June 12, 200619 yr COTA fixing up older buses to extend life of aging fleet Monday, June 12, 2006 Tim Doulin THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Paint is peeling around the windows, the fender guards look worn, and there are a few scrapes near the "COTA" name on the side. "They are doing engine work on it right now," said Don Makarius, director of vehicle maintenance and engineering for the Central Ohio Transit Authority, as he eyed a bus in the McKinley Avenue garage. "But this is a candidate for us." More at: http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/06/12/20060612-B4-00.html
June 12, 200619 yr $310,000! And when they are totally used up, people smash them into each other on "Lucas Oil on the Edge" or run them over with a monster truck.
June 12, 200619 yr Yeah, this really makes me want to ride a "vintage" bus. (yawn). I understand that COTA needs to do more with less $$$$, but they are in this situation at least partly because they haven't had the "chutzpah" to plan and execute a good levy campaign based on an aggressive combination of light rail and improved bus service. They diddled around while the feds made the standards for their own transit assistance programs through the FTA even tougher. Now they must face not only a lean budget, but an adminsitration and Congress who are (at worst) anti-transit or (at best) willing only to throw a few meaningless bones at local transit systems compared to what they annually offer up for highways and aviation. So, now COTA expects people to get excited about a refurbished bus that's already beyond its maximum lifetime?
July 1, 200618 yr State opens I-70 shoulder to buses Saturday, July 01, 2006 Tim Doulin THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Don’t be surprised some time this fall if a bus passes on the shoulder while you are stuck in highway gridlock. The state has given the green light to a Central Ohio Transit Authority program that will allow buses to use the righthand shoulder when freeway traffic slows below 35 mph. "We are planning on moving forward unless some fatal flaw or impediment is discovered," said Andrew Gall, chief of staff for the Ohio Department of Transportation. State transportation officials found that I-70 east of Downtown makes the most sense for the pilot program. More at: http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/07/01/20060701-D2-03.html
July 10, 200618 yr Soy fuel turning into tiger for COTA's tank, wallet Business First of Columbus - July 7, 2006 by Adrian Burns Business First Smoke-belching, mass-transit vehicles aren't typically mentioned in the same sentence with soybeans, but since the start of the year, the Central Ohio Transit Authority has been running its buses on biodiesel fuel made from the common vegetable. Officials said the effort has been a success on several fronts. The soy fuel costs less than regular diesel and it eliminates the nasty black engine exhaust. The biofuel also leads to better mileage and fewer harmful emissions, and it improves the buses' engine life - all factors that have led COTA to include biodiesel fuel in its long-range plans. And if hurricanes roil energy markets as they did last season, COTA won't be hit so hard, officials said, because the agency plans to run 90 percent biodiesel fuel blend through its buses into the fall and can run at 100 percent if necessary. More: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/
July 15, 200618 yr COTA on right track; more money needed Saturday, July 15, 2006 Over the past 22 months, many changes have been taking place within the Central Ohio Transit Authority. While much has been accomplished, much remains to be done. Changes began when 22 business leaders, facilitated by the Columbus Chamber, were asked to look at everything COTA does and make recommendations for improving performance. Nothing was off limits. Several months of work resulted in 121 recommendations. These recommendations, plus community input, led to implementing significant efficiency measures to improve performance and address budget deficits and rising fuel costs. . . . Funds from this levy would allow COTA to grow and meet the transportation needs of central Ohio. COTA is committed to providing public transit for central Ohio that is safe, reliable, convenient, affordable and user-friendly. Also, COTA is committed to spending taxpayers’ money responsibly. I believe the actions undertaken over the past 22 months demonstrated these points. WILLIAM J. LHOTA President/CEO Central Ohio Transit Authority Columbus http://www.dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/07/15/20060715-A9-00.html http://www.dispatch.com/editorials/editorials.php (Read the policy for letters to the editor on the top right before you submit)
July 16, 200618 yr There's no question that most of the cost-cutting measures COTA has made under Mr. Lhota have been both necessary and (for the most part) have achieved the desired goal. But Lhota's reasoning for abandoning light rail fails to mention that COTA's own procrastination on whether or not to seek a levy is as much a reason for losing the LRT plan's "recommended" rating from the FTA, as its inability to meet the new FTA guidelines. In wasting valuable time, they allowed an anti-rail and anti-transit adminsitration in Washington to raise the bar so high that few local transit systems could meet the new requirements. In fairness part of the blame for this wasting of time goes back to the Ron Barnes era at COTA, but Lhota and his team also sat on their hands. So what will we get under the "Long Range Transit Plan"?: more buses and little else. In fact, the .25% they will seek in November will get chewed up just getting the system back to where it was before the service cuts were made. It will mean some new buses and perhaps some new services or routes.... but COTA will still be esentially a bus system, with little to offer or attract new riders and nothing for anyone who desired light rail. Is that a good reason to vote for their levy? Speaking only for myself... it is not. I will vote no. I am a life-long transit advocate, but I cannot bring myself to do otherwise in the face of such a total lack of vision and political courage. COTA has already let a lot of it's existing riders down with over three years worth of service cuts. Now they have alienated a sizeable constituency that favored LRT. Good luck getting a yes vote from the rest of Franklin County's voters, especially those to whom bus service means nothing and holds no benefit.
