2013 title vi_report_draft_i

2013 Title VI Report
October 2013
DRAFT
Central Ohio Transit Authority

1 – General Reporting Requirements
CENTRAL OHIO TRANSIT AUTHORITY (COTA)
2011 - 2013
TITLE VI TRIENNIAL REPORT
BASED ON PROGRAM GUIDELINES
FOR
TITLE VI
INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO FTA PROGRAM
FTA CIRCULAR C 4702.1B, OCTOBER 1, 2012
PREPARED BY COTA
CONTACT:
DATE
Elliott C. Doza
Senior Transit Planner
Department of Capital Projects & Planning
33 N. High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 308-4402
(614) 275-5805 fax
dozaec@cota.com

Board of Trustees
Appointment
Dawn Tyler Lee, Chair City of Columbus
Kevin E. Wood, Vice Chair City of Columbus
William A. Anthony, Jr. City of Columbus
James E. Daley City of Reynoldsburg
Mabel G. Freeman, Ph.D. City of Bexley
James E. Kunk City of Columbus
Harry W. Proctor Franklin County
J. Cleve Ricksecker City of Columbus
Craig P. Treneff City of Westerville
Robert J. Weiler, Sr. City of Columbus
Richard R. Zitzke City of Whitehall
Jean Ryan City of Columbus
Vacant Franklin County
Administration
President/CEO W. Curtis Stitt
Vice President, Planning & Service Development Doug B. Moore
Vice President, Human Resources Kristen M. Treadway
Vice President, Operations Patrick G. Stephens
Vice President, Legal Affairs/General Counsel Marchelle E. Moore
Vice President, Finance/CFO Marion White
Vice President, Communications Robert M. Stutz

Table of Contents
i
Table of Contents
1 GENERAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS......................1-1
1.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................1-1
1.2 REQUIREMENTS TO PROVIDE TITLE VI ASSURANCES .......................................1-4
1.3 REQUIREMENT TO PREPARE AND SUBMIT A TITLE VI PROGRAM ....................1-4
1.4 REQUIREMENT TO NOTIFY BENEFICIARIES OF PROTECTION
UNDER TITLE VI .................................................................................................................1-5
1.5 REQUIREMENTS TO DEVELOP TITLE VI COMPLAINT
PROCEDURES AND COMPLAINT FORM...........................................................................1-5
1.6 REQUIREMENT TO RECORD AND REPORT TRANSIT-RELATED
TITLE VI INVESTIGATIONS, COMPLAINTS AND LAWSUITS ............................................1-6
1.7 PROMOTING INCLUSIVE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ...............................................1-6
1.8 REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO LEP
PERSONS..........................................................................................................................1-14
1.9 MINORITY REPRESENTATION ON PLANNING AND ADVISORY
BODIES..............................................................................................................................1-20
1.10 PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO SUBRECIPIENTS..................................................1-22
1.11 MONITORING SUBRECIPIENTS............................................................................1-22
1.12 DETERMINATION OF SITE OR LOCATION OF FACILITIES..................................1-22
2 REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES FOR FIXED-
ROUTE TRANSIT PROVIDERS.......................................2-1
2.1 REQUIREMENT TO SET SYSTEM-WIDE SERVICE STANDARDS
AND POLICIES ....................................................................................................................2-1
2.2 REQUIREMENT TO COLLECT AND REPORT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA .................2-12
2.3 REQUIREMENT TO MONITOR TRANSIT SERVICE ..............................................2-13
2.4 REQUIREMENT TO COLLECT AND REPORT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA .................2-16

Table of Contents
ii
List of Tables
Table 2-1 Bus Stop Spacing Guidelines................................................................................. 2-4
Table 2-2 Requirement to Monitor Service........................................................................... 2-15
Table 2-3 Title VI Service Analysis....................................................................................... 2-17
Table 2-4 2012 Fare Change ............................................................................................... 2-17
List of Figures
Figure 1-1 COTA Service Area .............................................................................................. 1-3
Figure 1-2 Westview Turnaround ......................................................................................... 1-25
Figure 1-3 COTA Facilities – Minority Tracts........................................................................ 1-26
Figure 1-4 COTA Facilities – Low-income Tracts ................................................................. 1-27
Figure 2-1 Example BSSIP Analysis ...................................................................................... 2-4
List of Appendices
Appendix A ............................................................................... LEP Materials and News Articles
Appendix B ................................................................... Public Notice and Complaint Procedures
Appendix C ...........................................................................................Public Outreach Activities
Appendix D .............................COTA Base Map, Census Tracts and 2008 On-board Survey and
Shelter Locations
Appendix E ..................................................................................Policies and Board Resolutions
Appendix F....................................................Minority/Low-Income Routes and Bus Assignments
Appendix G............................................................Service Change Monitoring Tables and Maps
Appendix H ..................................................................2013 Short-Range Transit Plan Chapter 3

1-1
1 GENERAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Enclosed are data and analysis detailing the Central Ohio Transit Authority's
(COTA) compliance with Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act regarding transit
services and related-benefits. The contents follow the format provided in the
FTA Circular 4702.B dated October 1, 2012. Data collection and analysis was
conducted by COTA staff.
This report serves as an update to COTA’s 2010 Title VI report submittal,
including any new requirements. This Title VI report covers the December 2010
through June 2013 time period although select data set timeframes may be
limited by reporting constraints. It is COTA’s goal to ensure equal opportunities
to all persons without regard to race, color, national origin or income level, to
participate in transit planning and decision-making processes under COTA’s
control.
COTA understands its responsibility to ensure that all transit service and access
to its facilities are equitably distributed and provided without regard to race, color,
religious creed, or national origin. Additionally, COTA will continue to ensure that
equal opportunities are afforded to all individuals in its service area without
regard to race, color, religious creed or national origin, as they relate to
community participation in public transit planning and decision-making
processes.
Upon close examination of the contents, it will be seen that COTA provides
comparable transit service to the minority, low-income, and non-minority
residential populations, and those individuals with limited English proficiency.
Further, it will be seen that COTA, as an employer and as a contractor, attempts
to utilize governmental and revenue monies in an equitable and fair manner.
Description of COTA’s Transit Services
Public transit service is provided throughout the COTA service area that includes
Franklin County and select portions of Delaware, Fairfield, Union and Licking
Counties (See Figure 1-1). COTA’s service is provided via two primary service
operations: fixed-route bus service and paratransit mobility services. The

1-2
following information describes in greater detail the important roles each of these
programs serves in providing transit service to central Ohio residents.
Fixed-Route Service
The backbone of COTA’s public transit system is fixed-route bus service.
Service is provided on a repetitive, fixed-schedule basis along specific routes,
with vehicles stopping to pick up passengers at, and deliver passengers to,
specific locations. COTA operates four types of fixed routes:
Local: Makes all stops and travels through or ends Downtown;
Express: Makes few or limited stops and starts or terminates Downtown or at
major destinations, such as the Ohio State University;
Crosstown: Operates between two non-downtown points; and
LINK: Circulates through major activity centers or residential neighborhoods.
LINK routes are designed for smaller (approximately 30’) buses, and serve as a
connector to regular fixed-route services and to COTA transit centers. COTA
currently operates no LINK routes.
A timed transfer system goes into effect at 10:00 p.m. on weekdays allowing
passengers to conveniently transfer in the downtown. Currently, the final trip
from the downtown is 12:00 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and 9:00 p.m. on
Sundays.
Paratransit Service
“Mainstream” is complementary paratransit service for individuals who are unable
to use the regular fixed-route bus service due a disability. The service is based
on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) eligibility criteria. COTA contracts this
service with First Transit, and is in the second year of a three-year contract that
expires.

1-3
Figure 1-1 COTA Service Area

1-4
1.2 REQUIREMENTS TO PROVIDE TITLE VI ASSURANCES
A current DOT Title VI assurance is on file with the FTA Regional Office in
Chicago.
1.3 REQUIREMENT TO PREPARE AND SUBMIT A TITLE VI PROGRAM
COTA submitted its most recent Title VI report to the FTA in November 2010.
Since that time, Title VI-related transit policies, procedures, and service have not
changed substantially. COTA has incorporated Title VI notification and complaint
procedures into its website. Led by the Manager of Public Affairs and Director of
Marketing, over the past three years COTA has greatly increased its community
outreach program to minority, low-income and LEP populations, resulting in
greater awareness within the community of COTA’s commitment to provide fair
and equitable transit services.
The following sections include the following general reporting activities:
1. A copy of the Board of Trustees resolution approving the Title VI Program.
(Appendix E)
2. COTA’s notice to the public that it complies with Title VI and instructions to
the public on how to file a discrimination complaint (Appendix B).
3. A copy of instructions to the public for submitting a Title VI complaint.
4. A list of any Title VI investigations, complaints, or lawsuits filed with COTA
since the time of the last submission including procedures for tracking and
investigating Title VI complaints.
5. A summary of public outreach and involvement activities undertaken since
the previous submission (Appendix C) and a description of steps taken to
ensure that minority and low-income people had meaningful access to
these activities.
6. A copy of the agency’s material for providing language assistance for
persons with limited English proficiency (Appendix A)
7. List of the racial breakdown of advisory boards.
8. Sub-recipient compliance efforts.
9. A summary of the construction of facilities and Title VI equity analysis
conducted

