You can also search on Google. There is no active rail development effort, but there was one until recently......

 

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/groups/tft/Appendix%20B/Multi-Modal%20Articles/NorthCorridorCOTA.pdf

 

http://xingcolumbus.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/light-rail-on-columbus-wish-list/

 

All Aboard Ohio is encouraging the start-up of regional rail on existing rights-of-way instead of light rail on new tracks (well, some of it was to be on existing rail ROW)....

 

Thanks for sharing this. Sad to hear there are currently no ongoing efforts.

 

Perhaps this question will need to get kicked to another thread, but does All Aboard Ohio have ANY videos highlighting rail in Ohio?

No, but other states do because they have something to film -- at least in daylight. I'll post them in the All Aboard Ohio thread.

 

 

Sorry, I didn't mean highlighting Ohio rail, since I know all we have is Cleveland and late-night Amtrak. The video I had in mind would showcase other city's transit, the young people, business people who use them and share facts about the benefits of transit as well as some sad facts for Ohio, including that Columbus is the largest city with no rail. I figured it could be done in a similar style as the videos Downtown Cleveland Alliance has been producing of late.

 

I'll head on over to the All Aboard Ohio thread!

 

Cheers

From Columbus Underground:

 

 

COTA Ridership on the Rise in 2011

 

The Central Ohio Transit Authority announced (August 12) that their ridership levels for 2011 are showing an increase of 8.6 percent over levels in 2010.  In 2010, COTA provided over 17 million rides and is on pace to break 18 million rides by the end of 2011.

 

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-ridership-on-the-rise-in-2011

Proposed bus reroute would shift traffic from High Street

 

They’ve not budged in opposing a transit center, but COTA officials took steps yesterday to appease Downtown planners with a proposal to reroute 168 buses a day away from High Street.

 

COTA’s No. 1 line, which runs between Cleveland Avenue near Polaris and Livingston Avenue in Reynoldsburg, would use Front Street instead of High as it heads in and out of Downtown. It’s the Central Ohio Transit Authority’s second-busiest route and would shift the buses and 8,700 riders away from High Street every day.

 

A 2010 update of the city’s Downtown plan suggested that the buses and bus riders converging on High Street near Broad have choked off retail business along the corridor.

 

Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/09/29/proposed-bus-reroute-would-shift-traffic-from-high-street.html

Really? Having 8,700 pedestrians a day "chokes off" downtown retail business? Please explain how this is the case.

Its not really the pedestrian traffic, its the constant line of buses on high street running up and down in front of the retailers.  I fully support transit, but this is one improvement that needs to be made if retail is ever going to be viable on High street in Downtown again.  I think the downtown plan was correct in asserting that there needs to be parallel parking in close proximity of the front door to get the retail to work. 

 

Im not entirely sure this proposal is the best solution, but its a good start in the discussion i guess.

Aren't most of the 8,700 riders getting on/off High Street buses downtown?

Probably, Not sure.  The City is making the case that High Street Downtown right now does not function properly to sustain a true active retail environment that you might see right up the street in Short North or south in Brewery District or German Village.  I tend to agree that there is just too much bus traffic on high street right now and the experience is really noisy and kinda chaotic...not the best for retail shops/cafes/etc. 

 

it seems that all the bus traffic would support retail, but it really hasnt.  i think there needs to be a better balance between transit, on-street parking, bike lanes, etc. on high street to thrive as it should.  I would love to see a true downtown transit center to correspond with something like your map above, but that would require quite a rethinking of the current COTA system.

Some see discrimination in COTA Downtown reroute plan

By  Robert Vitale

The Columbus Dispatch Monday October 10, 2011 7:56 AM

 

 

Willis Bryant has heard why Downtown planners want to reroute the COTA bus that takes him from the East Side to Columbus State, to Cleveland Avenue stores and back home again.

 

But when he listens to their argument — that lines of buses and crowds of riders are hurting efforts to fill High Street storefronts — he hears something else.

 

“They don’t want people who look like me,” said Bryant, who is black.

 

Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/10/10/some-see-discrimination-in-cota-downtown-reroute-plan.html

Bus route to continue running on High Street:  COTA rejects plans to move Downtown stops to Front, Broad

 

COTA has 'handshake' deal for site

By DUSTIN ENSINGER

Published: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 7:07 AM EDT

 

After searching for a new turnaround location for its No. 2 buses for more than a year, Central Ohio Transit Authority officials said last week they have found a suitable spot.

