First Transit’s maintenance shop for the Central Ohio Transit Authority paratransit operations has a Blue Seal of Excellence.
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First Transit’s maintenance shop for the Central Ohio Transit Authority paratransit operations has a Blue Seal of Excellence.
First Transit announced it has extended its partnership to operate paratransit services for the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). The company provides management, administration, maintenance and call center operations for all paratransit services.
First Transit employs 140 local employees delivering more than 200,000 annual passenger trips for COTA.
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“My team is proud to be part of the central Ohio region and continue our 10-year partnership with COTA,” said Mike Sessamen, GM, First Transit. “We want to provide safe, reliable and efficient transportation with a great customer experience for all our passengers.”
First Transit’s maintenance shop for COTA paratransit operations has a Blue Seal of Excellence, given by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, and is Silver LEAN certified.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.