Alright COTA...here's your last chance!  Don't eff it up!!!

My two cents: I was very surprised that the COTA initiative passed, since it was near-invisible. Maybe voters were concerned enough with the bout of high gas prices they just went thru to start thinking about alternatives to driving.

 

Noozer is probably right: COTA won't be leading any light rail initiative anytime soon. However, I think a key point to be made is that advocates need to start working on the County Commissioners for a change in the COTA board's makeup.

 

The other thing we need to do is to start thinking about ballot intiatives without COTA's blessing. We need light rail, trolleys or whatever you want to call it and we should go right around them if they are unwilling to do anything.

 

We should be ready to go after extensions of the downtown trolley to OSU, Bexley/Whitehall, Upper Arlington and Grandview as soon as the first trolley rolls. That's two years from now. Let's be ready.

So what exactly is COTA budgeting this money towards?  It sounds like they are getting a lot of money...

I'll be writing/emailing the CCs and BoT and further encourage those here to do so.

 

^Grandview sure, a streetcar to Whitehall and Upper Arlington though? That's really pushing it, light rail would be better suited because speed is not one of the streetcar's strengths.

What is light rail but a souped-up trolley? You can run in the streets of downtown and then build to light rail standards to to nearby inner ring suburbs. There are any number of ways to do this, such as a separate median with trolley...oops...light rail tracks out of street traffic. Look at how wide Broad St. is...eight lanes!! Take two and make it a trolley ROW and go to Bexley. It isn't that far anyway.

Just came across this. Sounds like an interesting paper by Schumann of LTK Engineering Services which compared the transit systems of Sacramento, CA and Columbus, OH. The original text was found a little more than halfway down the page at...

 

http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm121.htm

 

Comparing Transit Service Performance: Sacramento and Columbus

A study by Schumann (2005) compares transit system performance in two similar size cities. The Sacramento Regional Transit District (www.sacrt.com) began building a Light Rail Transit system in 1985, while the Central Ohio Transit Authority (www.cota.com) Columbus failed in its efforts establish a similar system in Columbus, Ohio and so only offers bus transit. During the following 17 years, transit service and ridership increased significantly in Sacramento, but declined in Columbus, while operating costs per passenger-mile increased much more in Columbus than in Sacramento, as indicated in the table below (see the table more than halfway down the page at http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm121.htm ).

 

 

In addition, voters appear more willing to support dedicated funding for transit systems that include rail transit service. In 1988, a year after the first rail line began operations, Sacramento country voters approved a referendum which provided sales tax funding to operate and expand the transit system. The article’s author argues that Sacramento’s first rail “starter” line gained public support for continual transit service improvements.

 

Out of four Columbus area transit funding referenda between 1986 and 1995, only one passed. As a result of funding shortfalls the transit system has raised fares and reduced service, which helps explain the decline in transit ridership. The author argues that, had Columbus had a rail line in the 1980s there would probably have been more support for public transit funding, leading to a more attractive system and higher ridership now.

 

###

 

 

Makes the COTA levy victory seem all the more pitiful.  I hope COTA CEO Bill Lhota and the COTA Board of Trustees see this report.  It really shows what a lack of vision and lack of politcal courage to pursue that vision can do to not only a transit system, but to an entire community.  Shame.

COTA into the future

Voters’ show of faith should be rewarded with efficient service

Columbus Dispatch Editorial

Sunday, December 03, 2006

 

The Central Ohio Transit Authority won some breathing space on Nov. 7, when voters approved a sales-tax increase that will boost the agency’s bottom line for the next 10 years.  Now, COTA should show its appreciation by demonstrating that it is worthy of taxpayers’ trust, an obligation heightened by the closeness of the 2 percent victory margin announced Monday.

 

The agency can do that by continuing on the prudent course set by President and Chief Executive Officer William J. Lhota, who has been instrumental in turning around what was an abysmally managed agency bleeding red ink and wasting taxpayers’ money.  Lhota, who took the job two years ago after retiring from a long and distinguished career with American Electric Power, started by asking for the business leaders’ help in examining COTA’s operations from top to bottom.