 

COTA representatives, at an Oct. 18 meeting, unveiled three plans to develop a vacant lot at Westview Avenue and North High Street to replace the current turnaround site at the Graceland Shopping Center.

 

"It's a big difference from what's there today, and we do think that it would be an improvement," said Mike Bradley, COTA's director of capital projects and planning.

 

Read more at: http://www.snponline.com/articles/2011/10/25/the_booster/news/bocotaturn_20111024_0527pm_5.txt

One response in particular stood out when young professionals were asked to name one wish they had to make Columbus a magnet for other young people...... You guessed -- more public transit including rail. That's a pretty big "cult" -- don't ya think?

 

Young professionals digging Columbus, survey finds

Business First by Jeff Bell, Staff reporter

Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 7:30pm EDT

 

The young professionals who will be calling the shots in Central Ohio someday seem to think the region is on the rise when it comes to what they’re looking for in a place to live and play.

 

That seems to be the theme running through a new survey of 20- and 30-somethings that the Columbus Chamber of Commerce unveiled Wednesday evening at its State of the Young Professionals event. (Download the report here: http://b700441e9603e56472e76fceed3901483f5d7759.gripelements.com/pdf/member_resources/2011_state_of_the_yp_report.pdf)

 

Here’s an example of what I’m getting at: The survey found 79 percent of the respondents view Columbus as a vibrant city where people are using public parks, trails and recreation areas, attending farmers markets and living in a healthy way. That’s up from 58 percent in 2006, when the chamber did a similar survey.

 

If they could wish upon a star, more than a third of the YPs would like to see more forms of alternative transportation such as public transit, bike paths and rail. That’s up from 23 percent in 2006.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2011/10/young-professionals-digging-columbus.html

 

^That's quite an interesting word cloud isn't it?  According to these recently announced ridership numbers from COTA, the existing bus system is moving more customers.

 

COLUMBUS DISPATCH: COTA ridership climbs to highest level since 1999

 

COLUMBUS UNDERGROUND: COTA Ridership at Highest Level in 12 Years

COTA switching to buses that run on natural gas

Fleet will transition after installation of new pumps

By  Robert Vitale

The Columbus Dispatch Monday November 14, 2011 5:28 AM

 

Central Ohio Transit Authority officials say they see little downside in a planned switch to buses that run cheaper, quieter and cleaner on compressed natural gas.

 

They plan to buy natural gas-burning buses as early as 2013 — new pumps must be installed first — and they think federal grants will be available to cover much of the cost. The new buses cost more to buy but less to fuel and repair.

 

“We’ve tested a good number of alternative fuels,” said Pat Stephens, COTA’s vice president for operations. “We believe it offers us the best opportunity to be responsible in reducing our fuel costs and to be responsible environmentally.”

 

Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/11/14/cota-to-roll-with-new-fuel.html

Is this guy any relation to COTA's Bill Lhota? There can't be too many Lhota's running around!

 

http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/Story/2011/11/Lhota-joins-MTA-as-executive-director.aspx?ref=Express-Tuesday-20111115&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter

Is this guy any relation to COTA's Bill Lhota? There can't be too many Lhota's running around!

 

http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/Story/2011/11/Lhota-joins-MTA-as-executive-director.aspx?ref=Express-Tuesday-20111115&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter

 

Don't know.  But if this New York Lhota is not related to COTA's Lhota, that would be a big coincidence!

COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Higher COTA fares go into effect in January

 

COLUMBUS UNDERGROUND: COTA Raising Prices in 2012, Introducing 31-Day Pass

COTA Ridership is Fastest Growing in The US

 

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) released a report today on public transportation levels for the third quarter of 2011, and the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) landed at the top of the bus ridership list with a 10.8% increase.  Nationally, bus ridership increased by 1.4% during this time period.

 

To view the complete APTA ridership report, visit www.apta.com.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-ridership-is-fastest-growing-in-the-us

 

Story from the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

 

Demand for Ohio mass transit proves it's worth the investment: Ben Wickizer

Published: Sunday, December 25, 2011, 3:33 AM

Plain Dealer guest columnist By Plain Dealer guest columnist

 

With the recent release of quarterly ridership levels for mass transit in the United States, it seems appropriate to reflect on Ohio's transportation system relative to other states. In a recent report by the American Public Transportation Association detailing ridership statistics, there were a number of highlights related to Ohio. Bus ridership in the third quarter (July-September) on the Central Ohio Transit Authority in Columbus increased by 10.8 percent from last year -- the largest increase in the country -- while Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority ridership increased by 5.2 percent. In addition, heavy rail ridership in Cleveland increased by 9.7 percent -- also the largest in the country. This quarterly increase for COTA and RTA, which is part of a larger ridership increase for the period of January-September compared with last year, indicates a growing shift in Ohio's transportation demands.

