Latest news with #LinkUS
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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. Boy back home after recovering from severe dog attack '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.
Axios
10-02-2025
- Business
- Axios
Bus Rapid Transit aims to change Columbus travel
As major infrastructure upgrades begin to take shape, the Central Ohio Transit Authority hopes its first Bus Rapid Transit lines change the way Columbus travels. Why it matters: Planned BRT lines are one of the focal points of COTA's voter-approved $8 billion LinkUS mobility plan. BRT lines are designed to streamline service and accommodate our growing population. The big picture: COTA is committed to building three BRT corridors on West Broad Street, East Main Street and a route connecting downtown with Dublin. Two other potential corridors are being studied. In addition to BRT work, LinkUS funding enables COTA to add hundreds of miles of new paths, trails and bus lines, plus expand transit operating hours. How it works: BRT lines function differently from standard bus routes. They feature dedicated lanes, larger buses, increased frequency, fewer stops and buses that communicate with traffic signals — all to increase speed and reliability. Improved stations allow riders to pay before riding, offer protection from the elements and add bus-level platforms for easier boarding. Between the lines: The BRT experience aims to imitate the experience of a subway or train. "We call it light rail on wheels," COTA spokesperson Jeff Pullin tells Axios, "because it has the same amenities, including arriving every eight to 10 minutes." Case in point: The first planned BRT line, on West Broad Street, will break ground this year and should drastically reduce west side commute times. LinkUS transit program manager Zach Sunderland tells Axios that COTA's current West Broad corridor takes an estimated 45 minutes to get from the end of the line to downtown, not counting delays from traffic, weather or construction. The BRT line should cut that time to about 30 minutes and avoid external elements. The big picture: COTA's plans were developed after looking at similar systems in cities like Seattle, Denver, Indianapolis and Minneapolis, which saw BRT ridership skyrocket last year. Friction point: If this is "light rail on wheels," why not just build a light rail system instead? The biggest factor: Columbus doesn't have the population density required to qualify for federal light rail funding, COTA officials say. Even if the city did qualify, a single light rail line would cost as much as the $8 billion funding LinkUS for 25 years. Columbus would also have to acquire huge quantities of land for construction, leveling homes and businesses under eminent domain. What they're saying: Sunderland says COTA hopes to double ridership from 3% of the population to 6%. "As we grow as a region, traffic is not going to get any easier and parking prices will go up. We hope this improvement will make transit more attractive and easier to use."
