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Those bus line ups are the WORST. COTA really needs to cooperate with the city if it wants to continue to monopolize High Street with their bus only lanes and receive our tax dollars. I called several months ago indicating I had always voted for COTA levies, but never again until they work with, not against downtown. High street parking is a good start.
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion » Transportation
Proposal to Reroute some COTA Buses from High Street to Front Street
[105 posts] [31 contributors]
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Polis
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Unfortunately, the city must also cooperate with COTA. They don't want to make Front St. two-ways for years. This will cost COTA, and therefore the public, oodles of money for a chance that retail will magically sprout.
I don't think COTA is opposed to idea of moving buses off High St., it's a matter of how to do so while retaining a system that is just as usable without a substantial burden on the budget of either COTA or the city.
This isn't a one-way street here, pardon the pun, there has to be give and take.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Pickerington_Kyle
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Has there been any discussion about there being a BRT down High Street?
Posted 1 year ago # -
johnwirtz
Glenview, IL
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Polis said:
Unfortunately, the city must also cooperate with COTA. They don't want to make Front St. two-ways for years. This will cost COTA, and therefore the public, oodles of money for a chance that retail will magically sprout.I don't think COTA is opposed to idea of moving buses off High St., it's a matter of how to do so while retaining a system that is just as usable without a substantial burden on the budget of either COTA or the city.
This isn't a one-way street here, pardon the pun, there has to be give and take.
+1
Posted 1 year ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
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Polis said:
Unfortunately, the city must also cooperate with COTA. They don't want to make Front St. two-ways for years.Funding was just approved to complete the study that includes a two-way Front Street north of Broad within the next few months. On street parking on High could be actualized by the end of 2012:
There is no firm timeline scheduled for the completion of this study, but Rick Tilton, the Assistant Director at The Department of Public Service for The City of Columbus says that they hope to have some form of on-street parking implimented on High Street by the end of the year.
Posted 1 year ago # -
scorpcmh
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Polis said:
Unfortunately, the city must also cooperate with COTA. They don't want to make Front St. two-ways for years. This will cost COTA, and therefore the public, oodles of money for a chance that retail will magically sprout.I don't think COTA is opposed to idea of moving buses off High St., it's a matter of how to do so while retaining a system that is just as usable without a substantial burden on the budget of either COTA or the city.
This isn't a one-way street here, pardon the pun, there has to be give and take.
My opinion is that since COTA is the one causing the burden to everyone else, they need to give a lot more than they have. And I don't think that moving the buses is THE magic bullet for High St. retail. But the status quo is and has been completely unacceptable. I remember High St prior to the bus lane conversion and it was a much more pleasant place to be. There were still buses, but they had to share the area with pedestrians and cars.
Posted 1 year ago # -
wynnie
University District
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Here we go again blaming buses for the dead (long dead) downtown. There isn't going to be retail downtown, even if you shoo those buses and the customers away. Imagine how a real city would sneer as Columbus pines for more parking...in a downtown which is essentially already little more than a parking lot for state employees. Big cities embrace transit.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
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No one is saying Downtown needs less transit, nor is anyone trying to shoo buses or customers away. Shifting transit to multiple streets instead of heavily concentrating it on one is the model that a lot of other cities use.
Would retail in the Short North improve if all curbside metered parking spaces on High Street were eliminated and more buses were added in a manner similar to Downtown?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Pablo
Crestview Addition
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scorpcmh said:
My opinion is that since COTA is the one causing the burden to everyone else, they need to give a lot more than they have. And I don't think that moving the buses is THE magic bullet for High St. retail. But the status quo is and has been completely unacceptable. I remember High St prior to the bus lane conversion and it was a much more pleasant place to be. There were still buses, but they had to share the area with pedestrians and cars.High St. looking north from Rich, 1970. Note the 6 lanes of traffic. The bus lane conversion did widen the sidewalks a little and added street trees.
Posted 1 year ago # -
wynnie
University District
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Actually, I have heard rerouting supporters say time and time again that they want buses off of High Street... they have even said that they don't want to walk past "those people" at bus stops. That is a FACT. Other cities run buses on multiple streets because they have destinations on multiple streets. We don't. Broad and High is the main destination downtown. Besides, buses go down 3rd, Main, and Broad.... What about disabled and elderly customers? For many, COTA is their only source of transportation. If I'm in a wheelchair, two blocks is a big difference. Finally, the Short North is not comparable to downtown. That argument doesn't hold water. I wish people would stop using it. Downtown is the corporate office/government center. You can't even get a cup of coffee at Columbus Commons on the weekend.
