Ohio bill would mandate amusement parks post real-time ride updates

COLUMBUS, Ohio — State Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan (D, Parma) has introduced legislation that would require Ohio’s permanent amusement parks to provide real-time public updates on ride availability.

The Real-Time Ride Status Notification Act would mandate parks like Cedar Point and Kings Island to post up-to-date ride information both on-site through digital signs and online via their official apps or websites. Parks would have to update the status within five minutes of a ride closing or reopening.

“Families spend hundreds of dollars and travel across the state to visit these parks,” Brennan said. “They deserve accurate, real-time information so they can plan their day and avoid the frustration of walking across the park to find a ride shut down.”

According to Brennan, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which already oversees amusement ride safety inspections under laws like Tyler’s Law, would enforce the new rule. Violations could result in civil fines.

Brennan says that many parks already monitor ride status internally, and the bill would make that data visible to the public “in a timely and consistent way.”

“This is a commonsense consumer protection measure,” Brennan said. “Just like we expect real-time updates from public transportation or airports, parkgoers should be able to know which rides are operating before getting in line—or before leaving home.”

Brennan says the bill is expected to be assigned to a committee in the coming weeks. If passed, it would take effect one year after enactment to allow parks time to put the systems in place.