June 16, 201410 yr Opinion: Transit Columbus Supports COTA System Overhaul By Josh Lapp, Columbus Underground June 15, 2014 - 7:50 am Transit Columbus strongly supports the transit system review (TSR) redesign process being developed by the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) that will streamline and improve service. These changes will provide the best coverage for the largest amount of Central Ohioans possible. COTA has the ability to vastly improve access, reliability, frequency, and ridership by revamping the current system to become simplified and efficient; all this with no additional taxpayer funding. We acknowledge that change is hard, and there will be some growing pains as a result of these changes. However, the end result will be a vast improvement for greatest number of people possible. The core idea of the scenario proposed by consultant team including Jarret Walker (of the blog Human Transit), is to expand the network of services that run every 15 minutes or better all day — so that more people have service that is highly useful. The plan creates higher-frequency, better-connected service that is projected to increase ridership by 10% within two years. MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/opinion-transit-columbus-supports-cota-system-overhaul
July 1, 201410 yr I know it was boosted by Comfest, but when the UO meetup people got on the CBUS it was standing room only. Many of the stops had people waiting that couldn't get on because it was too crowded.
September 4, 201410 yr COTA wants to ease commute for New Albany Business Park workers By Evan Weese, Staff Reporter Columbus Business First - Sept. 2, 2014, 3:24pm EDT The Central Ohio Transit Authority is rolling out new Columbus-to-New Albany express service in an effort to ease commutes for workers traveling to and from the northeast suburb. SmartRide New Albany includes five weekday morning departures - 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. - from downtown Columbus, stopping at Easton Town Center and ending at the New Albany Business Park, where the city is paying for last-leg shuttle service. “If we can’t get workers to their jobs, all that work-force development is for nought,” COTA CEO Curtis Stitt told me. ... Abercrombie & Fitch, Discover Financial Services, Aetna and others have more than 12,000 workers at the 3,000-acre business park. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/08/28/cota-wants-to-ease-commute-for-new-albany-business.html
September 4, 201410 yr More about the New Albany Business Park line - plus a route schedule - from CU: http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-bus-route-takes-center-city-residents-to-suburban-jobs
September 11, 201410 yr COTA’s CBUS service exceeding expectations but still needs sponsors By Evan Weese, Staff Reporter Columbus Business First - Sept. 10, 2014, 3:27pm EDT CBUS is rolling along half-way through an eight-month experiment. The Central Ohio Transit Authority’s free downtown circulator service has exceeded expectations, officials say, but for rides to remain free the service likely will need corporate sponsors to help underwrite the cost. (. . .) Since CBUS launched in May ... the service runs on a loop along High and Front streets from the Short North to the Brewery District, hitting 29 stops as often as every 10 minutes. It started free for users as a test to garner interest while the agency seeks sponsors to keep it rolling after this year. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/09/10/cota-s-cbus-service-exceeding-expectations-but.html
October 2, 201410 yr Photos of COTA's remodeled downtown bus terminal from http://www.columbusunderground.com/construction-roundup-august-2014. The terminal is located inside the Columbus Commons/Rich Street Parking Garage.
