The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) recently launched its first Customer Experience Action Plan, a commitment to delivering the service customers need and expect. With the launch, according to COTA, the agency is one of only eight transit agencies nationwide with a dedicated customer experience plan.

The plan provides a roadmap for improving the entire customer journey, from planning a trip and paying fare to boarding a vehicle and reaching a destination. It brings customer priorities into focus as COTA works to “make transit more reliable, accessible, welcoming, and convenient across Central Ohio.”

“Our customers count on COTA to get to work, attend school, make medical appointments, and stay connected to their communities,” said COTA President and CEO Monica Téllez-Fowler. “They deserve service that meets their needs and respects their time. Our first Customer Experience Action Plan is our commitment to listening and turning that feedback into action. Our customers helped shape this plan, and their experiences will help guide how we improve service today and build our transit system for the future.”

The plan was developed, in part, through feedback from hundreds of customers, combined with community input, employee insights, and performance data. That process identified priorities including dependable service, clear communication, safety, accessibility, cleanliness, and better connections.

The plan outlines improvements across fixed-route bus service, COTA Mainstream paratransit, and COTA/Plus on-demand service. Its focus areas include:

• Strengthening service reliability and on-time performance
• Improving transit stops, transit centers, and vehicle conditions
• Providing clearer, more timely service information
• Making trip planning and fare payment easier
• Modernizing accessibility and booking tools
• Expanding access to service

According to the agency, the plan also supports employees through training, communication, safety, and professional development initiatives that help them serve customers.

COTA recognized that recent service reliability challenges have disrupted customers’ daily lives and underscored the need for better planning and communication.

The Customer Experience Action Plan aims to help guide efforts to identify service risks earlier, strengthen coordination across teams, and use customer feedback and performance data to reduce the likelihood and impact of future disruptions. It also “prioritizes clearer, more timely information when service issues occur, helping customers understand changes and make informed travel decisions.”

As COTA expands, the plan reinforces that success depends on both the service available and the experience people have using it.

Read the full Customer Experience Action Plan at COTA.com/experience.