Buses Power and Cool Akron’s Local Music Festival

8/24/2026

Buses provided more than a free ride to one the largest community events in Akron, OH. The three main stages at the 2026 PorchROKR music festival, which draws crowds of up to 25,000 people, were powered by three fully electric Gillig buses supplied by METRO Regional Transit Authority (RTA). The buses also served as cooling and charging stations for festivalgoers.

At the annual event, streets are closed off as musicians perform on the porches of Highland Square homes, and parks are filled with vendors. With high temperatures and scarce street parking, METRO RTA partnered with the Highland Square Neighborhood Association to implement cost-effective ways to accommodate crowds:

  1. The agency provided ultra-quiet electric power for the festival, replacing noisy gas-powered generators. Each bus provided power for lighting and sound equipment for more than 12 hours.
  2. The buses doubled as cooling and charging stations. Thousands of attendees entered the buses to relax, cool down, charge devices using under-seat USB charging ports, and connect to the complimentary on-board Wi-Fi.
  3. One of the buses acted as a safety barrier and blockade, keeping attendees separate from an active roadway.
  4. For the first time, METRO RTA provided a free Park & Ride service to help attendees reach the festival. Compared to the prior year’s event, there was a 56 percent increase in ridership along the Park & Ride route.

Molly Becker, METRO RTA’s director of public relations and marketing, said, “Forming an impactful community partnership doesn’t always require re-inventing the wheel. Sometimes it’s about looking at the resources, programs, and tools you already have and seeing how they can be used in different, creative ways.”