The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) is holding a series of meetings this week on its Short Range Transit Plan.
Proposed changes in the plan include timing adjustments, combining some under-used routes and adding new lines.
The proposed adjustments amount to about 30% more service over the next five years, said COTA spokesperson Jeff Pullin.
Pullin said COTA is looking at increasing the frequency of service by about 64% on Saturdays and 74% on Sundays. He said the changes would build toward eventual 24/7 service on some lines, hopefully within the next five years.
COTA is also considering adding an express route to John Glenn Columbus International Airport that would run from Ohio State University and stop downtown.
"But not all of these changes can be made and it's really important for the public to give feedback," Pullin said.
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The first meeting is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday at Mid-Ohio Farm, located at 140 N. Wheatland Avenue in the Hilltop neighborhood.
The other meeting times are:
- 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday at Bob Crane Community Center, located at 3200 Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington
- 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Wednesday at the COTA Board Room, 33 N. High St., Columbus
- 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at Huntington Empowerment Center, 780 Mt. Vernon Ave., Columbus
- 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday at Columbus Metropolitan Library Driving Park Branch, 1422 E. Livingston Ave., Columbus
- 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Friday, virtual meeting on Microsoft Teams
The same information will be shared at each meeting.
The Short Range Transit Plan takes into account current ridership and the input from municipalities within COTA's service area. Pullin stressed the important of hearing from bus riders about the kind of service they want to see in the future.
"We know that we're gonna hear some things that we might not have thought of," Pullin said.
COTA users who cannot attend the meetings can explore the Short Range Transit Plan dashboard and make recommendations online.
The plan is expected to be finalized in June, and will be implemented from 2027 to 2031.
