Breakfast on the Bridge encourages us to believe that Greater Cincinnati is absolutely a bike city. A walking city. A transit city. A trail city. Most importantly, a city that shows up for each other.

Hundreds of people gathered on the Purple People Bridge on Friday morning to celebrate National Bike to Work (Or Anywhere) Day and a shared vision for a more connected region. Despite the Purple People Bridge closure and detour, people arrived by bicycle, on foot, by bus, on a skateboard, in a wheelchair, and with friends, family, and coworkers beside them. The energy on the bridge was joyful, hopeful, and powerful.

The annual event has always been about more than encouraging an early-morning bike commute with free coffee and pastries. It’s about believing in a future where everyone has safe places to walk, bike, roll, and move through their community with dignity and freedom. A future where trails and bikeways connect neighborhoods, strengthen local businesses, improve public health, support transportation options, and bring people together across state lines and backgrounds.

Breakfast on the Bridge also showcased the incredible network of organizations, advocates, volunteers, and public agencies helping shape the future of mobility and community life across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. These groups are the heartbeat of the momentum our region is feeling right now.

Event Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

Cincinnati Metro

Explorer Sponsors

Reser Bicycle Outfitters
City of Newport
Northern Kentucky Port Authority (NKY Port)
TANK (Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky)
Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission (KBBC)
Cincinnati Public Radio, 91.7 WVXU
Chris Carville, Kentucky’s Bike Lawyer
Steve Magas, Ohio’s Bike Lawyer

Wanderer Sponsors

Bike Walk KY
Cancer Free Kids
LiveWell NKY
Newport on the Levee
Ride Cincinnati
The Hub at Fifty West

Coffee & Breakfast

Trailhead Coffee
North South Baking Co.

Community Partners

Biking & Active Transportation

Cincy Red Bike
Cincinnati Hardcourt Bike Polo
CORA (Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance)
Queen City Bike
Ride the COV

Community & Advocacy

All Aboard Ohio
CROWN (Cincinnati Riding or Walking Network)
Mill Creek Alliance
Tri-State Trails
WAVE Foundation

Inclusive & Youth Programming

Cincy Girls Who
The Bridge Adaptive Sports & Recreation

Skate & Recreation

Cincinnati Skate Park Project
Social Push Cincy

Thank you to every sponsor, exhibitor, volunteer, organizer, elected official, and attendee who helped bring the bridge to life, and thank you to Jack Reynolds for capturing the spirit of the morning through photography.

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Bike Month, Bridge Repairs, and a Growing Movement

Immediately following Breakfast on the Bridge, the City of Newport hosted a press event sharing updates about the long-term repairs planned for the Purple People Bridge’s Cincinnati approach. The bridge remains one of the region’s most important walking and biking connections between Ohio and Kentucky.

The good news: the Purple People Bridge is currently scheduled to fully reopen on June 8.

Cincinnati Councilmember Mark Jeffreys also read the City of Cincinnati’s Bike Month Proclamation recognizing the importance of bicycling, walking, trails, transportation options, safety, and community rides throughout the month of May and all year long.

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We know the turnout at Breakfast on the Bridge reflects something larger happening, and we have the data to back it up!

Tri-State Trails’ 2025 trail count data shows a dramatic increase in Purple People Bridge use. In 2025, the regional Average Annual Daily Trail Traffic (AADTT) reached 1,980 users per day, while Trail Miles Traveled (TMT) climbed to 438,376 miles. Compared to 2024, that represents a 41% increase in daily trail traffic and a 40% increase in trail miles traveled.

For comparison, 2024 trail counts recorded an AADTT of 1,408 and a TMT of 312,655 miles.

Even more encouraging, 2025 Purple People Bridge use numbers are now more than 20% higher than the record-setting levels seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To better understand how people use the trail network, Tri-State Trails collects trail data using small counters placed along trails throughout the region. Some counters stay in place year-round, while others rotate between different trail locations during the spring, summer, and fall. The counters help track how many people are using our trails. That information helps communities plan future trail projects, improve safety, support grant applications, and better understand the importance of these spaces to daily life in our region.

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Keep the Momentum Going

Breakfast on the Bridge may only happen once a year, but the movement behind it continues every day.

Tri-State Trails’ website is a great place to read trail updates, discover organizations and events, find volunteer opportunities, and learn ways to support safer, more connected communities across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Many of the groups that joined us for Breakfast on the Bridge are featured on our Get Involved page, along with even more organizations doing incredible work year-round.

Groups like MoBo Bicycle Co-op help expand access to affordable bicycles and teach valuable bike repair skills. Ride the COV and Social Push organize group rides and community rolls throughout the year, while Cincinnati Hardcourt Bike Polo hosts weekly polo games and regional tournaments. Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance builds and maintains natural-surface trails across the region, and the Cincinnati Skate Park Project continues to advocate for and help create new skate parks. Cincy Red Bike is also expanding access to transportation and recreation through its growing fleet of affordable rental e-bikes.

You can also explore the Queen City Bike Calendar to find community rides, advocacy events, volunteer opportunities, and social gatherings happening throughout the region–you can even add your own ride or event to the calendar. We think group rides are among the best ways to discover new routes, meet new people, build confidence riding in the city, and stay connected to the cycling community.

There’s truly something for everyone. Whether you want to ride, volunteer, advocate, explore trails, or meet new people, there’s a place for you here. And if you need help finding your community, reach out. We’d love to help connect you.