Akron’s METRO pulled off a rare transit double-play in 2025: more riders and fewer accidents. A lot more riders, in fact. The agency logged about 5.6 million trips - its highest ridership since 2009 - and reported zero onboard accidents for the year, all after a network shakeup that boosted frequency and stretched Sunday hours. Trustees praised the broader coverage but were quick to point out that on-time performance and certain preventable incidents are still on their fix-it list.
Ridership and service growth
According to METRO, riders took 5.6 million trips in 2025 while drivers logged more than 6.1 million miles, marking the system’s best ridership year since 2009. The agency now runs service 365 days a year, has moved Sunday start times up to 8 a.m., and has increased peak-hour frequency on key routes such as Route 8 and Route 29 to make it easier for riders to reach jobs and services.
Performance and safety metrics
As detailed in Akron Documenters, METRO Direct’s on-time performance averaged roughly 81% in 2025, short of the agency’s 95% goal. METRO Select fared better, averaging about 93% on-time performance and logging roughly 600 more rides than in 2024. The same notes show that preventable accidents fell about 11% on METRO Direct but rose by roughly 10% on METRO Select, and that the system recorded about 130,726 miles between preventable accidents in 2025. Board members signaled that those KPIs will shape upcoming training and schedule tweaks.
Staffing and reliability questions
Even with ridership climbing, concerns about staffing and contract talks are hanging over reliability. Spectrum News 1 reported that drivers and union leaders have raised alarms about long shifts and drawn-out contract negotiations, issues trustees acknowledge could ripple into scheduling and on-time performance.
Awards, budget and what’s next
Local coverage and the agency’s own materials note that METRO ended the year about $9.4 million under budget while also picking up the American Public Transportation Association’s Outstanding Public Transportation System award. The budget figure was reported by the Downtown Akron Partnership, and METRO highlighted the APTA honor as a sign that its network redesign is working as intended.
Board reaction and next steps
“We’re putting out to the board to say this is an area where we need to measure and do better,” METRO chief of staff Jarrod Hampshire told trustees, according to Akron Documenters. The meeting records show the authority is planning additional training, more schedule optimization work, and a continued roll-out of METRO NEXT to address the performance gaps leadership flagged.
