The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), responsible for mass transit in the Columbus area, has announced, as expected, that they will vote at today's Board of Directors meeting on a resolution to ask voters to approve an additional .25% sales tax increase in Franklin County to fund expanded bus service. COTA has been under increasing financial pressure to maintain current levels of service, much less expand, due to decreased ridership and increased operating expenses, including a new labor agreement and rising fuel costs.

The current rider fees ($1.50 for a single trip, although most riders use student passes and monthly passes, reducing their cost) covers only a fraction of the cost of operating the system. In 2005, COTA transported about 14.6 million passengers. Their budget for 2005 was $35.5 million, or $2.43 per passenger.

A tax increase will allow them to resume and expand crosstown routes, although in the past these routes were often very lightly used.
COTA recently backed away from an initiative they had long supported to construct high-speed rail service in Columbus.

I'm a big supporter of public transportation, and would love to see Columbus with a more thriving system. I also applaud their recent efforts at fiscal responsibility.

However, I wonder if more money will solve the basic problem of underutilization? If we presume the most demanded routes are the ones currently served, then wouldn't each additional route return less on the investment, driving up the per-passenger expense? If we give COTA an additional $44 million, will we be adding essential services or paying to run more empty buses?