July 16, 200618 yr I find the title of that article ironic. COTA on the right TRACK? You gotta be kidding. And where do they get the idea that people will support a bus-only initiative? Forget it!! :x
July 16, 200618 yr I see almost ZERO bang for the buck in that letter. All it amounts to is refurbishing old buses and adding a few new routes. A weak transit plan at best. It's getting harder to type as I sit here with all of my fingers crossed hoping for the Mayor's streetcar plan to come to fruition.
July 16, 200618 yr :speech: I think it's time for someone of stature to say the Emperor has no clothes and propose to fold COTA into a new agency that would be: a) Regional, instead of just Franklin County, with a board that truly represents the community and is open to new ideas, with a strong executive who is a visionary and can make things happen. b) Call for the implementation and rapid expansion of the proposed downtown trolley system at least as far as the inner ring suburbs, such as Bexley, Whitehall, Uppper Arlington and Worthington. A favorite of mine would be to run up Northwest Blvd. to Kingsdale shopping center, which would be developed into a new urbanist downtown core. c) Call for implementation of a regional rail passenger system (i. e., Lancaster-Columbus, etc.). This could be done relatively cheaply in many cases, by using lines that are not mainline railroads to places like Newark. Coordinate with transit agencies at endpoints such as Zanesville or Lancaster to bring SE Ohio workers to Columbus area jobs d) Use of new and creative financing, as well as the proposed sales tax (which should take COTA to a full 1%). Tax Increment financing, parking garage revenue and other ideas should be considered as well as use of property taxes to fund transit improvements. The latter are used for streets. Why not transit? Also, large employers desiring transit service should be willing to help fund it. e) Justify these proposals and the cost of them with a regional economic impact study, as ORDC is doing with its Ohio Hub plan. This would show how much a regional transit sytem would pump into the economy of the area, how many jobs would be created and who would benefit. Make it clear that to not do this will cost the region dearly. Also play the oil card. $4/galllon gas is in the near future. How foolhardy it would be to not have a viable alternative to the auto. f) Find a way to add more service to those precincts which consistently vote pro-transit. There is no reason why urban folks who support transit should be penalized by suburbanites who don't get it. g) Add bus service on trunk routes to have them run on close headways. Buses every half hour don't cut it. Add some express buses on heavy city routes such as High St. Add feeders to new transit centers or important transfer points. The end goal should be very dense, frequent bus service like Curitaba, Brazil. Later, electric trolley buses should be considered on certain high density routes as fuel becomes more expensive. h) Build a new intermodal terminal for all the trains, buses (Greyhound too), trolleys, bike/ped and Ohio Hub trains later on. This could be paid for thru a TIF i) Review and relocate some transit stops to better serve the public. Location of these stops should be left to a board that would have the power to put them where they are needed ending such silliness as that COTA Easton transit center, which is banished to a far corner or area it is supposed to serve. j) More neighborhood transit centers. The Cleveland Ave facility is one thing that COTA did right and it needs to be expanded to other areas. These centers could form the nucleus of transit friendly urban centers with redevelopment of surrounding areas. Creative financing, such as tax abatements, could entice landowners to redevelop. Some possibles: Kingsdale-Upper Arlington, State/Schrock-Westerville, High/N. Broadway-Clintonville, Innis rd/Cleveland Ave-Columbus and Morse/Indianola, also in Columbus. k) Experiment with fare-free zones to promote more transit use. Possibly, feeder buses could be fare-free, to get people to the transit hubs and into the rest of the system. Put bike racks on buses. Use any means necessary to promote transit use over the auto. Aside from this, push for land use changes that will foster transit. Call for redevelopment of old suburbs and strip malls that have outlived their usefulness. Call for more sidewalks/bike paths which actually get people to their jobs as well as for recreational use, by linking with transit. We need big picture thinking, not myopia. The idea is to promote mobility. We are not doing that now and the current COTA "plan" won't get us there, either. Oh yes and while we are at it, how about a jazzy transit paint scheme. COTA blue is blah. Ever see the trolley buses in Dayton? A classic transit paint job and very appealing. I don't know who this person of stature would be. Andy Gieger?? :speech:
August 5, 200618 yr Gas prices not aiding COTA’s ridership Local buses buck trend; CEO blames route cuts Saturday, August 05, 2006 Tim Doulin THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Although rising gas prices are boosting transit ridership nationwide, COTA’s numbers barely have budged. The biggest increase across the United States is in passengers using light rail, a mode of transportation the Central Ohio Transit Authority had been studying but recently dumped. The stagnant numbers come at a time when COTA is gearing up to ask taxpayers for more money in the fall. This year, COTA has provided about 7.4 million rides through June, an increase of about 0.03 percent from the same time in 2005, the transit agency said. More at: http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/08/05/20060805-B1-02.html
August 6, 200618 yr Contrast the previous story with what's happening in Toledo with TARTA. http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060805/NEWS11/60805011/-1/NEWS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article published August 5, 2006 TARTA ridership up despite fare increases Despite fare increases this winter, the number of adults paying to ride TARTA buses increased 5.6 percent in the first half of the year, according to the transit authority. TARTA attributes the increase in part to more interest in alternative means of transportation because of higher gas prices. More at link above:
August 6, 200618 yr The following was an editorial response posted on Aug. 5th by COTA CEO Bill Lhota in answer to an earlier letter to the editori in the Columbus Dispatch. COTA manages tax dollars responsibly Saturday, August 05, 2006 In his July 22 letter, Karl J. Gelfer proposed that COTA should seek a 0.75 percent permanent tax levy this November to expand bus service. While we appreciate Gelfer’s support for COTA, we do not believe that a larger levy is the responsible way to strengthen transit in our community. Prudent management of COTA’s resources has been my No. 1 priority. A number of points raised by Gelfer require clarification: Full letter at: http://dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/08/05/20060805-A9-02.html
August 6, 200618 yr If I hear COTA call it a "Comprehensive Long-Range Transit Plan" one more time, I'm gonna gag. Who are they fooling with that name? It amounts to an improved website and a few more busses on the streets. I love mass transit, so it's gonna really hurt me to vote no on this issue this fall. But I'm trying to focus long term in a post-COTA environment where we might have a real Comprehensive Long-Range Transit Plan for Central Ohio.
August 24, 200618 yr COTA looks to convert its wish list into reality Sales-tax increase would mean more buses, better routes, agency says Wednesday, August 23, 2006 Tim Doulin, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The COTA bus stop for the Smoky Row Road express is only about a mile from Ihab Ismail’s home in Dublin. But the bus leaves too early in the morning, so he drives farther to a park and ride in Dublin to catch another bus to get him to his job Downtown at Children’s Hospital. "I just wish there were a couple of more trips in the morning and afternoon," Ismail said. "Sometimes I get off work late, about 6:15 p.m., and I think the last bus leaves for Dublin around 5:50 p.m." For the price of a sales-tax increase of a quarter of a percentage point, the Central Ohio Transit Authority might grant Ismail’s wish, and those of other commuters who want more flexible bus routes and hours. The bus agency is scheduled to take action today on a long-range plan that calls for: buses to run more frequently to relieve overcrowding on some routes; longer service hours so people working second or third shifts can get to and from work; and direct crosstown service that eliminates having to ride Downtown to transfer to another bus to reach a final destination. FULL ARTICLE: http://dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/08/23/20060823-A1-02.html Link to graphic of sample routes: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/08/23/20060823-A4-04.html Link to on-line poll and comments: http://www.dispatch.com/issue/issue.php?story=207154
August 24, 200618 yr My memory might need a little refreshing. Is this the same sized levy that would've built the North Corridor Light Rail?
