Transit Agencies Across America
Begin to Ramp Up Service
All DART buses continue to be
thoroughly disinfected, as well as
areas of frequent contact.
As restrictions related to COVID-19 have eased in the United States,
many transit agencies are beginning to ramp up operations and
resume regular - but specialized - services. The coronavirus crisis
resulted in many agencies seeing a ridership loss of up to 90 percent.
Now, as services restart, cities and municipalities are implementing
new procedures to protect against COVID-19 - including distancing
measures, personal protective equipment, and sanitization best
practices. It will likely be some time before the public is ready to fully
embrace public transportation again, but these agencies have begun
the journey toward recovery and normalcy.
COTA launches service to connect riders with jobs
during pandemic
The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) launched a COTA//
Plus microtransit service Tuesday, May 26, to complement existing
transit options during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new COTA//
Plus option is an on-demand pilot project to better serve northeast
Franklin County customers impacted by COVID-19 service changes.
The service is available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week and
requires no fare in accordance with COTA’s current emergency
operations. This is the second COTA//Plus pilot launched by COTA in
the past year.
This three-month pilot will provide transit access for customers
who are experiencing lost fixed-route service in parts of Northeast
Columbus, Westerville, Gahanna and New Albany in Ohio. The area
includes job centers such as Mount Carmel East Hospital and Easton.
In April, COTA temporarily suspended Lines 25 (Brice), 35 (Dublin-
Granville) and 45 (New Albany) to ease demands on operators during
the pandemic.
Customers within the defined zone can use the COTA//Plus app
to hail a COTA-branded vehicle to arrive at their nearest transit stop.
Customers are transported to a transit stop within that defined zone,
or to a transit stop that serves another bus line. The on-demand pilot
can connect customers to seven active transit lines, including Line 10
and CMAX, which provide access to downtown Columbus.
“As the economy reopens, we are analyzing data from customers
and businesses to reinvent how we serve the community and respond
to areas in need of mobility,” said COTA President/CEO Joanna M.
Pinkerton. “COTA Plus has already proven that microtransit can
connect people to jobs, food and health care in Grove City. By using our
available resources, we can continue to serve our northeast Franklin
County customers and grow our ridership in a safe and efficient way.”
Since early March, COTA has taken multiple steps to combat the
spread of the coronavirus:
• May 7 – COTA applied an innovative sanitization solution called
Aegis Microbe Shield to every surface that could be touched by
customers and operators, including metal, cloth, glass and plastic.
• April 27 – COTA launched an Essential Service Change to ease
the demand on frontline employees and provide essential travel
for customers.
• April 16 – COTA began doubling the cleaning and disinfecting of
118 transit shelters
• April 15 – COTA began requiring passengers to wear secure
personal protection masks covering their faces.
• April 8 – COTA began distributing masks to all COTA employees.
• April 3 – COTA announced its Essential Travel Only Policy, for
which buses are to be used by customers only for access to food,
health care, travel to and from work, and caring for others.
• April 1 – COTA began mandatory temperature checks for all
employees entering COTA facilities.
• March 19 – COTA suspended fares and instructed riders to board
buses from the rear doors to keep separated from drivers.
• March 16 – COTA’s initial focused service changes reduced the
number of bus routes and consolidated service in some areas.
• March 1 – COTA implemented the Stop the Spread Campaign,
which provided tips on how to prevent the spread of
infectious disease.
• COTA limits the number of riders on each bus to 20 and continues
to ask riders to observe social distancing.
• All buses are sanitized multiple times daily, and COTA also cleans
those buses every 12 hours with sanitizing solutions the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention have approved.
• All COTA vehicles are equipped with hand sanitizing dispensers,
stocked daily and located at the front of the vehicle.
COTA continues evaluating all aspects of its service and
operations to keep employees safe, and is working with the Transport
Workers Union of America to ensure COTA’s operators have all they
need to continue their work safely and effectively.
22 | BUSRIDE.COM | JULY 2020