BCRTA Receives $120,000 in OKI Funding to Expand Travel Training Program
March 23, 2026
HAMILTON, OHIO — The Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA) has been awarded $120,000 in Section 5310 funding through the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments to expand its travel training program, helping more Butler County residents gain the skills and confidence to use public transportation independently.
The grant will support enhanced outreach efforts with a strong focus on older adults and individuals with disabilities, ensuring more community members have access to safe, reliable, and accessible mobility options throughout the county.
“For these communities, reliable transportation is more than just a means of getting around. It’s a lifeline to independence and to daily essentials,” said OKI Program Manager Summer Jones.
Funding will be used to expand both one-on-one and group training sessions, develop new educational and marketing materials, and increase BCRTA’s presence at community resource fairs and partner events. These efforts are designed to meet riders where they are and provide personalized support for learning how to navigate public transit services.
“Public transportation is about more than mobility—it’s about independence,” said Shawn Cowan, Director of Customer Care and Public Engagement at BCRTA. “This funding allows us to expand a program that helps people feel confident using transit, ensuring more residents can stay connected to jobs, healthcare, and their community.”
BCRTA’s travel training program is available free of charge to anyone interested in learning how to ride public transit. Training is customized to individual needs and can include trip planning, understanding routes and schedules, boarding and exiting safely, using fare payment tools, and using rider technology such as real-time trip-planning apps.
The expanded program will continue to strengthen partnerships with senior centers, disability service organizations, schools, healthcare providers, and social service agencies across Butler County to ensure transportation remains accessible to all.
For more information about BCRTA’s free travel training program, residents can contact customer service at 513.785.5237 or visit Butler County Regional Transit Authority online.