 

. . .

 

Over time, the sales-tax revenue will allow COTA to carry out a plan that calls for adding or expanding 44 local, express and crosstown routes by 2015.  Buses that arrive with greater frequency and an efficient COTA administration are what riders need and taxpayers want. Now it’s up to the agency to provide them.

 

FULL EDITORIAL: http://dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/03/20061203-G4-02.html

Quote)"Buses that arrive with greater frequency and an efficient COTA administration are what riders need and taxpayers want. Now it’s up to the agency to provide them.

 

What condescending garbage! Why don't they just say to the public, "let 'em eat cake" ?  God forbid we should ever desire to have a modern light rail system, because the Lord of the Manor at the Dispatch says we should only have buses.

 

Bite me.

Seems the Dispatch should be one receiving the report from Schumann, the summary of which I posted a few messages back.

I'll forward it along directly...

 

EDIT:

 

I just fired this off to the Dispatch. Harrumph!

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Dear Editor:

 

In response to your Sunday, December 3, 2006 editorial, "COTA into the future; Voters’ show of faith should be rewarded with efficient service," your judgment that voters deserve no more than timely bus service is at best short-sighted and at worst ill-informed.

 

First the information: The Scumann transit study of 2005 (http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm121.htm - see extensive quotation below) compared the transit decisions made by Sacramento, CA and Columbus, OH.

 

In 1985, Sacramento implemented light rail; Columbus stayed with busses. Over the subsequent years in Sacramento, ridership increased; in Columbus ridership decreased. Where did Columbus surpass Sacramento? In operating cost. Sacramento's passenger per-mile cost increased at a far lower rate than that of Columbus. 

 

Now, the vision: I urge you to reassess your expectations of COTA and to join the vast numbers of Ohioans who demand a real investment in light rail.

 

We deserve a transit system that not only delivers passengers to their destinations, but one that delivers real, sustainable economic growth. Because there's only one difference between a world-class city and the other kind: Rail.

 

The commuters, voters and taxpayers of Columbus deserve light rail.

 

Sincerely,

 

[KF/H20]

Columbus

 

---

 

=============

 

http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm121.htm For the Columbus data, scroll approximately half way down the page.

 

"Comparing Transit Service Performance: Sacramento and Columbus

 

"A study by Schumann (2005) compares transit system performance in two similar size cities. The Sacramento Regional Transit District (www.sacrt.com) began building a Light Rail Transit system in 1985, while the Central Ohio Transit Authority (www.cota.com) Columbus failed in its efforts establish a similar system in Columbus, Ohio and so only offers bus transit. During the following 17 years, transit service and ridership increased significantly in Sacramento, but declined in Columbus, while operating costs per passenger-mile increased much more in Columbus than in Sacramento, (as indicated in the table below) .

 

"In addition, voters appear more willing to support dedicated funding for transit systems that include rail transit service. In 1988, a year after the first rail line began operations, Sacramento country voters approved a referendum which provided sales tax funding to operate and expand the transit system. The article's author argues that Sacramento's first rail "starter" line gained public support for continual transit service improvements.

 

"Out of four Columbus area transit funding referenda between 1986 and 1995, only one passed. As a result of funding shortfalls the transit system has raised fares and reduced service, which helps explain the decline in transit ridership. The author argues that, had Columbus had a rail line in the 1980s there would probably have been more support for public transit funding, leading to a more attractive system and higher ridership now."

You da man (er....fish?), Kingfish!  make sure you send a copy to Tim Doulin, the transportation beat reporter at the Disptach.

 

Very well written letter!

You da man (er....fish?), Kingfish!  make sure you send a copy to Tim Doulin, the transportation beat reporter at the Disptach.

 

Very well written letter!

 

I'll do just that; with "Schumann" spelled correctly this time.

 

Grr.

Nice letter!

