Oakley residents heading to BLINK can park at Crossroads Oakley and catch a direct bus downtown when the four-night festival opens Oct. 8.

Cincinnati Metro named the church campus at 3500 Madison Rd. as one of two Park & Ride locations for BLINK 2026, the agency announced Wednesday, Sept. 23. Buses will run from 6 p.m. to midnight each night, Thursday, Oct. 8 through Sunday, Oct. 11, dropping riders at the Riverfront Transit Center.

The other Metro Park & Ride site is Cincinnati State at 3658 Central Pkwy. Both lots will have DJs and promotional giveaways, and Metro staff will be on hand to help with payments and directions.

No overnight parking is allowed.

Discounted passes go on sale Monday, Oct. 5 through the Transit app:

  • One-Day BLINK Pass: $2.20, valid 24 hours after activation
  • Four-Day BLINK Pass: $8
  • One-Day Group Pass (up to 4 people): $8, valid 24 hours after activation

Passes work on both regular Metro routes and the Park & Ride shuttles. Cash is still accepted at the standard fare. Tickets are nonrefundable and nontransferable, according to Metro. Children under 55 inches tall ride free with a paying adult, with a limit of two children per adult.

Brandy Jones, Metro's chief communications and marketing officer, said the discounted passes "offer a convenient way to spend less time thinking about traffic and parking, and more time enjoying BLINK."

Government Square will close nightly at 6 p.m. during the festival, with Metro service shifting to the Riverfront Transit Center until 12:30 a.m. WLWT reported that the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky and the Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA) will also offer BLINK transit service.

Red Bike is offering a $20 BLINK one-week pass for unlimited two-hour trips, available Oct. 5 through Monday, Oct. 12 via the Transit app or the BCycle app. Metro's Customer Care Center at 513-632-7575 will stay open until midnight each night of the festival. Metro Access service is also available for eligible customers who contact the agency in advance.

Upcoming

  • Monday, Oct. 5: Discounted BLINK transit passes go on sale via the Transit app
  • Thursday, Oct. 8 – Sunday, Oct. 11: BLINK 2026; Crossroads Oakley Park & Ride buses run 6 p.m. to midnight nightly