August 24, 200618 yr It wouldn't have built it, but it would have provided the local matching funds for the federal dollars (FTA) that would have built the North Corridor Line. Unfortunately, indecision by COTA over when to run a levy cost them at least a couple of years worth of time and allowed the costs to inflate. That, coupled with the FTA changing the ground rules and effectively "raising the bar" impossibly high, put even the single light rail line out of reach. Still, COTA should have run a levy asking for .75% instead of .25%. That would have allowed them to go to the voters with a far more aggressive plan that could have included multiple light-rail lines. As it stands now, the "ask" for .25% will barely get them back to the level of service they had before they started cutting routes and trip frequencies.
September 3, 200618 yr Editorial from Columbus Dispatch. Though it's encouraging to see the Dispatch favor a transit levy, the closing paragraphs of this editorial show how short-sighted their editorial board is about having a transit system with a vision that goes beyond just buses. To me, it shows the Dispatch doesn't really understand that a bus-only transit system cannot adequately address how Central Ohio has grown. Time to move ahead COTA has earned voters’ support for a 10-year sales-tax increase Sunday, September 03, 2006 The Central Ohio Transit Authority has taken the right approach to reforming what was a grossly mismanaged public agency, and voters should encourage this reform by approving Issue 7, COTA’s request in November for a sales-tax increase. If voters approve the 10-year, 0.25 percent tax, the transit agency will defer collecting it until January 2008, when an identical tax imposed by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners will expire. As a result, county residents won’t see a net change in the tax rate. They will, however, see routes and services restored that have been cut in recent years to balance COTA’s budget. With about $44 million generated by the tax annually, COTA could begin to put in place a service blueprint designed to take the agency to the year 2030. According to the plan, COTA would add or expand a total of 44 local, express and crosstown routes, including some that would take people from suburb to suburb, without having to travel into Downtown and transfer to another bus. . . . Under the leadership of President and Chief Executive Officer William Lhota, COTA has taken difficult and necessary steps to streamline what was a bloated, wasteful operation. By persuading the COTA board to step back from its ill-conceived pursuit of a light-rail system, Lhota ended years of costly and fruitless consultants’ studies. Now, with good management in place and operations under control, voters can help COTA rejuvenate the basic bus service that central Ohioans need. Franklin County residents should vote yes on Issue 7. FULL EDITORIAL: http://dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/09/03/20060903-E4-00.html
September 3, 200618 yr ^True, but we already know that. It's the vast majority of people who read the Dispatch and the editorial board, as you mentioned, that need to know this. (hint hint)
September 4, 200618 yr COTA coming to crossroads in November Levy will determine whether public transit stays an afterthought or becomes integral to region's growth Business First of Columbus - September 1, 2006 by Adrian Burns, Business First The Central Ohio Transit Authority is approaching a crossroads in November, with Franklin County voters in the driver's seat. The transit agency, which has stabilized its finances over the past two years by raising fares and cutting jobs and service, needs more money if it is to become a bigger, more convenient and better-used system. With the hope of bringing in added revenue, COTA is putting a 10-year, quarter-percent sales and use tax levy on the Nov. 7 ballot, a measure that could boost its annual revenue by 56 percent, or $44.8 million, based on what the bus system's 0.25 percent permanent levy reaped in 2005. The levy will mark a turning point for public transportation in Central Ohio. Voters will determine whether COTA can move forward with an ambitious plan to increase its service 77 percent by 2015, or whether it will wither under the burdens of inflation and population growth, said COTA Chief Executive William Lhota. FULL ARTICLE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/09/04/story1.html
September 20, 200618 yr COTA pulls out all stops at enhanced bus shelters Wednesday, September 20, 2006 Tim Doulin THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH As far as its bus shelters go, COTA is selling the one on N. High Street near Nationwide Boulevard as top shelf. A bright red stripe and the COTA logo adorn the top edges of the shelter. An advertisement box is illuminated at night on the side. Inside, not only are arrival and departure times of buses posted, but there is information on fares, information bulletins about COTA programs and a colorful map of all bus routes. Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/09/20/20060920-B4-00.html
