COTA to participate in downtown employee transit program
Known as CPASS, the program was conceived by the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, in partnership with SID property owners, employers, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, and COTA.
The effort represents the first time property owners have assessed themselves to pay for transit access, according to Capital Crossroads research.
COTA
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The effort represents the first time property owners have assessed themselves to pay for transit access, according to Capital Crossroads research.
COTA
Columbus’ Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) board of trustees approved COTA’s participation in an innovative downtown employee transit access program. Known as CPASS, the program was conceived by the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District (SID), in partnership with SID property owners, employers, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), and COTA.
Over 31 months, COTA will be paid a minimum fee of $4.5 million to offer 45,000 eligible downtown workers access to COTA service. The fee will be paid by $1.3 million in self-assessments by SID property owners, $2.8 million from MORPC, and $400,000 from other contributors.
“We are thrilled to move forward with this innovative approach to boosting ridership,” said COTA Interim President/CEO Emille Williams. “This program also has great potential to promote economic development in our vibrant downtown.”
Williams attended an American Public Transportation Association conference recently, where CPASS was hailed as a forward-thinking program by transit system executives from around the country.
The effort represents the first time property owners have assessed themselves to pay for transit access, according to Capital Crossroads research.
The innovative program will complement the revitalization of Downtown Columbus most notably by reducing demand for parking and reducing office vacancy rates.
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.
