Rumor Mill: COTA Service Expansion Plans for Fall 2008 « Columbus Underground Messageboard

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Rumor Mill: COTA Service Expansion Plans for Fall 2008

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Started 4 years ago by josephp
Latest reply from gramarye

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cota
rumors

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josephp

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Editor's Note: Marty Stutz, VP of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations at COTA, confirmed that this information is speculation/rumor only and is not an official announcement from COTA.
New expansion service hours as of:
Local Routes:
Weekdays Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 2:45am
Saturdays Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 1:45am
Sundays Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 12:45am

Crosstown routes:

Weekdays Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 10:00pm
Saturdays Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 10:00pm
Sundays Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 8:00pm
New Airport - Downtown Express will be back with new improved service connecting to several hotels, conference center, bus terminal to i670 directly to the Airport service every 30-40 minutes everyday 7 days a week.
New Easton/OSU Direct bus service which allows students to access shopping areas for their needs. Will service nightly from 6pm to 1am Thursday to Saturday.
Many express routes will be mostly improved adding more early AM and late PM to meet passengers needs.
That is all for now at this point, I'll share more when I get more news from COTA.
Related Stories:
- COTA willing to run streetcars, sees benefits
- COTA bus ridership continues upswing in 2008
- Gas prices help COTA attract riders
- COTA on the money with 2007/2008 budget

Posted 4 years ago #
roy
Downtown
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I don't approve of COTA taking over the hotel-airport shuttles. When I visit other cities, I don't expect their taxpayers to shuttle me back and forth to the airport for a fraction of the actual cost.
Downtown hotels provide this service, and guests who don't want to wait for the shuttle can take a cab. I know Columbus taxis don't get too much love but they're decent people and it's not fair that COTA is forcing taxpayers to foot the transportation bill of Downtown hotel guests on expense accounts.

Posted 4 years ago #
joev
Merion Village
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roy wrote I don't approve of COTA taking over the hotel-airport shuttles. When I visit other cities, I don't expect their taxpayers to shuttle me back and forth to the airport for a fraction of the actual cost.
Downtown hotels provide this service, and guests who don't want to wait for the shuttle can take a cab. I know Columbus taxis don't get too much love but they're decent people and it's not fair that COTA is forcing taxpayers to foot the transportation bill of Downtown hotel guests on expense accounts.
I like that part of the plan. I'd love to be able to take a bus to the airport without making 2 transfers or paying more than $20 for a taxi. It's not just people coming to Columbus that are helped out, but those traveling from it at well.

Posted 4 years ago #
roy
Downtown
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Good luck getting COTA's hotel-airport shuttle to swing by your place to pick you up.
Look, this 'improved' COTA plan is to appease the downtown hotels and the Easton folks who want a piece of that plastic college kids all seem to have nowadays.
Meanwhile, there's no bus service to Rickenbacker, where all the new jobs are supposed to be coming.

Posted 4 years ago #
Brewmaster
Portland, OR
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Here's the full set of changes... http://www.cota.com/pdfs/COTA_2008MayServiceChange.pdf
I'm excited about the prospects shorter headways and hopefully a staggered schedule for the #7 and #16.

Posted 4 years ago #
gramarye
In Exile
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I'm just excited for the later hours, though I'm surprised that they chose shorter hours on Saturdays; I'd think that's when they'd have a spike in late-night demand, not a trough. But then again, I'm only thinking of the nightlife areas (Arena District, etc.), not places where the main users would be workers getting off late shifts.

Posted 4 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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The extended service hours is great news. Glad to hear that's finally happening!
roy wrote it's not fair that COTA is forcing taxpayers to foot the transportation bill of Downtown hotel guests on expense accounts.
Personally, I'd rather see taxpayers foot the transportation bill to build a light rail shuttle between Downtown Hotels/Convention Center and the Airport. You do see things of that nature in other cities.

Posted 4 years ago #
PodFive
Vic Village/Short North
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wow. this is great. It has always annoyed me that buses stopped running around 6PM on sunday nights.

Posted 4 years ago #
honavery
Arizona
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I'm excited about the prospects shorter headways and hopefully a staggered schedule for the #7 and #16.
+1.
Great to see the extended hours. 2:45 am on the weekdays! That is late!

