COTA Major Initiatives Ohio Planning Conference July 16, 2014

Overview Presentation  CBUS Circulator  Transit System Review  Cleveland Bus Rapid Transit System 2

CBUS Circulator 3

4 CBUS Circulator Alignment  4.1 mile loop  Serves  Arena District  Brewery District  German Village  Italian Village  River South  Short North  Uptown  Victorian Village New Alignment Map

5 CBUS Branding

6 Improved Connections to Attractions and Events  Attractions and festivals generated nearly 8 million visitors in 2012 including:  Arena District  Arnold Fitness Expo  Arts Festival  Brewery District  CAPA (Ohio, Palace, Southern, Capitol theaters)  Columbus Commons  Columbus Convention Center  ComFest  COSI  First Night Columbus  German Village  Greek Festival  Huntington Park (Clippers/concerts)  Jazz & Rib Fest  LC Pavilion  Nationwide Arena (Blue Jackets/concerts)  North Market  Red, White, & Boom  Scioto Mile  Shadowbox Live  The Short North Arts District (Gallery Hop)  And many more! Columbus Commons EventNationwide ArenaScioto Mile

7 Meeting Downtown Employee Transportation Needs  Downtown area continues to be the largest employment center in the region with approximately 85,000 employees. More than 7,000 added since Major employment sectors include:  Banking  Education  Government  Healthcare  Hospitality  Insurance  Legal  Utilities

8 Enhancing Downtown Livability  Residential growth: approximately 4,500 existing units, with another 2,400 under construction or planned including:  Atlas Building  250 S. High  570 Lofts  Annex at River South  Arena Crossing  Flats on Vine I & II  Highpoint at Columbus Commons  The Hubbard Park Place  Julian Building Apartments  LC Apartments at High & Rich  Liberty Place Apartments  Leveque Tower  Neighborhood Launch  Parkside on Pearl  The Wood Company  Yankee on High LC Apartments Arena Crossing HighPoint

Performance 9  Service began May 5 th  Ridership continues to build  Over 100,000 rides to date

Transit System Review 10

Timeline 11  January – TAC and Focus Group Meetings (3), Core Planning – COTA Staff (developed three scenarios)  February – briefed Board on study progress  March – Public meetings – Round 1  April 30/May 2-3 – Board workshop/Core Planning II  May – develop draft proposed service network and downtown plan  May 27 – June 4: TAC, Focus Group, Public meetings (9)  July 23 – Final Bus Network and Downtown Operations plans and implementation strategy to COTA Board  September – Final report (Bus Network Plan, Downtown Operations Plan, Implementation Plan, Technology Plan)  Implementation of Service Plan: 2015 – 2017 Core Planning Workshop

Existing Network – 70/30 12

Draft Proposed Network – 70/30 13

Existing High Frequency Network 14

Draft Proposed High Frequency Network Midday 15

Residents within ¼ mile of service 16 EXISTING PROPOSED More than twice as many residents get frequent service – that’s part of why ridership will grow. PROPOSED EXISTING +2% +103%

Jobs within ¼ mile of service 17 PROPOSED EXISTING PROPOSED EXISTING The Frequent Network goes to 63% more jobs, another reason ridership will grow. +4.2% +63.7%

Effect on Existing Riders 18 PROPOSED EXISTING PROPOSED EXISTING PROPOSED EXISTING PROPOSED EXISTING -1.7% +33.3%

Benefits and Ease of Use  Ridership increase up to 10% two years after full implementation  Expanded high frequency network, especially on crosstown services  Many more transfers outside of Downtown  Predictable frequencies, such as every 15, 30, or 60 minutes, make remembering the schedule easier  Service on local lines seven days a week with most operating the same span (improved weekend service)  New connections to suburbs and regionally significant areas  Connections to strategic employment locations in suburbs 19

Cleveland Avenue Bus Rapid Transit 20

21 A mix of characteristics:  Reduced travel times  Fewer stops  Signal priority (reducing stops at traffic lights)  Dedicated lanes at peak times (High Street only)  Frequent service  10 min. peak/15 min. off-peak  Span of Service  16 hours (Monday-Saturday)  14 hours (Sunday)  Unique and distinctive branding  Enhanced passenger amenities  Real-time information  Enhanced stations Kansas City Max Line What is Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

22 Station Locations 22 Draft Summary - Project Development  Total # of Stations both directions (Downtown to Polaris/Africa Road)  62 stations (BRT/Enhanced Bus)  BRT Stations (to SR-161)  25 northbound/24 southbound  Enhanced local service stops (north of SR-161)  7 northbound/6 southbound  Average Stop Distances  Within Downtown – 0.20 miles  Columbus State to Northern Lights – 0.43 miles  Northern Lights to SR 161 – 0.58 miles  SR 161 to Africa Rd. – 0.75 miles

23 Project Highlights Summary of LPA  Total # of Stations (to Polaris/Africa Road)  74 stations (BRT/Enhanced Bus)  BRT Stations (to SR-161)  32 northbound/29 southbound  Enhanced local service stops (north of SR-161)  7 northbound/6 southbound  Estimated travel time (one-way)  20% travel time savings  minutes to SR-161  minutes to Polaris/Africa Rd. Local Line 1 continues to operate Serves all stops 30-minute frequency Draft Summary (Project Development)  Total # of Stations (to Polaris/Africa Road)  62 stations (BRT/Enhanced Bus)  BRT Stations (to SR-161)  25 northbound/24 southbound  Enhanced local service stops (north of SR-161)  7 northbound/6 southbound  Preliminary project cost LPA: $39.4 million  80% Federal & 20% Local

24 Project Benefits  Improved transit service  Improved mobility and reliability in a congested corridor  Travel times savings of up to 20 percent  More travel options for growing transit-dependent populations  Improved pedestrian access and safety  Create opportunities for economic development within the corridor  A projected 15 – 20 percent increase in ridership in the first five years Note: These benefits are being refined in the current project development.

25 Perspective View Type A Station Concept Design

26 Station Concept Design – Type B Night View

27 Project History

Discussion 28