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XING Columbus wrote
COTA Public Hearing Roundup
June 24, 2008 by Eric
I was one of about 20 interested citizens at tonight�s COTA public hearing convened by Councilwoman O�Shaughnessy (Transportation Committee Chair) and Councilwoman Tavares. I�ll summarize my �minutes� of the meeting below, but the overall message I got was:
1) COTA is a �prudent, cautious, and measured� organization. Probably to a fault.
2) COTA is on sound financial footing for the first time in a decade, and is implementing it�s long range plan. This plan consists of increasing the bus hours on the streets.
3) COTA is struggling with high fuel prices, Bill Lhota believes they�ll go higher over the long term, but doesn�t have a concrete plan on how to deal with them.
4) COTA is still luke warm about the streetcar plan, so long as they have a significant seat in the design, implementation, and a good plan regarding future phases of a multi-modal system.
5) Google Transit will be up and running for Columbus on July 3rd.
The notes I took, and random thoughts I had, are below…
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COTA Public Hearing Roundup on XINGColumbus
By: Walker
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[url]http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2008/06/24/1A_BLUN24_–_for_June_24.ART_ART_06-24-08_D1_R6AIJKD.html?sid=101[/url]
Joe Blundo recently wrote an article about the rising ridership and proper etiquette on COTA.
Great notes, it’ll be interesting to see where these high gas prices take COTA in the near future.
Honestly, those notes left me a little depressed. It sounds like COTA is nowhere near able to handle the local end of anything we may get federally from the Passenger Rail Act. I’m not even sure Lhota could comprehend anything that isn’t a standard bus because it takes COTA out of its comfort economic zone.
The federal passenger rail act relates to inter-city train service (Amtrak). I don’t think COTA would be involved in the operations or coming up with local funding for the service. They would need to provide connecting service. Perhaps you’re worried about the ability to transfer between modes?
I’m concerned that light rail from locality to locality within the region will never happen. :cry:
The apparent time frame for implementation disappoints me too, but I didn’t see how it was directly related to the federal Passenger Rail Act.
The apparent time frame for implementation disappoints me too, but I didn’t see how it was directly related to the federal Passenger Rail Act.
It isn’t, not directly. From past experience in a functioning mass transportation system, COTA should pick up where Amtrak leaves off. When I used to take Amtrak from Philadelphia to DC, I would hop on a SEPTA train to get from my home to the Amtrak station, ride Amtrak to the DC station, and then take the Metro to where I was going (usually Adams Morgan, if memory serves).
My point is that COTA as it is now engineered may not be able to step in once the Passenger Rail Act is implemented. THAT is what I find depressing.
The apparent time frame for implementation disappoints me too, but I didn’t see how it was directly related to the federal Passenger Rail Act.
It isn’t, not directly. From past experience in a functioning mass transportation system, COTA should pick up where Amtrak leaves off. When I used to take Amtrak from Philadelphia to DC, I would hop on a SEPTA train to get from my home to the Amtrak station, ride Amtrak to the DC station, and then take the Metro to where I was going (usually Adams Morgan, if memory serves).
My point is that COTA as it is now engineered may not be able to step in once the Passenger Rail Act is implemented. THAT is what I find depressing.
Yeah, that makes sense.
I’m hoping for federal policy change that makes more funding available and the FTA’s New Starts process a little easier so Columbus can eventually get its own system, like those in all the old east coast cities.
It isn’t, not directly. From past experience in a functioning mass transportation system, COTA should pick up where Amtrak leaves off. When I used to take Amtrak from Philadelphia to DC, I would hop on a SEPTA train to get from my home to the Amtrak station, ride Amtrak to the DC station, and then take the Metro to where I was going (usually Adams Morgan, if memory serves).
My point is that COTA as it is now engineered may not be able to step in once the Passenger Rail Act is implemented. THAT is what I find depressing.
Yeah, that makes sense.
I’m hoping for federal policy change that makes more funding available and the FTA’s New Starts process a little easier so Columbus can eventually get its own system, like those in all the old east coast cities.
Well, as little as people like buses, they are very flexible. In Portland, OR, the train station is pretty heavily used even though it isn’t anywhere close to a light rail or trolly line.
What it is close to is the downtown Tri-Met bus depot not to mention within the fareless square. It is quite possible to get off the train and walk over to the bus and catch any bus to a rail line. The rail station is also quite well served by taxis.
With proper planning and funding, I could imagine this easily working in Columbus.
Keep in mind: COTA President William Lhota to retire in 2010
I think the guy’s done a good job at turning the bus service from “pretty bad” to “stable”.
