April 19, 201015 yr Good to hear that COTA is finishing up their renovations at 33 N. High Street. Its great for COTA to be relocating their headquarters downtown next to their busiest bus lines. And its a beautiful building too. Here's a 2008 photo. My favorite part of the Business First article was when COTA CEO Bill Lhota noted that the downtown headquarters will offer no employee parking and was encouraging his workers to take the bus. Also great news. The best way for improved bus service is for COTA administrators to actually ride COTA buses.
May 10, 201015 yr COTA holding line on expenses Ridership still growing as transit agency expands service Monday, May 10, 2010 2:52 AM By Bill Bush THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The Central Ohio Transit Authority has good news on two fronts: Its operating costs are becoming more like its peers', and its ridership is continuing to climb. COTA spent 18 percent more in 2008 to field a bus for one hour than nine similarly sized transit agencies, but that's down from a 32 percent gap in 2004. "When you're a third higher, you don't do it overnight," said Chief Executive Officer Bill Lhota, who blamed Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/05/10/cota-holding-line-on-expenses.html?sid=101
May 23, 201015 yr In addition to the renovation of 33 N. High Street for its new headquarters located downtown, COTA has some other building projects underway. From: http://www.cota.com/Capital-Projects.aspx Renovation: Fields Avenue Facility Location: 1333 Fields Avenue Size: 273,000 square feet Purpose: Renovations to COTA's existing Fields Avenue Facility to restore the building to “like new” condition so COTA can provide space for storage and maintenance for 180 fixed-route coaches. Timing: Renovations began in late 2008 and while operations out of the facility commenced in the fall of 2009, total completion is expected in the 2nd Quarter of 2010. New Build: Mainstream Facility Location: COTA-owned property across from the Fields Avenue Facility. Size: 104,000 square feet Purpose: New facility for Mainstream paratransit operations to house up to 104 paratransit vehicles and to serve as the headquarters for COTA Mainstream administrative staff. Timing: Groundbreaking took place in 2009, completion planned for December 2010.
June 23, 201014 yr COTA offices move to heart of Downtown Wednesday, June 23, 2010 12:30 PM By Doug Caruso THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Right outside the front door of COTA's new Downtown headquarters is the bus system's busiest stop. The Central Ohio Transit Authority paid $13.6 million to purchase and renovate a 10-story building at 33 N. High St., just north of Broad Street. About 100 employees started working there this week, moving from offices on McKinley Avenue where COTA still has its bus garage. Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/06/23/cota-office-moves.html?sid=101
June 23, 201014 yr OH YEAH!!! Loved this quote from the article: "For the first time, COTA employees are centrally located and connected to the hub of Downtown," Linda Mauger, chairwoman of the transit authority's board of trustees.
June 28, 201014 yr I'm curious how many employees will be riding the bus to work on a regular basis. They do get their passes for free, so that's a plus, but I have to imagine that some of them will opt to pay for private parking spots in a nearby lot or garage.
June 28, 201014 yr Possibly, but almost all of the nearby garages are very expensive for a reserved spot; leaving surface lots athat are also not a bargain and fill thier slots on a first-come first-served basis. Frankly, I think this will help COTA personnel better understand what their riders experience on a daily basis .... good or bad.
June 30, 201014 yr From Columbus Underground: Two Bus Shelters Approved for Statehouse Grounds The intersection of Broad & High is commonly referred to as the “crossroads” of our city, and has always been a busy commuter destination for all forms of transportation. These corners will soon become a little bit more accommodating to bus commuters as two new covered shelters will be added for passengers headed northbound on High Street and westbound on Broad Street. “We’re also making it a priority to upgrade the rest of the shelters along High Street through Downtown,” said Beth Berkemer, Public and Media Relations Manager at The Central Ohio Transit Authority. MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/two-bus-shelters-approved-for-statehouse-grounds
July 6, 201014 yr Proposed bus turnaround drawing flak in Clintonville Wednesday, June 23, 2010 - 12:26 PM By KEVIN PARKS, ThisWeek Staff Writer Some community members are opposed to a proposal by the Central Ohio Transit Authority to purchase a strip shopping center at North High Street and Kanawha Avenue to make way for a bus turnaround. COTA has entered into a contract to buy the center, which currently has five businesses, from owner Mark Ebner of Ebner Properties for $1.1-million, according to Marty Stutz, vice president of communications, marketing and customer service for the transit authority. This is the culmination of a two-year process to find property along North High Street to provide a place for buses that conclude their northbound journey at Graceland Shopping Center to turn around to go back south, Stutz said. Currently, bus drivers turn into Graceland and proceed to the back of the center to turn around. "And if you're familiar with Graceland, it's a long way back," Stutz said. "It takes up time, it takes up fuel and it's wear and tear on the bus." "We looked at a number of locations," Stutz added. "We think we have found a property where buses can enter off of High Street, turn around and then go southbound, and also one that we can construct essentially a layover for operators." A restroom would be provided for drivers along with a shelter that would serve as a bus stop. Once extensive landscaping is added, according to Stutz, it would be "an area that's compatible with the community but also has a transit purpose." Full article: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/clintonville/stories/2010/06/23/proposed-bus-turnaround-drawing-flak.html?sid=104
