METRO Regional Transit Authority

What METRO Regional Transit Authority does

METRO Regional Transit Authority (METRO RTA) is a public transit authority organized under Ohio law and headquartered in Akron, Ohio, providing fixed-route bus and complementary mobility services across the Akron metropolitan area and Summit County. The organization was founded in 1969 (previously operating as the Akron Metropolitan Transit Authority) and operates 30+ numbered fixed-route bus lines organized under its 'METRO Direct' service family, alongside paratransit services for seniors and disabled riders (METRO Select/SCAT) and ADA-compliant accessible transportation (METRO ADA).

The service portfolio extends beyond core fixed-route operations to include specialized programs such as the METROZip on-demand service, The Roo Express university-focused service, the NCX (Northcoast Express, Route 61) regional connector to Cleveland, the DASH free downtown Akron circulator, and a Grocery Bus addressing food-access transportation. The Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center functions as the central boarding hub, co-located with Greyhound intercity service and ancillary amenities including Urbean Café and Library On The Go. Operational technology is standard public-transit tooling: GTFS/shapefile data publishing, a Trip Planner, and real-time bus tracking (Track Your Bus), with no proprietary technology stack disclosed.

The business model is a fare-based public transit system supplemented by government subsidy (federal FTA, state, and local funding), with fare categories for standard riders, reduced-fare seniors/disabled, and ADA paratransit. Specific fare price points are not publicly disclosed. The entity is a government state entity rather than a commercial company, with no equity funding, M&A activity, or stock listing; governance operates through a Board of Trustees and Leadership Team, with financial reports and annual reports published for public accountability.

Name

METRO Regional Transit Authority

Legal name

METRO Regional Transit Authority

Website

https://yourmetrobus.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

METRO RTA is a public transit authority providing fixed-route bus, paratransit (SCAT), ADA, on-demand (METROZip), and express (NCX to Cleveland) services across 30+ routes in Akron and Summit County, Ohio, operating from the Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transit Services

NAICS

Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Special Needs Transportation (485991)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Transit Agencies (Bus, Rail, Metro, Paratransit) (BPAIALAB)

Keywords

• Public bus transit
• Paratransit services
• ADA transportation
• Fixed-route bus
• Demand-responsive transit

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

METRO Regional Transit Authority is a public transit authority operating fixed-route bus services (METRO Direct) with 30+ numbered routes across the Akron metropolitan area and Summit County, Ohio. It supplements fixed-route service with demand-responsive paratransit (METRO Select/SCAT), ADA-compliant accessible transportation (METRO ADA), express service to Cleveland (NCX), a free downtown Akron circulator (DASH), on-demand transit (METROZip), and university-area service (The Roo Express).

Product overview

METRO Regional Transit Authority operates a multi-modal public transit system centered around fixed-route bus services (METRO Direct) supplemented by specialized accessible transportation programs (METRO Select/METRO SCAT and METRO ADA). The service portfolio includes express routes (NCX to Cleveland), downtown circulators (DASH), university transit (The Roo Express), on-demand services (METROZip), and trip planning/tracking tools. Together, these form a unified transit ecosystem organized under the 'Families of Service' framework, with 20+ numbered routes covering Summit County, Ohio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• METRO Direct: Fixed-route bus service with schedules, maps, and real-time tracking.
• METRO Select
• METRO ADA
• METRO NEXT
• METROZip
• The Roo Express
• NCX Service
• Northcoast Express
• DASH

Products and services

• METRO Direct (Fixed-Route Bus Service)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Peers

• Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA):

Direct peers

• Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA): Ohio regional transit authority operating fixed-route bus service, paratransit, and the CMAX BRT line in the Columbus metro area; comparable as another Ohio public transit agency with multi-modal service and a similar funding and governance model.
• Transit Authority of River City (TARC): Louisville, Kentucky public transit authority providing fixed-route bus and paratransit service; comparable as a similarly-sized mid-American regional transit authority with a comparable bus-only service portfolio and ADA paratransit program.
• Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA): Ohio public transit authority providing fixed-route bus and paratransit service across the Dayton metro; comparable as a similarly-sized Ohio regional transit authority with an overlapping rider profile and the same state-level regulatory environment.
• Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA): Ohio regional transit authority providing fixed-route bus and paratransit services in the Toledo metro area; comparable as a similar-sized Ohio public transit agency serving a mid-size metro and operating ADA paratransit alongside fixed routes.
• Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA): Ohio-based regional transit authority operating bus, rail, and paratransit services across the Cleveland metro area; highly comparable as a neighboring multi-modal Ohio transit authority with similar governance structure and service mix, including an Akron–Cleveland express link.
• Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo): Indiana public transit corporation operating fixed-route bus service, the Red Line BRT, and paratransit in the Indianapolis metro; comparable as a mid-size US city transit authority offering a similar mix of fixed-route, ADA, and on-demand services.
• Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (Cincinnati Metro / SORTA): Ohio public transit authority operating bus service and paratransit in the Cincinnati metro; comparable as another Ohio peer operating fixed-route bus plus accessible paratransit under the same public-sector governance framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/yourMETRObus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yourmetrobus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about METRO Regional Transit Authority