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Develop a Downtown Transit Center to Replace the High Street Transit Mall
Main CU Feature: 12 Ideas Laid Out for Downtown 2010 Strategic Plan
In the past few years, dozens of U.S. cities have opened new, state-of-the-art bus transit centers to better serve riders. From Charlotte, North Carolina to Nashville, Tennessee, these new transit centers have been developed to improve the level of service by providing a secure, efficient and attractive environment for transit customers. These cities have also decided to move toward transit centers to reduce bus congestion on downtown streets, simplify routes and stops, and give passengers a defined location for transfers. Far more than just indoor waiting areas, these new transit centers offer ticket and bus pass services, retail and office space, and community meeting rooms. Many of these new downtown transit centers make strong architectural statements, directly contributing to the positive image of both downtown and the transit authority.
Today, COTA uses High Street and Broad Street as its primary Downtown transit spines. Dozens of buses converge on the corner of Broad and High streets and at the facility in the City Center garage. While the garage location offers weather protection, the transfer point at the corner of Broad and High streets offers little to no cover to bus riders. This problem could be solved with a dedicated facility that provides riders with a much improved transit experience. This site should be located within the core of Downtown, providing both bus access and proximity to employment centers for riders. For those transferring buses in Downtown and heading elsewhere, this facility would provide a more efficient and pleasant transit experience.
MORE HERE: http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/plan/transit-center
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