2025 Annual Report
2025 was a strong start, but the transformation is just beginning. COTA’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan charts the course for the next chapter of growth, investment and expanded service across Central Ohio.
COTA’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan
COTA and Central Ohio stand at a defining moment with unprecedented population growth, new opportunities and the implementation of the LinkUS initiative. The 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, approved by the COTA Board of Trustees in December 2025, establishes a framework and roadmap built on four pillars: customer experience, employee engagement, community value and fiscal responsibility.
The plan was informed by LinkUS and shaped through meaningful conversations with community members, the COTA Board and Team COTA. It reminds us that transportation is about more than buses and stops; it’s about connecting people to opportunity. The Strategic Plan is COTA’s commitment to a stronger, more connected and more prosperous Central Ohio, where mobility truly moves every life forward.
View the 2026–2030 Strategic PlanThe 2026 budget brings the Strategic Plan to life with investments that expand service, improve infrastructure and grow the system.
SERVICE EXPANSION
- Final design of the West Broad Street Bus Rapid Transit corridor, the first of three planned BRT lines to begin construction
- Launch of Line 30, a new bus route connecting communities such as Hilliard and Upper Arlington to The Ohio State University
- Announcement of a new COTA//Plus zone to expand on-demand service
- 42 new Operators hired for fixed-route and COTA//Plus services
- Approximately 94,000 additional service hours to improve frequency and support COTA Mainstream services
INFRASTRUCTURE & FLEET
- Planning and/or construction of 37 sidewalk and bikeway projects across the region
- 38 new buses, 30 new COTA//Plus vans and 15 new COTA Mainstream vehicles
- Completion of the Mobility Center at Rickenbacker (MCAR)
- Study and design of a downtown transit center
SAFETY & TECHNOLOGY
- Operational efficiency improvements
- Transit safety and cybersecurity enhancements
- Technology deployment across the system
From strategic planning to concrete action, COTA is building the transit system Central Ohio deserves. Explore how Team COTA, community connections and innovation are making it happen.
