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The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) will implement its January 2009 Service Changes on Monday, January 5.
The service changes, which are part of COTA’s ongoing expansion program, feature expanded service on existing routes as well as new routes. In addition, a number of key routes have been modified to expand frequency of service, extend span of service and improve reliability and convenience.
Among the highlights are two (2) new Park and Rides (Hilliard Rome and Renner roads at the Meijer store, and the south side of Eastland Mall along Refugee Road); a new Express Route (#32 Crosswoods) with service between the Crosswoods Park and Ride and downtown Columbus, and extended service on Route #1 (Cleveland Avenue) to Polaris Parkway and Africa Road.
In addition, COTA is improving service frequencies on the #2 N. High Street and #2 E. Main Street to address overcrowding issues; realigning service on the #50 Rickenbacker Express to serve neighborhoods on the south side of Columbus; and adding a weekday morning southbound trip on Route #15 from Town and Central to the Grove City Park and Ride.
Complete information, including a downloadable January Service Change guide (including maps) and updated route timetables, can be found at www.cota.com or by calling (614) 228-1776.
How many more buses can they pack on the #2 route before they just turn to the long articulated buses, or a streetcar?
Having the #2 roaring up and down High St. every 5-7 mins in both directions has got to get on the nerves of Short North Business owners. And that’s just one of the routes…there are probably another half-dozen routes at any given point of N. High. That doesn’t exactly make me want to sit out on Northstar’s patio, or at Marcella’s with the windows open.
Kudos to COTA for responding to customer demand though!
Waited for 20 minutes for the #2 this morning, when it finally showed up, there was a 3 bus convoy, the first one being packed. I’m happy to have more busses on the route but not if they all show up at the same time. ;)
If there’s no one at the stop they just breeze past, right? Eventually they’ll catch up to the bus ahead of them having to stop at each one. Maybe it’s a matter of getting people used to the additional pick up times and space themselves out?
I don’t like when it gets bunched up there. Makes my house loud and rumbly, lol.
Somer: Yep, if no one is getting off and no one is at a top, they don’t stop. From my understanding there are specific places along the routes where the buses are supposed to stop and wait if they are ahead of schedule so that they can course-correct. And if a bus is running late, they don’t have have to stop for those timed stops, so it gives them a chance to catch up more.
Of course, no system is perfect. But in my last 8 months of riding, I’ve had timely service about 90% of the time. Which is about as reliable as my car getting me where I need to go on time. ;)
It did make me wonder once I got on why the driver continued to stop at every stop since there were 2 more buses behind her.
I found it to be a pretty smooth transition today. They had updated schedules on all of the affected buses I rode today. The stops with time tables were updated as well. The only real hitch was Google Transit, which still has the old info.
It was great riding the 7 without the Thurber loop.
Just think of the 3 bus bunch as a 3-car train :)
Seriously though, I feel like a broken record, but the solution to the bus-bunching problem is fewer stations. This would create more regularity because the first bus would stop less often due to fewer stations, but the following buses would stop more often due to more passengers waiting at each station.
OK COTA, the honeymoon is hitting some rough spots. I really appreciate you updating the schedules at the stop and online. It helps when I decide to go buy groceries to plan my trip so that I spend the least amount of time possible in what Columbus calls “winter”. But when your online schedule says 6:15-6:20 and your stop schedule reads 6:19, I kind of expect you to be there for me. I can understand maybe showing 5, even 10 minutes late-especially on a night like this and coming through Campus. But 20?!? 20 minutes? As in when the next bus is supposed to be arriving?