Welcome: Getting Around

GETTING AROUND

Public Transit

The biggest public transit system in the area, COTA (the Central Ohio Transit Authority) reaches all corners of Columbus and Franklin County. Its fleet of buses on dozens of routes means you rarely have to wait long for a ride, and amenities like real-time bus tracking, free onboard Wi-Fi and bike racks make your trip easier than ever. Fares are $2 one way; transfer passes good for two hours can be obtained from bus operators. Passes are available for one or 31 days ($4.50 and $62, respectively). Discounts are available for children, certain students, seniors, veterans, Medicare card holders, individuals receiving income assistance and individuals with disabilities. Eligible employees of participating downtown Columbus businesses and organizations can sign up for a free C-Pass, which provides free COTA rides and a free annual membership to CoGo Bike Share.

Fares can be paid via the Transit app (free COTA Smartcards are available if you don’t have a smartphone) or onboard with exact change, though the service is planning to go cashless at a date to be determined. Passes can be purchased at COTA’s downtown offices, the John Glenn Columbus International Airport and retailers throughout the city.

In certain areas of Grove City, Westerville and Columbus, the COTA//Plus app offers affordable, on-demand, point-to-point rides. (Users without a smartphone can call 614-308-4400 to get set up.) The service is available weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with some cities offering weekend and late-night options. Base fares start at $3, with daily and weekly passes available for $6 and $20, respectively. Discounts and free rides are available for certain populations and C-Pass members. cogobikeshare.com

The federally funded GoBus, administered by Hocking Athens Perry Community Action, is designed to better serve transportation needs of the entire state. Five routes connect nearly 40 cities, including several in Central Ohio. Ticket pricing is based on the distance traveled, with base rates ranging from $5 to $30, plus sales tax and $2.50 service charge. Children 5 years old and younger ride free.

Air Travel

The Columbus Region has two major airports. On the east side of Columbus, John Glenn Columbus International Airport is the area’s main commercial air hub, with direct flights to more than 40 destinations across the U.S., plus Mexico and Canada. Rickenbacker International Airport on the south side of Columbus is primarily a cargo hub, though Allegiant Air offers discount seasonal and yearround commercial flights to destinations in Florida and along the southeastern coast of the U.S.

Image credit: Feinknopf

Shared Mobility Systems

Cyclists can rent bikes from CoGo Bike Share, which has a network of more than 600 bicycles at scores of stations scattered throughout central Columbus, Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights and Bexley, via the Lyft app. Pay $2.25 to “unlock” a bike for 30 minutes (each minute thereafter is 15 cents; e-bike rentals cost $2.25 to unlock and 15 cents per minute to use). Or get unlimited 30-minute rides with a day pass ($8) or unlimited 45-minute rides and a discount on e-bikes with an annual membership ($85). When you’re done, park and lock the bike at a CoGo station. A wide availability of marked and/or dedicated bike lanes in these areas make riding easy, safe and convenient.

Several “shared mobility device” programs offer dockless e-scooters for rent, though some cities have regulations about where the devices can be used. (For example, they’re banned in the Short North Arts District and several Columbus parks.) Spin, Lime, Bird, Uber and Superpedestrian LINK all operate with various boundaries and restrictions inside the I-270 outerbelt.

Columbus is also one of a few cities worldwide with Free2move car-sharing service. Users reserve and unlock a nearby vehicle using the Free2move app, available on Apple and Google app stores, then use the app to end the rental and lock the car when they’re finished. Car-shares are rented by the minute and can be parked in any metered space in the coverage area, free of charge. The app also offers longer-term car rentals and driver services.

Image Credit: Eamon Queeney

DRIVING AND RIDE-SHARES

Central Ohio’s major highways include U.S. Interstate 70, which runs east-west through the entire Region; U.S. Interstate 71, which runs from the southwest corner to the northeast corner; U.S. Interstate 270, which encircles the Greater Columbus area; U.S. Route 33, which runs from the northwest corner to the southeast corner; and U.S. Route 23, which runs north-south through the entire Region. In Columbus, State Route 315 runs west of and parallel to 71 and 23, and Interstate 670 cuts through the downtown area.

Uber and Lyft both operate throughout the Region; visit their respective websites for a coverage area map.

Columbus also has numerous taxi companies; two of the most well-known ones are Yellow Cab of Columbus (614-444-4444) and Columbus Taxi Service (614-262-4444).

Image Credit: Kyle David Widder