How to Ride
Getting you on board and on your way
New to riding COTA? Not sure where to start? Follow these tips on finding stops and schedules, checking routes, paying fares and more for your next commute or adventure.
Plan
- Download the Transit app to plan your trip with real-time tracking, pay your fare with your phone and more.
- COTA Travel Trainers can teach you everything you need to ride the bus independently and confidently.
- Get ready with Trip Planner
- Find nearby bus stops
- Check the schedule
- Download the Transit app using your smartphone or personal device
- Bike and Ride
- Park and Ride
- Free Wi-Fi
Board and Pay
- Get to the bus stop at least five minutes early.
- Stand near the bus stop sign.
- Check the bus header sign for its destination.
- COTA offers multiple convenient ways to pay your fare, including:
- Exact change
- The Transit app
- Your COTA Smartcard
- Your C-pass
- Or a pre-purchased pass
- DayPasses are available on the bus and at several Pass Locations throughout the city.
- Watch our How to Use the COTA Farebox video.
- Request free transfer passes, which are good for up to two hours, from the operator.
Ride
- Follow COTA’s Conduct Policy.
- Pay attention to stops being announced ahead of time.
- Just prior to your destination, signal operator to stop by pulling the yellow cord above the window.
- Exit through the back door to help keep buses running on time.
Other Tips to Make Your Ride Easier
- Emergency Rides: Don’t get stranded at work because of an emergency, illness, or unexpected overtime. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) has a free service to help. Learn more.
- Unlimited Downtown Access: Enjoy unlimited access to the entire COTA bus system with the Downtown C-pass. Eligible workers and residents can use C-pass any day, any time, on any route thanks to MORPC, COTA, and Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District downtown property owners. Read details.
The chart below provides the current span of service data for the fixed route system. Please note that these times are approximates.
Weekdays | Frequent | 5 a.m. – 11 p.m. |
---|---|---|
Standard | 5 a.m. – 11 p.m. | |
Rush Hour | AM and PM peak travel time periods only | |
Zoo Bus | 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. | |
Saturday | Frequent | 5 a.m. – 10 p.m. |
Standard | 5 a.m. – 10 p.m. | |
Zoo Bus | 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. | |
Sunday | Frequent | 5 a.m. – 10 p.m. |
Standard | 5 a.m. – 10 p.m. | |
Zoo Bus | 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. |
Holiday Service Days
COTA operates on a Sunday schedule for the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
Please be advised that some lines operate with reduced frequencies during Sunday schedules. We encourage customers to check our schedules, plan trips via the Transit app or use our Trip Planner when planning routes on weekends or holiday service days. You can also contact COTA’s Customer Care team for assistance.
TAKE YOUR BIKE ALONG FOR THE RIDE
It’s easy to ride your bike and use COTA to get around Central Ohio. Your bike rides for free, and it takes just a few moments to load it on one of the two racks at the front of the bus.
HOW DO I PUT MY BIKE ON THE BUS?
INSTRUCTIONS:
LOAD
- Remove all loose items from your bike.
- Make sure the operator knows you want to load your bike.
- Load your bike from the curb side.
LOCK
- Choose the closest open bike rack to the bus.
- Squeeze the bike rack handle to release the latch and lower the rack.
- Put your bike into the rack’s wheel wells.
- Make sure your front tire is on the same end as the support arm.
- Raise and pull the support arm up and over the bike’s front tire.
![](/_gatsby/file/e15ff900cf1b981523102b6fae4967a7/bike-bus-01.png?u=https%3A%2F%2Fauthor.cota.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F06%2Fbike-bus-01.png)
UNLOAD
- When you’re close to your stop, remind the operator that you need to unload your bike.
- Raise the support arm off the front tire and lower it out of the way.
- Lift your bike out of the rack. If yours was the only bike on the rack, return the rack to the upright and locked position.
- Signal the bus driver that you have removed your bike.
If a bike rack is full, ask the driver to bring your bike on board. Note, however, that it is your driver’s decision. The driver knows the route and may refuse your request to avoid crowded conditions further along the route.
Acceptable Bike Size Dimensions:
Max. Weight | 55lbs |
Max. Tire Width | 3” |
Wheel Diameter (Min/Max) | 16” to 29” |
Shared fleet mobility options
Shared fleet bikes (CoGo) and e-scooters (Bird, Lime, etc.) are not allowed on the bus at this time.
