The Central Ohio Transit Authority has increased the frequency on five routes to cut wait times as part of improvements planned for COTA's LinkUs initiative funded by the sales tax increase passed last November.
Five lines in total have been improved in the most recent updates, but improvements have been implemented since January, according to a LinkUs progress report released this week. For example, the 102 line that runs from Polaris Fashion Place to downtown Columbus now runs at least every 30 minutes from Monday through Saturday.
Before this year, the bus would only show up every hour. The line largely follows North High Street and has less stops than other buses, meaning it runs quicker. Much of this route has other bus lines that run concurrent to it like the number 2 buses which arrive more frequently.
The LinkUs sales tax passed with 57% of the vote. It increases the COTA sales tax share from 0.5% to 1%.
Ohio State University third-year student Sophia O'Brien said she's grateful for the service changes. She said she takes the bus nearly every day, alternating between the 2 and the 102, to study strategic communications.
"It's like technically every 15 minutes to when I get here. The bus comes, which is super nice, so I don't have to worry about if I'm going to miss the bus, you know, because there's another one coming," O'Brien said.
O'Brien said the public transit improvements are helping a lot of residents in the city.
"It's not just like a pivotal part of like campus and like our kind of livelihoods, but it's also like just in general like Columbus residents," she said.
The other four lines with increased frequency COTA announced include:
- Line 34 (Morse Road)
- Line 45 (New Albany)
- Line 52 (Canal Winchester)
- Line 72 (Tuttle)
COTA is also touting an increase in ridership that it attributes in part to frequency improvements and extending service past midnight on some bus lines. COTA said it experienced a 17% increase in ridership in May this year compared to May 2024. Overall, the agency says ridership is up 10% year to date compared to 2024.
COTA also released a rendering video showing what a major intersection for two bus rapid transit routes will look like downtown. LinkUS funded several routes through the city that will run on dedicated lanes for much of the way.
The videos show several different areas of the East Main Street Bus Rapid Transit (BRT )route as it heads to different areas of the Columbus area. One shows a key intersection as the bus heads south on South 3rd Street to the intersection of West Broad Street where a second BRT route goes connects downtown.
South 3rd Street is a one-way street, but the rapid transit line will run north and south. The bright red lanes mark where the lane can only be used by the bus. The lane becomes striped at points where traffic can merge into the lane in order to turn left.
Renderings of the BRT that run through Bexley and Whitehall were also released, showing how the bus can shift from a dedicated lane, to sharing regular traffic lanes with cars.
COTA expects to hold a groundbreaking on the far west side of Columbus for the West Broad Street BRT next year. The East Main Street route will be the second route to start construction in 2027.
COTA is also still seeking public input on a proposed line 30 running between Dublin, Hilliard and Upper Arlington to Ohio State University.
Line 30 is still in the planning phase and no final decisions have been made. COTA expects September 2026 is the earliest possible launch date for the new line.
