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…