All Aboard COTA Crimes!

A veteran commuter, including almost two decades riding the coaches and rails of New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority, I have been amazed at the lack of accountability on the part of the Central Ohio Transit Authority, particularly when it comes to the ineptitude and inconvenience of the system, and treatment of its customers. Unlike most metropolitan newspapers, The Columbus Dispatch barely covers this beat--I guess it's readers all are safely ensconced in their earth-killing machines and don't ever have to bother with riding the bus. Even now, most people look at me strange when I explain that I'm a bus rider and don't have a car. But even more astounding to me is the riding public's apparent willingness to endure rude drivers, bad service, nonexistent transfer procedures, and fare increases, just to name a few injustices. This blog will serve to document the abuses, highlight service lapses and shortcomings, and put the word out about discourteous drivers. Kudos will be provided when earned, and readers are encouraged to contribute accounts of their own experiences. It is hoped that the effort will result in the establishment of a commuter-advocacy organization like New York's Straphanger Campaign, to put the system's wheels to the fire. WE DESERVE BETTER!!!

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Loop the Loop

In a previous blog entry, I discussed the god-forsaken Bus Stop to Nowhere on the No. 3 Northwest Boulevard line, and how a couple of minor amenities might help make the stop a safer, less depressing (and wet) experience for passengers.

I use that stop to go to the OSU Medical Center facility at 915 Olentangy Boulevard. It's a good quarter-mile jaunt, starting here:
Across Third Avenue is the first of three heavily used buildings, the Spielman Center, also part of OSU Medical, and the easiest to access by bus:
Making the dangerous move across busy Third Avenue, one begins a seemingly endless stroll through acres of parking lots, scorching in the summer, and icy and slippery in the winter.
You're halfway there once you pass Time-Warner's Columbus headquarters, here on the left...
Finally, after a jaunt that takes about 10-15 minutes, I reach my destination:
While I am in relatively good condition, I can handle the walk. But it is a pain in the ass when the weather isn't cooperating, which is often.

My proposal to COTA is this: Why not reroute the No. 3, both east- and westbound, so that passengers wanting to access all three buildings can do so without having to walk so far? It would only add a couple of minutes or so to the existing schedule, and might help increase ridership.

Obviously, judging from the sheer number of parking spots, most of the people who work in those buildings drive. They might be more likely to use public transit if they are able to jump off the bus just a few steps from their workplaces. It would also improve access for those who do not have cars, especially those who are unable to walk that far.

Loops are not unprecendented, and a few come to mind: the Graceland loop on the No. 2, the Eastland and Kimberly Parkway loops on the No. 89, the Airport loop on the No. 92, and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services loops on both the No. 96 East Fifth Avenue line, and on the No. 95 Morse Road line.

So how 'bout it, COTA? Loop the loop!
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)