Posted 4 years ago #
josephp

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I was informed more updates and what are they?
ROUTES WILL BE UPGRADED IN FALL 2008:
1-Cleveland Ave -
1-Livingston Ave
2-North High Street (Will get the most improvements)
2-East Main Street
4-Indianola Avenue
4-Parsons Avenue
7-Neil Avenue
7-Whittier Street
8-Frebis Avenue
8-Hamilton Avenue
10-East Broad Street
10-West Broad Street
16-South High Street
16-Long Street
92-James Road
95-Morse / Henderson
84-Arlington/OSU Lennox/Grandview -- Will have new improvements will serve to Lennox Thursday - Saturday 6pm to 230am every 12 minutes instead 15 minutes only on Saturdays.
ROUTES WILL BE UPGRADED IN MID 2009
5-West Fifth Avenue
6-Mount Vernon Avenue
6-Sullivant Avenue
9-Leonard / Brentnell
11-Oak-Bryden
11-St. Clair
15-Grove City
18-Kenny Road
19-Arlington-Grandview
81-Hudson / Ohio
83-Oakland-Webber
87-Agler/Cassady
89-Hamilton Road
96-Fifth Avenue
There will be a new bus express service to Rickenbacker via Downtown Columbus but it will not happen not until in Summer of 2009.
I'll keep you updated!

Posted 4 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Hopefully we'll see more (and improved existing) bus shelters and maps. :shock:

Posted 4 years ago #
josephp

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I evenually spoked to the person who is in charge for web design for COTA, they say they are already in works to do overall-re design everything so it will be more accessable for everyone.
The map/schedule stuff will be changed into a one single book makes it easier for everyone, save paper too.
Also the website will be re-designed and more nicer and steamless :)

Posted 4 years ago #
jazzypants
Eastmoor
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libratazjoe77 wrote I evenually spoked to the person who is in charge for web design for COTA, they say they are already in works to do overall-re design everything so it will be more accessable for everyone.
The map/schedule stuff will be changed into a one single book makes it easier for everyone, save paper too.
Also the website will be re-designed and more nicer and steamless :)
yay for a more nicer website! I don't understand what you said there about one single book though...
when are we gonna get signs with maps showing the routes in the area so you know if maybe you could walk over to a better bus line?

Posted 4 years ago #
Daz
Tweeting about some totally unimportant event
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Boy. I hate to be the grammar police, but my head flipping hurts right now.

Posted 4 years ago #
gramarye
In Exile
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He eventually spoke to the person who is in charge of Web design at COTA. He says COTA is already working to redesign everything completely, so it will be more accessible for everyone.
The maps and schedules will be changed into a single book to make it easier for everyone and save paper, too.
Also, the Web site will be redesigned and made nicer and more seamless.
Happy? :P :) :)
P.S. I really do appreciate the updates, libra. I'm just needling Daz. I do that.

Posted 4 years ago #
josephp

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Sorry, I wasnt being myself eariler and I was having typo ... Stuipd my feet hit the wall and I couldn't handle the pain :(
But what gram made that grammar properly, yes that what I'm trying to say, so sorry forgive me :(
I hate grammars, I need to work on it :( :(

Posted 4 years ago #
greenhouse1014
Columbus
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roy wrote Good luck getting COTA's hotel-airport shuttle to swing by your place to pick you up.
Look, this 'improved' COTA plan is to appease the downtown hotels and the Easton folks who want a piece of that plastic college kids all seem to have nowadays.
Meanwhile, there's no bus service to Rickenbacker, where all the new jobs are supposed to be coming.
Kinda like the railcar, eh? An appeasement to the yuppies

Posted 4 years ago #
bremkat
Columbus
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greenhouse1014 wrote
roy wrote Good luck getting COTA's hotel-airport shuttle to swing by your place to pick you up.
Look, this 'improved' COTA plan is to appease the downtown hotels and the Easton folks who want a piece of that plastic college kids all seem to have nowadays.
Meanwhile, there's no bus service to Rickenbacker, where all the new jobs are supposed to be coming.
Kinda like the railcar, eh? An appeasement to the yuppies
When doesn't a business or service appeal to yuppies? The great thing about rail transit is that it appeals not only to yuppies, but everyone else too. Eh?

Posted 4 years ago #
Daz
Tweeting about some totally unimportant event
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greenhouse1014 wrote
roy wrote Good luck getting COTA's hotel-airport shuttle to swing by your place to pick you up.
Look, this 'improved' COTA plan is to appease the downtown hotels and the Easton folks who want a piece of that plastic college kids all seem to have nowadays.
Meanwhile, there's no bus service to Rickenbacker, where all the new jobs are supposed to be coming.
Kinda like the railcar, eh? An appeasement to the yuppies
Man, your class warfare things is getting old. Quickly.
gramarye wrote Things in proper grammar
Oh I can read it just fine, frequent spelling and grammar errors just make my eye twitch.

Posted 4 years ago #
HighLife
Grandview
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I'm probably missing something here, but I looked at the link provided earlier in this thread (detailing service changes) and I couldn't find anything about expanded service hours until 2:45am. Personally, that would be the change I am most excited about - I'd love to go to a show or a game at the Arena and be able to get back to Grandview sometime later than 10pm, without having to shell out $20 for a cab.
Can anyone tell me where the expanded service hours are listed?

Posted 4 years ago #