COTA ends 2006 with $4.2 million surplus

Authority may restore some routes in May

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Tim Doulin

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH 

 

COTA is projecting a balanced operating budget for the second year in a row.  The Central Ohio Transit Authority board yesterday approved spending about $70.2 million on operations and another $2.4 million in local money for capital projects in 2007.

 

The authority’s 2006 operating budget of about $72.9 million is expected to finish with a cash reserve of about $4.2 million, though some of that will be used for the purchase of buses and vans.  COTA’s operating budget finished with deficits of $3.4 million in 2005; $1.8 million in 2004; and $1.9 million in 2003.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com

UnbeFUCKINGlievable.

 

The authority’s 2006 operating budget of about $72.9 million is expected to finish with a cash reserve of about $4.2 million, though some of that will be used for the purchase of buses and vans.

 

Somebody refresh my memory? How much would it be to lay track?

As I recall, the original estimate for building the porposed North Corridor LRT line was $500-million.

COTA expects to receive about $46.5 million from the existing sales tax in 2007, representing about 64 percent of its revenue in the operating budget.

 

The amount of tax dollars will double in 2008.

 

So with what's left over this year, and the extra $46.5 million they'll be receiving as a result of the levy, they could have the LRT built and paid for in 10 years.

 

Grr.

 

 

or they could actually run more than four buses a day. anyplace can make money if they got paid but didn't provide the service.

 

just imagine if a retail store didn't sell anything but people still gave money to them everyday anyways

 

 

 

 

 

An interesting story about transit technology.  What I want to know is why COTA, which has a GPS system that tracks all of it's buses in real time, hasn't done this already?  This alone would make riding the bus a far more rider-friendly experience.  As a matter of fact, the same company that did this system in Baltimore is the one that did COTA's system.

 

New MTA feature tells riders how long until the next bus

By Jill Rosen

Sun reporter

Originally published December 21, 2006

 

As he waited yesterday for a bus to take him home from Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Timothy Yancey knew with certainty for the first time that he did not have time to make it to the hospital cafeteria before the No. 40 arrived.

 

A new Maryland Transit Administration system makes it possible at certain bus stops across Baltimore to know exactly how long it will take for the next bus to arrive. The program, which relies on global positioning technology, is part of the agency's multimillion-dollar effort to improve service and efficiency.

 

"It's a great idea," said Yancey, a patient who rode the bus to the hospital from his home in East Baltimore. "At least you know how long you'll be waiting out in the cold."

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.bus21dec21,0,7096547.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

^ That seems like something that they can do on the cheap since they already have GPS. 

 

One thing I have used recently is their real time bus locator.  It's basically a google map showing individual routes and where the busses are located on them.  Since I only live 1/2 block from the nearest stop, I can do a quick check online before I stand outside waiting for them for 20 minutes.  Once I see a bus coming closer, I can head outside in the cold and only wait a minute.

^Very cool. A great example of how technology that can help change minds about mass transit for the gadget-oriented.

A Letter to the Editor on COTA from 1000 Friends of Central Ohio:

COTA is on the brink of living up to its name

Saturday, January 13, 2007

 

Congratulations to central Ohio voters for recognizing the value of public transit and keeping the transfusion of life going to the Central Ohio Transit Authority. Even without an exuberant campaign, voters showed their support for the only form of public transportation in greater Columbus.

 

The margin was thin, and the history of passing levies is checkered, but there is a silver lining in this victory. If voters approved the idea of public transport, with so little active campaigning, what would a true vision, with leadership and resources, accomplish? It could be amazing.

 

Right now, Franklin County residents see COTA as COBA, the Central Ohio Bus Authority. Let’s change things to truly mean transit. This means, streetcars, light rail and buses. There are opportunities for COTA to embrace.

 

. . .

 

Will COTA expand its vision? Will it step up to lead us in this challenge? The voters need to know.

 

RUTH M. GLESS

Chairwoman, board of trustees

1000 Friends of Central Ohio

Columbus

 

FULL LETTER: http://www.dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/01/13/20070113-A13-00.html

BTW:  You can access info on 1000 Friends of Central Ohio at:  www.1kco.org

 

They are slated to begin re-constructing their website, but access to membership information and programs will still be available.