July 8, 201014 yr 6 NEW BUSES IN FLEET COTA and public give thumbs up to hybrids Monday, July 5, 2010 - 2:51 AM By Vince Bond Jr., THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The six new buses, which have been on the road since June 8, split power between a battery-powered electric motor and a diesel engine. Below 25 mph, the buses run on electricity — making them about 40 percent more fuel-efficient than traditional diesel buses. At higher speeds, the diesel engines kick in, said Max Camper, warranty and compliance supervisor for COTA. COTA has placed the hybrids mostly on the No. 2 route along High Street to take advantage of its frequent stops, which allows the hybrids to flex their regenerative braking technology. The buses reuse braking energy to maintain battery power. “If they’re put on an express run (where there aren’t many stops), you’re not going to see much fuel savings over a conventional bus,” Camper said. The hybrids get around 7.5 miles to the gallon, almost double that of typical diesel models. COTA used $2.1 million in federal money from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program to help pay for the hybrids, which each cost about $574,000. New diesel models cost about $340,000. COTA usually buys 40 new buses each year, but the federal aid allowed them to grab the hybrids and thus add 46 buses to the fleet, which now stands at 296. Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/05/cota-and-public-give-thumbs-up-to-hybrids.html
July 16, 201014 yr COTA turnaround plan has residents outraged Project displaces six small businesses Saturday, July 10, 2010 - 2:52 AM By Kevin Parks, THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS The Central Ohio Transit Authority plans to buy the shopping center at the southeast corner of N. High Street and Kanawha Avenue to make way for a bus turnaround. Some Clintonville residents, however, are determined to turn back COTA's proposal. Marty Stutz, a spokesman for COTA, said the authority has signed a contract to buy the Tower Centre strip center from Mark Ebner, an executive with Ebner Properties Ltd., for $1.1 million. The sale, which COTA expects to complete this month, would displace the center's tenants: Beth's Creative Stitchery, which shares space with Graceland Singer; Delicacies by Sheri; Illusion Nails; Pet Concern; and the VIP Lounge. All have been told to leave by Sept. 1. Stutz said COTA has been looking for two years for a suitable place along N. High where northbound buses carrying passengers to Graceland Shopping Center can turn back south. COTA's drivers now turn into Graceland, a few blocks south of Tower Centre, and drive to the rear of the complex to turn around. Full article: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/10/copy/cota-turnaround-plan-has-residents-outraged.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
July 16, 201014 yr COTA chief hears furor over Clintonville turnaround Friday, July 16, 2010 - 2:52 AM By Doug Caruso, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH COTA's president went to Clintonville last night to smooth over opposition to demolishing a strip center for a bus turnaround. But if any of the more than 70 people were swayed by what Bill Lhota had to say, they weren't saying so. Neighbors questioned the site, the cost, the fumes and whether commuters would park in front of their homes to catch the bus at the turnaround. The Central Ohio Transit Authority is in contract to purchase a small strip mall at the southeast corner of Kanawha and High streets for $1.1 million. It would replace Graceland Shopping Center as the place where most buses running along High Street turn south for Downtown. Lhota said shopping-center owner Casto has told COTA that as Graceland redevelops, it eventually won't be able to accommodate the buses. Turning them nearly 4 miles to the north at Crosswoods would cost an additional $2 million in operating costs each year, he said. Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/16/cota-chief-hears-furor-over-turnaround.html?sid=101
July 24, 201014 yr Outcry in Clintonville sinks COTA turnaround plan Friday, July 23, 2010 - 2:51 AM By Collin Binkley THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH COTA buses on N. High Street will have to turn around somewhere else. Facing pressure from Clintonville residents, the board of the Central Ohio Transit Authority unanimously turned down a proposal last night to transform a fully occupied N. High Street strip mall into a turnaround for buses. The decision came after an hour-long presentation by COTA President Bill Lhota, who read a list of residents' objections to the plan to purchase and develop the land at N. High Street and Kanawha Avenue for $2.3 million. Buses will continue turning around at Graceland Shopping Center, where they have for years, while officials search for a new location. But shopping center owner Casto has told COTA that as the center develops, it will not be able to accommodate buses, Lhota said. At any time, Casto could give the authority 30 days' notice to stop using its property. Full article: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/23/copy/outcry-sinks-cota-turnaround-plan.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
