Central Ohio Transit Authority
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.
Customer Experience Center, part of COTA's headquarters | |||
| Founded | January 1, 1971 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | 33 N. High St, Columbus, Ohio | ||
| Service area | Franklin County and portions of Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, and Union counties | ||
| Service type | Bus service, bus rapid transit, microtransit, paratransit | ||
| Routes | 41 (24 active; list of routes) | ||
| Stops | 3,041 | ||
| Stations | 6 | ||
| Fleet | 492 | ||
| Annual ridership | 10.3 million (2020, -46.1%) | ||
| Fuel type | CNG, diesel, diesel-electric hybrid | ||
| Chief executive | Joanna Pinkerton | ||
| Website | www | ||
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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. COTA is funded by a permanent 0.25% sales tax as well as another 10-year 0.25% sales tax.
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.