lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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johnwirtz said:
...or it can re-load automatically when it drops below a certain value.These types of systems are starting to go away though. Transit is moving towards open fare payment. You would just use your credit or debit card directly on the bus.
I could get behind that as well. Something far more convenient than what is in place.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Cole said:
As a rider, I don't know if I agree that the stops are too-close-together. Instead, with 15 non-express buses and 26 total buses serving the downtown area, the real problem is too many routes. More should be diverted to Broad Street or other north/south streets.
It's not that all stops are too close together... just some of them. For example, most routes running southbound on High Street stop between Spring/Long, Long/Gay and Gay/Broad. That's every block. And the Long/Gay block contains no buildings on the west side of the street... just a parking lot. Which means that the majority of the riders getting on/off here have walked a block to get to this stop. That's a stop that could be eliminated without any real affect to riders.
bjones7
Worthington Ohio
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I meant, citizens would think it was a WASTE of money.There would be very little backing by the people on this investment (as seen of years paste).Walker said:
Why not? Our city has maintained a triple-A bond rating for years. We easily have the means to sell bonds to finance the development of a variety of types of transit lines.I do think we'd be better served to start with something affordable like the Music City Star (32 miles of heavy commuter lines for $41M) rather than with a light rail line like the proposed COTA North Corridor line that was around $1B to run from Polaris to Downtown.
bjones7
Worthington Ohio
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People are LAZY! Walk 2 to 3 blocks for a bus stop for heaven sake. It wouldn't hurt Columbus/Ohio: 30% of Ohioans are ObeseWalker said:
It's not that all stops are too close together... just some of them. For example, most routes running southbound on High Street stop between Spring/Long, Long/Gay and Gay/Broad. That's every block. And the Long/Gay block contains no buildings on the west side of the street... just a parking lot. Which means that the majority of the riders getting on/off here have walked a block to get to this stop. That's a stop that could be eliminated without any real affect to riders.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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bjones7 said:
I meant, citizens would think it was a WASTE of money.There would be very little backing by the people on this investment (as seen of years paste).
I think that a large part of the problem is that our previous rail transit proposals have been a single route that is labeled as a "first step" or "phase 1" without a clear plan as to what future routes look like. So you end up with opposers who aren't necessarily against rail transit in general, but instead just don't like step one because they would rather see a different first step, or they feel that if it's not serving their neighborhood.
If we could propose something like the Nashville model with eight (or so) lines spidering out in every direction, put them all on the ballot at once (8 routes for $50 each = $400 million) and plan them to be built and opened somewhat simultaneously then I think we'd see a lot more support.
That's 8 lines for half the cost of the single $1B light rail line. Of course, it would mainly be a suburban commuter route to primarily serve rush hour commuters, but it would be a solid start for an affordable price tag. Streetcar or whatever else could come next.
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Walker said:
I think that a large part of the problem is that our previous rail transit proposals have been a single route that is labeled as a "first step" or "phase 1" without a clear plan as to what future routes look like. So you end up with opposers who aren't necessarily against rail transit in general, but instead just don't like step one because they would rather see a different first step, or they feel that if it's not serving their neighborhood.If we could propose something like the Nashville model with eight (or so) lines spidering out in every direction, put them all on the ballot at once (8 routes for $50 each = $400 million) and plan them to be built and opened somewhat simultaneously then I think we'd see a lot more support.
That's 8 lines for half the cost of the single $1B light rail line. Of course, it would mainly be a suburban commuter route to primarily serve rush hour commuters, but it would be a solid start for an affordable price tag. Streetcar or whatever else could come next.
So when is the big announcement for your mayoral bid? ;)
News
Columbus Underground
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Retiring CEO steered COTA’s turnaround
By Robert Vitale
The Columbus Dispatch
Saturday January 28, 2012 9:38 AM
Two weeks before Bill Lhota took over as Central Ohio Transit Authority president in 2004, trustees canceled a luncheon that had been scheduled to celebrate the agency’s 30th anniversary.
READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/28/retiring-ceo-steered-cotas-turnaround.html
News
Columbus Underground
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Press Release:
COTA dedicates first passenger shelters on Capitol Square
COLUMBUS—Friday, Feb. 17, at 11 a.m., COTA will join local leaders, community stakeholders, customers and project partners to celebrate its first passenger shelters built on Capitol Square.
The state-of-the-art shelters will be dedicated with a short ribbon-cutting ceremony at the South High Street shelter in front of the Statehouse. Photo ops and interviews will be available directly after the program.
These high-capacity shelters, located on East Broad Street and South High Street, will support approximately 5,000 boardings each day and serve 35 lines. The capacity of the High Street shelter is approximately 40 people inside and 70 people outside under the extended roof. The Broad Street shelter can accommodate approximately 30 people inside and 50 people outside.
The new shelters are unlike any other shelters in COTA’s system. Based upon a 19th century streetcar passenger shelter located at the U.S. Capitol, major amenities include infrared heaters, internal lighting and copper roofing. The heaters are timed to operate during certain portions of the year and only during normal bus service hours while being triggered to turn on by predetermined temperature levels. Shelter lights are activated by how dark it becomes outside.
The two new shelters at the Statehouse cost approximately $295,000.00, from design to installation. The funding for the shelters was 20 percent COTA local funds and 80 percent federal funds. Made of steel, glass and copper, the unique shelters are expected to last 50-100 years with proper maintenance.