August 17, 201014 yr COTA pulls underused bus stops Hilliard, West Side routes first affected in ongoing review Saturday, August 14, 2010 By Doug Caruso THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH COTA calls it the "Bus Stop Improvement Program." What the program really does is remove bus stops. The improvement part, transit officials say, will come from faster route times and more frequent buses on routes with fewer stops. It'll also cost less because there will be fewer stops to maintain. The Central Ohio Transit Authority will remove 11 stops along four express routes in Hilliard and on the West Side starting Sept. 6, and it plans to evaluate other routes every four months until the entire system has been checked. In the past, COTA has evaluated individual bus stops for removal, said Beth Berkemer, a spokeswoman for COTA. "Now we're doing it route by route." Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/08/14/cota-pulls-underused-bus-stops.html?sid=101
September 17, 201014 yr COTA seeks citizen help in finding site for new turnaround location Wednesday, September 15, 2010 By KEVIN PARKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers The bus turnaround, round two. Two of the people who were among the more ardently opposed to a proposed Central Ohio Transit Authority bus turnaround on North High Street at East Kanawha Avenue say they have been asked by president and CEO Bill Lhota to serve on a panel searching for an alternate location. COTA's board of trustees voted unanimously on July 22 to reject the proposed purchase of a strip shopping center at the intersection in face of widespread condemnation of the idea by nearby residents, as well as bitterness expressed by the owners of the six businesses there. Clintonville Area Commission District 9 representative D Searcy announced at the September meeting of the panel that she and others had been tabbed by Lhota to serve on a task force seeking a place where buses that currently turn around in the Graceland Shopping Center can switch directions. At last week's meeting of the North Clintonville Development Task Force, founder Barclay Hastings said that he had also been approached to serve on the search group. Others invited include not only Searcy but also Sharon Heights Association president Keith Beveridge, local resident Mary Weller and CAC chairman John DeFourny, Hastings said. Full article: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/clintonville/stories/2010/09/15/cota-seeks-citizen-help-in-finding-site.html?sid=104
September 23, 201014 yr COTA chief to stay on to groom successor Business First of Columbus - by Adrian Burns Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 11:18am Central Ohio Transit Authority trustees Wednesday extended the contract of CEO Bill Lhota through mid-2012 while a current COTA executive is groomed for the top job at the bus system. Lhota, 70, announced in late 2009 that he planned to retire at the end of this year, but he has put off his retirement for 18 months so he can help prepare a candidate for the CEO post. Full article: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/09/20/daily17.html?surround=lfn
November 2, 201014 yr High Street Downtown All those buses and riders: Bad for business? Tuesday, November 2, 2010 02:51 AM By Doug Caruso THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH As COTA takes a closer look at its Downtown bus service, one of the key questions is how any changes would affect High Street. Downtown developers have complained that COTA passengers waiting for transfers near Broad and High streets, and buses lining the curbs make the area less attractive for retail stores and their customers. It's an issue raised at least twice in a 10-year Downtown strategic plan endorsed by the Downtown Commission and the Columbus City Council this year. That plan calls for a Downtown transit center where people can wait for buses protected from the weather and away from High Street. Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/11/02/all-those-buses-and-riders-bad-for-business.html?sid=101
November 9, 201014 yr A response to the above by Dispatch Columnist and regular COTA rider, Joe Blundo... Plan would throw riders under the bus Tuesday, November 9, 2010 02:51 AM The Columbus Dispatch Joe Blundo / Columnist So now we have one possible explanation as to why the Downtown stretch of High Street isn't exactly a thriving shopping district: bus riders. Too many of us, it seems, congregate on High Street because, well, that's where the buses are. To quote from a story by my colleague Doug Caruso last week in The Dispatch: "Downtown developers have complained that COTA passengers waiting for transfers near Broad and High streets, and buses lining the curbs make the area less attractive for retail stores and their customers." Full column at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2010/11/09/plan-would-throw-riders-under-the-bus.html?sid=101
November 12, 201014 yr I gotta give Joe Blundo credit for that article. That was a well written response.