COTA to restore some routes, expand services in May

Changes planned thanks to 2006 levy win

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Tim Doulin

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH 

 

City bus riders tired of squeezing on board some of the system’s busier local routes can expect more breathing room starting in May.  Though collection of new tax money approved by voters in November won’t begin until next year, COTA is moving ahead with restoring and expanding some bus service.  "The reason we can do it is we know with certainty we have money coming from the levy," William Lhota, president and chief executive officer, said after a COTA board meeting yesterday at the Columbus Urban League.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/01/25/20070125-D7-00.html

 

Anytime I see a reference to the COTA’s “Long-Range Plan” I cannot help but laugh.  I attended the first two rounds of meetings for the updated plan and found nothing long-range about it.  From a person on the outside, it seems that COTA has ignored or failed to hear the concerns/needs/wants of the Columbus city leaders (both public and private leaders) and their customers. 

 

I was recently skimming through some of the quotes in the Columbus Monthly magazine.  The magazine asked some of the prominent Central Ohio figures the simple question: What does Columbus Need?  I would estimate that one out of every five quotes mentioned an improvement in public transit with a specific mention of a form of rapid transit (light rail, streetcar, high-speed rail).  All of the “panelists” recognized the fact that rapid transit would help to further various initiatives around the city: revitalization the downtown area, help kick-start the 315 R/T Corridor, aid in the urban sprawl/land use battle, etc.

 

While I don’t mean to get off the topic of the Dispatch article and I do recognize that the bus system must be maintained/expanded upon, it doesn’t seem to me that COTA has the intentions of helping to serve the goals/initiatives of the Central Ohio community. 

 

While I am not an expert by any means on the FTA New Starts formula, but I question how a city like Columbus with a growing downtown, a major university (ahem, excuse me, Thee major university), and severely congested corridors such as I-71 and SR 315 cannot qualify for funds, but projects like Charlotte, NC, Hampton Roads, VA, and Pittsburgh’s North shore extension can qualify.

 

Even in an era of cheap oil (under $2) COTA was a failure. So what do they want to do? Add more routes and increase some service in out in the sprawling suburbs. Suburbs (sprawling ones) were built for those who own a car, not for any sort of public transportation and Columbus has a ton of places like this. It is impossible for them to provide good service to such a large spread out area. COTA bus routes (a bit redundant, I know) should be a good deal less spread out so that they can provide good, consistent service. For more distant areas they should invest in light rail because by the time it's up and running  gas prices will have gone up quite a bit and we'll have a streetcar system that could use connections to light rail.

More bus drivers key to COTA adding service in May

Short-staffed agency using overtime now to handle its routes

TIM DOULIN | [email protected]

March 13, 2007

 

COLUMBUS - The Central Ohio Transit Authority plans to increase bus service this spring.  Now, the agency needs more drivers.  "There is no question that is going to be a challenge," said William Lhota, COTA president and chief executive officer. "It is a challenge to have enough bus operators just to meet the normal day-to-day operation.  But it also is a challenge when you are trying to ramp up service."  COTA has about 345 drivers, 11 fewer than needed to handle the current bus schedule. To make up for the shortage, drivers work overtime.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/03/13/20070313-02800.html

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/03/27/story8.html

 

COTA gets EPA grant for emissions reduction

Business First of Columbus - 4:48 PM EDT Tuesday, March 27, 2007

 

The Central Ohio Transit Authority is getting $47,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help buy emissions-reducing equipment for 40 COTA buses.  COTA's 234 buses are already producing lower emissions than traditional buses thanks to the use of a low-sulfur soy biodiesel fuel, COTA said. The EPA grant is part of the agency's Clean Diesel Collaborative, a project that aims to reduce emissions produced from public transportation fleets. Including the funding for COTA, the EPA gave $150,000 in local grants for the project.