October 15, 201410 yr With no sponsor on hand, COTA proposing 50-cent fare for CBUS downtown circulator By Evan Weese, Staff Reporter Columbus Business First - October 14, 2014, 4:13pm EDT The Central Ohio Transit Authority’s board plans to vote before the end of the year on a 50-cent fare for the CBUS downtown circulator, which has been free. The popular circulator that runs along High and Front streets between the Short North and Brewery District neighborhoods is operating free of charge through year-end following its pilot launch in May. But without a corporate sponsor secured, the agency will recommend the fare, spokeswoman Lisa Knapp said. The vote is expected at the Nov. 19 board meeting. If approved, the fare would go into effect Jan. 1. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/10/14/with-no-sponsor-on-hand-cota-proposing-50-cent.html
October 22, 201410 yr As per the previous article, the COTA Board of Trustees is expected to vote on November 19 whether to add a 50-cent fare to the currently free CBUS downtown circulator line. But as of October 22, the Board doesn't like the idea: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/10/22/COTA-board-members-do-not-like-idea-of-Cbus-fares.html
October 30, 201410 yr Some updates on COTA’s proposed Cleveland Avenue Bus Rapid Transit project. One, it has a new name – CMAX: COTA confident of federal support for CMAX rapid transit along Cleveland Avenue By Evan Weese, Staff Reporter Columbus Business First - Oct 16, 2014, 4:26pm EDT The Central Ohio Transit Authority unveiled more details Tuesday of plans for a bus service that will shuttle passengers more quickly along Cleveland Avenue downtown from north of Interstate 270. The bus rapid transit project awaits final federal approval in February and construction won't start until December 2015, but the agency unveiled branding for the roughly 13-mile loop service, to be called CMAX. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/10/15/cota-confident-of-federal-support-for-cmax-rapid.html
October 30, 201410 yr Two, the projected start date has been pushed back from September 2016 to May 2017. Map of the proposed CMAX route at the link below: http://www.columbusunderground.com/start-date-pushed-back-on-cleveland-avenue-brt-now-called-cmax-bw1
November 5, 201410 yr Consultant suggests 2016 for COTA sales-tax renewal By Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday, October 28, 2014 - 12:30 AM The 2016 general election likely gives COTA the best chance to pass a renewal of its 0.25 percent sales-tax levy, a consultant told trustees yesterday. The Central Ohio Transit Authority is funded by a 0.25 percent permanent tax and a 0.25 percent renewal that passed in 2006. The temporary tax expires in 2016, and COTA has said it needs to renew it to maintain service levels. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/10/27/consultant-suggests-2016-for-COTA-tax.html
November 19, 201410 yr COTA keeping CBUS circulator free, for now By Evan Weese, Staff Reporter Columbus Business First - Nov. 19, 2014, 10:48am EST The CBUS downtown circulator will remain free through May 3 as the Central Ohio Transit Authority continues searching for corporate sponsors. COTA's board of trustees decided Wednesday to extend the free CBUS service beyond year's end, while also voting to maintain the current fare structure system-wide in 2015. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/11/19/cota-keeping-cbus-circulator-free-for-now.html
December 29, 201410 yr COTA Ridership at Highest Level Since 2004 By Walker Evans, Columbus Underground November 24, 2014 - 2:24 pm More and more people are riding COTA this year, thanks in part to the new CBUS Circulator route that launched in May. The Central Ohio Transit Authority announced today that monthly ridership totals hit 1.8 million in both September and October, which is the highest monthly level since January 2004. Additionally, year-to-date ridership is up 2.7% over 2013. MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-ridership-at-highest-level-since-2004
December 29, 201410 yr No strike expected as union weighs COTA contract offer By Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch Saturday, December 27, 2014 - 5:23 AM The contract between COTA and the union representing its drivers and mechanics is set to expire on Sunday, and a new deal has not been finalized. But Transport Workers Union of America Local 208 doesn’t expect negotiations to turn as sour as they did three years ago, when buses stopped rolling for three days during the workers’ first strike in 25 years. President Ron Dreyfus said union leaders will present an offer from COTA to members at a meeting on Sunday evening, with a vote possible next week. The existing agreement will remain in place until the union and Central Ohio Transit Authority trustees approve a deal. (. . .) The union’s ranks will grow this year as COTA continues to expand service on the road. This month, trustees approved a 2015 budget of $115.7 million, which includes a plan to add 47 drivers and boost fixed-route service by 7 percent. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/12/27/no-strike-expected-as-union-weighs-cota-contract-offer.html