December 16, 201014 yr Central Ohio Transit Authority 17 million riders expected in 2011 as bus routes grow Thursday, December 16, 2010 02:54 AM By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH When COTA expands bus routes again next year, riders will see a level of service not offered in a decade. Ridership is still about 10 percent below its 1999 peak, but Bill Lhota, president and CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority, said there's a natural lag between adding buses and people climbing aboard to ride them. COTA expects more than 17 million riders next year, compared with nearly 19 million in 1999. Buses will operate more than 850,000 hours in 2011, compared with a high of almost 839,000 in 2001. Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/12/16/17-million-riders-expected-in-2011-as-bus-routes-grow.html?sid=101
December 24, 201014 yr Unclaimed bikes head to second lives as holiday presents By KATHLEEN L. RADCLIFF, COLUMBUS LOCAL NEWS Published: Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 9:06 AM EST Some lucky Central Ohio youth will find new bikes waiting for them Christmas morning -- thanks to forgetful COTA customers and the avid local cyclists and Columbus firefighters volunteering to prepare the bicycles for reuse. "Can you believe all these nice bikes, and no one will take them?" said Tom Cosimati, a COTA worker. He was loading bikes into a truck with Steve Northerner, a driver for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Thursday, Dec. 9. COTA donated about 75 unclaimed bikes, of various sizes and models, to the foodbank. MORE: http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/articles/2010/12/21/german_village_gazette/news/gvallcotaf_20101213_1144am_1.txt
December 29, 201014 yr COTA expanding Night Owl route Business First - by Adrian Burns Date: Tuesday, December 28, 2010, 2:51pm EST ... Adrian Burns Reporter Email: [email protected] The Night Owl soon will begin flying a bit further south with its load of weekend revelers. The Central Ohio Transit Authority’s No. 21 bus is expected to officially start an expanded route Jan. 3, with a one-night sneak peak at the longer run expected for New Year’s Eve, COTA spokesman Marty Stutz said. Begun in September 2009, the Night Owl line runs Friday and Saturday nights from Whetstone Park to the Arena District and often carries as many as several hundreds riders a weekend. Because it runs regularly until about 2:30 a.m., the line is ideal for students and others who want to explore the High Street nightlife without having to drive. .. Read more at: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2010/12/cota-expanding-night-owl-route.html
January 10, 201114 yr Bus-stop blues COTA sued again over compliance with disabilities act The transit authority is being accused of skirting a federal law that ensures disabled people proper access to public transportation. Monday, January 10, 2011 02:51 AM By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH On a recent sunny day, Christopher Cooley stood about a foot from the curb in front of a Downtown bus stop. Although COTA drivers are told to stop right in front of passengers with obvious disabilities, a bus pulled past Cooley, who had to jostle with other passengers to ask where the bus was headed. Then he asked the driver why he stopped so far from him Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/01/10/bus-stop-blues.html?sid=101
January 14, 201114 yr Cross-posted in Columbus: Making Linden Livable COTA to study option of rapid-transit buses Sunday, January 9, 2011 By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Gov. Ted Strickland's 3C rail line is history. Mayor Michael B. Coleman's streetcars are shelved. But that doesn't mean transit innovations are dead on arrival. The Central Ohio Transit Authority wants to study something called "bus rapid transit" - a dedicated lane on Cleveland Avenue that could accommodate bigger, better buses. The souped-up bus resembles a toned-down light-rail train and would be designed to get people to their destinations faster than traditional buses but would cost far less than rail. The COTA line would run between Downtown and either Rt. 161 or Westerville. Officials say there are frequent requests for more service in that corridor. MORE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/01/09/copy/cota-to-study-option-of-rapid-transit-buses.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
January 26, 201114 yr COTA - NORTH HIGH STREET BUS TURNAROUND Meeting set on replacement location Tuesday, January 18, 2011 By KEVIN PARKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers The hot-button issue from July of COTA's proposed bus turnaround on North High Street will finally be revisited in the cold of January. Some of those who opposed the effort in the summer will probably be offering a cool reception to any new ideas from transit authority officials. The Central Ohio Transit Authority board of directors on July 22 unanimously rejected purchasing a strip shopping center at North High Street and East Kanawha Avenue to allow northbound buses to turn around and head back downtown. This followed weeks of angry meetings and accusations and store owners fearing being put out of businesses. In the wake of that special meeting, to which several dozen north Clintonville residents traveled by bus, president and chief executive officer Bill Lhota called for creation of an advisory panel of local citizens to help COTA find an alternative location. In presentations leading up to the board vote, COTA officials had said representatives of the Casto Co., owners of the Graceland Shopping Center, indicated the parking lot would soon no longer be available for use to turn buses around. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/clintonville/stories/2011/01/12/hp4.html?sid=104