 

Despite continual ridership increases over the past decade, transit services in many Ohio cities have been routinely cut and fares increased. These phenomena represent a disconnect at the policymaking level, as basic logic dictates that if transit demand and ridership are increasing, especially in the face of service cuts and fare increases, then more funding should be allocated to meet the latent and growing demand that exists. Additionally, state funding for public transit in Ohio is significantly less than other comparable states, including Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.

 

Not only are many Ohio leaders apathetic to transit demand, but they appear to misunderstand the costs, benefits and reasons for mass transit. Frequently, the litmus test that is applied in relation to transit is: Does it require a subsidy? If the answer is yes, then many leaders immediately balk, returning to their antiquated notions that transportation salvation can only be found in the automobile. But the goal of public transit is not to generate profit or even create a revenue system that is self-sustaining; it's to provide a vital service to the community that creates benefits such as improved mobility, less traffic congestion, lower fuel consumption, improved air quality, superior safety and a more efficient and diverse transportation system -- what economists term positive externalities.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/12/demand_for_ohio_mass_transit_p.html

Story from the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

 

Demand for Ohio mass transit proves it's worth the investment: Ben Wickizer

Published: Sunday, December 25, 2011, 3:33 AM

Plain Dealer guest columnist By Plain Dealer guest columnist

 

With the recent release of quarterly ridership levels for mass transit in the United States, it seems appropriate to reflect on Ohio's transportation system relative to other states. In a recent report by the American Public Transportation Association detailing ridership statistics, there were a number of highlights related to Ohio. Bus ridership in the third quarter (July-September) on the Central Ohio Transit Authority in Columbus increased by 10.8 percent from last year -- the largest increase in the country -- while Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority ridership increased by 5.2 percent. In addition, heavy rail ridership in Cleveland increased by 9.7 percent -- also the largest in the country. This quarterly increase for COTA and RTA, which is part of a larger ridership increase for the period of January-September compared with last year, indicates a growing shift in Ohio's transportation demands.

 

Despite continual ridership increases over the past decade, transit services in many Ohio cities have been routinely cut and fares increased. These phenomena represent a disconnect at the policymaking level, as basic logic dictates that if transit demand and ridership are increasing, especially in the face of service cuts and fare increases, then more funding should be allocated to meet the latent and growing demand that exists. Additionally, state funding for public transit in Ohio is significantly less than other comparable states, including Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.

 

Not only are many Ohio leaders apathetic to transit demand, but they appear to misunderstand the costs, benefits and reasons for mass transit. Frequently, the litmus test that is applied in relation to transit is: Does it require a subsidy? If the answer is yes, then many leaders immediately balk, returning to their antiquated notions that transportation salvation can only be found in the automobile. But the goal of public transit is not to generate profit or even create a revenue system that is self-sustaining; it's to provide a vital service to the community that creates benefits such as improved mobility, less traffic congestion, lower fuel consumption, improved air quality, superior safety and a more efficient and diverse transportation system -- what economists term positive externalities.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/12/demand_for_ohio_mass_transit_p.html

 

Ohioans want transportation choice.  But most Ohio politicians want us to be shackled to the gasoline pump. If the above editorial doesn't explain "why we fight" for passenger rail, streetcars and more and better mass transit, I don't know how to put it any better.

BRT.... Bus Rapid Transit.... comes to Columbus.  A poor subsitute for light rail and/or streetcars......

 

COTA studying speedy bus route

By  Robert Vitale

The Columbus Dispatch Sunday January 8, 2012 5:49 AM

 

The Central Ohio Transit Authority will hit the road next month to begin gathering ideas for public-transportation improvements between Downtown, the Northeast Side and beyond.

 

A new service that’s quicker than a local-route bus but makes more stops than an express route remains the most-likely option. It’s called “bus rapid transit,” and it’s rapidly gaining favor nationwide and already has been implemented in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Boston, Kansas City, Mo., and other cities.

 

It’s often described as light-rail on wheels, a step up from regular bus routes but cheaper to start than train or trolley service.

