METRO RTA has expanded a pilot program that鈥檚 intended to better connect residents without direct mass transit service throughout all of Summit County.
The initial launch of METRO NEXT offered curb-to-curb service in the southern part of the county. It has been extended to nearly all of the county鈥檚 communities, as well as several areas within Akron.
The expansion makes on-demand bus services available to most residents within Summit County, Jarrod Hampshire, METRO RTA鈥檚 chief of staff, said in a press release.
鈥淲ith METRO NEXT, we鈥檙e meeting residents where they are and providing a convenient, affordable option that connects them to the rest of our system,鈥� Hampshire said in the release.
METRO NEXT service is available from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., said RTA spokesperson Grace Doyle. Riders can use their phones to request service between locations in the coverage area up to 10 miles apart. Riders can either request curb-to-curb service or to be driven to a bus stop along one of METRO鈥檚 bus routes. Requests must be made at least an hour in advance, and Doyle said there was a 30-minute window for bus pickup.
According to the agency鈥檚 website, a bus trip on METRO NEXT costs $5 each way, although two children under the age of five can ride free when accompanied by an adult.
The METRO NEXT program was launched in 2025 to serve rural and suburban residents who are farther away from established bus routes, most of which run in the inner areas of Summit County, according to Doyle.
鈥淭he planning started when we did our 鈥楻eimagined Metro鈥� service change in June of 2023,鈥� Doyle said, 鈥渁nd since it was good, we decided to expand this year to all parts of Summit County.鈥�
The service is useful as another option for people with jobs or appointments within the fixed route areas, Doyle said. Without it, she said, residents without cars would need to use pricier options.
Transit agencies across the country have been expanding similar microservices to help residents access established transit routes, according to Doyle.
鈥淥ne thing that I think is really cool is that you can book your trip the day of,鈥� she said. 鈥淸with] some of our other services you have to call the day before.鈥�
