July 20, 20159 yr The Dispatch has done advocacy regarding rail -- it has actively fought against it. Editors cherry-picked wire stories, wrote columns and focused coverage to portray rail in the most negative way possible. Hard to believe, but it was even worse during the 3C planning in 2010. I have no doubt that this was due to their transportation reporter dating a Republican Party staffer (don't know what her title was, but she was a full-time campaign staffer). Trying to get him to report on positive developments regarding the planning work was futile. It was the most frustrating thing. Ever have that dream where you're screaming for help and no sound comes out of your mouth? Sadly, it wasn't just the Dispatch. All the big newspapers in the 3C's were anti-rail. Case in point -- Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises was going to develop a huge office complex at the Riverside station near WPAFB and establish a tax-increment financing district that would have funded most if not all of operating subsidy for the 3C project. We got the Dayton Daily News to report on it but that's all. The Enquirer, Dispatch and PD all sat on the story. But share the 39 mph lie? No problem! Sadly, Forest City was going to build its office complex with or without 3C (although the rail-based version was to be more densely developed and pedestrian-oriented) so it wasn't worth it to them to antagonize Kasich just in case he won. Both gubernatorial candidates were neck-n-neck in the polls leading up to the 2010 election. So yes, the Dispatch has been obstructionist against rail. I don't remember their position on the erstwhile streetcar project but I'm pretty sure it was negative. Their recent coverage of transit, including urban rail shows their deep-rooted disdain. It doesn't fit into the Wolfe-hired staff's wistful, fallacious mantra that driving is all about capitalism and free markets while transit is little more than an exercise in socialism and forced-collectivism. Or something like that..... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 23, 20159 yr COTA will ask voters to pass renewal levy in 2016 By Zack Lemon, The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday, July 22, 2015 - 5:56 PM COTA will ask voters during the 2016 general election to renew its 0.25 percent sales tax, which expires a few months later in March 2017. “The best opportunity for us to pass a sales tax, even a renewal, comes when we have a good turnout at the ballot,” said Curtis Stitt, president and CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority at a board meeting Wednesday morning. A pair of 0.25 percent sales-tax — one permanent, one temporary — provide about 80 percent of COTA's funding. Voters approved the permanent levy in 1999 and the temporary tax in 2006. The rest of the agency’s funding comes from fares. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/07/22/COTA-will-ask-voters-in-2016-to-renew-levy.html
August 22, 20159 yr Article from the Dispatch about Megabus moving its downtown bus stop location. COTA and City officials worked with Megabus to relocate to E. Rich Street - which is next to the existing downtown Greyhound bus terminal. Megabus has previously been using a COTA bus shelter on N. 4th Street to load passengers - a location that interfered with COTA bus lines and commuter traffic because of the lengthy stops needed to load Megabus passengers. The new E. Rich Street location does not interfere with normal vehicular traffic or COTA lines. Below is an excerpt and link to the full article at the Dispatch. A read-only version of the full article is also available at http://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-columbus-dispatch/20150820/281895886984959/TextView Megabus moves Downtown stop, will add rider shelter By Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday, August 19, 2015 - 5:47 PM People waiting Downtown for a bus to Chicago or Atlanta will no longer be loitering near the corner of 4th and Spring streets. Megabus has moved its Downtown stop from Spring Street between 4th and Lazelle streets to the northeast corner of E. Rich and S. 3rd Streets more than a year after Central Ohio Transit Authority officials asked the company to find a new stop. Last summer, COTA officials asked Megabus to stop using the authority’s stop at 4th and Spring to load passengers making long-distance trips. At the time, COTA had raised concerns about traffic and “disruptive behavior.” ... Megabus worked with COTA and Columbus and Downtown officials to find a different spot, said Sean Hughes, the company’s associate director of corporate affairs. ( . . . ) Megabus’ stop has shifted around town since 2007, when it started running taller buses that no longer could fit inside a COTA terminal. Most of those stops were in public rights of way. Megabus has agreed to install a bus shelter with a trash can at the new location, said Melanie Crabill, a spokeswoman with the city’s Department of Public Service. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/08/19/Megabus_moves_its_Downtown_stop.html
September 29, 20159 yr COTA has an online survey available now, along with ideas/proposals for enhanced bus service and new rail/brt corridors. Fill it out and let them know what should be prioritized! (And don't forget to mention in the comments on each route if you have a preference for rail!) :wink: Survey and more information here: http://www.cota.com/nextgen Detailed map of possible rail or brt corridors: http://www.cota.com/COTA/media/PDF/NextGen/NG_Potential-HCT-Corridors-min.pdf Just for fun, my top 5 were: 1) N High St 2) Downtown-CMH-Easton 3) East Main 4) West Broad 5) Newark Connection
October 5, 20159 yr COTA Looking for Help in Picking Best Corridors for Light Rail or Streetcars October 5, 2015 8:00 am There is no shortage of opinions in Columbus about whether rail should be a part of our future transit network, and the Central Ohio Transit Authority, with it’s ongoing NextGen process, is very methodically working toward an official recommendation on that front. However, before any decisions are made about what type of “premium transit” is best for Columbus — light rail, streetcar, bus rapid transit, or something else — COTA wants to be sure that there is agreement about where it should go. To that end, phase two of NextGen is underway, with a series of pubic meetings and a survey on COTA’s website asking for opinions about future investment — and for help in narrowing down a list of 26 potential “high capacity transit corridors.” Consultant Thomas Wittmann, Principal at Nelson Nygaard, explained the concept at a recent public meeting. “High capacity transit moves people more efficiently and cost-effectively than by bus,” he said, adding that such systems, “work best when they complement the underlying system, and when that system is strong.” MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/light-rail-or-streetcars-in-columbus-bw1 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 11, 20159 yr New shuttle service aimed at workers at Cardinal Health, Gap and other Rickenbacker logistics park employers By Evan Weese, Staff Reporter - Columbus Business First Updated: Sept. 28, 2015, 3:46pm EDT The city of Groveport is introducing a new last-mile shuttle service to help workers get to their jobs in the Rickenbacker Global Logistics Park. The Groveport-Rickenbacker Employee Access Transit connects to an existing Central Ohio Transit Authority bus line along Alum Creek Drive and splits into three routes on smaller shuttle buses that are free to employees of participating companies. ( . . . ) COTA CEO Curtis Stitt told me last year the agency was interested in a last-mile partnership in the Rickenbacker area after trying the concept at New Albany’s business park, with employers thinking it will improve hiring efforts. The shuttles will run every 30 minutes on weekdays and hourly on weekends. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/09/25/new-cota-service-aimed-at-workers-at-cardinal.html
December 18, 20159 yr COTA budgeting for expanded bus service next year The Central Ohio Transit Authority will add more bus service, spend more money on its system redesign, and start building a priority bus line on Cleveland Avenue as part of a beefed up 2016 budget. COTA administrators are recommending a budget of about $183 million for next year, nearly 22 percent more than the $151 million it expects to spend by the end of 2015. Board members will vote on the budget at a meeting on Wednesday. A big chunk of next year’s budget increase can be attributed to plans to add more service. COTA plans to increase service by 7.6 percent, continuing a steady climb in the number of hours buses spend on city streets. Read More... And Streetsblog Ohio re-tweeted this today: .@COTABus's network redesign could make Columbus the next Houston http://www.transitcolumbus.org/will-cota-stick-to-its-plan/ … (h/t @StreetsblogOhio)
December 22, 20159 yr Funding was restored in the FAST Act for the CMAX "BRT-lite" line. Bus line gets a boost Funding will speed travel between northeast neighborhoods, Downtown Columbus Dispatch - Tuesday December 22, 2015 5:45 AM Money for central Ohio’s long-planned rapid-transit bus line — think of it as a metro train on tires — was restored in the 2016 federal spending bill that passed Congress on Friday. This is a major win for the Central Ohio Transit Authority, employers, communities and commuters along a 15.6-mile route that will better link Downtown with the populous northeast suburbs. In mass-transit lingo, the $48 million CMAX Bus Rapid Transit is called a “BRT,” and it’s part of a larger overhaul of COTA’s 1970s bus system to better serve modern urbanites in what is now a major American city. The line, mostly along Cleveland Avenue, is home to 200,000 residents and 170,000 jobs. Link
December 26, 20159 yr The FAST Act is the five-year transportation authorization which sets funding ceilings for federal transportation programs. The 2016 federal spending bill is an appropriations bill which sets the actual amount to be spent in a federal fiscal year. A BRT-lite was built in the 5-mile Clifton Boulevard corridor through Cleveland and Lakewood for $30 million. It opened in November 2014. Since then, ridership is up 20 percent compared to the prior regular route bus service. However that may be more of a result of the off-peak service going from hourly to half-hourly and the restoration of Saturday service. The street was rebuilt for buses and cars, with bus-only lanes during rush hours only. And a landscaped median was added to the Cleveland portion of Clifton. It's a much more attractive urban street scene. Several new developments are popping up along the corridor, including a new Lucky's grocery store, plus new townhouses at several locations. See photos and a discussion of the project at: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,4446.560.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 16, 20169 yr COTA Looking to Roll Out New Downtown-Airport Bus Line in May By Brent Warren, Columbus Underground January 15, 2016 - 5:00 pm COTA is moving ahead with plans to provide regular bus service between downtown and Port Columbus. A proposed route will be presented at public meetings next week with the goal of rolling out the new service in May of this year. The route would make a loop through downtown, stopping at a number of hotels and the Greater Columbus Convention Center before heading to the airport on I-670. The proposed timetable calls for buses every 30 minutes, operating from 6am to 9pm, seven days a week. At the airport, the bus would drop passengers at departures and pick up new ones at arrivals before heading back downtown. MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/downtown-airport-bus-line-bw1
January 28, 20169 yr COTA Unveils New Airport Service Bus Design By Walker Evans, Columbus Underground January 28, 2016 - 9:34 am Blue is for CBUS and Red is for Airport. That’s all that convention-goers and Downtown visitors will need to remember when COTA launches their new airport shuttle service in May. The design schematic was presented yesterday for the first time at a COTA Board of Trustees meeting, and the design closely resembles the look of the popular CBUS Circulator. Dubbed “AirConnect”, the new route will circulate travelers between Downtown hotels, the Convention Center and Port Columbus every thirty minutes when the service launches in May. MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-airport-shuttle-bus
January 29, 20169 yr ^ Really great news, and long overdue. The Dispatch article on this had a few more details, Buses will run every 30 minutes, seven days a week. Passengers will pay a $2.75 express fare to travel one-way. Tickets will be sold at a kiosk that accepts credit cards, and riders also can use cash in the bus. COTA also has a strong marketing plan for the route, he said. The authority is working with Experience Columbus to put ads on the airport concourse, and smartphone users will see social media plugs for the service when they’re in the airport. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/01/27/COTA_plans_line_between_airport_and_Downtown.html
March 31, 20169 yr COTA's rapid transit plan could spread beyond Cleveland Avenue By Tom Knox, Reporter - Columbus Business First March 29, 2016, 7:18am EDT The Central Ohio Transit Authority will start construction this spring on its first rapid transit bus line, and the idea could spread if it succeeds. COTA proposed a bus rapid transit line for a stretch of Cleveland Avenue in 2010. Plans were jumpstarted in December by federal funding that will cover about 80 percent of the projected $48.6 million in costs. COTA plans to build a 15.6-mile, 60-station transit line stretching from downtown Columbus at Mound Street through Clinton Township and Westerville, ending at the OhioHealth Westerville Medical Campus at Polaris Parkway. COTA officials hope to begin operations in January 2018. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/03/29/cotas-rapid-transit-plan-could-spread-beyond.html
April 14, 20169 yr COTA posted some photos on Facebook of the new, specially-equipped buses it will use on the AirConnect route providing direct service between downtown and CMH, Snazzy branding! Luggage racks! USB charging ports!
April 28, 20169 yr COTA announced in the fall of 2013 a plan to roll-out real-time tracking - http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-launching-real-time-bus-tracking-system-in-2014-bw1 - but it was never implemented after a long string of setbacks and issues with the accuracy of the product provided by their app vendor. Now, according to an article in today's Dispatch (linked below), COTA is abandoning that proprietary app and will instead launch real-time bus tracking through a third-party app. COTA's real-time bus tracking - scheduled for May 6 - will be through the Transit App, which also tracks CoGo Bike Share, Car2Go and Uber in Columbus: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/04/27/COTA_real_time_bus_tracking.html
April 28, 20169 yr Hooray! Finally! :clap: :clap: Now, how about some kind of reloadable fare card...
April 28, 20169 yr According to an update on COTA's website for the ongoing NextGen planning project, the initial list of 26 potential corridors for high capacity bus/rail service has been narrowed to 13 to continue this year through the tier 2 evaluation process. I'm happy to see all of my top picks listed upthread made the cut for further consideration. :-P Here's the full list and detailed map of routes, More info, http://www.cota.com/Projects/NextGen.aspx
May 25, 20169 yr COTA looking to upgrade technology - eying digital pay options and wifi on buses. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/05/25/COTA_moving_toward_digitial_payment_and_Wi-Fi_on_buses_.html Very Stable Genius
June 3, 20169 yr Some more CMAX news: COTA lands federal grant for Cleveland Ave. rapid bus A federal grant has arrived in Columbus to pay for most of a planned bus-rapid transit line that could cut travel times along Cleveland Avenue. The Central Ohio Transit Authority has received its $37.4 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to begin work on the CMAX line that will run primarily along Cleveland between Downtown and the Ohio Health Medical Center near Polaris. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/06/01/COTA_lands_grant_for_rapid_transit_bus.html
June 3, 20169 yr :clap: "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 24, 20168 yr Single payment 'SmartCard,' smart transit hubs to be rolled out after Smart City Challenge win Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx made it official Thursday – Columbus will receive $40 million in federal grant money and $10 million from Vulcan Inc. as result of its Smart City Challenge win. Ohio businesses and government threw in another $90 million. "We challenged cities not to tell us what we wanted to hear, we challenged cities to inventory the challenges they faced, and to tell us how they would use innovation and technology to solve those challenges," Secretary Foxx said. "But I have to tell you that when we looked at the 78 incredible applications and then whittled it down to seven incredible cities, Columbus rose to the top." More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/06/23/single-payment-smartcard-smart-transit-hubs-to-be.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 28, 20168 yr Construction will begin on rapid-transit Cmax line next month By Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, July 25, 2016 - 6:43 AM The first signs of COTA’s speedy new bus service, scheduled to start in 2018, will materialize in the next few weeks. The Central Ohio Transit Authority plans to begin construction for its Cleveland Avenue bus rapid-transit project — dubbed Cmax — in early August. The contractor, Complete General Construction, will install 18-foot and 12-foot lighted pylons that display real-time arrival information at the line’s Downtown stops on High Street and start preparing stops on Cleveland Avenue for new shelters. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/07/24/construction-will-begin-on-rapid-transit-cmax-line-next-month.html
August 2, 20168 yr ^ Here's another article from the Dispatch on that with more details than CU's five sentence blurb. Some highlights: - By October 2016 new wireless technology will be installed on all buses in the fleet, making the existing real-time tracking more accurate by updating vehicle locations every 15 seconds instead of every minute. - This technology will also allow COTA to offer wifi internet service to passengers, which they will do by contracting with a vendor, planning to have the service available by the end of 2017. - A new fare collection system will be introduced by the end of 2018, replacing the current fareboxes installed in 1995 (!). The new system will enable re-loadable smart cards and smartphone payment in addition to cash. - Capital University students can now swipe their IDs and use them as bus passes to ride COTA, similar to existing programs with OSU, CCAD, Columbus Public Schools, and certain downtown employers. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/07/27/cota-wifi.html
August 5, 20168 yr COTA's CMAX Bus Rapid Transit Line had a ground breaking ceremony yesterday. Below is a map of the CMAX line from http://www.columbusunderground.com/first-bus-rapid-transit-line-in-columbus-breaks-ground-today
August 24, 20168 yr COTA is going to the ballot in November with a renewal of its 10-year, 0.25 percent sales tax that was originally approved by Franklin County voters in 2006: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/08/15/cota-looks-to-renew-levy-after-10-years.html
August 30, 20168 yr COTA calls November sales-tax renewal 'critical' BY GARY SEMAN JR. - THIS WEEK COMMUNITY NEWS Tuesday, August 30, 2016 - 12:35 PM With half its funding sources expiring at the end of the year, the Central Ohio Transit Authority is seeking to renew its 10-year, 0.25 percent sales tax on the Nov. 8 ballot. The tax, which would affect Franklin County and small portions of Delaware, Union, Licking and Fairfield counties, is expected to bring in $62 million to $65 million annually, said Marty Stutz, spokesman for COTA. The revenue figure is half of the transit authority's annual budget, which fluctuates depending on economic activity, he said. The tax would be collected in tandem with the transit authority's 0.25 percent permanent sales tax, which draws in the same amount of money. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2016/08/29/cota-calls-november-sales-tax-renewal-critical.html
October 27, 20168 yr 6 months in, COTA pleased with progress of AirConnect airport line “The things that we wanted to accomplish in terms of partnering, in terms of creating excitement about it, and visibility with the branding – are all there in place and it’s working,” the CEO says. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/10/27/6-months-in-cota-pleased-with-progress-of.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 28, 20168 yr Cbus, COTA's free downtown route, must stay free to riders, CEO says The Central Ohio Transit Authority’s free downtown circulator will stay that way, its CEO says. The Cbus, which brings passengers through the Short North, downtown and the Brewery District, has proven popular among travelers and residents who might not otherwise ride the bus. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/10/28/cbus-cotas-free-downtown-route-must-stay-free-to.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
November 1, 20168 yr Not directly COTA-related, but the Connect Columbus plan will supposedly contain recommendations on the future public transit in Cbus and has been coordinated with COTA's ongoing NextGen investigations, ...
November 4, 20168 yr Dispatch Editorial: Vote yes on COTA levy: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2016/09/26/editorial-vote-yes-on-cota-levy.html Transit Columbus Endorses COTA Levy Renewal: http://www.columbusunderground.com/opinion-transit-columbus-endorses-cota-levy-renewal
November 9, 20168 yr http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-levy-renewal-gets-overwhelming-support-ls1 Issue 60 (COTA levy) passes overwhelmingly. This is good news for Columbus and Columbusites. Very Stable Genius
November 21, 20168 yr COTA to provide free Wi-Fi to riders early next year COTA will provide free Wi-Fi on all 444 of its buses after Jan. 31st of next year, becoming the first large U.S. city to do that, said Michael Carroll, COTA’s information technology director. “We’ve made a commitment to customer service,” Carroll said. “It’s giving (riders) options they don’t have now.” While the upgrade isn’t specifically planned to attract more riders, COTA officials hope that happens. “We want to make the transit experience more attractive,” COTA spokesman Marty Stutz said. A goal also is to provide free Wi-Fi at COTA transit spots so, for example, if you’re watching a movie on your iPad when you step on the bus, the movie will continue seamlessly. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/11/21/cota-to-provide-free-wi-fi-to-riders-early-next-year.html#
December 11, 20168 yr A few miscellaneous COTA updates: - Real-time arrival info is now available directly in Google Maps, (in addition to COTA's website and the Transit app where it had previously been launched). - COTA has put up a fairly extensive page detailing the upcoming TSR changes to the bus network, the majority of which are due to be implemented in May. Most routes will run more often and more frequently now on all days of the week. Project overview, http://www.cota.com/Projects/TSR.aspx History and implementation timeline, http://www.cota.com/Projects/TSR/TSR-Project-Information.aspx Comparison guide between old and new routes, http://www.cota.com/Projects/TSR/TSR-Helpful-Tools.aspx Maps of each line, and schedules with detailed info on frequency/headways, http://www.cota.com/Projects/TSR/TSR-Bus-Network.aspx - CMAX BRT-lite along Cleveland Ave is under construction and progressing on schedule for phase 1 work, which is from Downtown through 24th Ave in Linden. Construction Schedule, http://www.cota.com/Projects/Bus-Rapid-Transit/Schedule.aspx FAQs, http://www.cota.com/Projects/Bus-Rapid-Transit/CMAX-FAQs.aspx Also the new buses to be used on the route have started arriving, and looking pretty sharp, although they are giving off kind of a toothpaste tube vibe IMHO. ;)