1-5
1.4 REQUIREMENT TO NOTIFY BENEFICIARIES OF PROTECTION UNDER
TITLE VI
COTA disseminates to the public their rights under Title VI in several ways
including its website and commuter bulletins. COTA’s Title VI web public
notification statement can be found in Appendix B. Notices include the following
information:
1. A statement that COTA provides all services and programs without regard
to race, color, and national origin.
2. A description of the procedures that members of the public should follow
in order to request additional information on COTA’s nondiscrimination
obligations.
3. A description of the procedures that members of the public should follow
in order to file a discrimination complaint against COTA.
4. A description of required policies adopted by COTA.
1.5 REQUIREMENTS TO DEVELOP TITLE VI COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
AND COMPLAINT FORM
COTA provides a mechanism for handling customer complaints, including those
involving Title VI related issues. Title VI complaints filter through the Authority’s
complaint procedures. COTA has adopted a Standard Operating Procedure
(SOP) for handling complaints. COTA recommends a ten business day
response time for all contacts. COTA maintains an electronic database of all
customer contacts.
In 2013, in response to the updated Title VI circular, COTA developed a new Title
VI complaint form that is available on COTA’s website or in paper format through
Customer Service. Title VI complaints filed with customer service are not only
recorded through the SOP but also within the new form. Customer service
agents are to aid the individual filing a complaint in completing the form.
Complaints that allege discrimination in the provision of transit services by COTA
and its employees are referred to the Legal Division and the Planning Division's
Service Planning and Scheduling Department and/or the Operations Division for
resolution. Matters requiring legal review or legal opinions are referred to the
Legal Division for review and response. Complaints referred to another division
or department must be reviewed and addressed consistent with and within the
time periods provided in the Customer Service Complaint process. All

1-6
managers, supervisors and employees share in the responsibility for making
COTA’s Title VI Program a success.
All complaints, including Title VI, can be filed through COTA’s customer service
telephone line at (614) 228-1776, via walk-ins to the COTA Pass Sales Office in
downtown Columbus, or through COTA’s website at www.cota.com. The Legal
Division, in its discretion, will determine whether matters referred to it should be
handled as a Legal Department matter or continue to be processed as a
customer complaint.
1.6 REQUIREMENT TO RECORD AND REPORT TRANSIT-RELATED TITLE
VI INVESTIGATIONS, COMPLAINTS AND LAWSUITS
COTA is prepared to record Title VI complaints and lawsuits. During the
reporting period, one complaint was filed. COTA’s legal team investigated the
complaint and found no potential Title VI violations.
The complaint was filed and addressed through COTA’s customer service with a
response developed by COTA’s legal team and Capital Projects and Planning
staff.
1.7 PROMOTING INCLUSIVE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Public Involvement is the cornerstone of COTA’s service planning strategy.
COTA has created the following Public Participation Plan.
Public Participation Plan
COTA holds public meetings prior to making changes to its fixed-route service.
COTA makes modifications and adjustments to its service three (3) times a year:
January, May and September. Prior to each service change, no fewer than four
(4) public meetings are held.
The purpose of public meetings held prior to making service modifications and
adjustments are to:
 Explain potential modifications and adjustments to existing fixed-route
service;
 Solicit feedback from the general public and customers about potential
modifications and adjustments to existing fixed-route service;

1-7
 Solicit suggestions from customers and the general public about
service modifications and adjustments;
 Learn about impacts potential and proposed service modifications and
adjustments may have on customers, potential customers, businesses
and other stakeholders before changes modifications and adjustments
are planned;
 Identify specific needs and desires of COTA stakeholders related to
fixed-route service.
Public Comment Process for Service Changes
COTA refines its fixed route services on the first Monday of January, May, and
September of each year. In an effort to gather input from the public and to inform
transit users of all such scheduled changes to service (including major service
reductions, which are defined as a 25% or more reduction in annualized service
hours on a route) COTA will adhere to the following procedures.
1. COTA will gather input continually and engage in dialogue with the public
through Customer Service call center contacts, commuter bulletins posted
at stops, comments submitted via cota.com, handouts on buses,
comments/requests received via social media (Facebook, Twitter) letters,
and regularly scheduled Community Outreach and public comment
meetings. In addition, COTA will survey its users and
employers/employees who have requested some modification to the
transit service or whose input is sought on proposed changes.
2. Biennially, COTA will prepare an update to the schedule of service
improvements for the next five years, which will be included in the Short
Range Transit Plan (SRTP). The service changes in the SRTP are then
reviewed and discussed in the following public meetings: MORPC’s
Citizens Advisory and Transportation Advisory committees and COTA
Board of Trustees.
3. Prior to implementing any service change, COTA will conduct two rounds
of public meetings, including meetings in neighborhoods that will be most
directly affected by the change, as needed. When a proposed change
would eliminate a route or significantly reduce the span of service or
frequency of service along a route, COTA will actively solicit and consider
input from the affected area through commuter bulletins, additional
neighborhood meetings, and/or on-board surveys. A significant reduction
in the span of service on a route is defined as the elimination of a time
period, such as midday service or weekend service. A significant
reduction in the frequency of service on a route is defined as a 100%
increase or more in the headway of the route.

1-8
4. Two (2) months prior to each service change, the list of proposed
modifications is provided to COTA’s Board of Trustees. Board meetings
are open to the public for comments and discussion.
5. The following activities take place prior to the effective date of all service
modifications in order to inform all stakeholders of the changes:
 A minimum of four (4) public meetings will be held to solicit public input
regarding potential service modifications. Two (2) meetings are held
three months prior to the service change implementation date in order
to encourage public feedback to service proposals, and, if feasible,
adjustments are made by staff to the potential modifications based on
feedback. A second set of two (2) information meetings will be held
one (1) month prior to the service change to present the final draft list
of modifications and to solicit additional feedback.
 All material from the public meetings (handouts, presentations, etc.)
will be available on the web site and in paper form.
 Commuter bulletins will be posted at bus stops affected by a proposed
modification one month prior to implementation. Bulletins posted at
bus stops include a description of the proposed modification, maps (if
applicable), and instructions regarding how to provide feedback to
COTA about the proposed changes. Commuter bulletins will also be
posted on COTA buses which indicate the routes that will be affected.
For major service changes, additional warning bulletins may be
necessary as per COTA’s major change criteria;
 Press releases describing the changes will be sent to newspaper,
radio, and TV stations and posted on COTA’s website;
 Prior to each service modification, COTA publishes a “Service Change
Book” which details all service modifications, maps and all other
relevant information regarding service changes. In addition, the book
contains a system “User’s Guide” which explains COTA services, how
to ride COTA and other customer information. The service change
book (and all COTA-published customer information) will be made
available in accessible formats and translated into Spanish and Somali
upon request.
 Service change booklets are distributed as described below*
 New public timetables will be produced, printed and distributed on
buses serving affected routes;
 Handouts describing the changes will be passed out at the Downtown
express terminals and/or on selected trips, at the discretion of COTA;

1-9
 Any other activities deemed necessary by COTA.
Below is a typical schedule of distribution of Service Change Books. Usually
4,800 - 5,000 are published. 300 to 500 copies are maintained for distribution
during the service change period.
Internal Distribution
Fields Transportation 150
Lunch Room - 33 North High, 2nd Floor 20
McKinley Transportation 150
Mobility Services/First Transit 100
Operator Dayroom - 33 North High St. 50
Outreach/Event Activities - 619
Pass Sales - 33 North High, Lobby 830
Phone Operators 100
Radio Room/Street Supervisors 50
Total 2069
External Distribution
ADA/Mainstream Customers (PDF supplied to
Mobility Services)
N/A
Chambers of Commerce 14
Charter Cities 12
Civic/Business Associations 35
Employers 135
Libraries 850
Misc. Social Service
Agencies/Groups/Organizations
315
Pass Outlets 450
Recreation Centers 400
Senior Centers 220
Total 2431
TOTAL 4500
Special Outreach
Among the other types of changes for which public meetings are held include:
 Changes to fares;
 Establishing new service;

1-10
 Reducing or discontinuing underutilized service;
 Adding or reducing the number of bus stop locations along fixed-
routes;
 Establishing new park and ride facilities and service;
 Constructing new facilities for transit related activities;
 COTA reserves the right to schedule and host public involvement
meetings in other circumstances where COTA service is affected and
where COTA stakeholders are impacted.
COTA also executes a public involvement process for large projects. For
example, a public involvement program was implemented for the Northeast
Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project Alternatives Analysis.
Public Notices
COTA informs all stakeholders of public meetings by posting meeting notices on
cota.com, social media (Facebook, Twitter), news media releases, commuter
bulletins on every fixed-route bus, and monitors installed at COTA downtown
administrative headquarters and sales office. Meeting notices are posted two (2)
weeks prior to meetings. **Below is the schedule of public meeting notice
distribution.
Distributing Public Meeting Notices
In order to ensure that COTA stakeholders are informed about public meetings
COTA holds to solicit comments, ideas and other important feedback about our
service, we disseminate information through as many channels as possible.
COTA’s Corporate Communications department produces and distributes news
releases to all local media (traditional and non-traditional) in our service territory
(Responsibility: Media Relations Manager)
We also send meeting notices to other key stakeholders:
 Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman’s office
o Dan Williamson, Communications Director
o Ashley Senn, Community Relations Coordinator

1-11
 Columbus City Council
o John Ivanic, Communications Director
o Adam Leddy
 Franklin County Commissioners
o Hanna Greer
o Marty Homan
o Michael Daniels, Aide to Commissioner Brown
o Justin Shaw, Aide to Commissioner Brooks
o Sharon Keels, Aide to Commissioner O’Grady
 City of Columbus Area Commissions
 Member municipalities Mayor’s and PIO offices
 COTA Advisory Panel
 COTA’s Mobility Advisory Board
 Accessible Transportation Advisory Committee (Mobility Services)
 Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission-MORPC
o Laura Koprowski
o Bernice Cage
 Ohio State student PAC and Transportation and Parking officials
 Columbus College of Art and Design
 Columbus City Schools
 Transit Columbus (community transit advocacy organization)
Continuing Outreach
On an annual basis, COTA develops a Community Outreach and Education
Plan, overseen by COTA’s Community Relations Manager. COTA’s
President/CEO, members of the Leadership Team; Mobility Services; Planning;