January 6, 201510 yr COTA drivers, mechanics approve new contract By Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, January 1, 2015 - 5:29 AM COTA bus drivers and mechanics would get pay raises in each of the next three years but take on a greater share of their pension contributions under an agreement approved by union members this week. Members of Transit Workers Union of America Local 208 approved a new three-year deal on Tuesday, concluding its first contract negotiation since settling a strike in July 2012. The pact won’t be finalized until the Central Ohio Transit Authority’s board of trustees approves it. A special board meeting to vote on the agreement is scheduled for Monday. If approved, the new agreement would expire on Dec. 28, 2017. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/12/31/cota-union-approves-contract.html
January 6, 201510 yr ^ Approved: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/01/05/COTA-approves-union-contract.html
January 27, 201510 yr All Aboard Ohio @AllAboardOhio 35s35 seconds ago Narrow view by @dispatcheditor on Columbus transit $$ ignores massive road subsidies, transit benefits to non-riders! "Tyranny of the majority" opinion by @dispatcheditor on public transit $$ in Columbus. Selfish disdain for the needy! COTA should be fair to taxpayers Sunday January 25, 2015 6:59 AM Within two years, the Central Ohio Transit Authority will ask the 97 percent of local taxpayers who do not routinely use the public bus system to continue subsidizing the 3 percent who do. The authority, which is preparing to ask voters to renew half its local funding, should keep in mind that passing a tax levy is a challenge for any agency these days. Allowing riders’ share of the cost of running the buses to shrink even more, as happened this year, puts a vital service at risk. Employers, the poor, the disabled, students, the thrifty and the environmentally conscious rely upon COTA. But service could be cut in half if voters don’t agree by late 2016 to renew a quarter-penny, temporary sales tax, which complements a permanent quarter-penny sales tax. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2015/01/25/1-cota-should-be-fair-to-taxpayers.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 27, 201510 yr Stale anti-transit views like @dispatcheditor restrain Columbus' growth vs. once-similarly sized pro-transit cities: http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/conferences/2012/LRT/JSchuman2.pdf … "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 29, 201510 yr Annual cost to Ohio's economy from car crashes? $11.7 BILLION! Giving Ohioans real transport choices would cut that. And yet the Dispatches editorializing in opposition to more/better trains/transit. Amazing how reasonable solutions totally disconnect from the information at their very fingertips.... Transportation Insider By Rick Rouan The Columbus Dispatch • Monday January 26, 2015 7:40 AM Ohio is making progress but still has several gaps in key traffic-safety laws, an advocacy group argues in a new report. Ohio’s 2015 report card from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety admonishes the state for its secondary-enforcement seat-belt law and its motorcycle-helmet rules, among others, and places it in the second of three safety categories. Nine states were given the group’s worst rating. Ohio needs a primary-enforcement law for seat-belt use in both the front and back seats, the group said, meaning that law-enforcement officers could stop drivers upon seeing a seat-belt violation. Now, they can cite people under the seat-belt law only if they stop drivers for some other violation, such as speeding. Ohio also should increase the minimum age for a learner’s permit to 16 from 151/2 and enact an ignition-interlock law for people caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the group said. It also said the state needs primary enforcement for all drivers caught texting while driving. The economic cost of motor-vehicle crashes in Ohio is about $11.7 billion a year, according to the report. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/01/26/transportation-insider-columbus-adds-snowplows-but-number-slippery.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 2, 201510 yr COTA's 2014 trips were about 3 percent higher than in 2013. Of the 550,000 trips the COTA added last year, about 348,000 were on the Cbus, which started running between the Short North and Brewery District in May 2014. The 19.3 million bus trips provided by COTA was the highest number since 24 million trips were made in 1986. More about it from Business First, Columbus Underground and the Dispatch: -- COTA sees highest ridership since 1986: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/01/27/cota-sees-highest-ridership-since-1986.html -- COTA Ridership at Highest Level Since 1986: http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-ridership-at-highest-level-since-1986 -- Free Cbus helped COTA ridership jump in 2014: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/01/28/COTA-board-approves-boosting-budget.html
February 6, 201510 yr COTA awarded $38M grant for rapid transit line along Cleveland Avenue By Evan Weese, Staff reporter - Columbus Business First February 5, 2015, 1:03pm EST The Central Ohio Transit Authority has been awarded $38 million federal funding for its proposed bus-rapid-transit service along Cleveland Avenue, putting the long-planned project a step closer to reality. ... The $38 million grant will cover 80 percent of the estimated $47.7 million project cost. COTA is in the final design phase and plans to introduce CMAX in the spring of 2017. It will be the first so-called BRT line in Central Ohio, transporting riders between downtown Columbus and Polaris Parkway/Africa Road with limited stops and high frequency of trips to save an estimated 21 percent on travel time. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/02/05/cota-awarded-38m-grant-for-rapid-transit-line.html
February 6, 201510 yr More about COTA's CMAX grant from the Feds. Apparently it's not a done deal until Congress approves the President's budget. But when has this Republican Congress ever taken issue with the Democratic President's budget? ... Oh yeah. ... Guess we'll need to wait for the final signature for COTA to bank this grant. COTA bus rapid-transit project has shot at $38 million from feds By Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch Friday, February 6, 2015 - 5:39 AM A planned bus rapid-transit route along Cleveland Avenue is part of $3.2 billion in transit projects in President Obama’s proposed budget. Central Ohio Transit Authority officials say the inclusion represents a major milestone for its $48 million Cmax project. If Congress approves, the route is scheduled to start running between May and September 2017. ( . . . ) The 15.6-mile line would have limited stops between Downtown and OhioHealth Medical Center northwest of the Polaris area. Buses would have signal priority to stay on schedule. South of Rt. 161, buses would arrive every 10 minutes during the busiest travel periods and every 15 minutes the rest of the time. North of Rt. 161, buses would run every 30 minutes. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/02/05/Bus-rapid-transit-project-gets-funding-in-proposed-federal-budget.html
February 6, 201510 yr CMAQ (see-mack): Congestion Mitigation-Air Quality. It's one of those acronyms that's become a word unto itself in the transportation planners' world. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 10, 201510 yr I don't quite understand the logic behind choosing Cleveland St. I'm not real familiar with it, but it doesn't seem from Google Earth to be particularly dense or full of redevelopment opportunities (except for the area around E 5th Ave- which if it can be cleaned up may justify the modest $47 BRT). High would be the most dense, of course, but maybe too dense to fit BRT, but Summit/Indianola, E or W Broad, Main, or S. High seem to make more sense from the perspective of current density and redevelopment opportunity.
February 12, 201510 yr ^ I don't know COTA's official reasoning for choosing Cleveland Avenue instead of Summit/Fourth Streets for BRT. But the fact that Cleveland Avenue is a straight shot from Downtown to the Far North Westerville/Polaris area might have alot to do with it. The Summit/Fourth one-way pairs have a straight shot into Downtown until they get to Hudson Street. Then they jog west and combine into Indianola Avenue/Rt. 23 until they get to Morse Road. Then Rt. 23 jogs about a mile over to High Street (Indianola dead-ends north of Morse). The Cleveland Avenue BRT route takes you up to area where IKEA announced they were located in the Polaris area. Well, almost, as Walker from CU points out on his website: http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-bus-rapid-transit-service-will-almost-get-you-to-ikea-in-2017-but-not-quite
March 18, 201510 yr More information, including a project schedule and details on upcoming public meetings, is available at www.columbus.gov/connectcolumbus. New Thoroughfare Plan Will Tackle Street Layout, Bike Lanes, Light Rail and More By Brent Warren, Columbus Underground March 14, 2015 - 10:50 am The City of Columbus is moving forward with their Multimodal Thoroughfare Plan, and they are hoping that you have some opinions to share about how you get around (or would like to get around) the city. The first of three “Vision and Goals” meetings is scheduled for the end of March and a website has been set up to start gathering input, but that’s just the beginning – a “Plan Van” will be making stops at festivals and neighborhoods all over the city starting this summer, and future meetings will look to the public to generate new ideas for transportation projects, and for help in evaluating those projects. The plan – which was originally referred to as a Complete Streets plan and is now being marketed under the name Connect Columbus – will classify all of the larger streets in the city, providing recommendations for how different types of streets should be laid out. The overall focus of the plan, though, will be on balancing the needs of drivers with those of cyclists, pedestrians, and transit users. Topics like the bus network, future light rail corridors or streetcar routes, and protected bike lanes are all on the table. “We’re at a crossroads,” said Rick Tilton, Assistant Director of the Department of Public Service. “Because of the changing culture in Columbus, and in light of how the city’s population is changing, we need to be smart about how we spend money ... we don’t want to be just a car city.” The timing of the process will line up with two other initiatives; COTA’s Next Generation campaign will be looking at the future of transit in the region, and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s Metropolitan Transit Plan will be setting goals and priorities for the whole regional transportation network. The city will be working in conjunction with COTA and MORPC to ensure that the three plans complement each other. The Connect Columbus process is expected to last at least 18 months. MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/new-thoroughfare-plan-will-tackle-street-layout-bike-lanes-light-rail-and-more-bw1
March 28, 201510 yr CMAQ (see-mack): Congestion Mitigation-Air Quality. It's one of those acronyms that's become a word unto itself in the transportation planners' world. The problem is we sure as hell aren't going to use our CMAQ for CMAQ....
March 28, 201510 yr The problem is we sure as hell aren't going to use our CMAQ for CMAQ.... Because highway advocates have spoken more loudly in MORPC's service area than transit/bike/intermodal advocates. Same deal for OKI. But I can tell you NOACA has become pretty forceful about using CMAQ for its intended purposes. More friends are being added to the MORPC board and replacing the highwaymen, but it is going to take time. So anything you and others can do to help to foster more transportation choices and support maintenance of existing road infrastructure is appreciated. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 29, 201510 yr The problem is we sure as hell aren't going to use our CMAQ for CMAQ.... Because highway advocates have spoken more loudly in MORPC's service area than transit/bike/intermodal advocates. Same deal for OKI. But I can tell you NOACA has become pretty forceful about using CMAQ for its intended purposes. More friends are being added to the MORPC board and replacing the highwaymen, but it is going to take time. So anything you and others can do to help to foster more transportation choices and support maintenance of existing road infrastructure is appreciated. Similarly, I'm all ears. I sometimes get the impression that Columbus wants to be urban more than Cleveland or Cincinnati, but two things erode that cause: 1, the feeling of "too much change too soon" in terms of making demands; and 2, complacency and delusion amongst the natives that "Cbus" is some sort of "Austin of the North," which is of course borderline comical.
March 30, 201510 yr COTA adding 18-foot signs at some downtown bus stops By Evan Weese, Staff reporter - Columbus Business First March 25, 2015, 1:34pm EDT Bus stops for the Central Ohio Transit Authority’s new Cleveland Avenue rapid transit line will be hard to miss. The agency got the green light for 18-foot-high signs marking its planned $47.7 million rapid transit project that will shuttle riders more quickly along the busy corridor between just north of Interstate 270 and downtown. Columbus’ Downtown Commission approved the new signs at about a dozen stations along the CMAX route through downtown. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/03/25/cota-adding-18-foot-signs-at-some-downtown-bus.html
March 30, 201510 yr From http://www.columbus.gov/ConnectColumbus/ Vision and Goals Meetings: A series of open houses, workshops and community events will be held, focusing on three themes: Vision and Goals; Generating New Project Ideas; and Evaluation of Projects. Residents will be asked to comment on projects, community goals and policies relating to public transit, driving, cycling and walking in Columbus. The schedule for the first meetings on the plan’s Vision and Goals include: Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 Christ Memorial Baptist Church 3330 East Livingston Avenue Time: 6pm to 8pm Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Columbus Urban League 788 Mount Vernon Avenue Times: 10am-2pm and 6pm -8pm Date: Thursday, April 2, 2015 Downtown High School 364 S. Fourth Street Time: 6pm to 8pm
April 13, 201510 yr StreetsblogOhio @StreetsblogOhio Apr 10 .@jeffreytumlin to Columbus: "If you don’t have good transit, forget it, you’re not in the game, say goodbye to your future economy." All Aboard Ohio @AllAboardOhio 4m4 minutes ago How do YOU want public transportation to look and move for #Columbus' future? Have your say at @COTABus mtg April 23! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 17, 201510 yr Interview: COTA’s Curtis Stitt on the Next Generation of Transit in Columbus April 16, 2015 8:00 am By Brent Warren COTA President/CEO Curtis Stitt recently sat down with Columbus Underground for a discussion of the new initiative. He provided lots of information on the NextGen process, including how it fits with similar City of Columbus and MORPC plans, the likelihood of light rail being a part of the plan, and his thoughts on the impact the CBUS has had on the future of COTA. More: http://www.columbusunderground.com/interview-cotas-curtis-stitt-on-the-next-generation-of-transit-in-columbus-bw1
April 22, 201510 yr COTA's Board of Directors approved a couple of significant resolutions at their meeting this morning: The first is extending the free fares for the Short North-Downtown-Brewery District CBUS Circulator route through the end of April 2016 - http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-renews-free-fares-for-cbus-until-april-2016
April 22, 201510 yr The second was approval of a pilot program for a new bus pass program for downtown employees. This downtown program would be similar to what OSU currently offers to all of its students: COTA Approves New Bus Pass Program for Downtown Workforce By Walker Evans, Columbus Underground April 22, 2015 - 10:27 am If you’ve attended the Ohio State University, then you’re likely familiar with the ability to ride COTA buses “for free” with your BuckID (it’s actually paid for by the Ohio State University and rolled into tuition fees, but there is no charge taking place during the boarding process). The convenience allows a very large population of potential COTA riders to have very easy access at their fingertips. As of today, a similar program is scheduled for testing with several large Downtown employers. ( . . . ) Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District and the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) have been in discussion with Downtown building owners, property managers and business leaders to pilot a transit program that would subsidize bus passes for employees. Some Downtown offices already subsidize the cost of parking spaces for their employees as a perk, so the idea is that if bus ridership is offered with no cost to the employee, more would choose that option for work commutes. MORPC has identified federal grants to assist in paying for the program to offset costs to COTA while the long-term funding would come from business and property owners through the SID. ( . . . ) The program adopted at this morning’s COTA board meeting is considered a pilot program, launching with just five specific employers: Huntington, Porter Wright, Bricker & Eckler, State Auto and Nationwide Insurance. The program will be studied over a period of 19 months, and employees will be surveyed periodically to determine if the program can be rolled out to include all major employers within the boundary of the Special Improvement District, which covers most of the core Central Business District. MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-approves-new-bus-pass-program-for-downtown-workforce
April 23, 201510 yr Good idea. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 5, 201510 yr Business First has a breakdown of the cost estimates for COTA's planned $47.7 million CMAX rapid-transit bus line along Cleveland Avenue: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2015/04/here-s-why-cota-needs-47-7m-for-its-rapid-transit.html
May 28, 201510 yr In Franklin County (Columbus) @COTABus considers campaign to renew #transit tax in 2016 - http://t.co/NC1FhEyXyB "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 28, 201510 yr COTA considers campaign to renew transit tax in 2016 By Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday, May 27, 2015 - 9:57 PM The Central Ohio Transit Authority is eyeing the 2016 general election to ask voters to renew its 0.25 percent sales tax levy, but that could leave the agency in a lurch if voters turn it down. Business and civic leaders have told the authority that November 2016 is the ideal time to go back to the ballot, CEO Curtis Stitt told board members at a monthly meeting today. Higher turnout from a presidential race could benefit the authority. If it fails, though, COTA is risking half of its tax support on its last chance to renew the levy before it expires at the end of 2016. “We all know the big risk,” Stitt said. “If we are not successful at that time, we will have a gap in our local financing.” A pair of 0.25 percent sales tax levies provide about 80 percent of COTA’s funding. The rest comes from rider fares. The permanent levy was approved in 1999 and the temporary, 10-year tax, was approved in 2006. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/05/27/COTA_considering_campaign_to_renew_transit_tax_in_2016.html
May 29, 201510 yr Interesting new addition to the COTA board: Brett Kaufman, CEO of Kaufman Development. Kaufman Development has been responsible for some of the more interesting urban development projects in the past few years (250 S. High, 600 Goodale & 801 Polaris). More about this from Business First at the link below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/05/27/developer-brett-kaufman-among-3-added-to-cota.html
June 1, 201510 yr The Cleveland Ave BRT-lite continues to inch towards completion. I really hope COTA isn't planning to use the same shelters for this that they installed along High St downtown - those ended up looking pretty cheap and flimsy... Regardless, the art murals are a nice touch IMO and should at least liven up the dreary Cleveland Ave corridor a bit. COTA Unveils Public Art Strategy for Cleveland Ave Bus Rapid Transit 31 May, 2015 in News tagged Public Art / Transit by Columbusight As shown in the renderings below, COTA plans to solicit work from local artists to display on the rear windows of each of the 33 new shelters to be installed for the BRT. Communities and neighborhoods which border the line are being invited to select themes for the artwork, solicit designs, and provide feedback and recommendations on which artists and concepts should receive final approval. COTA plans to begin public outreach and the artist selection process this summer, with final selection of the artwork to be complete by early 2016. Construction for the BRT itself is scheduled to get underway this fall, wrapping up in about a year, with the new service finally starting in spring 2017. More: http://columbusight.com/2015/05/31/cota-unveils-public-art-strategy-for-cleveland-ave-bus-rapid-transit/