December 11, 20168 yr Yeah, I need to brush my teeth now... "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 15, 20168 yr Google Maps Now Features Live Transit Updates from COTA Riding the bus just got a little bit easier from your smartphone. Popular transit app Google Maps now displays real-time bus tracking information from the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) so that you’ll know if your bus is running late, running early, or running right on time. More below: http://www.columbusunderground.com/google-maps-now-features-live-transit-updates-from-cota "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 12, 20178 yr COTA offering Groupon deal on bus passes If you want to ride the bus for the first time – or even if you’re a regular rider – now is the time to make the move. The Central Ohio Transit Authority is, for the first time, offering bus passes for deeply discounted prices through the coupon website Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN). More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/01/12/cota-offering-groupon-deal-on-bus-passes.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 2, 20178 yr COTA Prepares for Rollout of Redesigned Bus Network The bus network in Columbus is about to change in a big way, and the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) is working hard to get the word out before the new routes take effect on May 1. Starting in March, street teams are set to deploy to the busiest bus stops, offering information about the changes to riders. A dual trip planner is available now on COTA’s website, allowing users to compare trips on the current system to what will be available in May. New call center staff are being hired to handle the expected increase in calls, and a marketing campaign is planned that will include targeted web ads as well as billboards and media spots. More below: http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-prepares-for-rollout-of-redesigned-bus-network "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 10, 20178 yr COTA is unveling recommendations of its NextGen planning initiative next week at a series of public meetings, Join Us at Our February Forums! It’s time to transform mobility in Central Ohio. From autonomous vehicles and rapid transit to expanded bus service, the future of transportation is now. Make YOUR MOVE to help COTA finalize the NextGen vision, a transit initiative coordinated with Smart Columbus, Connect Columbus and insight2050. It’s going to be an exciting ride! Details here, http://www.cota.com/Projects/NextGen/Get-Involved.aspx
February 15, 20178 yr COTA Reveals New Transit Recommendations, Looks for Feedback - https://t.co/vxe0lojfRN "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 16, 20178 yr Light rail from Franklinton to Columbus State? COTA considering 3 routes for rapid mass transit Columbus’ bus system has identified three corridors it thinks are best suited for light rail or other forms of public rapid transit. The Central Ohio Transit Authority said the corridors – along East Main Street, North High Street and from Franklinton to Columbus State Community College – are suitable for mass transit immediately, although that would require federal funding to provide service. The routes are highlighted because they have the ridership, development, cost and other factors that make them most likely to land that needed funding. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/02/15/light-rail-from-franklinton-to-columbus-state-cota.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 24, 20178 yr COTA could partner with Uber and Lyft to help close public transportation gap COTA wants to bridge the city’s transportation divide – and private ride-sharing companies like Uber, Lyft and taxis could be part of the solution. The Central Ohio Transit Authority is looking at adding new high-speed mass-transit to Columbus as part of its NextGen plan, which projects local public transportation needs in Central Ohio through 2050. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/02/24/cota-could-partner-with-uber-lyft-to-help-close.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 13, 20178 yr Not a bad idea... Building owners might subsidize free bus passes for 40,000 Downtown workers More than 40,000 Downtown workers could receive free bus service under a plan to free up thousands of parking spaces and increase the renting of office space. Half of the $5 million cost to provide the passes for more than 2½ years would come from 550 owners of properties in the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, who would pay 3 cents per square foot of space per year, said Cleve Ricksecker, executive director of the district. Capital Crossroads would seek grants from foundations and others to pay the rest of the cost. http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170312/building-owners-might-subsidize-free-bus-passes-for-40000-downtown-workers