1-12
Corporate Communications and Marketing staff assist in the design, production
and implementation of the Plan and other community outreach activities.
The Plan serves as a guide in the Authority’s effort to inform all stakeholders
about COTA activities, programs, services, expansion plans and other major
initiatives. As a result, COTA has cultivated new constituencies and community
partnerships; engaged the community in its service planning process;
strengthened public involvement in public transit and increased COTA’s visibility
and value throughout central Ohio.
Ongoing outreach activities include, but are not limited to, convening targeted
community leaders for roundtable discussions (4-6 annually); serving on planning
committees for special projects and events; serving on organizational Boards;
and delivering presentations to neighborhood groups, business, social and civic
organizations. The plan also targets outreach for refugees; immigrants; English
as a Second Language and Limited English Proficiency constituents offering
travel training, bilingual print materials, advertising and marketing activities.
COTA has also hired bilingual customer service office staff and bus operators
who speak Spanish and Somali, two of the largest non-English speaking
constituencies in Franklin County. Each calendar year, COTA makes formal
presentations to, conducts and/or participates in over 350 community outreach
activities.
Minority and Low-Income Outreach
In COTA’s service territory, there are segments of the population who speak
Spanish and Somali as their first language. However, data from the U.S. Census
reviewed by staff in the Communications, Marketing & Customer Service Division
indicates that the numbers and percentages of languages other than English are
below the numbers established by FTA to produce materials in languages other
than English.
However, COTA translated and published its “How to Ride Guide” and fare cards
in English, Spanish and Somali. It is COTA’s policy to translate and publish any
customer materials in Spanish and Somali upon request.
COTA’s Customer Service Call Center has three (3) employees who speak fluent
Spanish and are available to assist Spanish speaking customers. Two (2) full
time employees and one (1) part time employee.

1-13
COTA’s Pass Sales office has one (1) employee who speaks fluent Spanish,
French and Creole.
COTA Community Relations Manager has established contacts with
organizations and agencies providing services and other assistance to members
of the Hispanic (Spanish speaking) and Somali/African (mostly Somali speaking)
communities. Staff has relationships and partnerships with the Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Plans for Improvement
Below are three (3) projects staff is working on or recommending to improve
outreach to low income, minority or LEP populations:
1. COTA is currently in the process of redesigning its web site: www.cota.com.
Technology that will enable all visitors to the Web site to read and interact
with the web site in languages other than English is under consideration so
that the site and all COTA information will be available to speakers and
readers of many languages.
2. A cursory review of agency web sites in COTA’s service territory yielded the
following:
 City of Columbus web site offers Google Translate on its homepage.
 Franklin County does not feature other languages on its homepage.
 American Electric Power (electric utility) offers contact information in
Spanish.
 Columbus Department of Health offers its Directory of Services
brochure in Spanish and Somali.
Marketing staff managing the redevelopment of COTA’s web site has
been directed to explore options available to report on progress of multi-
lingual opportunities for the new cota.com for its introduction in spring
2014.
3. Recruitment efforts for call center representatives include seeking candidates
who are fluent Somali speakers.
4. COTA is conducting an inventory of its internal placard customer information
program aboard all fixed-route buses. The analysis will include possibly
installing informational placards in Spanish and Somali.

1-14
1.8 REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO LEP
PERSONS
Developing a Language Assistance Plan
COTA currently provides materials translated into Spanish and Somali. The
Language Assistance Plan (LAP) contains a description of COTA’s fulfillment of
LEP requirements, Four Factor Analysis, which includes services provided to
LEP populations, and monitoring and training methods.
LEP Requirements
Based upon the Four Factor Analysis, COTA has determined that the ability to
translate vital documents at request constitutes strong evidence of compliance of
LEP requirements.
The largest population of individuals who speak English “Less than very well” or
“Not at all” are Spanish speakers constituting 1.6% of the total population of
Franklin County, or 18,712 individuals, which is entirely within COTA’s service
area.
The second largest population of individuals who speak English “Less than very
well” or “Not at all” are Somali speakers, constituting %0.1 of the total population
of Franklin county or 1,533 individuals.
COTA translated and published its “How to Ride Guide” and fare cards in
English, Spanish and Somali. However, it is COTA’s policy to translate and
publish any customer materials in Spanish and Somali upon request, including,
but not limited to, complaint forms, notices of rights and notices of change in
transit service. Request for translation of vital documents have not been
substantial.
For individuals that require further assistance beyond translated written material,
COTA offers travel training and works with community organizations to provide
translators.
Four Factor Analysis
1. The number or proportion of LEP persons eligible to be served or likely to be
encountered by the program or recipient.

1-15
How LEP persons interact with COTA
COTA translated and published its “How to Ride Guide” and fare cards in
English, Spanish and Somali. It is COTA’s policy to translate and publish any
customer materials in Spanish and Somali upon request. Alternative language
materials are available for viewing and printing on COTA’s website and are
presented in Appendix A.
COTA’s Customer Service Call Center has three (3) employees who speak fluent
Spanish and are available to assist Spanish speaking customers. Two (2) full
time employees and one (1) part time employee.
All COTA materials are available by calling (614) 228-1776, requested
through www.cota.com or via Facebook and Twitter.
The same contacts offer assistance with travel training and any other assistance
with accessing all services provided by COTA.
Inside COTA buses, both English and Spanish language notices are provided to
help ensure the comfort and safety of all passengers (see Appendix A). COTA
strives to make it just as easy for a Spanish-speaking patron of limited English
proficiency to travel on our system, as it is for a person that is fully proficient in
English.
Identification of LEP communities
In the central Ohio region, Spanish and Somali are the two most common
languages for residents whose first language is not English. However, these
groups represent a small but growing part of the community. Utilizing American
FactFinder, 2011 data files reveals the following population characteristics for
Franklin County:
Total Populations that “Speak English less than very well” or “not at all”:
Spanish - 18,712 (+/- 2,672)
Somali - 1,533 (+/- 482)
Approximately 1,237,687 residents live within COTA’s taxing district and
1,163,414 residents within Franklin County.

1-16
Local articles about demographic changes in central Ohio are presented in
Appendix A.
Literary Skills of LEP Populations in their Native Tongue
According to the CIA World Factbook, 37.8% of the Somali population, age 15 or
older, are literate. However, according to the Somali Community Association of
Ohio, 25% of Somali immigrants speak English well enough to get a job, 80% live
with their families, 40% have become citizens and 57% are eligible to become
citizens (www.somaliohio.org).
It is likely that Somali immigrants to central Ohio have a higher literacy rate or
have access to a family member that reads and speaks English and/or Somali.
Spanish speaking populations have a high Spanish literacy rate. Mexico, for
instance, has a literacy rate of 86.1% while Cuba has a literacy rate of 99.8%.
Whether LEP Persons are Underserved
COTA has not received complaints about lack of material for Somali or Spanish
speakers. To date all, requests for specific training or available material for
Somali and Spanish speakers have been met.
2. The Frequency with which LEP persons come into contact with the program
Customer Service Center
COTA’s customer service center employs one full time and two part time
representatives who are fluent in both English and Spanish and COTA’s Pass
Sales Outlet employs one employee fluent in English, Spanish, French and
Creole.
Travel Training and Mobility Services
COTA Mobility Services department provided individualized, one-on-one travel
training for potential riders.
In August 2011 two travel training sessions were done for the Ethiopian
Tewahedo Social Services group. This group is primarily refugees from Ethiopia,
but includes some individuals also from Somalia, Burma and India. The first
training was at their Morse Road location and included 14 individuals.

1-17
Those in attendance were taught how to read bus schedules, introduction to
COTA’s website and basic bus riding skills. After the classroom training the
group of individuals took a trip downtown to COTA’s main office were they
learned to get passes, schedules and assistance. The second group of
individuals was from Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services Mt. Vernon branch and
there were 13 individuals.
Both groups of individuals had a student that was more proficient in English and
assisted the COTA representative with translating, when needed. Most of the
individuals in both these groups had a good grasp of English as their second
language.
In August 2012, at two different times, a COTA representative was scheduled to
meet with the Westerville School Latino Parents Group. The person coordinating
this was going to be the translator for COTA. COTA personnel showed but no
individuals attended the session for travel training.
In February 2013, a COTA representative did a travel training session with a
group from Us Together. This group consists of refugees from Ethiopia, Somalia,
Burma and India. Those in attendance were taught how to read bus schedules
and basic bus riding skills. A bus was taken to their site for orientation to COTA
buses. There were 12 individuals in attendance plus 3 interpreters; the
interpreters are individuals Us Together already contracts with for translation
purposes. A field trip will be scheduled for a later date.
In February 2013, a COTA representative did a travel training session with a
group from Us Together. This group consists of refugees from Ethiopia, Somalia,
Burma and India. Those in attendance were taught how to read bus schedules
and basic bus riding skills. A bus was taken to their site for orientation to COTA
buses. There were 24 individuals in attendance plus 3 interpreters; the
interpreters are individuals Us Together already contracts with for translation
purposes. A field trip will be scheduled for a later date.
In May 2013, a travel training bus field trip was held with a COTA representative
leading a group of individuals from Us Together. This group consists of refugees
from Ethiopia, Somalia, Burma and India. Those in attendance took a bus trip on
the fixed route bus system from their point of origin to Nationwide Children’s
Hospital. It was felt by the staff of Us Together that this was a good trip for them
since many of them take their children there for care. They got to practice bus
transfer and the use of passes. There were 23 individuals in attendance plus 3
interpreters; the interpreters are people their organization already contracts with.