COTA is proud to provide these exceptional amenities for its customers and community. It is part of COTA’s vision to be a distinctive asset to central Ohio and demonstrate its commitment to the revitalization of Downtown. Major partners in bringing the shelters to fruition include the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB), Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District (SID), City of Columbus, Schooley Caldwell Associates and Rio Grande Group, LLC.
Special event attendees will include, but are not limited to, new COTA President/CEO Curtis Stitt, City Council Member Eileen Paley, Executive Director of the CSRAB William Carleton, Executive Director of Capital Crossroads SID Cleve Ricksecker and COTA Board of Trustees members Robert Weiler and James Kunk.
NOTE: Shelter graphics and blue prints available upon request. Attached graphic is U.S. Capitol shelter after which new COTA Statehouse shelters are modeled.
News
Columbus Underground
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COTA commotion
Posted: Thursday, March 1, 2012 2:22 pm
BY DEBBIE BRINER | 0 comments
Transport Workers Union Local 208, representing the Central Ohio Transit Authority’s nearly 500 drivers plus its facilities and maintenance workers, has been working without a new contract since the previous one expired more than three months ago, on Nov. 27.
READ MORE: http://www.theotherpaper.com/news/article_f2a1f6f0-63d3-11e1-a59c-0019bb2963f4.html
bjones7
Worthington Ohio
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COTA posts nation's largest bus ridership increase
"The Central Ohio Transit Authority posted the nation’s largest increase in bus ridership in 2011 among big-city agencies.
Figures released this morning by the American Public Transportation Association show that central Ohio was one of two major markets where bus ridership grew by more than 10 percent.
There were 1.7 million more trips on COTA buses last year than in 2011. The 10.15 percent increase brought ridership to almost 18.8 million, the highest in more than a decade. "
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Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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COTA Leads the US in Transit Ridership Growth in 2011
By: Walker
A new report from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) was released today which shows that ridership increases at the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) led the nation in 2011. COTA’s ridership grew over the previous year by 10.2 percent.
READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/cota-leads-the-us-in-transit-ridership-growth-in-2011
bjones7
Worthington Ohio
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I wonder if this will affect the Long Range Transit Plan? The SRTP has been out for a couple months now. Are these plans set in stone? or can they be added to in order to better accommodate future ridership increase? I probably should ask COTA.
bjones7
Worthington Ohio
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2012 LRTP Draft for 2012-2035:
http://www.cota.com/assets/Publications/2012%20LRTP%20Draft.pdf
Doubt it will change.
Planned routes look very similar to the short range transit plan:
http://www.cota.com/2011-15ShortRangeTransitPlan.aspx
and
2007-2030 LTRP
http://www.cota.com/LongRangeTransitPlan.aspx
The LRTP did spell out no LRT, but did say if they could afford to look into Rail Right of Way, they would. Also they talked about how street cars could work with COTA in the future, if I read this correctly. I really think COTA has a lot of WHAT IF's in this plan, without spelling them out. No doubt, more people are riding COTA. As the LRTP also continued to talk to crowded buses. Yet there are no guarantees the number will increase by 10% or more a year. I believe like the rest of the country right now, they are being very cautious.
COTA should of went with the articulated buses....
Cole
Hilltop
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bjones7 said:
2012 LRTP Draft for 2012-2035:
http://www.cota.com/assets/Publications/2012%20LRTP%20Draft.pdf
Doubt it will change.Planned routes look very similar to the short range transit plan:
http://www.cota.com/2011-15ShortRangeTransitPlan.aspx
and
2007-2030 LTRPhttp://www.cota.com/LongRangeTransitPlan.aspx
The LRTP did spell out no LRT, but did say if they could afford to look into Rail Right of Way, they would. Also they talked about how street cars could work with COTA in the future, if I read this correctly. I really think COTA has a lot of WHAT IF's in this plan, without spelling them out. No doubt, more people are riding COTA. As the LRTP also continued to talk to crowded buses. Yet there are no guarantees the number will increase by 10% or more a year. I believe like the rest of the country right now, they are being very cautious.
COTA should of went with the articulated buses....
They also have a Power Point presentation up:
http://www.slideshare.net/COTA_Bus/lrpt-phase-2-presentation
Analogue Kid
5th by West-Northwest
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May 2012 Proposed Service Changes can be found here: http://www.cota.com/import/COTA_May_2012_Svch_BookletWEB.pdf
Big news: There will finally be service on Sawmill Road between Bethel and just north of SR-161. It will be provided by a new crosstown route, the #118 which will run Monday-Friday from 6:00am-9:30pm every half hour.
Now that its here, I hope people will actually ride it!
News
Columbus Underground
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Lhota’s Last Ride
Posted: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
By Jennifer Wray
It’s a winter afternoon and Curtis Stitt is dashing down High Street, his executive-appropriate slacks and footwear barely hindering him as he maneuvers his way to the bus stop. He makes it on the bus—the No. 2—before it pulls away from the curb, as does Marty Stutz. COTA President and CEO Bill Lhota, distracted by a cellphone call, does not.
READ MORE: http://www.columbusceo.com/features/article_a5ee2f5a-83f8-11e1-9908-001a4bcf6878.html
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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