January 26, 201114 yr Clintonville residents pick turnaround sites for COTA Rancor gives way at citizens meeting Tuesday, January 25, 2011 By Dean Narciso THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH What began as a meeting with a skeptical crowd of more than 50 residents accusing COTA of mismanagement and missed opportunities ended with optimism and three viable locations for a bus turnaround. But within an hour, the residents and a citizens committee had narrowed sites to a former Taco Bell, a residence recently sold to a church and a car dealership whose owner is interested in selling. The Central Ohio Transit Authority had reached a contract in July to purchase shops along the east side of N. High Street at Kanawha Drive, just north of Graceland Shopping Center, for $1.1 million. The land would have been used to replace the bus turnaround at the west end of Graceland. MAP OF THREE PROPOSED COTA TURNAROUND LOCATIONS MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/01/25/residents-pick-sites-for-cota.html?sid=101
February 2, 201114 yr Even after that August article about removing bus stops, N High St still has an overabundance of bus stops located within one or two blocks of each other. Biking between Downtown to Clintonville is still, without a doubt, faster by bike. COTA's shortcomings seem forgivable enough until you experience the brunt of them. Try standing outside on a windy 0 degree night where the hourly bus is well over 30 minutes late with no way of knowing where it was: no real time tickers or GPS. Then on Saturday night I was thinking about riding down to the Short North, but thought why not take the late night bus? Well, the fact that COTA only accepts exact change for the $1.75 fare sometimes means I end up paying $2 for lack of change. Except that night when I made a miscalculation and only had $1.25. As a result, the bus driver, indifferent to me overpaying over the past few months, said nothing while I rode the bus, only to have the CPD make a surprise visit to take me off the bus at Maynard and High. If he had told me that's only as far as he could have taken me, alright, but to have the police involved because I "wouldn't get off" when I never was given the option was ridiculous. That's what I get for choosing to spend my money on public transit instead of riding my bike, so COTA will from now on be seeing much, much less of that with emergencies as the lone exception. In Milwaukee and even Indianapolis you have the option of purchasing a set of ten tickets for regular trips to use whenever you want, like when you inevitably don't have exact change. Cleveland is the only C to offer a card good for five trips, though a bit steep at $11.25. COTA continues to be stuck in the past with cluttered, confusing bus routes, inflexible fare options, and expecting riders to always have pockets full of quarters. Once again, getting from points A to B is a DIY venture here.
February 2, 201114 yr Such an attitude for someone with one post who seems to have vested interests at play... Granted not giving change is typical for buses, however many cities are adopting cards that you put money on and can swipe at the bus... much easier that way. Also, having police escort someone off a bus for not paying 50 cents is kinda ridiculous and indefensible. If the bus isn't full, then every cent helps. The bus is going to drive regardless of the number of people on it, so why not take the money and keep going? You don't advertise that you do that, but you just do it... It's what quite a few large bus systems do, because it makes sense and really a transportation system should be about getting people where they need to go. And a public transportation system needs to run 24/7 - no discussion, it needs to. GPS would be nice. Waiting for buses is about the most unproductive thing in the world. People would ride more if riding didn't mean such a loss of productivity. You gave a strange response. I wonder why you would represent yourself as someone affiliated with COTA (indirectly it seems you are) and respond the way you did?
February 2, 201114 yr no no no no...i have no relationship to cota...i used to have a blog called cbustransit cuz i was interested in transit...couldn't run it anymore cuz i didn't have the time...the name is from when i joined a long time ago
February 7, 201114 yr COTA public comments meeting tomorrow at their new downtown office at 33 N High in the William G. Porter Board Room at 12PM. I'll definitely try to make it there and hope to see some Columbus UOers there too, or UOers that happen to be in Columbus. A year ago they told me that they were going to remove several stops on their most popular lines and the number of extraneous bus stops is still as absurd, so I'd like to know why that is. There are also the issues of why they are wasting CPD's time and our money by having them take people off the bus who don't pay the full $1.75 fare and why, unlike Cleveland and Indianapolis, COTA does not sell sets of 5 or 10 tickets which double as one-way trips you can use whenever vs. having to buy an expensive pass when you wouldn't be using it enough to justify the cost. Can you believe it's 2011 and this lackluster bus system is all we have to show after the streetcar was a no-go? Considering that the lack of support for the streetcar which ended its progress was years ago, I should be able to ride the BRT on Cleveland Ave today, not 2013 or 2014, which should have been that backup plan I was calling for so that there would be something in place now. Like I was saying then, the fact that the city leadership had no master plan for the streetcar system and no backup plan was all the proof needed to show that they had and still have no serious intention on making real, positive changes in mass-transit here.
February 10, 201114 yr A summary of COTA's 2/8 meeting: new routes outside of 270 are being added, despite ongoing multimillion dollar construction of additional lanes which will negate any desire to choose the bus over a car in these already heavily car-dependent areas current route improvements have been made on routes that are our #1 priority: routes around northern 270 vs. the most popular routes in the inner-city we're still studying what improvements to make on the most popular routes like the #2 even though it's now 2011 and can't tell you when they'll actually be implemented we're still a sad excuse of a mass transit system and we don't care what you think We don't understand why you would think that having several stops within a block or two of each other correlates with poor on-time performance: you might as well be speaking another language. I don't think I could get any more tired of this city/state. There's just no talking with city "leadership".