With promise of additional funds, COTA starts its upgrade program

Business First of Columbus - May 4, 2007

by Adrian Burns, Business First

 

The Central Ohio Transit Authority will do something May 7 that it hasn't done in several years. Expand bus service. The agency will add buses to its two most popular routes, moves expected to help ease overcrowding by reducing the time between stops.  Though the service changes will be modest, they mark the start of an expansion that is expected to double the bus system's service by 2017 - plans forged after the November passage of a levy that will increase COTA's revenue.

 

The added money and expansion plan should make COTA a better bus system and improve Central Ohio's prosperity, said Steve Tugend, a ColumbusChamber government affairs officer who's helped lead the chamber's transportation advocacy effort. "We are increasingly concerned that the supply of the work force is connected with the demands of employers," he said.

 

Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/05/07/story10.html 

COTA to wipe buses clean of exterior advertisements

Transit authority phasing out displays to eliminate damage by ads, keep fleet looking fresh

Thursday,  May 10, 2007 3:48 AM

By Tim Doulin

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

For years, COTA buses have been rolling advertisements that have promoted car-repair shops and funeral parlors or even boosted the Buckeyes.  But with ad revenue falling off and the bus company promoting a cleaner look to attract more riders, the Central Ohio Transit Authority is phasing out the ubiquitous ads on bus exteriors.

 

"I am convinced we are not making any money and, in fact, might be losing money on the advertisements," said William Lhota, COTA's president and chief executive officer.  Lhota said the dwindling revenue doesn't outweigh the cost of repairing the damage ads cause.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/05/10/BUSADS.ART_ART_05-10-07_B4_2R6LFRP.html

COTA no longer in 'survival mode,' president says

However, he cautions that the company will have to plan responsibly for the future.

By KATHLEEN L. RADCLIFF 

 

Buses and business were the topics of lively discussion last Wednesday as Bill Lhota addressed a capacity audience who was along for the ride.  Lhota, president and CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority, updated community leaders on the future of the agency during a forum sponsored by the Columbus Metropolitan Club.  In 2005, the transit authority's recovery was on its way, she said.  Last year saw a labor contract negotiated, after 14 months of negotiations, and the passage of a 10-year, 0.25 percent sales tax levy, which is estimated to bring in more than $40 million annually.

 

For more information about COTA, including the Long-Range Transit Plan, visit cota.com.

 

Read more at http://www.snponline.com/NEWS6-13/6-13_allcotaupdate.htm

COTA sees ridership jump

 

Business First of Columbus - 11:33 AM EDT Monday, June 18, 2007

 

 

With high gas prices taking a bite out of commuters' budgets, the Central Ohio Transit Authority has seen a boost in ridership, officials said Monday.

 

COTA said its ridership jumped 4.4 percent to 1.3 million people using the bus system last month, which was 56,000 boardings more than May 2006.

 

Bus fare ranges from 75 cents for senior citizens and children under the age of seven, to $3 depending on the route. COTA also offers weekly and monthly passes. For more information, visit cota.com.

 

http://mobile.bizjournals.com/smartphone/mobile.php?UMPG=article&UM_SCTN=Latest+News&MKT=columbus&UM_ARTICLE_LINK=http://www.bizjournals.com%2Fcolumbus%2Fstories%2F2007%2F06%2F18%2Fdaily3.html%3Fsurround%3Dlfn

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       

June 28, 2007

COTA Contact: John Palmer, Public/Media Relations Specialist

614-275-5932

 

100,000 Boardings and Growing!

 

COTA’s Bike ‘N Bus Reaches Milestone

 

COLUMBUS – After 33 months, the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has reached a milestone event with its Bike ‘n Bus Program by achieving over 100,000 boardings since September 2004.

 

“This program opens the door to attract new riders and build partnerships with community organizations,” said Bill Lhota, COTA President/CEO.  “I am proud that the program has been successful and it truly is a great resource for people traveling greater distances.”