1-18
In May 2013, at two different times a COTA representative did a travel training
session with individuals from the Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services group.
Both of these trainings were done at their Farris Road facility. The first group of
individuals included 23 individuals. Those in attendance were taught how to read
bus schedules and basic bus riding skills.
After the classroom training they took a trip downtown to COTA’s main office
were they learned to get passes, schedules, and assistance. The first group had
a good concept of English as their second language but there was also a student
available in case they did not understand something the representative was
saying. The second group was held a week later and had 18 individuals. This
group is not as advanced in ESL so their instructor was with the representative to
assist with questions.
Those in attendance were taught how to read bus schedules and basic bus riding
skills. After the classroom training the group took a trip downtown to COTA’s
main office were they learned to get passes, schedules, and assistance.
In June 2013, the Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services staff was in contact with
COTA’s travel training department to assist with a large group of individuals for a
field trip in which they wanted to get all their facilities to one place for a luncheon.
The morning of this trip there was a power outage because of storms and the trip
was cancelled.
3. The nature and importance of the program, activity or service provided by the
program to people’s lives
COTA’s Mobility Services offers on-site travel training classroom and bus training
to all people and groups that request it. This includes learning to read schedules,
web site orientation, bus rules and field trips to a destination that would be
frequently visited.
Additionally, COTA’s Mobility Advisory Board provides comments and
recommendations to COTA on transportation challenges and services for
individuals with mobility difficulties, including LEP individuals with mobility
difficulties, older adults and those who need transportation to work not served by
COTA’s fixed-route. The membership is comprised of social and community
services that require specialized transportation services as well as the Mid-Ohio
Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). The board meets once a month with
COTA staff.

1-19
COTA’s Community Relations Manager works closely with the City of Columbus’
“New Americans” department, which is housed and operates in conjunction with
the City’s Community Relations Commission
(http://crc.columbus.gov/content.aspx?id=29033), to serve the needs of LEP
populations. COTA routinely communicates with New Americans staff, and
partners with them on special outreach activities and projects throughout the
community.
4. The resources available to the recipient for LEP outreach, as well as the costs
associated with that outreach.
No substantial costs to COTA are associated with providing non-English
language materials. Incremental, minor costs include additional pay to multi-
lingual customer service employees and translation of documents from English.
However, resources available to COTA come from a variety of social
organizations as well as the City of Columbus’ “New Americans” department.
Mobility Services also works with community groups to secure a translator if
needed during travel training sessions, often at no additional cost to COTA.
Monitoring and Training
COTA monitors demand for non-English language materials and information
requests through its customer service center and public meetings. A Standard
Operating Procedure (SOP) has been adopted for handling public requests,
including a time-frame for response. It is recommended a comment be
responded to within ten business days. COTA maintains an electronic database
of all customer contacts using TrapezeCOM.
Requests can be made in person, through a phone call, email, social media or
standard mail. COTA’s customer service staff and management monitor non-
English language material requests.
If requests for languages other than Spanish and Somali become substantial,
COTA will pursue translation of like materials.

1-20
1.9 MINORITY REPRESENTATION ON PLANNING AND ADVISORY BODIES
COTA Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees currently consists of thirteen members; seven appointed
by the City of Columbus, two appointed by the Franklin County Commissioners,
and four city appointed slots rotated among the other member cities. The Board
is the governing body of COTA and is responsible for overseeing COTA with the
power vested in it by the Ohio Revised CODE 306.30 to 306.50 inclusive.
Members are appointed for three-year terms by the governing or executive body
the member represents.
NAME RACE SEX REPRESENTS
Dawn Tyler Lee Black F Columbus
Kevin Wood White M Columbus
William Anthony Black M Columbus
James Daley White M Reynoldsburg
Jean Ryan White F Columbus
Mabel Freeman White F Bexley
James Kunk White M Columbus
Harry Proctor Black M Franklin County
Cleve Ricksecker White M Columbus
Craig Treneff White M Westerville
Robert Weiler White M Columbus
Richard Zitzke White M Whitehall
Vacant Franklin County
COTA Advisory Panel
As provided for in the COTA Charter, an Advisory Panel was established to
advise COTA management in the development and implementation of public
transit in Central Ohio. Each member appointed to the Advisory Panel shall be a
resident and have a familiarity with public transit needs in Central Ohio. The
Advisory Panel meets quarterly and is used by COTA management as a
resource in making decisions on public transit and, as appropriate, incorporate
advice from the Panel into programs presented to the Board.
Glen Soden White M Bexley
Steven Campbell White M Columbus
Ann Bohman White F Dublin

1-21
John O’grady White M Franklin County
Brandi Braun White F Gahanna
Edward Hastie III White M Grandview Heights
Titus LeFlore Black M Reynoldsburg
Joe Valentino N/A M Upper Arlington
Jason Bechtold White M Westerville
Paul Feldman White M Worthington
Vacant Grove City
Vacant Hilliard
COTA Mobility Management Advisory Board
This committee is comprised of organizations who serve persons with disabilities,
older adults as well as clients who need transportation to work. The group meets
monthly on the third Wednesday of each month. Committee members are often
referred by other members or are asked to become members by COTA or the
clients they serve.
NAME RACE SEX ASSOCIATION
Jane Acri White F Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging
Janice Aselin White F AARP
Lynn Aspey White F Jewish Family Services
Pamela Brown Black F Godman Guild
Paul Chanderlin White M Franklin County Board of DD
Susan Colbert Black F OSU Extension
Kathleen Dessault White F City of Columbus
Mike Finelli White M National Church Residences
Jennifer Flynn White M MOBILE
Mary Ann Frantz White F MORPC
John Gregory White M Life Care Alliance
Renee Johnson Black F Jessie’s World, Inc.
Kaiser Jones Black M Goodwill Columbus
Mike McCaman White M FCDJFS
Denise Robinson Black F Alvis House
Lynn Robinson Black F MORPC
Steve Simmons White M Columbus City Schools
Barbara Sullivan White F Franklin County Office of Aging
Andy Taylor White M MORPC
Audrey Todd White F Food for Good Thought
Keith Wollenberg White M Columbus State Comm Coll

1-22
1.10 PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO SUBRECIPIENTS
COTA is the designated recipient for federal funds in the Columbus Urbanized
Area and has subrecipients for the JARC and New Freedom funds as required by
the grant programs.
Currently COTA has four (4) subrecipients: LifeCare Alliance, Yellow Cab of
Columbus, Canal Winchester Human Services, and the Mid-Ohio Regional
Planning Commission. The subrecipients are held to the same non-
discriminatory standards as COTA when providing service.
The subrecipients sign an agreement that holds them accountable to the FTA
Master Agreement as well as more defined guidelines based on their particular
projects. Each subrecipient is also responsible to sign a certification and
assurances form each year as they become available.
Subrecipients access COTA’s Title VI notice of rights, complaint form and
procedures and adopted policies (Major Service Change, Disparate Impact,
Disproportionate Burden and Fare Change) on COTA’s website
(http://www.cota.com/Title-VI.aspx). All Title VI complaints regarding services
provided with JARC or New Freedom funds are to be addressed to COTA as well
as the recipient using COTA’s complaint procedures.
1.11 MONITORING SUBRECIPIENTS
COTA’s grant administrator performs site visits to each subrecipient to ensure
their projects are in compliance with the signed agreement and FTA standards.
The administrator receives monthly reports that are entered into FTA TEAM
quarterly.
The subrecipients submit monthly invoices to COTA for reimbursement.
Additional information may be requested in the event documentation is needed
for reimbursement or project operations to ensure they are in compliance.
1.12 DETERMINATION OF SITE OR LOCATION OF FACILITIES
When determining the location of a new facility or renovations to an existing
facility COTA takes careful consideration of the impacts to the neighboring
communities. Particularly with new facilities, COTA meets with community
organizations, city councils and, in the case of Columbus, area commissions.

1-23
COTA has and will continue to integrate community input into final decision
making. For instance, the construction of the Westview Turnaround, found
below, included substantial public input prior to site selection.
Summaries of newly constructed and renovated facilities between December
2010 and July 2013 are found below.
McKinley Conversion to CNG
Located in Columbus at 1600 McKinley Avenue, this 400,000 square foot bus
storage and maintenance facility was completed in 1980. After more than thirty
years in service, this facility has experienced numerous mechanical, electrical,
and equipment failures. Consequently, COTA facility staff is undertaking a plan
to prioritize major repairs and upgrades to the building and grounds. This
includes renovating the facility to service compressed natural gas (CNG)
vehicles.
A CNG large vehicle fueling station was constructed in late 2012 and early 2013.
Additionally, a CNG small vehicle fueling station is planned to be completed in
2014. COTA is in the process of forming a partnership with the City of Columbus
to allow city vehicles to use COTA’s fueling station, saving the city the cost of
constructing their own station.
The facility is being renovated to a “like new” condition with CNG compliance and
COTA anticipates a LEED Silver certification.
The renovation will also:
 Improve energy efficiency;
 Reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
 Meet all code requirements for CNG operations and ADA accessibility;
 Improve operational flow efficiencies and best practices;
 Expand fleet storage capacity to 275 buses; and
 Accommodate current and long-term facility administration programming
needs.
The estimate completion date for the all renovations is 2016 although the bulk of
the renovations will occur in 2014.

