COTA to restore 90% of service May 3
The Central Ohio Transit Authority plans to reinstate 90% of its PRE-COVID pandemic service – including trips on all express lines – on May 3 as ridership is expected to increase with more people returning to work.
COTA is not releasing the times yet, but service on these express routes is being restored: 13 Arlington/1st Ave; 41 Crosswoods/polaris; 42 Sharon Woods; 43 Westerville; 44 Easton; 45 New Albany; 46 Gahanna; 51 Reynoldsburg; 52 Canal Winchester; 61 Grove City; 71 Hilliard; 72 Tuttle;73 Dublin and 74 Smoky Row.
The transit agency also will be adding weekend service to the Columbus Zoo beginning May 8-9, then daily service beginning Memorial Day, May 31.
There are no plans yet to restore the Airconnect service between Downtown and John Glenn Columbus International Airport. Pullin said business travel hasn't returned to the point where it would be worth bringing the service back now.
COTA also has no plans for now of bringing back the Nightowl service, the late-night service that ran along North High Street between Downtown and Clintonville from Thursday-saturday, Pullin said.
All COTA service continues to end at 11 p.m. The free Cbus service, the circulator that runs between the Brewery District and Italian village through Downtown, may be brought back in September, depending on COVID-19 and vaccine numbers and other factors, Pullin said.
Ridership from January through March this year was 1,924,394, down almost 54% from the same time period in 2020.
COTA continues to limit the number of passengers on each bus to whatever the seating capacity is, Pullin said. COTA buses seat between 30 and 40, depending on the model, he said.
Josh Lapp, the chairman of Transit Columbus, a local advocacy group, said via email that while he is happy to see the return of commuter service, he is concerned about the lack of restoration of late night and early morning service.
“With the curfew lifted, service industry workers and others who have late or early schedules remain cut off from transit service and are forced to spend extra money on taxis or Uber and Lyft,” Lapp said. “We urge
COTA to restore these services as soon as possible. Waiting until September will be painful for the riders that depend on this service.”
Harvey Miller, an Ohio State professor and director of the university's Center for Urban and Regional Analysis, said he is glad COTA is restoring service. The question is how many people will be returning to their workplaces.
“It depends on the company and firm,” Miller said. “There are some people who do need to get to work, performing essential activities.”
Miller said he favors as doing as possible within the restraints of the pandemic.
“We still have the transportation challenges PRECOVID as well as after COVID,” he said, adding that includes central Ohio's continuing growth.
COTA brought back fares in January after suspending them in March 2020 when the pandemic hit so riders could board the bus from the back.
COTA makes service changes three times a year: the first Monday of January, May and September.
COTA plans to hold two online public meetings, at 6 p.m. Thursday and at noon on Tuesday, on the May service changes.
To attend the Thursday meeting over the phone, call 1-844-621-3956 and use this access code: 185 149 3490.
To attend the Tuesday, April 20 meeting over the phone, call 1-844-621-3956 and use this access code: 185 819 8348
Those wishing to attend either can also do so by going to COTA'S Facebook page. mferench@dispatch.com @Markferenchik