Posted 1 year ago # -
scorpcmh
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I guess I don't understand defending the status quo. Walker is correct. Wanting some changes made to the massive bus lineups does not equate to disliking public transportation or being close minded, etc. And it has absolutely nothing to do with with other cities. I ride cota and other public transit when traveling. I just want it to be a little smarter and become one part of downtown, not overwhelm it. The fact is, the current system needs some changes. That's all we are saying.
Posted 1 year ago # -
mrpoppinzs
Arena District
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Cole
Hilltop
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Walker said:
No one is saying Downtown needs less transit, nor is anyone trying to shoo buses or customers away. Shifting transit to multiple streets instead of heavily concentrating it on one is the model that a lot of other cities use.Would retail in the Short North improve if all curbside metered parking spaces on High Street were eliminated and more buses were added in a manner similar to Downtown?
Comparing the Short North to Downtown (the center of the transit mall) is comparing tart apples with sweet apples. On-street parking in the Short North does not start until Goodale. At that point, there are only 4 buses (#2, #5, #7, and #8). The #7 turns at Buttles so for the majority of the Short North, there are only 3 buses. For an entire weekday, there are 224 stops at Goodale & High and 183 stops at Buttles & High.
In Downtown, there are 23 different buses on High, including 14 local buses. For an entire day, there are 634 stops at the High & State bus stop.
Should buses be shifted? Probably, if any buses have to be moved off of High Street, it should be as a result as a system-wide study which focuses on improving the median commuters bus route. As it is now, I don't think a transit agency should focus on providing on-street parking as its primary goal.
Posted 1 year ago # -
wynnie
University District
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I want things to be better, too. But, COTA takes people where they want to go... if customers demand to be taken two blocks away from their destinations, then COTA should do that...But,who wants (to pay for) a transit system that doesn't take care of its riders?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Cole
Hilltop
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scorpcmh said:
Those bus line ups are the WORST. COTA really needs to cooperate with the city if it wants to continue to monopolize High Street with their bus only lanes and receive our tax dollars. I called several months ago indicating I had always voted for COTA levies, but never again until they work with, not against downtown. High street parking is a good start.Out of curiosity, how has COTA stated that they wouldn't cooperate with the city? According to the most recent Dispatch article, COTA is receptive to off-peak parking even though off-peak parking affects its core mission of providing public transit (it takes more time for buses to merge back into traffic to avoid the park lane). Is re-routing to provide for peak parking the only way for COTA to cooperate with the city?
Posted 1 year ago # -
scorpcmh
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Per Mr Lhota on WOSU (now retired) who was against a transit center or line up changes, even before COTA had completed their study. He didn't have an open mind either. And I have a problem with whatever cota riders want they should get whether it benefits the region as a whole or not.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Cole
Hilltop
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Walker said:
Funding was just approved to complete the study that includes a two-way Front Street north of Broad within the next few months. On street parking on High could be actualized by the end of 2012:There is no firm timeline scheduled for the completion of this study, but Rick Tilton, the Assistant Director at The Department of Public Service for The City of Columbus says that they hope to have some form of on-street parking implimented on High Street by the end of the year.
Approved funding for the study of a two-way Front Street doesn't mean that it won't take years for the two-way conversion to happen. And again, the on-street parking be actualized by the end of the 2012 promotes the idea of cooperation between COTA and the City.
Your main objections appear to be 1) peak-hour restrictions are bad; and 2) the look of the pulse point (AKA wall of buses) looks bad and separates pedestrians from their surroundings. Overall I am ambivalent about peak hour restrictions, but if peak hour parking restricts the effectiveness of public transit, then I am pro restrictions.
As for the wall of buses, I'm not going to say it looks pretty and as an occasional transit rider I grow impatient when I see a gaggle of buses waiting. But as a mechanism to deal with connections/transfers, I lean in support of them. One change I would ask for is to turn off the buses (when seasonally practical) during the idle. Also, John has suggested exempting the frequent network (#1, #2, and #10) from the "pulse" which I think is a pretty good idea.
Posted 1 year ago #
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