COLUMBUS, Ohio — The mission of the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) is to “move every life forward” by providing a world-class public transit system in Greater Columbus. The driving force behind this commitment is advancing sustainability—both environmental and economic—to better serve COTA’s growing and diverse customer base and the community at large.
COTA achieved its highest ridership in more than 30 years in 2019. With 41 fixed-transit routes and more than 490 transit vehicles, COTA serves 1.4 million residents with nearly 19 million passenger trips annually.
A healthier environment promotes a thriving community. COTA customers help reduce air pollution by decreasing the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the road. COTA takes reducing emissions and conserving resources a step further by employing alternative fuel vehicles.
“From 2012 to 2020, transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Central Ohio increased by 40 percent. In that same timespan, COTA reduced our fleet GHG output by 9 percent,” says Andy Biesterveld, COTA Senior Director of Capital Projects. “Because COTA transit vehicles operate in the highest population density areas of our region, our low- and no-emission fleet contributes to improving health outcomes and air quality for a significant portion of the region’s population.”
Seventy-four percent of COTA’s fleet is comprised of low-emission vehicles. To expand upon that, COTA is in the process of switching its fleet from diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicles.
The effort started in 2013, and by 2025 the entire fleet will have been replaced with CNG buses.
Two CNG fueling stations, located on McKinley Avenue and a recently completed one on Fields Avenue, are helping facilitate this transition.
Electric vehicles and buses are also joining fleet, and in 2022, an additional 10 electric buses will be purchased. COTA’s maintenance facilities have also been upgraded to operate more efficiently and promote green practices.
“COTA is committed to providing world-class facilities for our world-class workforce and customers,” says Biesterveld. “Everything we build or renovate achieves at least a LEED Silver accreditation to provide our visitors and team members a healthy, safe environment inside, as well as our efforts to improve the environment outside. We are also one of very few organizations to receive the GBAC (Global Biorisk Advisory Council) Star Facility Seal for excellence in cleanliness and safety.”
From collecting rainwater and using it to wash buses to switching to LED lights and other recycling efforts, COTA’s sustainability initiatives translate into improved economic viability for the organization and the community. Money saved by conserving resources is used to reinvest in improvements to its transit system.
Additional efforts include:
- Develop a detailed Sustainability Plan
- Increase use of renewable energy and natural gas
- Develop high-capacity transit corridors
- Implement green procurement and purchasing
- Achieve net zero carbon by 2050
Employing more than 1,100 people, COTA was recognized as the 2020 Outstanding Midsize Public Transit System for progressive practices by the American Public Transportation Association. To find out more about COTA sustainability efforts, see COTA's 2020 Sustainability Report.