October 13, 200618 yr COTA committee is working to get word out for Issue 7 By KATHLEEN L. RADCLIFF One week after the campaign kickoff for Issue 7, supporters and Central Ohio Transit Authority board members are out and about, sharing their goal to "Keep Our Community Moving." "I think it is important to step forward, and it is important for all of us to speak to as many people as possible about why they should support public transit," said COTA board member Linda Mauger. Mauger is vice chairwoman of the board and a representative for Grandview Heights and Upper Arlington. She said the campaign committee is working on its strategy for print and other media, including a mailer scheduled to go out to Franklin County voters. "The mailer will stress three important points: people and jobs, the environment and expanding bus service," Mauger said. Issue 7, which will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot, asks voters to approve a 0.25 percent sales and use tax. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.snponline.com/Bonus_Text/election2006/10-11_allCOTA.html
October 19, 200618 yr COTA sales tax Issue 7 looks to transit's future Central Ohio traffic may not be bad now, but just wait. By 2030, according to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, the region's population is expected to grow by 35 percent, while traffic grows by a whopping 46 percent. That's one of the reasons voters should say "Yes" to the Central Ohio Transit Authority sales tax increase on Nov. 7. COTA needs the extra revenue to prepare for future demand, as well as to do a better job of meeting current needs. In recent years, COTA has reduced service and instituted other cost-cutting measures to fight its way back from a deficit. That's appropriate, but in the long run, the Columbus area needs more bus service, not less. Workers who lack cars -- or who have cars but lack the money to pay high gas prices -- need expanded operations to get to jobs in outlying areas. Expanded routes and hours also are needed to serve those working second shifts. People with disabilities are another group that depends on COTA. And as the years pass, we'll all count on COTA to help keep area traffic from overwhelming our roadways' capacity. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.snponline.com/Bonus_Text/END2006/10-18_allcota.html
October 19, 200618 yr Workers who lack cars -- or who have cars but lack the money to pay high gas prices -- need expanded operations to get to jobs in outlying areas. Expanded routes and hours also are needed to serve those working second shifts. Could it be argued that a vote for COTA is also a vote for sprawl? I mean, isn't public transportation one of the draws for locating a company downtown? Ah well.
October 19, 200618 yr Good point Brewmaster. The consequence of sprawl is that it has made it difficult, if not impossible for COTA (and most other transit systems) to even begin to provide adequate service beyond the core urban area: especially with a buses-only system. That's why many transit systems have made the transition into light rail (LRT). I guess a "yes" vote could be construed as a vote for sprawl, but the more accurate description would be that it is a vote forced by sprawl. Though I am supporting the levy, I am still not happy that COTA backed off starting an LRT system. Now, they are being upstaged by City Hall's Downtown Streetcar plan. My hope is that this will prod COTA into putting LRT back on the front burner once a levy is passed. I hope all who favor an LRT system will put pressure on COTA to do so, regardless of the outcome of the levy vote.
October 19, 200618 yr COTA is literally spread far too thin. They serve areas well outside of the Columbus city limits, which prevents them from focusing on Columbus. Maybe they should be the Columbus Ohio Transit Authority. They could then perhaps have decent bus service. Of course, without any alternative it will make it even harder for lower-income people in the suburbs to get to work. Maybe the suburbs should have their own bus systems that connect with COTA routes. Has that been done anywhere else?
October 19, 200618 yr You do find some areas with multiple transit systems, but those are usually found in areas where you have almost linnear cities: like around the Metropolitan New York region. Ultimately, the answer for Central Ohio is to reconstruct COTA as a "regional" transit authority (RTA) that encompasses several counties instead of just the current FRanklin County. Sprawl has had an impact on virtually every county that surrounds Franklin. Why should there not then be a regional response to the need for better mass transportation. Instead of trying to go a for a bigger slice of the pie, make a bigger pie.
October 19, 200618 yr I'm guessing COTA hasn't pursued that, since I didn't see anything like that in reading about their case for voting "yes" on the 25 cent levy. Have they even tried half-heartedly to look into a regional bus system?
October 20, 200618 yr No. COTA's "vision" can't see beyond the county line. I think any move toward an RTA would have to come from outside of COTA. I suspect that if the levy fails and a crisis occurs, you may see that happen. But don't expect COTA's current management to generate such an idea.
October 20, 200618 yr I guess a "yes" vote could be construed as a vote for sprawl, but the more accurate description would be that it is a vote forced by sprawl. That's probably a better description of what's going on. I just like to play devil's advocate sometimes. ;) COTA is realizing that the market isn't coming to them and keeps sprawling. The natural reaction is to adapt to the market, but I don't see that helping much. It's just such a daunting task to try to serve sprawling suburbs with busses. I can't imagine how they can effectively do it. I'll be reluctantly supporting the issue on Nov. 7th as well, if only to expose more people to mass transit. Maybe if COTA has more visibility in the 'burbs, suburbanites would become more "familiar" with it. Down the road, that might lead to more yes votes for LRT and real regional plans.