1-24
The total approved budget of the project is $75.7 million. The funding is coming
from a mix of local, Federal and state programs such as CMAQ and State of
Good Repair funds.
Figure 1-3 and Figure 1-4 show the location of the McKinley Avenue facility atop
minority and low-income census tracts. Based on the 2010 Census tracts, the
facility is in tract 004300 with a population of 5,613, a minority population of
1,138 and a low-income population of 1,797 (2011 ACS data). There are no
residential properties adjacent to the facility, with the closest neighborhood
approximately 0.3 mi away.
1325 Essex Avenue – Street and Remote Maintenance Facility
In 2008, COTA purchased a 2.23 acre site at 1325 Essex Avenue with an
existing 12,000 square foot building. COTA moved the Street and Remote
maintenance operations into this facility after making only minor modifications.
The current facility was constructed in the late 1980s. This site is one
component that makes up our Fields Avenue Campus. As described above, the
Fields Campus also includes the Mainstream facility and the fixed-route
transportation facility at 1333 Fields Avenue. This facility houses staff and
equipment for the Street and Remote department to support the maintenance of
bus stops and shelters located throughout our approximately 560 square-mile
service area. The Street and Remote department performs a variety of support
functions for more than 4,000 bus stops, including: pavement repairs, concrete
work, and excavation, installation of sign poles, new shelter installation, and
special event support.
In July 2012, COTA began a renovation and expansion of the Essex Avenue
facility with completion scheduled for January 2013. The design includes
renovation of the current facility and the addition of 8,000 square feet of
maintenance/storage space to meet current operational demands and future
system growth. The current estimated cost for this renovation and expansion is
$3.7 million which is 100% locally funded. The work, in summary, includes:
renovation of an existing 12,000 square foot facility, a redesigned office wing,
construction of an 8,000 square foot addition, expansion and resurfacing of the
parking lot, construction of a salt dome, and installation of new
mechanical/electrical systems. Similar to recent renovation projects, COTA’s
design will seek LEED “Silver” certification. This renovation and expansion
project will increase operational productivity by consolidating all equipment
required for Street and Remote operations to a single location. This will help
reduce operational costs while improving overall productivity.

1-25
Figure 1-3 and Figure 1-4 show the location of the Essex Avenue facility atop
facility is in tract 001400 with a population of 1,543, a minority population of
1,341 and a low-income population of 1,082 (2011 ACS data).
Most of the population is located in the far north-eastern portion of the census
tract and was not affected by the construction of the Essex Avenue Facility.
Westview Turnaround – Fixed-Route Bus Turnaround
Over the past several decades, COTA utilized the Graceland Shopping Center as
a bus layover and turnaround location for three routes serving the area:
 #2 North High Local;
 #4 Indianola Local, and
 #95 Morse/Henderson Crosstown
Layover time, or the amount of time between when the bus arrives at the end of
one trip and before it leaves for the next trip, allows a bus which may be running
late to recover and get back on schedule for the next trip. Additionally,
scheduled layover time provides a break for an operator during their route.
During the past five years, the owner of the shopping center has made significant
infrastructure improvements by updating existing store fronts and constructing
new buildings. As a result, this location has attracted several new tenants, while
negatively impacting traffic flow and available property for a bus
turnaround/layover area. In addition, future plans call for the continued
development of new
facilities within
Graceland that will
further limit the
physical use of the
site for transit
operation. Due to
this development
activity, the property
owner requested
that COTA relocate
to another site that is more appropriate for bus operations.
Figure 1-2 Westview Turnaround

1-26
During 2011, COTA worked with the Clintonville Area Commission and other
civic and community groups in identifying the northwest corner of High Street and
Westview Avenue as a potential relocation site. Following the necessary
approvals for this site, COTA moved forward with design and construction,
completing the project for operations in December 2012. The new layover site
allows for continuation of service for passengers wishing to patronize Graceland
Shopping Center, and extends service approximately a half mile further north on
High Street. As a result of this relocation, each of the routes listed above were
modified to serve the new, COTA-owned facility.
Transit service is still provided inside the Graceland Shopping Center by the #2
North High Street local at approximately 30 minute frequency of service on
weekdays, with a reduced level of service offered during evenings and
weekends. Buses at Graceland now simply enter and exit the site without laying
over.
The Westview Layover/Turnaround began operations on January 7, 2013. The
cost for the property, design, and construction was $2.56 million.
Figure 1-3 COTA Facilities – Minority Tracts

1-27
Figure 1-3 and Figure 1-4 show the location of the McKinley Avenue facility atop
facility is in tract 006821 with a population of 3,327, a minority population of 948
and a low-income population of 2,886 (2011 ACS data). There are no residential
properties adjacent to the facility, with the closest neighborhood approximately
0.3 mi away.
Figure 1-4 COTA Facilities – Low-income Tracts

2 – Requirements and Guidelines for Fixed-Route Transit Providers
2-1
2 REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES FOR FIXED-ROUTE
TRANSIT PROVIDERS
2.1 REQUIREMENT TO SET SYSTEM-WIDE SERVICE STANDARDS AND
POLICIES
Effective Practices to Fulfill the Service Standard Requirement
COTA’s adopted service design standards are contained within each iteration of
its short-range transit plan. The COTA Board of Trustees normally approves the
plan every two years. The most recent version, COTA’s 2013-2017 Short-Range
Transit Plan, was adopted in May, 2013. The service standards are outlined
below as required within FTA C 4702.1B Chap. IV sec. 4.1.
COTA’s service standards are listed below:
Vehicle load - The intent of load standards is to balance passenger comfort and
safety with operating costs. These standards define maximum passenger loads
at different times of day to ensure acceptable levels of rider comfort and safety,
while providing COTA good operating efficiencies. The load standards shown
below represent the total number of riders as a percent of the number of seats on
the bus:
Time Period Local Express Crosstown LINK
Weekday
AM, PM peak 120% 100% 120% 120%
Midday 100% 100% 100% 100%
Night 100% 100% 100% 100%
Saturday 100% 100% 100% 100%
Sunday 100% 100% 100% 100%
These load standards should be applied to the average ridership and number of
seats per bus for a period of 60 minutes. Passenger loading on individual bus
trips may exceed the standard. If the load standard is exceeded for any 60-
minute period, COTA will evaluate the potential for improving the service
frequency (i.e., reducing the headway, or interval between buses). If the
standard is exceeded for particular trips, but not for a sustained 60-minute
period, COTA will evaluate the possibility of adjusting schedule times to focus
more service before and after the overloaded trip(s).

2-2
The maximum time that an individual passenger should be expected to stand on
a given trip is 15 minutes.
Vehicle headway - The frequency of service on a particular route (i.e., headway,
or time interval between successive buses) will be based on the existing or
projected ridership and load standards (i.e., maximum number of passengers
onboard a bus). However, on some routes, during certain periods of low
ridership, determining frequency based on ridership demand may lead to very
infrequent service. So infrequent, in fact, that the service is no longer viewed by
passengers as a reliable or convenient means of travel. Therefore, minimum
standards of service frequency may be applied to assure that a reliable, attractive
level of service is available throughout the day.
The following are minimum guidelines for COTA service frequency for each
Service Category:
Time Period Local Express Crosstown LINK
Weekday
AM, PM peak 30 min. 60 min. 30 min. NA
Midday 60 min. NA 60 min. NA
Night 60 min. NA NA NA
Saturday 60 min. NA 60 min. NA
Sunday 60 min. NA 60 min. NA
Clock headways (e.g., service frequency intervals of 10, 15, 20, 30 and 60
minutes) should be maintained whenever possible. This helps to make the
service easier to understand and more predictable to a rider, which is particularly
important during periods when the service is infrequent (i.e., more than 30
minutes). Although clock headways are recommended, current funding levels
and vehicle availability make this operating structure difficult to implement on a
system-wide basis.
On-time performance – To ensure that transit riders have confidence that the
service will perform reliably in accordance with the public timetables prepared
and distributed by COTA, on-time performance standards have been established.
A vehicle is considered “on-time” when its arrival is from zero to 4 minutes and
59 seconds after the scheduled time. A vehicle is considered “late” when it
arrives five minutes or more after the scheduled time. No vehicles should arrive
before the scheduled time, or “early”.

2-3
It is impossible to achieve and maintain 100% on-time performance due to
varying traffic and weather conditions, construction activity, detours, accidents
and other service interruptions. Nevertheless, every effort will be made to ensure
that all COTA buses operate on-time. The following on time performance
standards shall apply:
 80 - 90% of all buses should arrive at scheduled time points “on-time”.
If a route or individual trip(s) is consistently running late, then a review of the
schedule will be conducted and remedial actions (e.g., schedule and/or run
modification if needed, improved on-street supervision, etc.) taken at the earliest
opportunity.
Service Availability for Fixed-Route Service - COTA attempts to meet the
transit industry standard of 1/4 of a mile, with relation to the distance a person
must travel to gain access to the system.
Additionally, COTA set bus stop spacing guidelines and began an initiative to
analyze all the bus stops within the fixed-route system to determine if the stop
should be in service based upon the guidelines.
Bus Stop Service Improvement Project (BSSIP)
Bus stops should be spaced to balance the need for a quick in-vehicle travel time
with considerations of the distance customers must walk to access the stop.
When stops are spaced closely together, customers have convenient access as
they are likely walking a short distance to the nearest bus stop. However, closely
spaced stops are likely to result in a longer ride for customers because of the
number of times the bus needs to decelerate, come to a complete stop, and then
accelerate and re-merge into traffic. Having fewer stops along a bus route will
inconvenience some customers who will be required to walk further to the
nearest stop, especially if they have a mobility limitation. At the same time,
having a greater distance between bus stops benefits passengers by reducing
the in-vehicle travel time and benefits the transit agency through reduced
maintenance costs of underutilized bus stops. Therefore, optimally spacing bus
stops can have positive impacts on quality of service as well as operational
effectiveness and efficiency.