 

All COTA’s fixed-route buses have the front-mounted bike racks, which holds two bikes and there is no additional charge to use this service.  COTA records the bike usage through the onboard tracking system.  COTA’s partners for the program include Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Columbus Outdoor Pursuits and the Central Ohio Bicycle Advocacy Coalition.   

 

For more information on COTA’s Bike ‘n Bus Program or other COTA programs, please call 228 – 1776 or visit www.cota.com.

 

Good news! I'm surprised Columbus did not have bike racks on their buses before - other cities have been experimenting with them, and they are a godsend to bicycle commuters like me. I'm also pleased to see ridership increase.

 

Perhaps it is time to start thinking about bus rapid transit, or park-and-bus lots.

The biggest problem in Columbus, and many other cities, is a lack of place to safely and securely store your bike once the bus drops you off.  In downtown Columbus, for example, there are few bike racks and bike lockers are (to my knowledge) non-existant.  Unless you have an employer who allows you to bring your bike inside the building, you're out of luck.

 

What is need in downtowns are "bike stations" where you not only have a good lock-up for your bike, but which would also have lockers for your gear and even a place to shower up and change.

There is a great demand for that in DT Columbus. I see a lot of bike riders here. I'd also like to take this opportunity to vent my frustration for how damn high the bus fare is in this city!!! Its free in Cincinnati with my UCID, and at most it's a buck in Cinci, 1.25 with a transfer.

I

Oops. I see that there are already "park-and-bus" lots (they call them park and ride, but I always equated that to carpooling).

 

^^

I agree, Columbus did not seem to have a lot of bike racks, outside of several newer development projects and in the Short North-OSU area. We are piloting a new project here, the Yellow Bike Program, in which anyone can register for a key that will unlock any of the 80 bikes stationed in the downtown. $10 is all you need. Of course, it has its kinks, like people taking them out of the downtown, but on the whole, the program has been a success. It has also ramped up the demand for the already cramped bike parking areas (installed about ~6-7 years ago throughout the city), and the city has pledged to install far larger parking areas.

 

If you get enough, perhaps you can be like the Netherlands and have a bike parking garage :)

Here's a link to what we need in Columbus & elsewhere:

 

http://www.bikestation.org/

Good news everyone!  MORPC is funding a study to look at possible places for bike lockers and bike racks.  COTA is assisting in preparing data for them to utilize.  Currently COTA's bike boardings are over 35,000 a year and is expected to increase; the hope is MORPC's project will identify areas of high bike boardings.

 

COTA is having trouble finding bus drivers so increasing frequencies by adding more buses is going to take longer than expected, as is adding new routes.  Also, splitting up routes that were merged over the past decade is going to take some time.

 

Park and ride locations are also expected to increase within the next 5 years, as of now places in Hilliard, Dublin, and Clintonville are being looked at.  Sites have been selected but not purchased as of yet.

 

 

Nothing really new, but it is still sad to see that light rail seems to be going away.  To me it is frustrating that the project can go from a "Recommended" rating to a "Not Recommended" rating in a few years.

 

MORPC officially takes light rail off transportation plan

None of three transit proposals met federal funding criteria

Thursday, July 26, 2007

JEFF DONAHUE

ThisWeek Staff Writer

 

The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) has officially removed the proposed light rail transit plan from its Fiscally Balanced Transportation Plan and placed the concept on the commission's "wish list."  Ahmad Al-Akhras, assistant director of transportation, recently told the group's policy committee that MORPC will continue to monitor conditions for the proposed light rail transit corridor and federal policy, but the project cannot move forward without federal support and approval.

 

The light rail transit plan called for the development of a corridor from south of downtown Columbus, south of Mound Street near the Franklin County Courthouse, north to the Polaris area, north of Lazelle Road.  Three alternatives -- light rail, streetcar and bus rapid transit -- were studied and all three came up short, Al-Akhras said.

 

Read more at

http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/072607/Reynoldsburg/News/072607-News-391836.html&sec=home&tab=tab1

Not surprising at all, given that COTA CEO Bill Lhota has no interest in light rail, nor the vision to see why it's worthwhile pursuing.  So Columbus will get more buses, even though COTA can't recruit enough qualified drivers to run them.