October 22, 200618 yr COTA levy campaign targets nonbus riders Authority seeks approval of sales tax Sunday, October 22, 2006 Tim Doulin THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The campaign for a COTA sales tax levy rolled out an advertisement this week targeting voters who don’t usually ride the bus. The message is that a healthy bus system is good for the economy and helps the elderly, disabled, students and some workers get around. "You have well over 90 percent of the individuals in Franklin County who usually don’t ride the bus," said Don Spicer, president of Triumph Communications, a general consultant for the Central Ohio Transit Authority levy campaign. "We need to make the case to those individuals why COTA is good for the economy and all the residents of the COTA district." COTA wants voters to approve a 10-year, 0.25 percent sales tax levy on the Nov. 7 ballot. The bus authority already receives a permanent 0.25 percent sales tax, which generates an estimated $44 million a year and represents about 64 percent of its $70.9 million operating budget. FULL ARTICLE: http://dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/10/22/20061022-C5-00.html
October 22, 200618 yr Did you notice they don't want to share poll results? Wonder why? You know why: The results suck. Otherwise they'd be shouting the results from the rooftop. The public is not interested in a bus-only system and that has translated into a corresponding lack of interest from those organizations who would be obvious parters in this. Ho-hum :sleep:
October 22, 200618 yr Actually, I'm told their campaign messages polled quite well with the public, especially in the suburbs. My concern is that they've gotten their campaign underway so late, and in the midst of an election year where people have been inundated with political ads, that a levy message from COTA will get lost or just be ignored. I'm not crazy about a bus-only system either. I will reluctantly vote yes. If this levy goes down to defeat, the pressure will (I believe) be on to deconstruct COTA and create a truly regional RTA ands one that has some funding clout to accomplish major projects like an LRT system.
October 22, 200618 yr ^So wouldn't you want to vote "no" then? I'll be voting no on COTA, while being vocal in my support of the streetcars. Once the COTA levy fails, we should be sure to contact them and push for them to adopt a regional system.
October 22, 200618 yr I hear ya, Columbusite. But I've been a life-long supporter of public transportation and have a hard time voting "no" on a transit levy: even one as inadequate as Issue 7 will be. I used to work at COTA and was heavily involved in the original light-rail (LRT) plan, before Ron Barnes screwed things up and then Bill Lhota came on board and completely axed LRT from it's so-called "vision" plan for the future. Like I said: either way this vote goes, it is absolutely necessary to put pressure on both COTA and area public officials to come up with something better. A regional RTA is the way to go. We need to be talking to our local mayors, council members, and county commissioners (in the surrounding counties as well) about the benefits of an RTA and the need to replace COTA. I guess my view is that it would be easier to replace COTA in a transitional way if it was still operating, rather than trying to come up with something in a crisis.
November 8, 200618 yr Looks like this issue could go to a recount. COTA Sales & Use Tax Last updated: 11-08-2006 02:17AM 99% of precincts reporting Yes 169,992 50% No 167,749 50%
November 8, 200618 yr COTA Sales & Use Tax Last updated: 11-08-2006 11:55AM 100% of precincts reporting Yes 164,944 51% No 161,383 49% NBC4 has it officially passing.
November 10, 200618 yr The COTA levy vote is not over. There are still 20,000 absentee ballots to be counted, which will be done on November 18th. Since most of those ballots are from OSU students, who benefit from COTA service, it's generally thought those votes will boost the total in favor of the levy. Despite that, COTA management had better not crow too loudly and characterize this as a big win. They had better keep in mind that almost half of those who voted.... voted "no", which means COTA has a lot of image building to do and a lot of outreach. When you add in those who did not vote, that's a sizeable amount of people to whom transit in general and COTA in particular has no appeal. I know of a number of people who are pro-transit who voted against the levy, because COTA dropped it's plans for light rail. I share that frustration, although I voted (reluctantly) for the levy. And the narrowness of this (as yet unofficial) victory, also shows that COTA's almost "stealth" levy campaign almost backfired on them. They produced a TV ad that barely saw any air time and I saw almost no yard signs around Columbus.
