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A new form of transit in Cbus?

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Started 1 year ago by joshlapp
Latest reply from chucky

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joshlapp
SoHud
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For a student or business person to get from Ohio State or the Convention Center to Port Columbus on COTA would take over 1 hour. Using fixed route private van service would cut the time by more than half as well as create the transit connection which are needed in Columbus.
The starter line of "Connect Columbus" would go from the Ohio Union to the Convention Center to Port Columbus. This trip would take between 30-35 minutes with stops. The vans would run every 30 minutes and if successful new routes could be created connecting areas like Easton, Grandview, German Village, Dublin and more.

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Posted 1 year ago #
johnwirtz
Evanston, IL
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Interesting idea. All you need is someone willing to buy a van, get a license, and do it.

Posted 1 year ago #
groundrules

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man, i thought this was gonna be about the Segway

Posted 1 year ago #
Nitsud Regnifloh
Valerio Heights
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this video makes it seem as though this is a devastating thing for people. i'm half expecting starving children and cleft lips to show up on the screen.

Posted 1 year ago #
cc

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How much for a ticket? From OSU it costs between $20 to $30 for a cab. Unlicensed jitney cabs from craigslist will cost you $10.

Posted 1 year ago #
ChrisSunami
King-Lincoln District
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When I lived in Kenya, private vans called "matatus" were the main way I (and most other people) got from place to place. I think similar systems are in place throughout the Third World. I always liked the private vans and wondered why you don't see them in the USA.

Of course, there the profit margin was built on running the vans way over the speed limit and filling them so full that people could hardly breathe. You probably couldn't get away with that here.

Posted 1 year ago #
cc

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They had them here (still do but in small often illegal form in poorer neighborhoods). Ironically they were killed by regulations pushed by streetcar companies to lessen competition....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Share_taxi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollar_Van (ie jitney)

By 1915, there were 62,000 nationwide. Local regulations, demanded by streetcar companies, killed the jitney in most places. By the end of 1916, only 6,000 jitneys remained

Posted 1 year ago #
CooperGuy

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ChrisSunami wrote >>
When I lived in Kenya, private vans called "matatus" were the main way I (and most other people) got from place to place. I think similar systems are in place throughout the Third World. I always liked the private vans and wondered why you don't see them in the USA.
Of course, there the profit margin was built on running the vans way over the speed limit and filling them so full that people could hardly breathe. You probably couldn't get away with that here.

My guess is that insurance costs and motor carrier regulation would be a good start to figuring out why they don't operate like that here.

Posted 1 year ago #
chucky

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Might want to do some market research on this one.

COTA already runs from the Union and all the dorms, and it's free with the BUCK ID and takes 45 minutes. Talk to any of the drivers on the COTA route, and they will tell you the service is a big bust, but they continue anyways as OSU supplies COTA with hundreds of thousands of dollars every year from all the student fees.

http://www.cota.com/assets/Riding-Cota/Schedules/Current/052.pdf

Go where COTA doesn't go, from the Ohio Union to the largest shopping Center in Ohio, Polaris Mall.

Posted 1 year ago #
ChrisSunami
King-Lincoln District
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Also I imagine you'd need a pretty heavy pool of customers in order to make it pay --the problem being that you would need multiple vans running the same route if you didn't want to make people wait too long.

In Kenya almost no one had a private car, so demand was high and continuous. This is probably a good time to launch something like this here, however, especially if gas prices go back up. There might be a lot of people newly looking for a public transit option.

You know, given that our beloved 3C is on the rocks, it might be worth considering whether an inter-city private van might be a good venture too. A few years ago, a private van service started up between Boston and New York and did very very well.

Posted 1 year ago #
joev
Merion Village
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^Megabus.

Posted 1 year ago #
GreatOutdoors
Short North
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chucky wrote >>
Might want to do some market research on this one.
COTA already runs from the Union and all the dorms, and it's free with the BUCK ID and takes 45 minutes. Talk to any of the drivers on the COTA route, and they will tell you the service is a big bust, but they continue anyways as OSU supplies COTA with hundreds of thousands of dollars every year from all the student fees.
http://www.cota.com/assets/Riding-Cota/Schedules/Current/052.pdf
Go where COTA doesn't go, from the Ohio Union to the largest shopping Center in Ohio, Polaris Mall.