2-4
COTA developed new bus stop spacing guidelines in 2009, as seen in Table 2-1
below. These guidelines were developed based on review of research studies
on the optimal spacing of bus stops, existing bus stop spacing standards at other
transit agencies, and feedback from the public, municipalities, and other
stakeholders.
Table 2-1 Bus Stop Spacing Guidelines
Density Bus Stop Spacing Range
High Density, CBD, Shopping (>20 persons/acre) 500 – 700 ft.
Fully developed residential area (10 – 20
persons/acre)
700 – 850 ft.
Low density residential (3 – 10 persons/acre) 850 – 1200 ft.
Rural (or Express Bus Service) (0 – 3 persons/acre) 1200+ ft.
Figure 2-1 Example BSSIP Analysis

2-5
It is important to note that these are general guidelines and that the actual
placement of bus stops is influenced by more than these factors. When placing
new bus stops or analyzing existing stop spacing COTA examines the following
criteria:
 Ridership – COTA will prioritize removing stops with low ridership rather
than stops with very high ridership, which may result in uneven spacing on
portions of the lines, if for example two very high ridership stops exist in
close proximity to each other.
 Crosswalks- COTA will prioritize placing new stops at intersections with
safe crosswalks to discourage unsafe pedestrian crossings, which may
result in uneven stop spacing on portions of the lines.
 Accessibility – COTA may choose not to place or to remove stops along
unsafe roadways with no pedestrian amenities, even if the spacing
guidelines call for more closely spaced stops.
 Special Populations – COTA may place stops more closely together if the
stops are in close proximity to concentrations of people with mobility
limitations, elderly populations, or medical facilities.
 Nearby Destinations – COTA may place stops more closely than the
guidelines call for if there are major trip-generating destinations such as
employment centers.
 Transfer Opportunities – COTA may place stops more closely together
than recommended if it is necessary to do so in order to make transfers
possible between multiple lines.
In 2010, COTA began a multi-year project to analyze all existing bus stops to
determine if spacing is consistent with the new guidelines. Many of the
communities in COTA’s service area have changed over time and the existing
bus stop spacing may not reflect current land use and population density. At
least five months prior to each service change (the first Monday of January, May,
and September), COTA selects routes to analyze, comprising about 500 bus
stops. The spacing between each stop on each route is mapped and analyzed
along with data collected from on-site investigations of each bus stop. Based on
this analysis, COTA recommends bus stops to be consolidated, moved, or
added. COTA uses a number of methods to notify customers and other
stakeholders of these potential changes including:
 Posting commuter bulletins on all potentially affected bus stops;

2-6
 Posting information on the COTA website;
 Holding public meetings; and
 Notifying municipalities.
Customers can respond during a three week open comment period through
various methods, including the website, completing comment cards and verbally
commenting at service change meetings, and phoning COTA to speak to a
customer service representative. Based on the feedback received about the
proposed bus stop changes, COTA will make the final decisions and notify the
public of the final changes prior to implementation. It is expected that COTA will
complete the Bus Stop Service Improvement Project by 2015.
Effective Practices to Fulfill the Service Policy Requirement
Distribution of transit amenities – Passenger shelters, bus stops, and
passenger information are COTA’s primary amenities.
Passenger Shelters
COTA currently owns and maintains 302 passenger shelters. A map of COTA
shelter locations is found in Appendix D. As the map shows, the majority of the
shelters are located in low-income and minority census tracts. These shelters
are located throughout the Franklin County area and serve major
boarding/transfer locations, park and ride lots, turnarounds, shopping areas,
medical/elderly facilities, etc.
Shelter Site Selection Process
COTA uses ridership figures as the primary criterion for determining which bus
stops warrant shelters. Locations with 35 passenger boardings per day or more
will be considered for shelters. Yet, there are additional criteria that are taken
into account that support the placement of a shelter:
 Proximity to medical facilities;
 Proximity to senior housing;
 Frequent wheelchair lift usage;
 Major transfer point;

2-7
 Serves a park & ride;
 Serves a major activity center; and
 Shelters funded and maintained by others.
If a bus stop meets COTA’s shelter criteria, it may be considered for passenger
shelter placement. Meeting these criteria, however, does not guarantee shelter
installations. Existing site conditions such as the following may make shelter
placement unfeasible:
 Adequate shelter of some type is readily available
 Shelter location is not approved by the local authorities
 Shelter location generates severe local citizen/business opposition
 Inadequate Right-of-Way
 Lack of existing pedestrian amenities
Features to be available with each COTA shelter are divided into two categories,
necessary and desired. The following features are necessary:
 Benches (not necessarily full length).
 Accessible to passengers with disabilities.
 Security of the shelter by limitation of nearby vegetation and non-obscured
visibility and nearby/attached lighting.
 Bus stop location is directly accessible from the shelter.
The following features are desired:
 Newspaper facilities
 Full shelter site
 Public service announcements (with no other advertising).
Fifty-seven shelters and receptacles were installed in 2011 and thirty-six in 2012.
Shelters are installed throughout our service area, with the largest concentration
for shelter installations occurring along N. High St. and E. Broad St. In 2013 and

2-8
2014, most shelters in downtown Columbus will be replaced with new, uniquely
designed shelters.
Downtown Shelters
COTA partnered with students from the Columbus College of Art and Design
(CCAD), to design new passenger shelters that will replace those currently
installed along High Street in the downtown Columbus area. The installation will
be completed in 2014. A review of the COTA system may result in some service
changes in the downtown area. If this results in a significant increase in bus
volumes on another downtown street, the new shelters may also be placed at the
downtown stops along that street.
Bus Stop Signs
As of January 2013, COTA has 3,885 unique bus stops throughout the service
area. Most bus stops have COTA managed bus stop signs. Those without
COTA signs are primarily in downtown Columbus but are indicated by either a
shelter or a city of Columbus regulatory sign indicating a bus stop zone. COTA
has an adequate inventory of bus stop signs and signposts for the 2010 calendar
year. In late 2012 and throughout 2013 COTA has begun a new stop inventory
process.
Passenger Information
COTA provides information to its customers and other stakeholders in a variety
of ways:
 Web site and social media;
 Timetables: COTA designs, updates and produces a printed timetable for
every route with maps and departure and arrival times at timepoints and
other information for customers;
 System Map: COTA designs, updates and produces a large fold out map
of COTA’s system along with customer information about COTA and how
to use public transit in central Ohio;
 Brochures: COTA designs and produces brochures on various topics to
inform new and existing customers about special programming, how to
access public transit in central Ohio and other topics. A sampling of
brochures available include: senior services, how to ride guide, fares,
opportunities for Ohio State students and seasonal Summer YouthPass;

2-9
 On board placards: COTA designs, produces and installs on board
placards with information about riding COTA, regulations and expected
behaviors, security information and other topics to inform customers about
riding public transit and tips to make their experience as pleasant as
possible.
COTA Connection Customer Service Center
COTA’s pass sales and customer service center is located in the lobby of the
William J. Lhota Building at 33 N. High St. in downtown Columbus. Monthly
passes, DayPasses, Senior Discount and Key-Cards, system maps, and
schedule information can be obtained at this location, and it serves as COTA’s
“Lost and Found” location. A customer information center (which provides
telephone information to the public), and COTA's Quality Service offices are
operated at McKinley Operations, 1600 McKinley Ave. In 2012, COTA’s
customer information call center received 1,933,028 calls.
Additionally, monthly passes and DayPasses are available for purchase at 93
locations throughout Franklin County.
In early 2013, COTA installed an automatic pass dispensing machine at 33 N.
High Street providing 24-hours pass sales providing access to passes to riders
traveling to, from or through downtown Columbus.
COTA service information is also easily accessible via an automated customer
information system named Trapeze INFO. Consisting of several software
modules, Trapeze INFO allows customers to obtain schedule and other
information interactively via the telephone or COTA’s website 24 hours a day.
COTA Website and Social Media
In 2012, unique visits to www.cota.com averaged at 50,000 per month. In 2013,
to meet the growing demand, COTA is redeveloping the website to include real
time information that is available on a desktop or mobile device. Customers will
more easily access bus schedules and arrival times, destinations, service
changes, public meetings, employment and vendor opportunities. Information
will be displayed as HTML and PDFs for customers’ convenience. In addition,
COTA will provide detours and delays, changes in schedules and COTA
programs and initiatives (e.g., Bus Stop Service Improvement Project).
Customers will still have the ability to plan their trip using Google Transit.
Customers will also be able to sign up for rider alerts to their phone or email.

2-10
In addition to the website, COTA now manages a Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube account to stay engaged with customers. In addition, COTA evaluating
other social media tools, such as Four Square, to determine their value to COTA
and customers alike.
As part of the SRTP, COTA will continue to monitor and invest in the latest
computer hardware and software, and Internet technologies available to deliver
accurate and timely transit information to central Ohio residents.
Automatic Vehicle Announcement
Over the past several years, COTA has made a significant investment in
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), to better manage and improve how
COTA communicates and offers services to the public. One component of ITS,
the Automatic Vehicle Annunciator (AVA) is a project that was initiated in January
of 2003 and was fully functional for public use in May 2005 (see section 9.2).
The AVA automatically announces and displays next stop information for the
benefit of hearing and vision-disabled passengers. This system also improves
service to COTA’s riders, especially to people not familiar with the stops of a
particular route; or, to all riders when visibility is poor or limited due to night time
hours or inclement weather conditions.
As part of the AVL replacement project mentioned above, the AVA system will
also be replaced on all buses. This project was completed in 2012.
The AVA System enables COTA to meet or exceed all ADA requirements and
will be included in all future bus buys.
Traveler Information Systems
Google Transit - In July 2008, COTA made available through a partnership
with Google Transit, an online public transit trip planning tool, providing
customers with a new tool for planning their bus trips in central Ohio. To use
Google’s trip planner, customers simply enter their starting address and
destination in the Trip Planner box on COTA’s homepage. Integrated with
Google Maps, the Internet-based trip planner locates the nearest bus stop to the
customer and gives step-by-step directions and detailed mapping for the trip.
COTA riders receive travel times, any pertinent bus transfer and walking
information, and the quickest way to reach the destination. COTA schedules are
also available directly via Google Maps when users search for directions within
the service area; public transit directions appear as an alternative to driving

