Transportation became a critical issue for essential workers during the pandemic. As ridership decreased while people stayed home, transportation options decreased as well. The Central Ohio Transit Authority eliminated some fixed routes that weren’t seeing significant use, but the organization hasn't left passengers without options.
The solution to the issue has been to offer the COTA//Plus Bus On Demand, an on-demand mobility service with full-size buses. The program allows riders within a northeast section of Franklin County to request rides in the areas around temporarily suspended fixed routes.
The on-demand service links passengers to bus lines 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 23, 24, 25, 31, 34 and 35.
That extension of the COTA//Plus program, which provides on-demand service in other central Ohio communities as well, came as a direct result of community outreach from New Albany.
“We cut some service that went out to the New Albany business park and those businesses in New Albany reached out to us and said, ‘Hey, can you help us?’” says Jason Yanni, senior director of product management and innovation for COTA. “We developed (COTA//Plus) in response to the community outreach and what they needed.”
In April, 2020, service was temporarily suspended on lines 25, 35 and 45, which serve the Brice, Dublin-Granville and New Albany areas, respectively.
When businesses reached out to COTA, rider demand didn’t warrant reinstating regular service at the inactive fixed routes. Instead, COTA//Plus Bus On Demand allows riders to request service as needed in areas where the suspended routes previously ran. The northeast service zone includes Mount Carmel East, Mount Carmel St. Ann’s, Easton Town Center and the New Albany International Business Park.
Initially a three-month pilot, the program has continued for more than a year and a half.
“It gets good reviews,” Yanni says. “We’ll continue to keep running the service until it justifies bringing back a fixed route. That’s how we can evolve our service for those different areas.”
Modernizing Transportation
COTA’s on-demand option for transportation has helped to fill in gaps where fixed routes aren’t available as transportation needs moves outside the city and into suburban areas. Following the lead of Grove City, where COTA//Plus began in 2019, areas including Westerville, northeast Columbus and the South Side have added service zones for COTA//Plus.
“The population is growing out instead of up in central Ohio,” Yanni says. “So how do we support that population that’s growing outward from those other counties that are connected into our jurisdictions to make sure that they have a pleasant experience as well?”
The solution for COTA is a hybrid system of fixed routes and on-demand service, blanketing the area in transportation options and connections. Vaughn Francis, superintendent of transportation for COTA, says that fixed-route service doesn’t make sense to run in all areas. On-demand transportation can provide access to less-frequented routes.
“With our transit system redesign, along with implementing COTA//Plus, we’re able to fill in those gaps in public transportation,” Francis says. “I call it a hybrid of public transportation.”
Beyond just allowing riders to access job opportunities beyond their immediate neighborhoods, COTA//Plus also provides the ability to travel more freely throughout the community generally. Service is offered seven days a week from 5 a.m.-11 p.m., allowing continued travel on nights and weekends.
“There’s obviously the weekend folks that want opportunities … to get to the farmers’ market or to get to the special events,” says Aslyne Rodriguez, director of government affairs for COTA. “It helps the community reduce the congestion of events because everyone wants to go them, but they don’t know where to park. So we try to tell folks, ‘Leave your car at home, take COTA//Plus to get to the farmers’ market, to get to the jazz concert that’s happening.’ That’s really another emphasis that we look at.”
The northeast COTA//Plus service operates in New Albany, Gahanna and parts of northeast Columbus. Using the COTA//Plus mobile app, riders can request service and a bus operated by a COTA driver will arrive to the location within an average of 15 minutes, taking the traveler to physical bus stops and New Albany Park and Ride stops in a portion of New Albany’s business park, according to COTA project manager Elliott Doza.
Rides cost $2 per trip. A single-day pass can be purchased for $4.50 and a weekly pass for $25. In addition to the app, rides may also be requested by calling 614-308-4400. For more information, visit www.cota.com.
Claire Miller is the assistant editor. Feedback is welcome at cmiller@cityscenemediagroup.com.