June 30, 20159 yr I suspect the Dispatch and their politically minded editorial board is trotting out these articles to stunt any efforts to develop transit, especially rail, in Central Ohio. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/06/28/slow-commute.html However.... In politically conservative Utah and Salt Lake City, their traffic is "a breeze" too but it hasn't stopped them from investing in regional commuter rail, multiple light-rail lines, and streetcars big time. Why? Because accessibility for all is more important than mobility for some. http://www.sltrib.com/home/2674311-155/compared-to-nation-utahns-commute-a "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 17, 20159 yr I suspect the Dispatch and their politically minded editorial board is trotting out these articles to stunt any efforts to develop transit, especially rail, in Central Ohio. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/06/28/slow-commute.html The Dispatch is no longer owned by the Wolfe family. As of June 15, 2015, it is owned by GateHouse Media: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,6984.msg761677.html#msg761677 GateHouse Media is a national media company that (as far as I know) has no axe to grind either for or against expanding transit in Central Ohio. The text even explains that the article was "an analysis of U.S. census data by The Dispatch as part of the “Fractured Framework” national reporting project by the Associated Press and the Associated Press Media Editors association." Here's the article headline and sub-headline: "Commute here in Columbus better than most: Actually, analysis finds relatively easy driving here, which inhibits plans for what some say is an inevitable need for more public transit" Which is exactly what I have been saying in the Streetcar/Light Rail thread. Based on population growth, denser development in the urban core, and evolving attitudes of public officials, it's only a matter of time before Central Ohio public transit expands to include streetcars and/or light rail. But because of these relatively easy commuting times, it's been difficult to get Franklin County voters to support the funding necessary for this expansion.
July 17, 20159 yr I'm aware of the sale. I encourage Central Ohio to follow the lead of politically conservative Salt Lake City where commute times are less than the national average, and they haven't grown despite population increases since 2007. Why? Because they managed their growth well with a mix of transportation choices and providing for land use options that allow low-mileage lifestyles. That has kept the quality of life pretty high in SLC despite its growth. MORE: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=35273234 What always astonishes me is that SLC is doing what the legacy rail cities (the NE Corridor cities, plus the likes of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, etc) did -- build rail into undeveloped areas and then develop them with high-density mixed uses within a 5- to 15-minute walk of those stations. They aren't trying to skim off X% of highway traffic with a parallel rail corridor lined with park-n-rides to sustain the car-dominated lifestyle. SLC is building low-mileage lifestyles where every trip, be it for work, school, shopping, nightlife, recreation, etc. can be accomplished without a car. My urban studies reminded me that the average household generates 10 trips a day. Two per person is work-related. If that's the only trips that a rail system is designed to compete for, then it's not going to do very well. So when I heard rail critics say the traffic isn't bad enough or the population density isn't high enough to justify rail, that's a very narrow and unsupported viewpoint. Transportation can be built to create something greater, not merely chase after a problem. I also think that Central Ohioans, while they live in a growing, attractive metro area, could consider the growth they are foregoing by not having a more robust, diverse transportation system built upon a foundation of walking. I have often pointed to a very close parallel in Sacramento that was the same population as Columbus 20-some years ago and has since outgrown it. Has rail been a part of that? Possibly. But the vibrancy and relevancy of Sacramento's transit system far eclipses that of Columbus', and the provision of rail trunk lines fed by a coordinated system of buses is the biggest factor: http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/conferences/2012/LRT/JSchuman2.pdf These are tools and arguments that can be used to create the Columbus you want to grow up in, start a business, raise a family, grow old in... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 17, 20159 yr I'm aware of the sale. So then, you were referring to GateHouse Media when you said I suspect the Dispatch and their politically minded editorial board is trotting out these articles to stunt any efforts to develop transit, especially rail, in Central Ohio. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/06/28/slow-commute.html
July 17, 20159 yr I think you're preaching to the choir KJP. Although I doubt Sacramento growing a bit faster than Columbus has more to do with transportation than the fact it's in California.
