COTA Announces No Fares for Thursday, July 24 After National Weather Service Issues Heat Advisory

The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) will suspend fare collection system-wide for Thursday, July 24, due to the National Weather Service Forecast Office issuing a Heat Advisory in Franklin County.

COTA suspends fares on all transit vehicles on all routes in the event the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Wilmington, Ohio issues either a heat or cold advisory or warning due to extreme temperatures. A heat advisory is issued within 12 hours of the onset of extremely dangerous heat conditions. An advisory is generally issued when the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 100°F or higher for at least 2 days, and nighttime air temperatures will not drop below 75°F.

COTA offers this community service to encourage individuals who need to reduce exposure to extreme temperatures to have a safe and reliable means of transportation to access facilities that provide relief, including warming and cooling centers, libraries, recreation centers, and other places of shelter.

The no-fare policy will be in effect for the entire service day on the date listed above. The policy includes all transit vehicles, including fixed-route (buses), Mainstream, and COTA//Plus.

Customers can plan their trips at COTA.com, using the Transit app, or by calling the COTA Customer Care Center at 614-228-1776. Customer Care will be open during regular business hours.