The Central Ohio Transit Authority plans to make a slew of improvements to its services in the coming years, including improved bus detour tracking, cleaner and more functional bus interiors, and increased safety measures, according to a newly released action plan.
The Customer Experience Action Plan, released Oct. 14, is the first plan of its kind at COTA and makes the agency one of only eight transit agencies in the U.S. with a customer experience plan, COTA said in a press release.
The plan comes in a year marked by significant reliability challenges for the transit agency. COTA missed around 32,000 trips through August, meaning buses never showed up for around 6.4% of its trips through the first two-thirds of the year. These missed trips stem
from COTA's underperforming electric buses and buses being held off the road for maintenance, COTA CEO Monica Téllez-Fowler previously told The Dispatch.
COTA identified 33 "Customer Experience Action Items" that are essentially recommended improvements to its services in the plan. These improvements are meant to strengthen service reliability and on-time performance; improve transit stops, transit centers and vehicle conditions; provide clearer, more timely service information; make trip planning and fare payment easier; modernize accessibility and booking tools; and expand access to COTA's services, according to the COTA press release.
Some of the improvements outlined in the report include increased digital signs at bus stops, improved real-time tracking of bus detours, cleaner buses, better video and audio announcements on buses, better customer complaint tracking, new ticket vending machines, increased safety measures and a simplified, digital application process for COTA's reduced fare program.
"Our customers count on COTA to get to work, attend school, make medical appointments and stay connected to their communities. They deserve service that meets their needs and respects their time,” Téllez-Fowler said in a prepared statement.
COTA also plans to start several efforts with its employees to improve the customer experience, like new training, mental health support, a ridership program for non-union employees and more, according to the plan.
Read the full plan below, or on COTA's website.
Transportation and neighborhoods reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@dispatch.com, @NathanRHart on X and nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: COTA releases plan to improve bus reliability, rider experience