April 5, 201114 yr COTA promotes veteran employee, gives him shot at top job Tuesday, April 5, 2011 03:06 AM By Jason Shough COTA has promoted a long-time employee who is getting a tryout as successor to outgoing president and CEO Bill Lhota. Yesterday, the Central Ohio Transit Authority announced that Curtis Stitt will fill the new position of senior vice president and chief operating officer. The temporary position will be used to train Stitt to succeed Lhota, who is retiring in June 2012, said Beth Berkemer, a COTA spokeswoman. Read more at: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/04/05/copy/cota-promotes-veteran-employee-gives-him-shot-at-top-job.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
April 7, 201114 yr From Columbus Underground: COTA website updated with New Draft Short-Range Transit Plan 2011-2015 The COTA Website has uploaded a new Draft Short-Range Transit Plan 2011-2015. Below is the link to the new draft. They are requesting comments in writing to be submitted by April 25, 2011: http://www.cota.com/assets/Publications/DRAFT2011-15CompleteSRTP-Section3.pdf READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/cota-website-updated-with-new-draft-short-range-transit-plan-2011-2015
April 7, 201114 yr COTA Ridership Increases As Gas Prices Go Up By Lauren Schmoll, NBC 4 Published: April 07, 2011 COLUMBUS, OH -- Gas prices are going up and COTA is seeing an increase in ridership. Over the last four weeks, from March 7th through April 3rd, there was an average ridership increase over the same time period in 2010 of approximately 4.75%. Ridership for the year from April 3rd, 2010 through April 3rd, 2011 is up approximately 2.8%. READ MORE: http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2011/apr/07/cota-ridership-increases-gas-prices-go-ar-446505/
April 7, 201114 yr I think 1.75 is reasonable for bus fare considering how high gas prices are. In Cincinnati I'd see bus drivers get physically threatened by guys who got kicked off for not paying fare. It was a mess. If you let people slide who don't want to play by the rules the you're going to get all kinds of crazies on the bus.
April 10, 201114 yr Even after that August article about removing bus stops, N High St still has an overabundance of bus stops located within one or two blocks of each other. Biking between Downtown to Clintonville is still, without a doubt, faster by bike. COTA's shortcomings seem forgivable enough until you experience the brunt of them. Try standing outside on a windy 0 degree night where the hourly bus is well over 30 minutes late with no way of knowing where it was: no real time tickers or GPS. Then on Saturday night I was thinking about riding down to the Short North, but thought why not take the late night bus? Well, the fact that COTA only accepts exact change for the $1.75 fare sometimes means I end up paying $2 for lack of change. Except that night when I made a miscalculation and only had $1.25. As a result, the bus driver, indifferent to me overpaying over the past few months, said nothing while I rode the bus, only to have the CPD make a surprise visit to take me off the bus at Maynard and High. If he had told me that's only as far as he could have taken me, alright, but to have the police involved because I "wouldn't get off" when I never was given the option was ridiculous. That's what I get for choosing to spend my money on public transit instead of riding my bike, so COTA will from now on be seeing much, much less of that with emergencies as the lone exception. In Milwaukee and even Indianapolis you have the option of purchasing a set of ten tickets for regular trips to use whenever you want, like when you inevitably don't have exact change. Cleveland is the only C to offer a card good for five trips, though a bit steep at $11.25. COTA continues to be stuck in the past with cluttered, confusing bus routes, inflexible fare options, and expecting riders to always have pockets full of quarters. Once again, getting from points A to B is a DIY venture here. I have been on this forum for a while and knew you as Columbusite. I know it's possible to get easily offended on a message board, so I have no intentions of doing so. I think it is rather overboard to throw you off the bus with no warning. I can see where it can be an issue if everyone who wanted to underpay or not pay for a fare was allowed to do so. I think it speaks to Cota's recent commitment to keeping their buses free of people causing issues and taking advantage of the system. If they gave you no warning or you had no attitude that's different and it’s a misuse of resources intended for more serious situations. The main reason I am responding is the focus many have on routes with close together stops. There are many factors that can be improve, within Cota's operations, and some that have been, such as fares/payment types/cars/GPS etc. However, many of Cota's routes functions as short term transit options for a lot of riders. The issue is that some use those routes as long term transit (say crosswoods to downtown or reynoldsburg) For those using the routes (say number 2) for short term transit close stops are actually convenient. I use the number 2 constantly to go from 5th and high to 15th and high for work. It is a 15-20 minute walk, you can bike it, or use a bus. One solution to getting people out of cars is by offering short range transit options. This type of route servers a similar function as a streetcar: moving people up and down linear strips for different social and economic purposes and eliminating transit time by offering frequent service. I am not sure to what extent you want to see stops eliminated, maybe removing stops that are simply a block apart or 2 makes sense, but if you eliminate down to only a few per urban district/neighborhood you remove the function of the short range urban transit option. While I do think some of the central city routes can be streamlined, the issue isn't making the central city/local routes function for the long range but building and creating separate long-range/express routes with better hours. Or even better a combination of light rail with buses or streetcars performing mostly short range transit. While streamlining it is essential to remember the short range function of the local routes in the urban, dense districts.
