Riders across Northern Kentucky will find buses running more often and some routes reshuffled entirely starting Saturday, as the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky rolls out a network of changes touching downtown Newport, Covington and Cincinnati. Peak-hour service on several routes is getting faster, a longtime shuttle is going away, and the agency's on-demand TANK Plus zone is growing to cover more shopping destinations.
The changes take effect Nov. 7, 2026, according to the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky, which says the update is meant to better match current travel patterns while keeping service dependable. Peak service on Routes 3, 7 and 12 will increase from hourly buses to one every 30 minutes, and Routes 5 and 8 will move from hourly service to every 40 minutes during peak hours, per NKyTribune.
A New High-Frequency Corridor Replaces the Southbank Shuttle
The Southbank Shuttle and Route 16 are being eliminated and, according to TANK, replaced by a new high-frequency corridor connecting downtown Newport, Covington and downtown Cincinnati with fixed-route buses. The agency's materials describe service running every 7 to 8 minutes along segments currently served by Route 1 and the interlined Routes 3/12 and 7/25, and every 15 minutes along other areas served by Route 1 and the interlined Routes 7/25.
Not every outlet describes the change the same way. FOX19 reported that the Route 1 extension will replace Route 16, while LINK nky characterized the shift differently, describing it as the official end of the Southbank Shuttle, with that route absorbed into an expanded Route 1 rather than a wholly new corridor. TANK's own materials describe the Southbank Shuttle and Route 16 together being replaced by the new corridor, so the exact mechanics of the transition depend on which account riders consult.
Route 1 Extends to Fort Thomas as Standalone Service
Route 1 itself is being extended to Newport, with service ending at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Fort Thomas. The route will now run as a standalone service rather than interlining with Route 25, the agency said. Meanwhile, Routes 3 and 12, Routes 7 and 25, and Routes 5 and 8 will each operate as interlined pairs under the new structure.
West Newport riders will keep access to the fare-free Licking River Link Shuttle, a detail noted in the seed facts for the service changes. TANK is also updating route timetables to better reflect real-world traffic conditions and travel times, with the stated goal of improving on-time performance.
TANK Plus Zone Grows to Cover More Shopping Centers
The agency's on-demand TANK Plus zone is expanding to include the Alexandria Walmart and Village Green Shopping Center, with a six-mile distance cap designed to improve trip efficiency, according to TANK. The expansion is part of the broader package of service changes rolling out across Northern Kentucky and the downtown Cincinnati routes this weekend.
TANK General Manager Gina Douthat said the new network reflects a year of public input. “Community feedback played an important role in this process, helping us make thoughtful decisions that balance rider needs with the long-term health of our transit system,” Douthat told LINK nky. She has also said the service is designed to better match current travel patterns while preserving dependable public transportation, according to the seed facts.
A Year of Public Meetings Shaped the Final Plan
TANK says it gathered feedback throughout 2025 from riders, employees, nonprofit organizations, major employers and local government officials, and it held public meetings in September to discuss the proposed changes and answer questions. That process echoed earlier planning work: in a report last November, The Northerner noted that TANK had floated three different scenarios for public comment, including one frequency-focused option that would have added 15-minute service along major routes between Newport, Covington and downtown Cincinnati, and that officials said they didn't plan to adopt any single scenario wholesale but would combine the most supported elements into a final plan.
Douthat has also pointed to shifting commuter habits as a driver behind the overhaul, telling the student paper that work patterns have shifted and jobs have moved out of downtown and into the suburbs. Separately, a sponsored LINK nky piece projected that the new corridor would make frequent transit service accessible to twice as many people and jobs in Covington and Newport compared with the previous network, though that figure comes from TANK-aligned promotional material rather than independent verification.
