If students, faculty and staff at OSU think traffic is bad now, the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) is predicting a congestion nightmare for downtown Columbus and all over Franklin County in the future. Over the next 20 years, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts the population of Columbus will grow by 400,000 people, and traffic problems will grow as the population rises. In order to deal with this expected increase, COTA has proposed two levies to help fund an increase in bus service and a new light rail system.The Columbus Metropolitan Club hosted a debate between COTA and the opponents of Issues 20 and 21 Wednesday at the Columbus Athletic Club.If passed in the Nov. 2 election, the combined issues would add a tax to help fund new bus lines and a light rail transit service to the Franklin County area. Ron Barns, general manager and CEO of COTA, said Columbus cannot keep building and repairing highways to lessen traffic congestion and that increasing COTA’s services is an answer.”We cannot build our way out of this problem,” Barns said. “New highways alone are not the answer.”If the levies pass, COTA plans on introducing more bus lines and a light rail service to run throughout the city and Franklin County. If the levies fail, COTA will have to cut services, Barns said.The COTA levies are endorsed by current mayor Greg Lashutka and both mayoral candidates, Michael Coleman and Dorothy Teater.The Citizens for Sensible Transportation opposes the two levies and questions COTA’s efficiency, accountability and fairness.Richard Sheir, group spokesman, said that taxes will not be the only thing that increases if the levies are passed. Sheir said he believes that the number of empty buses will double and pollution will increase.Barns said that there will always be times when some buses are empty. “Sure, some buses are empty. Just like some roads are empty and are lightly traveled at night,” Barns said.He also said that it takes time for new bus lines to gain ridership, but that new lines can become successful.Sheir questioned why the entire public should be required to pay for a service that very few use. Currently, less than five percent of the public use COTA services. Barns said he thinks the choices that will be added if the COTA levies pass will increase ridership and make the tax increase worthwhile.”Through ‘Vision 20/20’, COTA will move more than double its current customer base with the aid of 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service on its most frequently used routes,” Barns said in the Columbus Metropolitan Club press release. These routes include the Number 2 bus line, which connects campus to downtown Columbus.”Vision 20/20″ is the overall plan COTA created that includes increased service and the light rail system.Barns also said that the internal city trolley and suburb transit system could increase and regulate the everyday flow of the downtown populations as well as expand and promote downtown employment.”We must look at more than running a rail down a track-we must look at the possible economic gain,” he said.COTA currently has a model of its suburb transit system in Westerville. Sheir said that only two people per service hour rode the system, far less than the 18 passengers per service hour that COTA would have to have in order to receive all of the federal funds needed to complete the project.”I feel sorry for those who rely on these COTA services to get to work, but the public must decide when is enough,” Sheir said. “The demand must predispose the supply and the demand for COTA services just isn’t there.”