April 14, 201114 yr Hedging eases pain of rising fuel prices for COTA Sunday, April 10, 2011 By Robert Vitale, The Columbus Dispatch For people who expect to burn through 3 million gallons of diesel fuel this year, COTA officials are awfully calm about rising oil prices. Since January 2010, the Central Ohio Transit Authority has been hedging against spikes in fuel costs by buying and selling contracts for heating oil. Historically, prices of the two products rise and fall in tandem, which means that as COTA spends more on fuel, it earns more on heating oil. A 2008 change in state law allowed government entities in Ohio to get into the fuel hedging game, which is used by airlines and other big buyers of fuel to reduce the impact of rising oil prices. Bus systems in Cleveland and Cincinnati also hedge against rising fuel costs. READ MORE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/04/10/copy/hedging-eases-pain-of-rising-fuel-prices-for-cota.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
April 25, 201114 yr More riding buses, but not parking to catch one Monday, April 25, 2011 03:04 AM By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH People are riding: COTA carried 20,000 more passengers on its buses last week than it did during the same week of 2010. But they're not parking: The agency's own counts show that its 29 park-and-ride lots were barely one-quarter full, on average, over the past year, despite seven months of rising gasoline prices. Central Ohio Transit Authority officials say they're not bothered by the largely empty commuter lots, even those located along busy routes and in growing suburbs. Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/04/25/more-riding-buses-but-not-parking-to-catch-one.html?sid=101
June 14, 201114 yr Dispatch tells COTA to take a walk BY JEFF LONG | Posted: Thursday, June 9, 2011 12:52 pm Some things defy satire. Some things are just so flat-out goofy there's no room for mockery. This week's entry: Get the buses off High Street Downtown. How'd you like to be the boss of COTA, who was advised yesterday of the virtues of compromise by our daily paper, under growing pressure to screw customers who make up the bulk of your business? That's exactly what COTA is being asked to do by people it has little power to resist. Downtown developers say their buildings are vacant because all those damn buses on High Street block the storefronts. Read more at: http://www.theotherpaper.com/news/article_e5345f2c-92b8-11e0-b2f1-001cc4c03286.html
June 15, 201113 yr ^ I believe this is the genesis of the "Dispatch vs. COTA" story: COTA debates downtown transit center Agency poised to reject city request to move bus stops away from shops along High Street Sunday, May 29, 2011 By Robert Vitale, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH COTA appears ready to reject a request from Downtown planners to move bus stops away from High Street storefronts. A Downtown transit center - one location where Central Ohio Transit Authority passengers could wait indoors to catch a bus - would cost too much, disrupt too many routes and inconvenience too many riders, officials say. But a report the agency plans to finalize in coming weeks won't be the last word on the idea. Mayor Michael B. Coleman and the Downtown development group that floated the idea of a transit center last year aren't ready to let it drop. Rerouting the buses that line up just north of Broad and High streets can help revitalize area retail, advocates say. READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/05/29/cota-debates-downtown-transit-center.html?sid=101
June 17, 201113 yr Fans of public transit coax drivers to try it Friday, June 17, 2011 03:06 AM By Molly Gray THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH J.D. Blackwood rides a bus to his job Downtown from Grove City several times a week. That might change. Yesterday, he learned he could save $5,634 on gas and parking each year if he rode a COTA bus every day. Central Ohio Transit Authority officials calculated the savings for Blackwood and others during a Dump the Pump event yesterday in an effort to increase ridership. "Not only does it save me money, but I forgot about how much free time you get on the bus," Blackwood said. "I read the paper or socialize, and it's relaxing." Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/06/17/fans-of-public-transit-coax-drivers-to-try-it.html?sid=101
June 23, 201113 yr COTA likes hybrid buses so far Are they worth extra cost? Early savings promising Thursday, June 23, 2011 03:05 AM By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Six electric-diesel hybrid buses COTA put on the road a year ago have saved the agency more than 1,200 gallons of fuel and more than $3,600 per month. Does that make them worth the extra $230,000 apiece on the price tag? It's too soon to tell, Central Ohio Transit Authority officials said yesterday, but they expect savings to mount as the fleet ages. With fewer parts prone to break down, officials expect hybrids to cost less to keep in service than traditional diesel-burning buses. Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/06/23/cota-likes-hybrid-buses-so-far.html?sid=101
