Central Ohio Transit Authority

COTA bus and shelter, 1980

Agency headquarters at the William J. Lhota Building since 2008

Prior to COTA's founding, bus service in the area was managed by the privately owned Columbus Transit Company (CTC). In 1971 the CTC was in the midst of budget problems, so in order to maintain bus service in the area, the local governments of central Ohio created COTA.[7] COTA acquired the assets from the CTC on January 1, 1974 and began operations the same day. COTA acquired the CTC bus service for $4.8 million. In mid-1974 COTA established its Park & Ride program and sets up the first routes at area shopping centers. At that time, cash fares were 50 cents.

In 1975, COTA launched the Key Card program, which provided a discount fare for those passengers with disabilities. By the summer of 1976, COTA had established 50 bus shelters. In 1977, COTA started the Commuter Club that offers unlimited riding for $20 a month. One of the first express bus services, the Beeline, was introduced in 1979 giving passengers a speedy ride up and down High Street. That same year, planning began on COTA's 400,000-square-foot (37,000 m²) operations center on McKinley Ave. In 1992, a 24-hour pass was introduced to allow riders unlimited trips to local and crosstown routes provided by COTA's new lift-equipped buses. From 2007 to 2008, the agency removed all exterior advertisements from its buses, citing diminishing ad revenue and desiring a clean, neat look to the buses.[8]

The agency purchased its downtown office, the William J. Lhota Building, in 2008.[9] Also in 2008, the city of Dublin was added into COTA service areas.[5] In 2016, COTA introduced 4G connectivity in its buses, giving passengers better internet access and allowing for real-time bus tracking to improve communication and efficiency.[10] Real-time bus tracking for passengers began in May 2016 through the Transit app.[11]

On May 1, 2017, the agency overhauled its bus network, the first redesign since COTA's establishment in 1971. The effort simplified routes, increased bus frequency, connected more locations, and reduced bus congestion in downtown Columbus. The redesign doubled the agency's number of frequent lines (from four to eight) and significantly increased weekend service. The project caused a 3.6 percent increase in ridership by May 2018.[12][13] In August 2017, COTA became the third large transit agency with fleet-wide passenger WiFi.[14] On June 1, 2018, COTA began the C-Pass program, giving employees of certain companies downtown free rides on COTA buses. By 2019, the program enrolled about 420 companies. C-Pass is scheduled to be discontinued on December 31, 2020; property owners will decide whether to fund the program further.[15]

In July 2019, the agency's customer service center at its headquarters closed for renovations. The project involved creating a larger, more inviting space, installing new ticket machines and a large display with transit information, and redesigning part of the building's exterior.[20] The agency opened the new Customer Experience Center in November 2019.[21] In the first "tactical urbanism" project COTA and the City of Columbus operated a temporary busway on Third Street in downtown Columbus from July 22 to August 2, 2019 in an area heavily congested during rush hour. The results were significantly decreased travel times, the average dropping over two minutes from Long Street to Noble Street. The project was inspired by the city of Boston converting a bike lane and on street parking into a temporary busway. Also in 2019, COTA introduced the COTA Connector system for fare payments. The system includes a smart card that is available for purchase and refills, and a digital wallet through a smartphone app, allowing the use of displayed QR codes to pay when boarding buses.[22]

In 2020, COTA reported 19.1 million riders in 2019, the system's highest ridership since 1988. Ridership had been steadily increasing over several decades, due to rising gas prices, COTA's bus network redesign, and other improvements.[4] In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic began affecting Ohio, ridership dropped approximately 40 percent. COTA introduced several measures in mid-March, including thorough cleaning measures, suspending fare collection, reducing all rush hour lines, and suspending its AirConnect and Night Owl services. On March 20, the agency recommended only using its services for essential travel; two days later it shut down several rush hour services and reduced frequencies of nine crosstown lines. On March 24, it stopped all rush hour services until further notice. On March 26, the agency began "dynamic service" to pick up customers left at bus stops by too-full buses; the agency's current policy is for a maximum of 20 passengers per bus.[23] On March 28, a COTA bus operator tested positive for the disease.[24] On March 30, COTA suspended service on routes 21, 25, and 35.[25] On April 7, a second driver tested positive for the disease.[26] On the 11th, the agency announced it will require passengers to wear face masks.[27] On April 27, following further route reductions and a third COTA worker testing positive, it announced all late-night and early hours would be cut, making all services only run from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ridership is down about 65 percent from before the virus.[28] On May 2, as a portion of businesses began to reopen, COTA announced it will resume some early-morning services on May 5.[29]

From May 30 to June 8, COTA rerouted service around downtown Columbus due to the city's George Floyd protests.[30][31] On June 3, the agency gave a statement regarding its police transport activities during the protests. It had been criticized on social media, and responded that it is committed to breaking down institutional racism, and that its police transport role has been longstanding as part of its emergency service roles. The agency noted that it is not transporting arrested protesters as some agencies have been.[32]

