New golf cart shuttle service comes to Downtown and OTR

While all the Cincinnati streetcars were shut down for repairs over the weekend, a couple of fortuitous entrepreneurs picked the perfect time to launch an alternative form of transportation in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine: golf carts.

Gest, a new golf cart transportation company headed by Patrick Dye and his wife, Lauren, began offering free shuttle service from The Banks to OTR and from Jack Casino to Music Hall - overlapping the streetcar's main route.

Despite posing a direct threat to the streetcar, Gest owners said City of Cincinnati officials were on board with their plans for the shuttle service.

An email sent to the City of Cincinnati's communications department seeking clarification of the city's role and any requirements necessary to operate a shuttle service on city streets was not immediately returned for comment Monday.

Gest's official launch came about three weeks after a trial run on New Year's Eve, according to Jackie Reau, a spokeswoman for the company. She said more than 200 people rode the golf cart shuttles over the weekend.

"People are pleasantly surprised to learn it’s a free service,'' Reau said.

Gest is a free service paid for by corporate sponsorships, which include exterior signs on the golf carts that seat five to seven passengers and onboard digital ads.

The company is currently finalizing sponsorship deals with two major Cincinnati-area employers, according to Reau, who declined to name the companies.

The golf cart shuttle service will run Friday and Saturday evenings from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., weather permitting.

Hours will expand to support local downtown events and daily transportation around Opening Day in late March, according to a press release.