The Central Ohio Transit Authority’s recent route change has left at least one Ohio State student waiting in the cold.
COTA makes adjustments to its services three times every year in January, May and September, and its most recent changes were implemented Monday.
Marty Stutz, vice president of communications, marketing and customer service for COTA, said the transportation service is expanding, and the company is continually adding services and increasing the frequency of buses.
Students who venture to the Graceland Shopping Center a few miles from campus in Clintonville might have to find a new route that doesn’t involve public transportation.
COTA decreased the service to the Graceland Shopping Center, adjusted several bus routes and increased the frequency of buses on different lines.
The Graceland Shopping Center at 5324 N. High St. will no longer be a layover or a turnaround location, which greatly reduced the service to this area.
There were a few changes to the bus routes around campus, but Stutz said none would significantly impact students.
Stutz said some changes could be helpful to students.
COTA increased the service of buses running on Lines 2 and 4, which are two of the more popular bus routes in the Ohio State area, Stutz said. Line 2 runs down High Street through campus and downtown Columbus, and Line 4 runs down Summit and Fourth streets.
“Students that take that line have a few more options and a little more service to choose from,” Stutz said.
However, some students haven’t noticed the changes.
Qianwei Xu, a fourth-year in economics, said she was not aware that COTA had made any changes to the routes, but she did notice the affected bus schedule.
“I waited for almost half an hour this morning because I don’t know (about) the change,” Xu said.
Sean McLaughlin, director of Off-campus and Commuter Student Engagement at OSU, said he is uncertain how the changes will affect students.
“I haven’t really talked to students about it,” McLaughlin said. “No one has complained to me about it.”
McLaughlin said he believed it could impact both commuter and off-campus students.