Top (L-R): Easton and Near East Transit Centers
Bottom (L-R): Spring Street and COTA Transit Terminals

The Central Ohio Transit Authority operates 3,500 bus stops, 350 of which have shelters.[3]

The agency operates four transit centers: Easton Transit Center, Linden Transit Center, Northland Transit Center, and Near East Transit Center. It operates two downtown bus terminals: Spring Street (North) Terminal and the COTA Transit (South) Terminal. The agency also operates 25 park and ride facilities.[44]

The agency is headquartered in the William J. Lhota Building in downtown Columbus. COTA purchased the building in 2008, and named it for Lhota, its former CEO, in 2012. The 80,000-square-foot (7,400 m²) building holds administrative offices, a bus operator check-in, pass sales offices, and ticket machines. The building is part of the High and Gay Streets Historic District, on the National Register of Historic Places.[9]

COTA's Mobility Services Facility is located at 1330 Fields Avenue in Columbus. COTA's Mainstream demand-response program moved into the then-new, sustainable 104,000-square-foot (9,700 m²) facility in January 2011. The paratransit facility houses all of its operations, maintenance, and administration in a single location. The facility cost $21.7 million, with 85 percent of the cost federally funded. The Mobility Services Facility holds 110 paratransit vehicles, 6 vehicle maintenance bays, administrative offices, an eligibility assessment center, one bus wash, and two fueling islands. The building relies heavily on natural light, reducing its dependence on artificial lighting. The building also contains a rainwater harvesting system which captures and stores the water for use by the bus wash and toilets. The landscape was also designed to be low maintenance and to not require an irrigation system. Additionally, the HVAC system was built below-floor providing both heat and air conditioning, which reduces the heat or cool air lost when traveling through typical air ducts.[44]

Gallery

• 
  McKinley Avenue Bus and Maintenance Facility
• 
  Typical shelter
• 
  Downtown shelter
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  Bus stop signage
• 
  CMAX countdown clock

A COTA ticket vending machine

Bus service is free during severe snowstorms for the duration of the day, announced when the Franklin County Sheriff declares level 2 or level 3 snow emergencies.[3]

Users of the C-Pass employee program can use a mobile app or dedicated swipe card to board free. Children below 4 ft (1.22 m) ride for free with fare-paying rider; limit three children.[45] Students of Ohio State University, Capital University, Columbus College of Art and Design, and Columbus City Schools can swipe their student ID cards to board for free.[46] Riders eligible to receive special IDs giving them discount fares include people over the age of 65, people with certain disabilities, Medicare card holders, and qualified veterans. Children under the age of 12 who are 4 feet tall or taller are eligible for discount pricing.[45] COTA's summer youth pass is another fare option for people under the age of 17, allowing access to COTA services for the months of June, July, and August for a single $62 fee.[47]

Payment is available on board with exact change, purchased bus passes, a refillable smart card, or through COTA's Connector app.[48] Passes can be purchased at COTA's downtown office, the Spring Street Terminal, John Glenn International Airport, the Columbus State Community College Bookstore, or at supermarkets throughout Central Ohio.[49]

COTA cutaway minibus

A variety of buses make up COTA's fleet. As of 2019 there are 440 vehicles in operation: 184 hybrid or CNG buses, 137 diesel-fueled buses, 5 COTA Plus vehicles, 74 COTA Mainstream vehicles, and 40 COTA Mainstream On-Demand vehicles.[2]

In June 2010 COTA introduced six hybrid buses, which offered a 48 percent increase in fuel efficiency over its diesel buses, a battery-powered electric motor and regenerative brakes that power the battery when pressed, an LED lighting system used inside and outside of the vehicle, and a smoother ride for passengers since the electric motors do not require shifting. Due to rising gas prices at the time, COTA was concerned with reducing fuel emissions, which sparked the addition of the hybrid-electric buses. In 2011, COTA conducted a study to consider potential benefits of switching to compressed natural gas (CNG) to power its fixed-route bus fleet. The study compared costs of CNG versus diesel fuel, operational and maintenance expenses, market forces and infrastructure costs. In keeping with COTA's "Going Green" program, environmental impacts, particularly emissions, were also evaluated. COTA officials also visited and studied other public transit systems operating CNG fleets. In late 2011, COTA made the decision to move forward with the transition to CNG and updated existing plans for the renovation of the McKinley Operations facility to include CNG compatible modifications. COTA completed a $76 million renovation of its McKinley Avenue Fixed-Route Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility. The 400,000 sq ft (37,000 m²) facility is the larger and older (completed in 1974) of its two fixed-route operations facilities.

In May 2013, COTA began operating its first set of CNG buses. The transition to a completely CNG fleet will be a 12-year process that will occur as coaches are retired and replaced, and additional coaches are purchased as part of COTA's ongoing service expansion program. The transition required remodeling with upgrades for CNG at several COTA facilities including a second CNG fueling station at its Fields Avenue Fixed-Route Bus Facility.[50]

• Ohio Department of Transportation
• Smart Columbus

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