June 27, 201113 yr Two sites eyed for Clintonville bus turnarounds Residents gives COTA input before decision Tuesday, June 21, 2011 By Lauren Hepler, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH COTA officials met with Clintonville area residents last night to discuss the final stages of a deal to construct a bus turnaround just north of Graceland Shopping Center. Any agreement would come after more than a year of back-and-forth between Central Ohio Transit Authority officials and residents wary of what a busy N. High Street bus turnaround would do to the neighborhood. COTA says there are two potential sites: a used car dealership at 5160 N. High and a vacant house at 5132 N. High. "They're both willing sellers," said COTA spokeswoman Beth Berkemer. "We have not made a decision on either property yet. We are still negotiating." MAP OF PROPOSED COTA TURNAROUND SITES READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/06/21/two-sites-eyed-for-bus-turnarounds.html?sid=101
July 19, 201113 yr COTA study: Terminal won’t ease congestion at Broad and High Business First - by Adrian Burns Friday, July 15, 2011, 2:43pm EDT A downtown transit center for the Central Ohio Transit Authority likely won’t curb bus and rider congestion at Broad and High streets, a study by the transit authority has found, but moving some bus routes off High could help. While a new bus center a couple blocks away likely wouldn’t diminish bus traffic downtown, moving some routes from High Street to Front, Third and Fourth streets has more potential, COTA spokesman Marty Stutz said. But changes to those routes would mean riders would have to go to other locations to catch a bus, and so it’s important to gather public input on potential new routes, he said. COTA’s study was in response to a 2010 Columbus Downtown Development Corp. plan that called for an examination of COTA’s service downtown. READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2011/07/15/cota-study-terminal-wont-ease.html
July 19, 201113 yr COTA Holding Public Meetings to Discuss Downtown Operations Analysis By: Walker Evans, Columbus Underground Published on July 18, 2011 - 8:20 pm Over the next two weeks, the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) will be soliciting public input on their recently completed Downtown Operations Analysis report. This study was conducted to evaluate current Downtown transit operations and to identify potential service adjustments. One of the most significant portions of the report deals with the proposed Bus Transit Station concept proposed in the 2010 Downtown Strategic plan last year. The four upcoming public meetings will be held at the COTA Headquarters located at 33 North High Street, and will be held on the following dates: • Tuesday, July 19 at 6 p.m. • Wednesday, July 20 at 12 p.m. • Tuesday, July 26 at 12 p.m. • Tuesday, July 26 at 6 p.m. More information can be found at www.cota.com/Public-Meetings. READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-holding-public-meetings-to-discuss-downtown-operations-analysis
July 20, 201113 yr Bus riders weigh in on COTA transit center Proposal criticized at hearing; moving buses to Front St. another option Wednesday, July 20, 2011 03:08 AM By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Even on a 95-degree day, Shawn Moten chose convenience over comfort. A sweltering July afternoon failed to win over many Central Ohio Transit Authority riders yesterday on the idea of a transit center that would consolidate Downtown bus stops. A cool wait for the bus - or a warm wait or a dry one, depending on the weather - wouldn't be worth the tradeoff of a longer walk to get there and a longer ride home, regular riders said. "I'd go for the quickest option," said Moten, waiting for a Broad Street bus in the not-too-helpful shade of a Statehouse parking-garage entrance. Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/07/20/bus-riders-weigh-in-on-cota-transit-center.html?sid=101
September 1, 201113 yr COTA rejects sites as too small or too difficult to access By Alex Stuckey The Columbus Dispatch Thursday September 1, 2011 5:29 AM COTA and Clintonville-area residents seemed to have reached a resolution in June about where to move a bus turnaround from Graceland Shopping Center. Now they’re back to square one. “We’re frustrated; it’s been 13 months,” said D Searcy, a Clintonville Area Commission member. Central Ohio Transit Authority officials had found two potential relocation sites just north of the shopping center, but said yesterday that size and access issues forced them to scrap the plans. read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/09/01/bus-turnaround-dealt-setback.html
September 1, 201113 yr There's over 15 acres of parking at Graceland, most of it never used. And that doesn't include paved areas behind the stores or the bob Evans parking lot. There's absolutely no reason why COTA can't turn around, and pick up and drop off customers, somewhere in the complex. No need to spend taxpayer dollars to buy and level any other real estate.
September 8, 201113 yr Apologies in advance, as I'm sure this topic has been discussed thoroughly. But I find searching the forum rather time consuming, so I thought I'd just ask! Are there any plans (ongoing, future or otherwise) to introduce rail into Columbus? Being the largest city without rail isn't exactly a list I want Columbus number one in! Thanks in advance and cheers!
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