The COTA service from OSU to the Airport only runs a few days a year. A couple of days during the start/end of each quarter, and for the Thanksgiving break.

Posted 1 year ago #
chucky

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And the reason is, that is when there is only any demand for that service. If you bothered to read the schedule, it is more than just a few days as well, but does revolve around the breaks as you pointed out.

Go where COTA doesn't go. OSU union to the Polaris Mall. The course to profitibality is lack of competition. Ride the 18, loaded full of OSU students going to Tuttle Mall everyday.

GreatOutdoors wrote >>

chucky wrote >>
Might want to do some market research on this one.
COTA already runs from the Union and all the dorms, and it's free with the BUCK ID and takes 45 minutes. Talk to any of the drivers on the COTA route, and they will tell you the service is a big bust, but they continue anyways as OSU supplies COTA with hundreds of thousands of dollars every year from all the student fees.
http://www.cota.com/assets/Riding-Cota/Schedules/Current/052.pdf
Go where COTA doesn't go, from the Ohio Union to the largest shopping Center in Ohio, Polaris Mall.

The COTA service from OSU to the Airport only runs a few days a year. A couple of days during the start/end of each quarter, and for the Thanksgiving break.

Posted 1 year ago #
joshlapp
SoHud
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chucky wrote >>
Might want to do some market research on this one.
COTA already runs from the Union and all the dorms, and it's free with the BUCK ID and takes 45 minutes. Talk to any of the drivers on the COTA route, and they will tell you the service is a big bust, but they continue anyways as OSU supplies COTA with hundreds of thousands of dollars every year from all the student fees.
http://www.cota.com/assets/Riding-Cota/Schedules/Current/052.pdf
Go where COTA doesn't go, from the Ohio Union to the largest shopping Center in Ohio, Polaris Mall.

Actually, and I think I included this on the facebook page, I think a line from Ohio State to the Convention Center to Easton would be probably the line that would create the most intrest.

I realize that COTA runs from OSU to the Airport 5 times a year I believe but this would serve not only students, but also visitors to the university for different purposes as well as conventioneers (as it would stop at the convention center as well).

I thought it would be intersting to at least start a discussion on a better way to travel around the city. I personally have used this type of service in both Thailand and Mexico, and believe it is at least worth studying rather than just accepting the less than steller status quo.

Posted 1 year ago #
cc

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Again, how much? I think the pricing would be fundamental.

Posted 1 year ago #
chucky

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The 2011 COTA schedule shows that the OSU to the airport will run 44 days 14 times a day.

I know when I go to conventions the first thing I do is check into a hotel, I don't go to the convention center first.

http://columbusregency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/services/transportation/index.jsp

http://capitolsquare.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/services/transportation/index.jsp

Good luck

joshlapp wrote >>

chucky wrote >>
Might want to do some market research on this one.
COTA already runs from the Union and all the dorms, and it's free with the BUCK ID and takes 45 minutes. Talk to any of the drivers on the COTA route, and they will tell you the service is a big bust, but they continue anyways as OSU supplies COTA with hundreds of thousands of dollars every year from all the student fees.
http://www.cota.com/assets/Riding-Cota/Schedules/Current/052.pdf
Go where COTA doesn't go, from the Ohio Union to the largest shopping Center in Ohio, Polaris Mall.

Actually, and I think I included this on the facebook page, I think a line from Ohio State to the Convention Center to Easton would be probably the line that would create the most intrest.
I realize that COTA runs from OSU to the Airport 5 times a year I believe but this would serve not only students, but also visitors to the university for different purposes as well as conventioneers (as it would stop at the convention center as well).
I thought it would be intersting to at least start a discussion on a better way to travel around the city. I personally have used this type of service in both Thailand and Mexico, and believe it is at least worth studying rather than just accepting the less than steller status quo.

Posted 1 year ago #