March 14, 20178 yr Not a bad idea... Building owners might subsidize free bus passes for 40,000 Downtown workers More than 40,000 Downtown workers could receive free bus service under a plan to free up thousands of parking spaces and increase the renting of office space. Half of the $5 million cost to provide the passes for more than 2½ years would come from 550 owners of properties in the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, who would pay 3 cents per square foot of space per year, said Cleve Ricksecker, executive director of the district. Capital Crossroads would seek grants from foundations and others to pay the rest of the cost. http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170312/building-owners-might-subsidize-free-bus-passes-for-40000-downtown-workers Pleased to see this. The Dispatch article also mentioned a test program running from June 2015 through January 2017 that involved 844 employees at four companies in the Capital Crossroads SID. In that test program, the percentage of workers commuting by bus nearly doubled from 6.4 percent to 12.2 percent. (An article about this test program was posted a few pages back in this thread at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,5621.msg753788.html#msg753788) The article also said, "If results from the bus-pass test hold up and the program opens to all 41,165 district workers, Capital Crossroads estimates that it would free up 2,400 downtown parking spaces — about four parking garages (and) between 4,000 and 5,000 people would trade their cars for COTA on their commute."
March 20, 20178 yr Capital Crossroads Makes Pitch for Free Bus Pass Program for Downtown Workers When it comes to transit, discussions about light rail and streetcars — or high-profile, big-money initiatives like Smart Columbus — tend to grab the headlines. The Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District is betting that a much more modest program can help to revitalize Downtown while also putting a dent in Columbus’ infamous “car culture.” It will cost about five million dollars to pay for free bus passes for as many as 40,000 downtown workers, and the property owners that are represented by Capital Crossroads have already agreed to an assessment that would pay for about half of that. This would be an expansion of the small pilot program that tested out the idea with a group of employees Downtown from June of 2015 to December of 2016. Capital Crossroads is in the process of securing grant dollars to close the gap in funding, with a goal of starting the larger program in June of 2018 and running it through the end of 2020. It would cover workers in any commercial building within the Capital Crossroads boundaries. The City of Columbus and Franklin County have also indicated a willingness to participate in the program — meaning city and county employees Downtown would get the passes — and the owner of any residential building could also choose to buy in. More below: http://www.columbusunderground.com/capital-crossroads-makes-pitch-for-free-bus-pass-program-for-downtown-workers-bw1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 5, 20178 yr COTA going free for a week as it debuts redesigned route network The Central Ohio Transit Authority is offering free bus rides for a week next month. It's letting riders get where they're going for free May 1-7, when its redesigned route network starts. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/04/05/cota-going-free-for-a-week-as-it-debuts-redesigned.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 7, 20178 yr Downtown program gives workers bus rides in hopes of freeing up parking spaces The Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District plans to foot half of a $4.3 million bill for the program through an assessment on property owners, selling the Transit Service Plan as a way to attract and retain employers, reduce worker turnover and improve access to jobs. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/04/07/downtown-program-gives-workers-bus-rides-in-hopes.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
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