The Central Ohio Transit Authority will launch a free downtown circulator this spring.It will run every ten minutes during weekdays and every 15 minutes during weeknights and weekends from the German Village/Brewery District area to the Short North. COTA spokesperson Marty Stutz says the route is targeting several key groups.
Stutz says a similar circulator that ran during the middle of the day was successful 10 years ago, but was eliminated during agency cutbacks in 2004. The new line will cost 1.5 million dollars a year to operate, but COTA is gambling it could be a gateway for new riders.
Stutz says COTA is talking to neighborhood and business leaders about underwriting the cost of the route in the future. The circulator is scheduled to begin runs on May 5th. Also this spring, COTA will launch real-time bus tracking on its website, and is currently evaluating new fare payment systems that could include smartphone apps or reloadable passes.