- OKI is commissioning a mobility study examining ways to improve transportation for workers traveling to and from CVG.
- The study is expected to take about a year, with a final report slated for October 2027.
As Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport grows into a regional economic and employment hub, local stakeholders are exploring ways to improve transportation to and from the airport, including ideas ranging from Waymo’s self-driving vehicles to a potential new bridge across the Ohio River.
However, don’t expect that new bridge anytime soon. Mark Policinski, CEO of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, told LINK nky that a bridge connecting western Cincinnati with Northern Kentucky is among the least likely options being considered.
OKI, a planning agency that connects local governments in Greater Cincinnati, is commissioning a study that will examine how workers travel to and from the airport. The goal of the study is to identify ways regional governments can improve access to the airport and ease transportation by reducing commute times.
Currently, approximately 16,000 badged employees work at CVG, which is also home to major air cargo hubs operated by Amazon Air and DHL Express, two of the world’s largest logistics companies. As cargo operations and airport employment continue to grow, regional officials expect demand for transportation to and from CVG to rise alongside it.
One of the central challenges accompanying CVG’s continued growth is the limited public transportation available to airport workers. The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky’s 2X Airporter Express is currently the only transit route serving the CVG employment hub. In 2024, the route carried approximately 550 passengers per day. Among outbound riders, about 54% got off at the airport terminal, while another 35% exited at the Amazon and DHL cargo hubs.
Policinski said that his organization believes that technological advancement will play an outsized role in addressing the issue, in conjunction with traditional transit options and infrastructure improvements.
“At OKI, it’s our belief that the advancements in transportation technology are going to rival the advancements in information technology, and a lot of this centers on the movement of goods and people,” Policinski said. “When it comes to people, we’re talking about autonomous cars and how they interconnect with a transportation network that we already have. It is propitious in its timing that Waymo is announcing that it’s coming to Northern Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati region.”
Autonomous vehicle fleets are one option that particularly excites Policinski. In early September, San Francisco-based Waymo announced plans to begin mapping roads in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky as the autonomous ride-hailing company explores an expansion into the region. Policinski believes autonomous vehicles could help increase ride-sharing and consolidate commutes for some workers traveling to and from CVG.
Another option is expanding bus routes to CVG. Cincinnati’s bus service, Metro, along with TANK, will both be a part of the project’s advisory team.
Finally, the option that’s been grabbing local headlines is a potential new bridge connecting western Cincinnati to Northern Kentucky. Policinski said such a bridge is unlikely, noting that neither the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet nor the Ohio Department of Transportation currently has plans for one. Still, he said OKI intends to consider all potential options as part of the study.
“If you ask me, of all the options out there, what is probably the least likely? There are two of them, and one of them would be a bridge connecting the west side of Hamilton County to Kentucky,” he said. “However, it is an option. It’s been kicked around. It’s been talked about, and so it’s just an option that we’re going to study.”
As of now, no firm has been selected to conduct the study. The study is expected to take about a year to complete, with a final report slated to be published in October 2027.