July 17, 20159 yr So then, you were referring to GateHouse Media when you said The ownership has changed. The editorial board hasn't. Still the same troglodytes. I think you're preaching to the choir KJP. Although I doubt Sacramento growing a bit faster than Columbus has more to do with transportation than the fact it's in California. Sorry if my advocacy tools sound like preaching. You never know who's reading this forum. As a former newspaper reporter, I was always taught to never assume the reader knows the background story. For some readers of this forum, this may be the first they've heard about these transportation-land use synergies. And given the actions of many of our leaders who form public policies, it's apparent they've yet to hear it. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 18, 20159 yr The ownership has changed. The editorial board hasn't. Still the same troglodytes. The editorial board is responsible for editorial content in the Dispatch. But you posted a news article from the Dispatch. Publication of news articles is the responsibility of the publisher, which is now GateHouse Media. And this particular news article was part of a national reporting project by the Associated Press.
July 18, 20159 yr The editorial board is responsible for editorial content in the Dispatch. But you posted a news article from the Dispatch. Publication of news articles is the responsibility of the publisher, which is now GateHouse Media. And this particular news article was part of a national reporting project by the Associated Press. That's not correct. The news content (aka the editorial content, which is different than the content of editorials written by the editorial board!) that appears in articles, and even the wire stories that are selected/edited for publication, is decided or at least influenced by the various editors. Examples: managing editor, city desk editor, business editor, sports editor, state editor, US/World editor, editorial page editor, and most big newspapers have their own editor for headlines. Most of them have assistant editors. Even the medium-sized paper I worked at all the editors had assistant editors. They were are hired by the chief/managing/executive editor who in turn was hired by owner/publisher. At my newspaper, after a while you learned what you could write and what you couldn't. In the 1990s, I wanted to write articles about organized crime in Cleveland but are then-owner was tight with the some of the top mobsters. He told the executive editorial who told my satellite office editor that I couldn't not write them. Even after the newspaper was sold the Newhouse group, my editors still thought I should stay away from the story just because that's something we had never done before. So I never got to write them. Since the change in ownership is so new, to my knowledge only Chief Editor Ben Marrison has left thus far. All the other editors Marrison hired are still there. So don't expect any big changes in corporate culture any time soon. What was/is the Dispatch's corporate culture? In my work at All Aboard Ohio, we have attempted to get the Dispatch to cover local/regional/Midwest passenger rail news -- especially the Columbus-Chicago project. The only thing they have published is negative, and totally ignored rail news in their own backyard when that news was positive. Their current transportation Rick Rouan previously worked at Columbus Business First where he wrote many good, informative articles on rail and transit projects. He was a good guy to work with. When he got hired by the Dispatch and tried to write stories that involved good news about rail, he was told by his editor that it would not happen. So he attempted to sneak some news into some of his articles and blogs. For the most part, all the rail coverage disappeared except when they anti-rail syndicated columns and wire stories came across the wire. So the editorial page editor selected the anti-rail syndicated columns. The US/World editor selected the national anti-rail wire stories (such as about HSR-haters trying to stop California's HSR program). The state editor wrote blogs highlighting Kasich's various anti-rail comments. Considering the wide variety of editors involved in those decisions, simply getting rid of Ben Marrison isn't going to change the editorial content of the Dispatch. That's how it works at a newspaper and that was my personal experience with the Dispatch. The Wolfe's instilled a corporate culture into that newspaper that's going to take a long time to get rid of, assuming that Gatehouse is even interested in changing it generally, or specifically changing the approach to urban/transit/rail coverage. So don't expect much if any change at the Dispatch. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 18, 20159 yr ^ Thank you for that last response. That helped me understand where you are coming from via your statements about the Dispatch. I certainly would agree with you that the Dispatch doesn't practice advocacy journalism regarding their rail coverage. I just don't perceive the anti-rail vibe that you do. But then you are dealing with this issue everyday, while I'm just an average reader with a focus on urban development issues. Your antennae would be much more sensitive to this issue. Ultimately, we both want the same thing: expanded transit options. And I'm generally optimistic that Central Ohio will get it. Mostly because the local trend favors it. Columbus has really turned the corner urban-wise over the past 15 years. I've seen vacant lots and parking lots that have sat that way for a generation getting redeveloped with new quality urban development. I've seen buildings that have sat vacant or underutilized for a generation getting redeveloped. Now the residents of these redeveloping and densifying areas are calling for expanded transit options. City Council members are talking about expanded transit options. And maybe most importantly, the formerly car-centric City Public Service Department is talking about expanded transit options. What seemed impossible a generation ago, seems inevitable today.
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