COTA Announces 9% Increase in Mid-Year Bus Ridership, Driven By Service Expansion, Shifting Commuter Trends

The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) today announced a significant increase in fixed-route bus ridership during the first half of 2025, reflecting growing community reliance on public transit. From January through June 2025, COTA recorded 6,040,121 fixed-route bus rides, a 9% increase over the same period in 2024, when ridership totaled 5,534,656.

One of the biggest monthly increases came in May 2025, when ridership jumped 17%, delivering 1,059,356 rides compared to 908,008 in May 2024.

COTA attributes the sustained increase to three key factors:

• The expansion of service past midnight, which began in May, allows more Central Ohioans to access transit during late-night hours. This expansion is one of the early enhancements delivered through the LinkUS mobility initiative, a regional plan to build a more connected and equitable transportation future.
• A growing number of employers are requiring on-site work, reversing earlier remote work trends and increasing demand for reliable commuting options.
• The rising cost of owning and maintaining a personal vehicle is leading more people to choose the affordability and convenience of public transit.

With nearly half a million more passenger bus trips so far this year, we’re seeing the impact of intentional investment in our transit future,” said Monica Tellez-Fowler, COTA President/CEO. “Our expanded late-night service is connecting more people to work, home, and entertainment when they need it most. As Central Ohio continues to grow, COTA is proud to expand with it to meet people where they are, and provide safe, affordable, and dependable service”.

Ridership gains reflect COTA’s broader efforts under LinkUS, which include plans for high-capacity bus rapid transit, improved neighborhood transit access, and safer streets, bikeways and trails for all modes of travel.

Additionally, COTA’s paratransit services, Mainstream and Mainstream On-Demand, collectively reported a 12% increase for the first half of 2025. COTA’s microtransit service, COTA//Plus, also experienced a 14% increase in completed trips from January to June, compared to the same period last year.

Updated ridership data will be included in September’s LinkUS Progress Report, and the final ridership data will be included in the 2025 Annual Report early next year.