Butler County Regional Transit Authority, also stylized as BCRTA, is the primary provider of mass transportation in Butler County, Ohio with twelve routes serving the region. As of 2019, the system provided 620,233 rides over 70,789 annual vehicle revenue hours with 18 buses and 17 paratransit vehicles.[1]
 A Butler County RTA bus at the Middletown Transit Station in 2023 | |
| Founded | 1994 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 3045 Moser Court, Hamilton, OH |
| Locale | Hamilton, Middletown and Oxford |
| Service area | Butler County, Ohio |
| Service type | Bus service, paratransit |
| Routes | 12 |
| Stations | Middletown Transit Station |
| Annual ridership | 417,782 (2022) |
| Website | Butler County RTA |
History
Public transit in Hamilton began with horsecars in 1875, with Middletown beginning horsecar service in 1879. Horsecars in both cities were replaced with electric streetcars in the 1880s and 1890s, which in turn were replaced by buses in 1918 in Middletown and in 1932 in Hamilton.[2]
The BCRTA will be fare-free through 2024.[3] Service from Middletown to West Chester and Cincinnati has been proposed numerous times in recent years.[4] The service would utilize commuter buses and provide express service to downtown Cincinnati.[5] Previously commuter buses connected Middletown, Monroe and Dayton, where riders could transfer to the Dayton RTA.[6]
Service
Butler County RTA operates 12 regular weekday bus routes centered on Middletown and Oxford. Four routes operate in Middletown, five in Oxford, with three regional services connecting Hamilton, Middletown and Oxford. The R6 Job Connecter provides connections to SORTA in Springdale.[7]
Hours of operation for the system are Monday through Friday from 6:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M. Service in Middletown is provided from 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. on Saturdays. There is no service on Sundays. Fixed route services are fare-free.[8]
Routes
Regional
- R1 Hamilton/Middletown Shuttle
- R3 Hamilton/Oxford Connector
- R6 Job Connector
Oxford local
- U1 Campus Core
- U1W Campus Core w/Wal-Mart Flyer
- U3 Tollgate Loop
- U4 Western Campus/North Loop
- U4D Western Campus/North Loop w/Ditmer Flyer
Middletown local
- Blue Line
- Green Line
- Gold Line
- Red Line
Express Routes
- CincyLink Express
Fixed route ridership
The ridership statistics shown here are for fixed route services only and do not include demand response services.[9]