded steadily, with just under 550,000 trips in 2013 (Aiello 2013). Although the current line does not connect Covington directly with Newport, the route has been streamlined over time to reflect passenger demand, with TANK having considered twenty-five different plausible route alternatives (Aiello 2013).
The weight restriction on the Roebling Bridge led to the acquisition of the third and present generation of vehicles; and, since this acquisition was made, ridership rates have rebounded steadily, with just under 550,000 trips in 2013 (Aiello 2013). Although the current line does not connect Covington directly with Newport, the route has been streamlined over time to reflect passenger demand, with TANK having considered twenty-five different plausible route alternatives (Aiello 2013).