 

It's true that the Federal Transit Administration standard for qualifying a light rail project could not be met, but that's also in part because COTA (under Lhota) has dawdled and dithered for so long about whether or not to pursue it that valuabel time was lost and the Bush Administration raised the LRT standards so high that virtually now new start-up could make the cut. 

 

Those new standards included not allowing local transit authorities to account for riders new to transit.... especially those who would never ride a bus but would ride light rail.  This made it virtually impossible to state an honest case for light rail.  All this did was give Lhota a ready made excuse for not pursuing light rail any further.

 

 

 

 

 

It's true that the Federal Transit Administration standard for qualifying a light rail project could not be met, but that's also in part because COTA (under Lhota) has dawdled and dithered for so long about whether or not to pursue it that valuabel time was lost and the Bush Administration raised the LRT standards so high that virtually now new start-up could make the cut. 

 

Those new standards included not allowing local transit authorities to account for riders new to transit.... especially those who would never ride a bus but would ride light rail.  This made it virtually impossible to state an honest case for light rail.  All this did was give Lhota a ready made excuse for not pursuing light rail any further.

 

 

 

 

 

I’d say the FTA New Starts criteria needs to be reexamined then.  In my mind, not allowing the “new rider” forecasts for light rail to be scored in the criteria is ignoring that transit-oriented developments build up around the transit stations.  If for nothing else, the flood of news articles coming out of Denver, Washington DC, and Portland (to name a few) regarding the rise in transit-oriented developments gives excellent examples of how new riders are attracted to light rail/regional rail systems and the conveniences they provide.  Not scoring TOD or associated economic development activities in the FTA New Starts criteria is similar to saying highways do not provide mobility for personal automobiles – maybe that is a little too far, but the point is that a major benefit is not being accounted for or given a low weighting in the scoring process.

Posted this under Events, but didn't want any of you to miss this.

 

1000 Friends of Central Ohio

Invites You a Enjoy a

 

Street Party for Modern Transit

Give Yourself a Pay Raise!

 

with guest speaker

Thomas R. Shrout, Jr,  Executive Director

Citizens for Modern Transit, St. Louis

 

Thursday, August 23, 2007

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Presentation at 6:00 pm

Jeffrey Place (former Barry Bolt Building)

350 East First Street

(Party in the Street - Presentation in Sales Center - Parking along side of building)

Complimentary Appetizers - Cash Bar

$20 for members; $25 for non-members

R.S.V.P. to [email protected]

 

Tom has a great story to tell! 

Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) began its mission in 1993 to introduce MetroLink

to the St. Louis metropolitan area. Today ridership has exceeded expectations!

Because of MetroLink integration with the bus system, St. Louisans have a

public transit system competitive with automobile travel. 

CMT has played key roles in the passage of funding measures

for various transportation improvements in the region.

CMT's mission also expands debate on rebuilding

St. Louis City, County and Illinois neighborhoods

by investing in rail transit.

Former Congressman Dick Gephardt calls CMT

"the driving force toward bringing MetroLink to St. Louis,

the unsung heroes of the exciting new project for our region

that has been recognized around the world as one of the

best new light rail systems anywhere."

Shrout works with cities across the country

to build support for rail systems.

He is on the national steering committee of the

Rail-Volution Conference which focuses on building

livable communities with rail transit.

"Rail transit is not just a way to move from point A to B,

but a means to energize and revitalize existing communities."

 

Come enjoy the great weather at the end of the day

with delicious munchies, beverage and music.

Great people to meet!

Great message to hear!

Great time to be had!

 

Also:  Save the Date - October 10, 2007, 5:30 pm

for the Second Event in the Series of

Give Yourself a Pay Raise!

