Public transit operator in Columbus, Ohio and vicinity
Central Ohio Transit Authority
Customer Experience Center, part of COTA's headquarters
Founded
January 1, 1971 (1971-01-01)
Headquarters
33 N. High St, Columbus, Ohio
Service area
Franklin County and portions of Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, and Union counties[1]
Service type
Bus service, bus rapid transit, microtransit, paratransit
Routes
41 (24 active; list of routes)[2]
Stops
3,041[2]
Stations
6
Fleet
492[2]
Daily ridership
42,500 (weekdays, Q1 2024)[3]
Annual ridership
10.3 million (2020, -46.1%)[2]
Fuel type
CNG, diesel, diesel-electric hybrid
Chief executive
Joanna Pinkerton
Website
www.cota.com
System map
The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA/ˈkoʊtə/) is a public transit agency serving the Columbus metropolitan area, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. It operates fixed-route buses, bus rapid transit, microtransit, and paratransit services.
COTA's headquarters are located in the William J. Lhota Building in downtown Columbus. The agency is managed by President and CEO Joanna Pinkerton along with a 13-member board of trustees.[4] COTA is funded by a permanent 0.25% sales tax as well as another 10-year 0.25% sales tax.[5]
The agency was founded in 1971, replacing the private Columbus Transit Company. Mass transit service in the city dates to 1863, progressively with horsecars, streetcars, and buses. The Central Ohio Transit Authority began operating in 1974 and has made gradual improvements to its fleet and network. Its first bus network redesign took place in 2017.
The 2010s have also seen noted service improvements, with the addition of the CBUS free downtown circulator, which ran from 2014 until 2020, its AirConnect airport service in 2016, and the CMAX bus rapid transit service in 2018. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency dealt with declining ridership and staffing, and cut services in response. COTA nevertheless plans to operate several bus rapid transit lines in development in the near future.
^"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ abcd"2020 Annual Report" (PDF). Central Ohio Transit Authority. 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 11, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
^"Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
^"COTA History". Central Ohio Transit Authority. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
^Dispatch, Kimball Perry, The Columbus. "Voters opt to renew COTA's quarter-cent sales tax". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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-46.1%)[2]