2-11
directions. The Street View feature of Google Maps offers a visual preview of the
trip and planned destination.
Trip PRO - While Google Transit is COTA’s primary online trip-planning
option, COTA continues to offer “Trip PRO” as a secondary option. Trip PRO is
comprised of applications relying on Trapeze Software. The program includes an
online trip planner; users can select dates, times, landmarks or put in an address
to generate an itinerary.
Initiated in 2009, COTA installed new CAD/AVL software and in 2012 fully
replaced the Orbital system on fixed-route and paratransit buses with a system
from Trapeze ITS, a division of Trapeze Group, a leading global provider of
solutions for public urban passenger transportation. In 2013 COTA will complete
the installation of this newer technology that also incorporates and completes
several planned ITS components:
 Electronic manifest for paratransit operations;
 Driver training and on-board vehicle component and performance
monitoring;
 Transit intelligence system named Trapeze ViewPoint. ViewPoint is a
reporting, monitoring and analysis solution which will allow staff to access,
analyze and distribute operational data, and comes equipped with over
200 standard reports and dashboards; and
 Paratransit demand response systems (IVR and Internet based
reservation communication and automated notification).
Vehicle assignment
COTA utilizes buses that are equipped with Automatic Passenger Counter (APC)
equipment to collect unlinked passenger trips and passenger miles required as
part of the National Transit Database program. Because of this, buses must be
assigned in a random manner. A check of bus assignments confirmed that there
is no difference found in the age and quality of buses assigned to minority/low-
income routes and non-minority/non-low-income routes.
A route is defined as minority or low-income if one-third of its route directional
miles are located in minority or low-income census tracts. A list of minority
routes and samples of random bus assignment data is found in Appendix F.

2-12
2.2 REQUIREMENT TO COLLECT AND REPORT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
Demographic and Service Profile Maps and Charts
COTA staff has prepared demographic and service profile maps and charts using
2010 Census data and 2011 American Community Survey Data (ACS). The
ACS data was provided by MORPC and applied to the 2010 Census tracts.
A copy of COTA’s base map which shows census tracts, major streets and
highways, bus routes, transit facilities, major employment centers, hospitals, etc.
is shown in Appendix D. Additionally, a poster size map is included with this
submission. Those census tracts with minority populations greater than 32% (the
total service-area minority population percentage) are shaded in grey.
Additionally, those census tracts with a low-income population greater than
16.5% (the service-area low-income population) are shaded in grey. A chart
listing the totals, by census tract is included in Appendix D.
Demographic Ridership and Travel Patterns
During the month of October 2008, an on-board passenger survey was
conducted on all COTA routes. The survey was conducted in partnership with
MORPC, the region’s metropolitan planning organization. The purpose of the
survey was to capture accurate and reliable travel patterns and socio-
demographic characteristics of the community’s transit passengers. The details
obtained through the use of the survey are being utilized to help update
MORPC’s regional transportation model, and to assist with future transit planning
and marketing efforts.
Available in both English and Spanish versions, the survey asked questions
about how often riders use transit service, their origin and destination, how
passengers complete their trip and how they transfer within the system. The
survey collected important demographic information regarding vehicle ownership,
income levels, and access modes. Open-ended comments regarding the
provision of COTA’s transit service were also collected and summarized in report
form. Approximately 14,590 surveys were handed out and a total of 5,995
complete and usable surveys as well as 5,076 partial records were collected.
Key findings from the survey as well as English and Spanish versions of the
survey are included in Appendix D.

2-13
In early 2013, COTA initiated another On-Board Survey, again in cooperation
with MORPC. The survey will finish in September and data available late 2013
or early 2014. Subsequent Title VI reports will utilize the 2013 survey data.
2.3 REQUIREMENT TO MONITOR TRANSIT SERVICE
Performance Assessment
In order to comply with 49 CFR Section 21.5(2), 49 CFR Section 21.5(b)(7) and
Appendix C to 49 CFR part 21, COTA has provided a sample of minority, non-
minority, low-income and non-low-income bus routes with required analysis. A
description of the level of service quality methodology is provided below, with the
corresponding service analysis found in Table 2-3. The analysis reflects no
significant difference in service quality between low-income/minority census
tracts and non-low-income/non-minority tracts.
To compare the service design and performance of COTA’s bus lines, five
minority/low income bus lines and five non-minority/non-low income bus lines
were randomly chosen for comparison to COTA’s adopted service standards.
The minority and low-income status of COTA’s bus lines are defined as 1/3 of the
line serving minority or low-income census tracts.
Each of the ten selected bus lines was analyzed for its compliance with COTA’s
minimum standards for service design, as adopted in the 2013-2017 Short-
Range Transit Plan. The elements analyzed include service hours (span of
service) for each day of the week and frequency of service for each day of the
week and time of day (weekday only). Table 2-2 below represents the results of
this analysis, showing either yes, no, or not applicable for each bus line indicating
whether or not that line meets the standards. The standards for service design
that were used for this analysis can be found in Chapter 3 of COTA’s 2013-2017
Short-Range Transit Plan available on COTA’s website
http://www.cota.com/2013-17ShortRangeTransitPlan.aspx. (Appendix H)
This analysis demonstrates that COTA’s minority and low-income bus lines meet
COTA’s own design standards better than the non-minority and non-low income
bus lines. This difference is due to the fact that COTA must often determine
span and frequency of service based on passenger demand. In general, there is
less demand for transit service in areas with higher average incomes and lower
percentage of minority populations than in low-income, high-minority areas.
Therefore some of COTA’s bus lines serving non-minority/non-low income areas
do not have strong demand for transit resulting in lower levels of service.

2-14
Board Resolutions
In August 2013, COTA briefed the Board of Trustees on the results of the Title VI
program through a summary of the report and copy of the draft report. The board
passed a resolution approving the submittal and results of the report. See
Appendix E for more details.

2-15
Table 2-2 Requirement to Monitor Service

2-16
2.4 REQUIREMENT TO COLLECT AND REPORT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
Service Equity Analysis
Major Service Change Policy
In June 2013 COTA adopted an updated Major Service Change Policy in
accordance with FTA Circular C 4702.1B, Title VI Requirements and Guidelines
for Federal Transit Administration Recipients, see Appendix E for the adopted
policy. The threshold indicating a major service change is a 25% or greater
change in service hours.
COTA refines its fixed route services on the first Monday of January, May and
September of each year. In an effort to gather input from the public and to inform
transit users of all such scheduled changes to the service (including major
service reductions, which are defined as a 25% or more reduction in annualized
service hours on a route) COTA will adhere to the following procedures.
1 COTA will gather input continually from the public through telephone
conversations, letters, website, social media and regularly scheduled public
outreach meetings. In addition, COTA will survey its users and
employers/employees who have requested some modification to the transit
service.
2 Bi-annually, COTA will prepare an update to the schedule of service
improvements for the next five years which will be included in the Short-
Range Transit Plan (SRTP). The service changes in the SRTP are then
reviewed and discussed in the following public meetings: MORPC’s Citizens
Advisory, Transportation Advisory, and Policy committees; COTA Advisory
Panel (consisting of representatives from various local municipalities), COTA
Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees; and COTA Board of Trustees.
3 Prior to finalizing any service change, COTA will conduct Community
Outreach meetings in neighborhoods which will be most directly affected by
the change. When a proposed change would eliminate a route or
significantly reduce the span of service or frequency of service along a route,
COTA will actively solicit and consider input from the affected area through
neighborhood meetings and/or on-board surveys. A significant reduction in
the span of service on a route is defined as the elimination of a time period
(such as, midday service) or weekend service. A significant reduction in the
frequency of service on a route is defined as a 100% increase or more in the
headway of the route.
4 Two months prior to each service change, the proposed modifications are
presented to COTA’s Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees and the

2-17
full Board of Trustees for their review and approval. Such meetings are open
to the public for comments and discussion.
5 The following activities take place prior to the effective date of all approved
changes in order to inform users of the changes:
 A minimum of four public meetings will be held to solicit public input
regarding potential service modifications. Two meetings are held four
months prior to the service change implementation date in order to
encourage public feedback to service proposals, and if feasible,
adjustments are made by staff to the potential modifications. A second set
of two community outreach meetings will be held to present the final draft
list of modifications, and to solicit additional feedback. A minimum of two
meetings are held within a designated Title VI area.
 Commuter bulletins will be posted at bus stops affected by a proposed
service modification. Bulletins posted at bus stops include a description of
the proposed modification, maps (if applicable), and instructions regarding
how to provide feedback to COTA about the proposed changes.
Commuter bulletins will also be posted on COTA buses which indicate the
routes that will be affected;
 Press releases describing the changes will be sent to newspaper, radio
and TV stations, and posted on COTA’s website;
 COTA operators will pass out new public timetables on affected routes;
 Handouts describing the changes will be passed out at the downtown
express terminals and/or on selected trips, at the discretion of COTA;
 Any other activities deemed necessary by COTA.
Adverse Effects
During the December 2010 to June 2013 reporting period there were no major
service reductions of system-wide hours of service. However, five lines were
discontinued due to low-ridership.
With the addition of the 0.25% ten-year renewable sales tax approved by voters
in 2006, COTA reversed a previous trend of painful service reductions which
resulted in a 25% decrease in service hours from 2001 to 2006. While COTA
utilized the 2006 LRTP and 2007 SRTP as roadmaps for ramped up service
expansion beginning in 2007, expansion slowed as a result of the nation’s recent
worst economic recession since the Great Depression. The economic downturn
negatively impacted COTA’s projected sales tax receipts, and caused a