It is true that COTA has new buses coming in this year and the next 7 years but has no new drivers to drive some of them; union negotiations are crawling by.  Also, it was not all Lhota's decision to not pursue light rail, COTA spent alot of time studying the possibility but the board also found the no build option suitable.   THe issue over the past 7 years has been dwindling funds coupled with not so great leadership.

 

With the new levy passed and the funds starting next year hopefully COTA will be able to, once again, look into other options besides buses.  Anything with rail requires HUGE amounts of start up costs with a fair amount of maintenance every year.  Putting more service on the track is relatively cheap but the start up is horrendous.  Buses, on the other hand, have next to no start up cost since they don't require any additional infrastracture unless the county is some how convinced to add more and more bus lanes.

 

Remember we are in a midwest city with midwest mentalities, its hard to change the car oriented thought when we have had no other alternative that has presented itself as a viable option.  Buses run to infrequently in nearly all of ohio's cities to gain the confidence of the general public.

Thanks for posting this, I'll circulate it around some public transit folks.

Link to the website for Citizens for Modern Transit:

 

http://www.cmt-stl.org/

Ill still be in Columbus Aug. 23rd!!! I would love to come to this!

 

COTA Buses to eliminate exterior advertising

« on: Today at 07:07:36 AM »

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saw this post via www.columbusunderground.com posted at www.columbusing.com.  Here's the link: http://www.columbusing.com/?p=450

 

I remember a Dispatch article some months ago about COTA wanting to do this.  I agree with the comments at columbusing that though the ads were sometimes mediorce, some were great.  My current favorites are Nationwide's "Life Comes At You Fast" campaign to makes the bus look like giant minivan with a mom driving - only the minivan ad is driving in the opposite direction of the bus!  Makes you do a double-take.

 

 

Below is the post at columbusing:

 

COTA Eliminating Advertising

Published by Jon September 6th, 2007

 

Last week I was at a meeting where Doug Moore, Vice President of Planning and Customer Service at Cota presented. There were a lot of ideas exchanged about what would make COTA better. A few folks tossed around the idea of making the buses look nicer. COTA’s response to this has been with a policy change that eliminates all advertising from all City Buses. I think this is a bad decision. Mainly because they are eliminating a revenue source and secondly, it’s not the advertising that makes the buses look bad. It’s just really bad creative.

 

A friend just sent me a link “Tops in Transport - Top 10 Funniest and Most Brilliant Bus Ads”, which got me thinking how advertising is not the problem on buses, again it’s just bad ads.

 

It makes the city more interesting with some decent advertising on the buses. Just as Orange Barrel Media has reinvented what we call “billboards”, there is an opportunity to reinvent transit advertising. Obviously, we’ve been punished with some pretty bad advertising on COTA buses, but why not step it up rather than eliminate it and lose money? Just a thought.

 

 

Re: COTA Buses to eliminate exterior advertising

« Reply #1 on: Today at 07:44:09 AM »

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Forgot to include the link in the post to the article "Tops in Transport - Top 10 Funniest and Most Brilliant Bus Ads" - http://inventorspot.com/articles/taking_transportation_next_level_6455

 

and also link to Orange Barrel Media, the company producing those great wallscapes in Downtown Columbus - www.orangebarrelmedia.com

 

 

From Noozer

Re: COTA Buses to eliminate exterior advertising

« Reply #2 on: Today at 08:15:44 AM » 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rider.... good posts, but can you re-post them to the "COTA After The Levy" thread?  Thanks.

 

 

Pass snafu stalls COTA rides for students

Friday,  September 14, 2007 3:31 AM

By Simone Sebastian and Tim Doulin

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Some high-school students have been prevented from riding COTA buses this school year, despite a program that's supposed to provide free passes to any who live in the Columbus district.  District and COTA officials blame confusion over the changes in how the passes are issued to charter- and private-school students.  Some schools haven't made passes for their students.  Other schools have made them, but in a format bus drivers might not recognize.  Still others thought the new passes weren't valid until October or November.

 

Read more at http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/09/14/COTAdeal.ART_ART_09-14-07_B1_F07T7U1.html?sid=101