COTA expands late-night service in Columbus, moving towards 24-hour transit
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The City of Columbus and COTA leaders announced Friday its taking another step toward becoming a 24-hour transit system and are now expanding its late-night service past midnight.
COTA used to offer the midnight service before the pandemic, but for the first time in five years, they've brought it back.
'This is the first step towards fulfilling the promises we've made, and it starts with really expanding and improving our current service,' said Monica Tellez-Fowler, CEO of COTA.
CEO of COTA, Monica Tellez-Fowler, and Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin wore their 'Midnight in Motion' shirts to make this announcement.
'Think about the single parent who gets off after midnight, the nurse coming home from the hospital, the young entrepreneur who works late. This is for them. We see you and we're making improvements to support your schedule,' said Tellez-Fowler.
This late-night expansion is one of the first tangible moves from the LinkUs initiative, a 25-year plan. This past November, voters approved the comprehensive mobility and growth strategy plan. The initiative helps position COTA to become a 24-hour transit system.
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'This is what Central Ohio Transit is now going forward, and we look to expand more,' said Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin.
With the passing of Issue 47, it will increase COTA's total share of sales tax from 0.5% to 1%. That sales tax increase began in April. The LinkUS initiative will expand COTA's services and create more than 500 miles of bike paths, sidewalks, and trails across Franklin County by 2050.
'We get to now have a first-rate, top-of-the-line transit system that serves all of our residents throughout our community,' said Hardin.
This late-night expansion will include most downtown lines. Lines 1 through 11 and CMAX will have lineups available at 10 pm, 11 pm, and midnight. Additionally, 17 crosstown lines will now operate past midnight to better connect customers across the region.
'It was always about people, making sure that they had access and opportunities to get to where they need to go, be that nighttime activities or work or back home,' said Hardin.
These changes will only take place Monday through Saturday. According to COTA, Sunday evening hours will remain unchanged for now. These late-night hours begin this Monday.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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