 

Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/08/cota-studying-speedy-bus-route.html

Columbus to get BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) soon?  Routes are now being looked at.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/08/cota-studying-speedy-bus-route.html

 

 

(MODERATOR NOTE: This post and the following two posts were moved from the Random Columbus Developments Thread into this COTA thread.  Hence the duplication of the Dispatch article.)

This development may disappoint some because it isn't the dreamed of light-rail, but it's definitely a major step in the right direction!  A lot will be learned from this new Columbus BRT and I'll bet that many other cities will be watching.  GET IT DONE!

This development may disappoint some because it isn't the dreamed of light-rail, but it's definitely a major step in the right direction!  A lot will be learned from this new Columbus BRT and I'll bet that many other cities will be watching.  GET IT DONE!

 

I've ridden BRT before in other cities and it's great.  I don't think this precludes the idea of light rail coming to Columbus as well.  Many cities have both.  I think the more options available, the more people will become comfortable with mass transit ideas overall.  I don't think light rail is realistically all that far off. 

I am certainly encouraged by this news. Hopefully due to the already high ridership, relatively low cost, and solid leadership at the transit authority this project won't see the lambasting that previous rail proposals have suffered. My hope is this serves as a catalyst, similar to KCMO, for more support for mass transit, both financially and in terms of ridership.

This development may disappoint some because it isn't the dreamed of light-rail, but it's definitely a major step in the right direction!  A lot will be learned from this new Columbus BRT and I'll bet that many other cities will be watching.  GET IT DONE!

 

Since Cleveland and other cities are already running BRT roputes, I doubt anyone will be watching Columbus for anything innovative.  BRT's not a bad idea, but I would prefer light rail, since (unlike BRT or regular bus service) it doesn't rely on roads that already have a lot of traffic competing for space.

^Perhaps not, but as CMH_Downtown observed previously, a new Columbus BRT may be just the innovation needed to encourage the city's people to travel on something else than their extensive freeways.  Hopefully, the BRT will start to turn heads in our capital, if nowhere else.

COTA has a new President/CEO:

 

Columbus Underground: W. Curtis Stitt to replace Bill Lhota as President and CEO of COTA

 

Columbus Dispatch: New chief vows to continue COTA’s turnaround

Columbus to get BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) soon?  Routes are now being looked at.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/08/cota-studying-speedy-bus-route.html

 

Agreed that this is obviously a step in the right direction.  High St. could not support this, as the road is too narrow and busy already, but there are other routes listed above that would be great options.

The Dispatch looks back at the last 7 1/2 years of outgoing CEO Bill Lhota's management of COTA:

 

Retiring CEO steered COTA’s turnaround

One more look back at previous CEO Bill Lhota's management of COTA from Business First: Metropolitan Club lunch bids farewell to COTA’s Lhota

 

I particularly liked this synopsis of his leadership from the Business First article:

Under Lhota’s leadership, COTA improved its ridership numbers, upgraded its fleet and moved to a downtown office that will bear the name of its former CEO.  The move downtown was a sticking point for Lhota, who found a space that did not have convenient parking to encourage employees to use the bus service themselves.

I think Lhota moving COTA's headquarters to 33 N. High Street might end up being his greatest legacy.  As the above quote said, more COTA employees will be using COTA bus service.  This alone is likely to improve the quality of that bus service more than anything else.  And it's the polar opposite of the days when a previous COTA CEO had a free SUV as part of his contract and never rode the bus!

Columbus to get BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) soon?  Routes are now being looked at.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/08/cota-studying-speedy-bus-route.html

COTA posted a slideshow of their public meeting presentation for this at http://www.slideshare.net/COTA_Bus

 

Thanks, Columbo, for the link to the COTA slide-show!  It was a real education, both in transportation modes and what Columbus will probably do with BRT!

COTA dedicates first passenger shelters on Capitol Square

 

COLUMBUS—Friday, Feb. 17, at 11 a.m., COTA will join local leaders, community stakeholders, customers and project partners to celebrate its first passenger shelters built on Capitol Square.  The state-of-the-art shelters will be dedicated with a short ribbon-cutting ceremony at the South High Street shelter in front of the Statehouse.

 

These high-capacity shelters, located on East Broad Street and South High Street, will support approximately 5,000 boardings each day and serve 35 lines.  The capacity of the High Street shelter is approximately 40 people inside and 70 people outside under the extended roof.  The Broad Street shelter can accommodate approximately 30 people inside and 50 people outside.