Hopefully the next prez will take it from “stable” to “awesomely awesome”.
I think the guy’s done a good job at turning the bus service from “pretty bad” to “stable”.
Hopefully the next prez will take it from “stable” to “awesomely awesome”.
You Know I think Lhota has really done a very very impressive job despite how it seems. He has really restored COTA’s image among many in the private sector.
From what I understand running COTA is a really really tough job. I haven’t seen the numbers myself but my understanding is that COTA has roughly 1/4 to 1/2 the funding comparable organizations have in other cities of similar size. When you consider how spread out Columbus is, that only complicates it further…
This is one project we are going to have to throw some money at to improve any further I think unfortunately.
Sure, I think the guy deserves a lot of credit for the improvements he’s made. I just don’t think he has the plan in him to attempt anything grandiose with COTA in the next two years like a lot of people want to see happen.
He might if he had the money. I think he’s just trying to be fiscally responsible.
If any of these plans are going to happen COTA is going to need a lot more money to do it and they’ll need it from the voters. I’m not sure even the most visionary leader could get something that passed this fall the way the economy has been.
well maybe you could Walk. :)
just as a point of refrence, here are the 2007 sales tax rates and reciepts for each of the transit authorities in the state of ohio (cincinnati gets there $ from income tax):
TRANSIT AUTHORITY RATE AMOUNT
GREATER CLEVELAND RTA 1.00 % $173,161,230
CENTRAL OHIO RTA .25 % $ 47,598,995
LAKETRAN TRANSIT .25 % $ 7,913,161
MIAMI VALLEY RTA .50 % $ 32,185,370
PORTAGE AREA RTA .25 % $ 3,705,852
STARK AREA RTA .25 % $ 11,785,691
METRO RTA (SUMMIT CO.) .25 % $ 18,306,155
TOTAL: $294,656,453
Cleveland has almost 4x the local funding that COTA has, and has had a 1% sales tax since 1975! The gap will be less going forward once the .5% kicks in on July 1, but funding wise we still be .5% AND 30 years behind cleveland in transit funding! COTA is an easy scapegoat for this, but the true blame lies with our elected leadership, the business community, and most of all the citizens of central ohio for not demanding and PAYING for a better system over the years. so the question before us is how do WE change this, because waiting for somebody else to take care of it is what has gotten us into this mess.
venting complete…
Cleveland has almost 4x the local funding that COTA has, and has had a 1% sales tax since 1975! The gap will be less going forward once the .5% kicks in on July 1, but funding wise we still be .5% AND 30 years behind cleveland in transit funding! COTA is an easy scapegoat for this, but the true blame lies with our elected leadership, the business community, and most of all the citizens of central ohio for not demanding and PAYING for a better system over the years. so the question before us is how do WE change this, because waiting for somebody else to take care of it is what has gotten us into this mess.
venting complete…
thank you for finding some numbers.
you are right. WE need to demand this, AND be willing to pay for it.
TRANSIT AUTHORITY RATE AMOUNT
GREATER CLEVELAND RTA 1.00 % $173,161,230
CENTRAL OHIO RTA .25 % $ 47,598,995
LAKETRAN TRANSIT .25 % $ 7,913,161
MIAMI VALLEY RTA .50 % $ 32,185,370
PORTAGE AREA RTA .25 % $ 3,705,852
STARK AREA RTA .25 % $ 11,785,691
METRO RTA (SUMMIT CO.) .25 % $ 18,306,155
TOTAL: $294,656,453
Cleveland has almost 4x the local funding that COTA has, and has had a 1% sales tax since 1975! The gap will be less going forward once the .5% kicks in on July 1, but funding wise we still be .5% AND 30 years behind cleveland in transit funding! COTA is an easy scapegoat for this, but the true blame lies with our elected leadership, the business community, and most of all the citizens of central ohio for not demanding and PAYING for a better system over the years. so the question before us is how do WE change this, because waiting for somebody else to take care of it is what has gotten us into this mess.
venting complete…
Exactamundo. This is precisely what I was getting at. And it’s even crazier when you consider how huge of an area COTA has to cover. makes me appreciate Lhota even more. This is not a problem we can solve without significantly more funding. Now I dislike sales tax as much as the next retailer, but if we are going to get one or any other new taxes I want it spent on COTA.
Thanks for the stats maxoverdrive
Which is why in the meantime COTA should cut down the number of stops (having to stops within a block is just stupid) and seriously revamp their routes. There’s no reason these can’t be done now.