The Cbus Downtown circulator will be free to ride for at least another year.
The Central Ohio Transit Authority board of trustees voted on Wednesday to approve extending free fares on the popular bus line through May 1, 2016, after learning that area businesses had committed $133,000 to cover lost revenue.
That will cover about 10 percent of the $1.3 million it costs to operate the line for the next year, and COTA is working with the funders to find long-term ways to pay for fares, CEO Curtis Stitt said.
“The biggest question has been ‘How do we make it sustainable?’” he said. “Nobody wants this to be COTA coming back to a small group of folks year after year with our hand out.”
Cbus launched in May 2014 as a free experiment, shuttling passengers between the Short North and the Brewery District primarily along High and Front streets. So far, it has provided about 490,000 rides and exceeded COTA’s initial expectations.
Cbus launched in May 2014 as a free experiment, shuttling passengers between the Short North and the Brewery District primarily along High and Front streets. So far, it has provided about 490,000 rides and exceeded COTA’s initial expectations.
The circulator helps move the 37.6 million visitors Columbus draws each year, said Brian Ross, CEO of Experience Columbus. “One of the most important things we need to provide as a community is the ability for those visitors to navigate the tremendous community that we have.”
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