November 10, 200618 yr Razor thin cuts it. As for the folks who didn't vote, what business do I have with them? Let's seize on a good thing and help COTA understand how this money needs to be spent: picking their rail plans back up again. Or does that sound naive?
November 10, 200618 yr Not naive at all K-fish. It's a worthy goal, but don'tr hold your breath waiting for COTA's current management to pick up the light rail banner again any time soon. It's going to take a public groundswell of support for an LRT system to make an impression on CEO Bill Lhota. That's exactly what happened in Kansas City, Missouri on Election Day... http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/elections/15956279.htm And it is critical that a good deal of that support come from among those who voted "no" on the COTA levy, as well as those who didn't vote. They're not necessarily anti-transit. In many cases, a bus-only transit system doesn't meet their needs or vision of what transit should be. Keep in mind that most light-rail riders are new to transit. We need an agressive approach to light rail and not just a return to COTA's "North Corridor" LRT plan. It should be a plan that calls for at least two to three initial corridors that would serve a broader area and, thus, appeal to more voters. COTA's orginal "20-20 vision" plan called for up to 8 corridors, but they never marketed that fact well enough to make an impression, especially on suburban communities. Instead, COTA went with the North Corridor only, and then (of course) ultimately dropped the plan altogether. If people have no stake in a single-corridor system, why should they vote for it?
November 10, 200618 yr What leverage can we build off of the trolley surveys? Seems like there was area-wide support for that. I'm still wrapping my arms around this issue. I'm sure I'll have all the wind kicked out of me soon enough. But considering our place in the post-cheap gas era, new policymakers at the Federal level, a new crop of pro-public transit types (Democrats) closer to home (and Jeanne "Energy Independence" Schmidt, if she survives the provisionals), COTA with funding, the time seems right to ball the jack on rail in Ohio. No?
November 10, 200618 yr Yes. This is a great time to begin advancing rail and transit issues, especially because it also addresses other significant issues like energy consumption and air quality. We have a Congress that is now more disposed toward approving legislation that is more favorable for rail & transit. At the state level we now have a Governor for whom rail & transit is reportedly high on his list of priorities, because mobility helps enable some of the other planks on his platform.... education, technology development, job creation, etc. And yes, the Columbus Streetcar is something upon which we can build momentum to re-start the LRT movement. That will, however, take waiting until it's actually up and running and showing it can succeed, which I believe it will. But COTA, I'm afraid, won't go along for the ride willingly. They are so rooted in mediocrity and a buses-only frame of mind. It is a waste of time and energy to try and change the minds of Lhota & company. Where the pressure needs to be brought is on the COTA Board of Trustees and the local elected officials (local mayors and county commissioners) who appoint these trustees.
November 10, 200618 yr Where the pressure needs to be brought is on the COTA Board of Trustees and the local elected officials (local mayors and county commissioners) who appoint these trustees. Bingo.
November 16, 200618 yr COTA PILOT PROGRAM Buses to roll on I-70 shoulders Using breakdown lanes during traffic jams will help transit stay on time By Tim Doulin The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, November 16, 2006 12:32 AM The freeway shoulder isn't just for broken-down vehicles and the remains of flat tires anymore. Starting Monday, Central Ohio Transit Authority buses that travel a stretch of I-70 east of Downtown will be allowed to use the right-hand shoulder when traffic on the freeway dips below 35 mph. The goal is to keep buses operating on schedule and better use freeway space. More at: http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=226900
November 18, 200618 yr Hmm so if you're turning off on an exit to get off the highway the bus will have to yield? so if a steam of cars come the bus have to wait for them all?
November 28, 200618 yr From Business First of Columbus, 11/27/06: COTA levy win made official Business First of Columbus - 11:36 AM EST Monday The Franklin County Board of Elections said Monday that the Central Ohio Transit Authority's 0.25 percent sales and use tax increase has been approved by voters. The board could not determine the outcome of the initiative, dubbed Issue 7, on election night because of the need to count provisional votes and absentee ballots in a contest that was too close to call immediately. COTA spokesman Marty Stutz said the levy passed by a margin of about 7,000 votes out of more than 326,000 votes cast. COTA's existing quarter-cent levy brought in $44.8 million in 2005 and officials expect the new 10-year renewable levy would double the transit system's annual sales and use tax revenue. The tax increase kicks in April 1. http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/11/27/daily3.html?surround=lfn
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