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UWeekly wrote
A big campus and travel time
By Sarah Ledford
September 17, 2008
A college campus can be intimidating during one’s first few months of college; however, quick, easy, and convenient methods of transportation can lessen that feeling.
Buses are available to students both on and off campus, and bikes are a great way to travel around Columbus and campus, as well. When walking to class and down College Road, many bus stops are visible, and while on campus, numerous bikers zoom past, and bike racks are full. Most Ohio State students living in dorms should be able to get anywhere on campus in no more than fifteen minutes, weather permitting; however, options like these can lessen the time or even serve as a great way to get to work or around Columbus.
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COTA does freshmen a disservice by not having route maps up at every stop in the campus area, unless they’ve changed that since the last time I was on campus and looking. The routes that go through campus are indeed useful–I rode the 2 and 84 regularly and the 18 and 7 occasionally. However, it took me a while to get familiar with them, and freshmen tend to pick up a lot of habits that stick within days, weeks at most, of arriving.
The new COTA route planner through Google, however, definitely should make a difference; let it suffice to say that going to their Web site was not exactly a productive exercise when I was at OSU.
I’m hoping when Gee moves the sophomores back on campus they do even more to promote the alternatives.
Free rides with a Buck ID is great, but I wonder how many use them?
(I’d love to say more, but too afraid my comments may be misconstrued. I’ll see how this thread goes, first.)
Free rides with a Buck ID is great, but I wonder how many use them?
I used to use it all the time after it was started. It was F***in’ AWESOME in my opinion!
It was great when I lived on Euclid a few years ago. The walk was more than doable, but some of those winter days were better spent on the bus.
Not sure if anyone has seen this, but they also seem to have a few zipcars http://www.zipcar.com/ for vehicle sharing scattered around too. Looks like a pretty cool program for those who want access to a car for means other than campus transportation.
I just moved to the area and find the COTA buses to be pretty convenient.. though I’m having to get used to waiting since I’ve always driven in the past. It really sucks when you walk up to the stop as the bus is pulling away, and have to sit there for 20 minutes before the next one comes. I’m not sure if I’d have started riding them if I didn’t get to for free with my Buck ID.
Route maps at all the stops would be great. I wish they could at least post the schedules! I ended up printing out the schedule for the #7 bus, but that wouldn’t be very helpful if I needed to take another route.
Overall though it’s nice to be able to get some things done on the way to school, and not have to pay a bunch of money for a parking pass and gas.
Zip car is great in theory but limited in scope at the moment. They have 14-15 cars, if I am not mistaken with a lot of bias to parking them up at the NW edge of Central Campus (Lane/Neil, Curl Dr Area).
Car share needs to come further down, either with the city or with OSU into points East and South of Campus. There is a OSU parking garage just across from me on 8th that would be perfect for a handful of the vehicles. Also OSU lots in the vicinity around 10th and what not.
The city should section off a few spaces on every street between Lane and 7th/King, east of High, and work in partnership with Zip Car for that. It could potentially clear up some congestion in that area.
Even better would be for OSU to work a deal with Zip Car to provide waived membership fees to all students while they are registered at OSU.
EDIT
Just checked the site. They really downsized what they had. I remember a pickup being on the list at one point. College and 12th for most of the cars.