2-18
significant rise in the region’s unemployment rate. In order to ensure a balanced
budget and prudent management of COTA’s financial resources, in January
2010, COTA reduced the yearly service hour expansion rate by nearly 50%, from
approximately 60,000 annual hours of new service to 40,000 hours of new
service each year. However, starting in 2013, in response to improving
economic conditions, COTA will be able to expand service by approximately
50,000 hours per year from 2013 to 2017.
Through a continued expansion effort, COTA SRTP serves to maintain a
commitment for fixed-route service improvements that focus on five key areas of
improvement:
 Improved service frequency;
 Expanded service coverage area;
 Decreased travel times;
 Improved on-time performance; and
 Expanded hours of operation on selected routes.
During the Title VI reporting period, as a result of low ridership, the following
routes were discontinued #26 Beechwold express, #42 Johnstown reverse
express, #51 ODOT/ODPS reverse express, #62 Bethel reverse express, #74
Linden Link.
In order to keep pace with inflation and as projected in the LRTP, a fare increase
was implemented in January 2012. This increase was necessary to maintain a
balanced budget and avoid operating deficits. Appendix C contains a summary
of COTA’s public outreach activities for all service changes and fare increases
during this Title VI reporting period.
Various service change analysis was conducted during the Title VI reporting
period. A spreadsheet analysis was conducted which analyzed the percentage
change in service hours, miles, and trips for each route. Based on census tract
data, each route was classified as minority, low-income, or non-minority/non-low
income (see Appendix G). Appendix G also includes maps which were created
to reflect by area, service modifications which occurred during the January 2007-
September 2010 service change period.

2-19
Discontinued Routes from November 2010 to November 2013
Route Reason for
Discontinuation
Date of
Discontinuation
Routes
Effected
Other Accessible
Routes
#26
Beechwold
Express
Low ridership September 2012 None #4 Indianola provides
local service 7 days a
week along the same
alignment.
#42
Johnstown
Express
Low ridership January 2012 None None
#51
ODOT/ODPS
Express
Low ridership January 2011 None ODOT/ODPS location
would still be served by
the #10 W. Broad 7
days a week, and the
#222 W. Broad/Casino
Friday and Saturday
late night.
#62 Bethel Low ridership September 2011 None #18 Kenny provides
local service to the
origin and destination
stops 7 days a week.
#74 Linden
LINK
Low ridership May 2013 None The #1
Cleveland/Livingston
and #8 Hamilton
Ave/Frebis serve the
same area 7 days a
week. Each route has a
higher frequency and
span of service than the
#74.
Disparate Impact Policy
In June 2013, COTA’s Board of Trustees adopted a disparate impact policy in
accordance with FTA Circular C 4702.1B, Title VI Requirements and Guidelines for
Federal Transit Administration Recipients. COTA defines the threshold for a
“disparate impact” as follows: Should the impact of any major service change require
a minority population to bear adverse effects twenty percent (20%) or greater than
those adverse effects borne by the non-minority population, that impact will be
deemed a disparate impact.
The complete adopted policy can be seen in Appendix E.

2-20
Disproportionate Burden Policy
In June 2013, COTA’s Board of Trustees adopted a disproportionate burden
policy in accordance with FTA Circular C 4702.1B, Title VI Requirements and
Guidelines for Federal Transit Administration Recipients. COTA defines the
threshold for a “disproportionate burden” as follows: Should the impact of any
major service change require a low-income population to bear adverse effects
twenty percent (20%) or greater than those adverse effects borne by the non-
low-income population, that impact will be deemed a disproportionate burden.
The complete adopted policy can be seen in Appendix E.
Public Participation
To comply with the requirements of FTA Circular C 4702.1B, Title VI
Requirements and Guidelines for Federal Transit Administration Recipients,
COTA sought public comment on its Proposed Title VI and EJ policies. COTA
conducted two public meetings (April 30, 2013 and May 2, 2013) at its
administrative offices to present these policies and to solicit public comment.
The public meetings were held at different times of the day to provide the fullest
opportunity for public engagement. COTA advertised these meetings on its
website, social media channels and aboard all coaches. Additionally, COTA
posted its Proposed Title VI and EJ policies online throughout the public notice
and comment phase (April 16–May 16, 2013).
Attendance at the public meetings was not required to comment. COTA also
welcomed public comments via telephone, e-mail, and online—through its
website comment portal and social media channels.
Data Analysis
COTA staff has prepared demographic and service profile maps and charts using
2010 Census data and 2011 American Community Survey Data (ACS). The
ACS data and Census 2010 data was provided by the Mid-Ohio Regional
Planning Commission (MORPC) and applied to the 2010 Census tracts. ArcGIS
was used to display the data on 2010 Census tracts.
The status of a census tract as minority or non-minority was determined by
selecting all tracts within COTA’s service area, calculating the average
percentage of minority residents within the service area then comparing each

2-21
tract to the average. Tracts above that average were determined to be minority
tracts while tracts below were not.
The status of a census tract as low-income or non-low-income was determined
by using the ACS indication of individuals in poverty, selecting all tracts within
COTA’s service area, calculating the average percentage of low-income
residents within the service area then comparing each tract to the average.
Tracts above that average were determined to be low-income tracts while tracts
below were not.
Additionally, data from COTA’s 2008 On-Board survey is used for analyzing Fare
changes.
Assessing Service Impacts
Since the adoption of the updated Title VI circular in October 2012, COTA has
had one service change in May 2013 in which to evaluate service using the new
requirements within FTA Circular C 4702.1B, Title VI Requirements and
Guidelines for Federal Transit Administration Recipients. While COTA did have
a service change in January 2013, the changes were finalized before October
2012, prior to the adoption of the updated circular.
Appendix H displays how COTA tracks major service changes based on service
hours, number of trips and miles by line. Changes of 25% or greater are
highlighted in either green for increase or red for a decrease. COTA
continuously updates the tracking sheet and monitors changes on weekday,
Saturday and Sunday.
Table 2-3 below shows the lines that meet the Major Service Change threshold,
having had a 25% change in service hours for the May 2013 service change.
Minority and low-income population data was collected using the 2010 Census
and 2011 ACS data respectively. The percentage of minority and low-income
populations were compared to that of the total service area.
Although all the lines meet the Major Service Change threshold, only the #74
Linden LINK had a reduction in service (100%) and was the only line with a
disparate impact and disproportionate burden. COTA’s threshold for both
disparate impact and disproportionate burden is 20%. While the #7 had a
greater than 20% difference between low-income individuals served by the #7
and the entire system, the service was in favor of low-income populations.

2-22
The #74 was discontinued due to low ridership (36 per weekday) over multiple
years. The service provided circulator service through a primarily minority and
low-income neighborhood northeast of downtown Columbus. Many riders used
the service to transfer to nearby, higher frequency local lines. Although the line
was discontinued, the #1 Cleveland/Livingston, #8 Hamilton/Frebis and #81
Hudson/Ohio (crosstown) still serve the neighborhood, with most unique stops on
the #74 within ¼ mile walking distance. The exception is one stop just outside of
¼ mile walking distance.
The service hours from the #74 were reinvested in the system. May 2013
improvements within the neighborhood the #74 served include improving on-time
performance on the #1 Cleveland/Livingston on weekdays.

2-23
WeekdaySatSunTotalPopMinorityTotalPopLow-Income%Minority%Poverty%Minority%Poverty
May-1374Circulator-100%N/AN/ADiscontinuationduetolowridership.Minority/Low-Income
75.11,25.10,15,14,9.20,9.10,
7.30,7.20192331650818463794585.8%43.0%32%16.50%YesYes
May-134Local0%31.00%0.00%FrequencyImprovement.Minority/Low-Income
88.25,88.22,88.21,88.11,87.2,
77.4,77.3,107,69.24,69.21,69.1,
68.22,42,68.21,68.1,61,60,58.2,
58.1,57,56.2,56.1,53,52,40,30,
23,22,21,18.2,18.1,17,16,14,13,
12,10,3.1,2.2,2.1,1.2,7.2,7.1,6,
5,4.2,1.1138812379891322483945827.4%29.8%32%16.50%NoNo
May-135Local42.40%100.62%0.00%FrequencyImprovement.Minority/Low-Income
85,84,82.42,82.41,81.42,79.54,
79.53,79.41,78.3,66,52,43,42,
40,30,22,20,19.02,19.01,18.2,
18.1,17,11.28754320658840211875623.6%22.3%32%16.50%NoNo
11.22,78.2,78.12,87.1,11.21,42,
59,58.1,57,56.2,56.1,55,52,40,
32,30,22,21,20,18.2,18.1,17,13,
12,11.1,10,6,5,4.19858928269854523314928.7%38.8%32%16.50%NoNo
72.02,71.99,91,90,75.51,88.22,
88.21,75.34,101,42,61,58.2,58.1,
57,75.5,52,40,38,37,36,30,29,
28,26,25.2,74.24,25.18603641579827432161848.3%26.1%32%16.50%NoNo
May-1389Crosstown37.19%0.00%0.00%FrequencyImprovement.Minority/Low-Income
94.3,93.61,93.5,93.4,93.25,93.23,
93.22,92.5,92.4,92.1,94.95,102,
93.26,93.73,94.1,94.27412037338728981205250.4%16.5%32%16.50%NoNo
May2013DisparateImpactandDisproportionateBurdenAnalysis
Disparate
Impact
Disproportionate
BurdenChangeTitleVIStatus
CensusTractswithin1/4mi.
(3904900XX)TrimesterLineType
LineSystemTractsServiceHourChangeACSData
Table2-3TitleVIServiceAnalysis

2013 title vi_report_draft_i

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

En vedette

En vedette (20)

Similaire à 2013 title vi_report_draft_i

Similaire à 2013 title vi_report_draft_i (20)

Plus de COTA BUS

Plus de COTA BUS (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

2013 title vi_report_draft_i