COTA board OKs $395.7 million capital budget including transit center near Rickenbacker

Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch
·3 min read

The Central Ohio Transit Authority's board of trustees on Monday adopted a five-year, $395.7 million capital budget, while extending the C-pass program in the Short North for free bus rides and making permanent a reduced-fare program for low-income riders.

The capital budget for 2023-27 includes a new $19 million transit center at Groveport and London-Groveport (Ohio Route 317) roads near Rickenbacker International Airport. The COTA board previously approved the Rickenbacker Mobility Center project in its 2021 five-year capital plan.

COTA received $3.75 million in federal funds through the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and a $1 million state grant to help pay for the transit center. The transit agency also is pursuing more federal funds for the project.

The transit center will provide be a stop for COTA fixed routes and serve as a transit hub with last-mile shuttle service to the many employers near the airport.

The center will also provide child care and possibly health care services, as well as food from the Mid-Ohio Food Collective.

The proposed capital spending plan approved by the COTA board also includes:

  • $98 million to support the electrification of COTA's transit fleet, including improving grid capacity and charging at bus depots and along routes;

  • $10 million to renovate COTA's Downtown headquarters, 33 N. High St.

  • $3.75 million for the Reynoldsburg Park & Ride so it can accommodate more buses and parking;

  • $421,000 to repair the Linden Transit Center at Cleveland and East 11th avenues.

The money dedicated to the proposed five-year capital budget is not contingent on a sales tax hike. COTA officials in July said that they decided not to place a 0.5% sales tax hike on the November ballot because of the economy. The agency continues to pursue millions in federal money to pay for bus rapid transit lines, known as the LinkUS initiative.

The COTA board had to schedule a special meeting for Monday to approve the capital budget because it didn't have a quorum to adopt the capital budget and other resolutions at its July meeting.

In other matters at its special meeting, the COTA board adopted resolutions to:

∎ Extend the pilot C-pass program in the Short North, where workers, residents and visitors who apply for the monthly card can ride buses for free. COTA will spend $50,000 to do that.

∎ Make permanent a 50% fare reduction for low-income riders who use the system's digital fare system. In January, the board voted to reduce fares for riders if they present proof of one of the following: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food assistance; publicly funded child care; Ohio Works First cash assistance; Medicaid; Prevention, Retention and Contingency emergency assistance; or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. In addition, COTA would add the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program to that list.

∎ Extend COTA Plus on-demand transit service through the end of the year. The service area includes Polaris Parkway, Uptown Westerville, Mount Carmel St. Ann's Hospital and Otterbein University. The city of Westerville would pay $7,450 to extend the end of service hours from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays through the end of 2022.

COTA officials also announced the transit agency received a $26.7-million federal grant to replace 28 diesel buses with electric buses by 2025. COTA may have no diesel buses after that, said Andy Biesterveld, COTA's chief engineering and mechanical officer.

mferench@dispatch.com

@MarkFerenchik

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: COTA: New Rickenbacker transit center part of capital budget