 

MORE: http://www.cota.com/News-Releases.aspx?id=201

 

Photo of the Capitol Square bus shelter provided by Columbus Underground

If you want to make sure things like streetcars, light rail and regional rail services to outlying communities like Delaware and Newark are part of the long-range plans for COTA, these meetings are important to make sure your voices are heard....

 

http://www.cota.com/Public_Comment_Meetings.aspx

 

2012 Long-Range Transit Plan

 

The Long-Range Transit Plan (LRTP) is a comprehensive strategy for enhancing significantly the public transit system for the central Ohio region over the next 23 years. Utilizing a variety of methods to ensure public participation, the LRTP has been developed to respond to the growing transportation needs of the central Ohio region by providing an expanded, reliable, and safe transit system.

 

COTA is seeking public input about the update to the Long-Range Transit Plan (LRTP) for the 2012-2035 time span. 

 

Below are the dates, times and locations of the LRTP public meetings:

 

Tuesday, Feb. 28

6 p.m.

Calvary Baptist Church

3865 N. High St.

Columbus, OH 43214

 

Thursday, March 1

6 p.m.

MLK Branch-Columbus Metropolitan Library

1600 E. Long

Columbus, OH 43203

 

Monday, March 5

6 p.m.

Franklinton Branch-Columbus Metropolitan Library

1061 W. Town St.

Columbus, OH 43222

 

Thursday, March 8

6 p.m.

Parsons Branch-Columbus Metropolitan Library

845 Parsons Ave.

Columbus, OH 43206

 

Thursday, March 15

6 p.m.

William G. Porter Board Room

33 N. High St

Columbus, OH 43215

 

For information about the LRTP, public meeting dates, times and to submit comments, visit www.cota.com or call Customer Service at (614) 228-1776 (TTY/TTD 614-275-5878).

COTA posts nation's largest bus ridership increase

By  Robert Vitale

The Columbus Dispatch Monday March 12, 2012 2:04 PM

 

The Central Ohio Transit Authority posted the nation’s largest increase in bus ridership in 2011 among big-city agencies.

 

Figures released this morning by the American Public Transportation Association show that central Ohio was one of two major markets where bus ridership grew by more than 10 percent.

 

There were 1.7 million more trips on COTA buses last year than in 2010. The 10.15 percent increase brought ridership to almost 18.8 million, the highest in more than a decade.

 

After scaling back operations during a string of difficult budget years in the last decade, COTA has been expanding routes and updating its fleet.

Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/03/12/COTA-ridership-increases-highest-in-nation.html

looks like Columbus is heading in the right direction but has a long way to go

One more article about the COTA's new Statehouse bus shelter from the Dispatch:

 

Dispatch: Chic shelters designed to revitalize neighborhoods - Advocates of fancier bike racks and bus stops say design matters and good looks are worth the higher cost

Still more about COTA's search for a new bus turnaround location in the Clintonville area to replace its existing turnaround in the Graceland Shopping Center.  Article from the Dispatch linked below:

 

Dispatch: COTA has new plan for bus turnaround on N. High

And more about COTA and High Street in the Downtown.  Previously downtown groups struck out on an attempt to shift COTA buses off High Street and onto other downtown streets (see previous page in this thread).  Now they are taking a swing at permitting curbside parking, while keeping COTA bus service on High Street.  Below is an excerpt and link to the full article about this from the Dispatch:

 

COTA might take compromise on High St. parking Downtown

Group wants to let drivers stop in curb lanes from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

By Robert Vitale, The Columbus Dispatch

Monday, April 16, 2012 - 7:32 AM

 

Six months after COTA refused to move a bus route off High Street to allow curbside parking, officials are seeking a way to accommodate buses and cars Downtown.  Recommendations are likely by the end of the month from a panel of Downtown overseers, business representatives and others that would bring back on-street parking along a stretch of High Street where traffic rules have favored buses since the late 1980s.

 

The group seems ready to suggest parking during non-rush hours — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. — in areas not needed by COTA buses to pick up and drop off passengers.  The panel has looked at traffic patterns along the street between I-670 on the north end of Downtown and I-70/71 south of the Franklin County Courthouse.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/16/cota-might-take-compromise-on-parking.html

Report: Columbus public transit ranks near bottom

Business First

Date: Thursday, April 26, 2012, 11:21am EDT

 

Columbus’ public transportation picture relative to its big-city counterparts can’t get much worse, according to a recent ranking.

 

The capital city was ranked 24th out of 25 cities based on its residents’ access to public transportation in a study by Walk Score, which rates neighborhoods for apartment renters and homebuyers.