Lost & Found
Don’t forget to remind the Operator that you’ll need to unload your bike when your bus trip ends. If for some reason you forget your bike, please call us at 614-228-1776, click here for more information on how to retrieve your bike.
For safety reasons, operators cannot assist customers with the bike rack. You must be able to load and unload your bike correctly without the operator’s assistance. Bikes are mounted at the user’s risk. COTA is not responsible for any theft or damage while the bike is mounted on the rack or located at any COTA facility. If you have questions or would like to schedule a Bike & Bus demonstration at your local event, please contact Customer Service.
Park and Ride
Sit back and enjoy the ride
Free parking is available at COTA Park & Rides conveniently located throughout Central Ohio.
For more information about Park & Rides or to report a safety hazard or other issue, please contact Customer Service.
NAME | ADDRESS | LINES SERVED |
---|---|---|
Broad & Southampton Park & Ride | W Broad St & S Southampton Ave, Columbus, OH 43204 | 10 |
Canal Winchester Park & Ride | 6600 Trillium Ave., Canal Winchester, OH 43110 | 25, 52 |
Crosswoods Park & Ride | 7460 Huntington Park Dr, Columbus, OH 43235 | 41, 102 |
Delawanda Park & Ride | 4939 N High St, Columbus, OH 43214 | 2, 33, 34, 102 |
Dublin Park & Ride | 4450 Dale Dr, Dublin, OH 43017 | 73, Zoo Bus |
Easton Transit Center + Park & Ride | 4260 Stelzer Road Columbus, OH 43230 | 7, 9, 23, 24, 25, 31, 32, 34, 35, 44, 45 |
Great Southern Park & Ride | 3773 S High St, Columbus, OH 43207 | 8, COTA//Plus Grove City |
Griggs Dam Park & Ride | 2933 Riverside Drive, Columbus, OH 43221 | 73, Zoo Bus |
Grove City Park & Ride | 2321 Old Stringtown Rd., Grove City, OH 43123 | 3, 61, COTA//Plus Grove City |
Hilliard United Methodist Church Park & Ride | 5445 Scioto-Darby Rd., Hilliard, OH 43026 | 21, 32 |
Livingston & Barnett Park & Ride | 3380 E Livingston Ave, Columbus, OH 43227 | 1, 23 |
New Albany Park & Ride | 5202 Forest Dr, New Albany, OH 43054 | 35, 45, SmartRide New Albany |
Northern Lights Park & Ride | 3573 Cleveland Ave., Columbus, OH 43224 | CMAX |
Northland Transit Center | 5495 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH 43231 | 35, 43, CMAX |
Olentangy & Bethel Park & Ride | 4957 Olentangy River Rd., Columbus, OH 43214 | 74 |
Renner Rd Park & Ride | 5608 Renner Rd, Columbus, OH 43228 | 5, 71 |
Reynoldsburg Park & Ride | 2100 Birchview Dr, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 | 1, 51 |
Royal Plaza (Gahanna) Park & Ride | 376-452 Agler Rd, Gahanna, OH 43230 | 46 |
St Andrew Park & Ride | 1985 Swansford Dr, Dublin, OH 43016 | 74 |
Westerville Park & Ride | 312 W Main St, Westerville, OH 43081 | 43, COTA//Plus Westerville |
Westwoods Park & Ride | 55 Westwoods Blvd, Galloway, OH 43119 | 9, 10, 21 |
Whitehall Park & Ride | E Broad St & Schofield Dr, Whitehall, OH 43213 | 10 |
Wi-Fi
Keeping You Connected on the Go
COTA offers free, fleet-wide passenger Wi-Fi. So you can check email, access social media or watch a movie while safely riding to your next destination.
How to log in
- Find for the Wi-Fi symbol displayed on your vehicle.
- Pull up the COTA Passenger Wi-Fi network. On the login screen, you can register using a Facebook account, first name or email address.
- The only mandatory step for connecting to onboard Wi-Fi is accepting our Terms & Conditions. To accept, click the box at the bottom of the login screen.
- Once you’ve accepted the Terms, you are free to use Wi-Fi on your personal device.
- You can also connect to COTA Wi-Fi at the following locations:
- Outside of COTA’s Pass Sales Office at 33 N. High St.
- The COTA Spring Street Terminal at 33 W. Spring St.
- The COTA Transit Terminal at 25 E. Rich St.
- The COTA Easton Transit Center at 4260 Transit Dr.
- The COTA shelter at the John Glenn International Airport on the Arrivals level