 

Only Raleigh, N.C., was ranked worse than Columbus on the company’s list. Cleveland was ranked No. 14.

Read more at: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2012/04/26/report-columbus-public-transit-ranks.html

More about COTA's bus rapid-transit line proposal for Cleveland Avenue from the Columbus Dispatch:

 

DISPATCH: Cleveland Ave. could get bus upgrade - COTA will seek federal funds for rapid-transit line

Walker Evans at Columbus Underground recently had a lengthy and informative interview with the new head of COTA, Curtis Stitt.  Below is an excerpt and link to the full interview at Columbus Underground:

 

Curtis Stitt Discusses the Future of Public Transit in Columbus

By: Walker Evans, Columbus Underground

Published on June 11, 2012 - 1:00 pm

 

In January of 2012, Curtis Stitt was named the new CEO at the Central Ohio Transit Authority.  After six months on the job, we had the opportunity to sit down and discuss the current state of public transit services in Columbus, and what Stitt has in mind for the future of the region.

 

FULL INTERVIEW: http://www.columbusunderground.com/curtis-stitt-discusses-the-future-of-public-transit-in-columbus

 

Wouldn't this be something for Red, White and Boom!  As much as we like to criticize COTA's bus service, there is something worse.  No service.

 

COTA might strike with a ‘Boom’

Union’s possible walkout is day before fireworks

By Robert Vitale, The Columbus Dispatch

Saturday, June 23, 2012 - 6:13 AM

 

More than 600 Central Ohio Transit Authority bus drivers and maintenance workers could walk off the job on July 2, the day before Columbus’ Red, White & Boom celebration.

 

At least 26,000 people took COTA buses to and from Downtown for the annual fireworks show last year.  COTA has scheduled 200 extra buses, advertised special shuttles and planned more-frequent local service for this year.

 

President and CEO W. Curtis Stitt said bus service would shut down — for Red, White & Boom and everyday routes — if a strike takes place. “We can’t provide some type of skeleton service,” Stitt said.  COTA would continue only its service for disabled passengers, officials said.

 

The union’s notice to the State Employment Relations Board that it intends to go on strike doesn’t mean a strike is definite.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/06/23/cota-might-strike-with-a-boom.html

Man, that would be nuclear.

This might just be negotiating rhetoric - but it sounds ominous.

 

COTA workers set to strike on Monday

Outcome of Sunday’s talks not expected to alter union’s plans

By Spencer Hunt, The Columbus Dispatch

Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 10:56 AM

 

More than 600 COTA bus drivers and mechanics plan to go on strike on Monday, even if there is a tentative agreement on a new contract reached this weekend.  A last-ditch negotiating session set for 1:30 p.m. Sunday would come too late for workers to avoid following through on a threat to stop working at 3 a.m. Monday, said Andrew Jordan, president of the Transport Workers Union Local 208.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/06/30/cota-workers-set-to-strike-on-monday.html

Bus strike goes ahead despite tentative agreement

COTA, union reach deal early today, but riders forced to make other plans until workers approve pact

By Josh Jarman, The Columbus Dispatch

Monday, July 2, 2012 - 10:02 AM

 

More than 600 COTA bus drivers and mechanics kept their word this morning and went on strike at 3 after reaching a tentative agreement hours earlier with authority officials.

 

About 30 Central Ohio Transit Authority workers stood outside COTA headquarters on N. High Street and waved signs and shouted at passing cars.  Workers also are marching at two COTA facilities, on McKinley and Fields avenues.

 

Some cars honked in support of the workers Downtown.  Some car drivers, however, made other, less positive, gestures to striking workers.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/07/02/cota-union-push-strike-deadline.html

Bus strike continues as drivers and mechanics reject agreement tonight

No buses for Red, White & Boom

By Dean Narciso, The Columbus Dispatch

Monday, July 2, 2012 - 11:16 PM

 

Central Ohio Transit Authority bus drivers and mechanics will remain off their jobs Tuesday morning, after rejecting a tentative agreement with authority officials tonight that would have given them 7 percent raises but decreased their benefits over three years.

 

Union members began voting about 6 p.m. and continued until 10:30 p.m. at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 189 union hall on Kinnear Road on the Northwest Side.  That union hall was used because it’s larger than COTA’s South Side lodge.

 

The contract was rejected by a vote of 270 to 238, according to COTA spokesman Marty Stutz.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/07/02/cota-union-push-strike-deadline.html