COLUMBUS TRANSIT ROUTES

CONCISE HISTORY

In 1974, the publicly owned Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) acquired the privately owned Columbus Transit Co. This page lists COTA routes which can trace their histories back to privately ownership. Some routes were eventually discontinued by COTA. And since its formation COTA added several new bus routes, which are not listed. Route numbers were first adopted in 1975, and the system was extensively restructured in 2017.



Route No.  Route Name                     Streetcar    Trolleybuses    Buses
2017 1975  (Segment/Former Route Name)    Or New Bus   Introduced      Introduced

 1   18    Kenny                          New Bus                 1982
 1    1    Livingston                     Streetcar      8/17/47  12/ 7/59
 2    2    E. Main                        Streetcar      9/ 4/48   5/30/65
 2    2    N. High                        Streetcar      9/ 7/47   5/30/65
 3    3    Northwest Blvd.                New Bus                  3/22/36
 3   15    Harrisburg (Grove City)        Interurban              1922
 4    4    Indianola                      Streetcar     10/16/38   2/20/57
 4    8    Lockbourne (Frebis)            Streetcar               10/30/38
 5    5    W. 5th                         Streetcar                8/ 3/47
      5    Pennsylvania                   Streetcar                8/ 3/47  discontinued
 5    7    Refugee (Whittier)             Streetcar      9/ 7/47   6/ 3/63
 6    1    Cleveland                      Streetcar     12/ 3/33   7/31/61
 6    6    Sullivant                      Streetcar      5/ 5/35   9/21/58
 7    6    Mt. Vernon                     Streetcar      4/14/40   5/29/61
 7   96    Fifth Ave.                     New COTA Bus
 7   87    Cassady                        New Bus                 1976
 8    7    Neil                           Streetcar      9/ 4/48   5/ 4/64
 8    8    Karl (Hamilton)                New Bus                 11/17/53
 8   16    S. High                        Streetcar      9/ 7/47   6/ 3/63
 8    4    Parsons                        Streetcar      9/ 4/48   6/ 3/63
 9    3    W. Mound                       Streetcar               12/29/35
 9   11    St. Clair                      New COTA Bus
 9    9    Brentnell (Leonard)            Streetcar               12/29/35
10   10    E. Broad                       New Bus                  5/19/47
10   10    W. Broad                       Streetcar      4/14/40   1/ 4/65
11   11    Bryden (Oak)                   Streetcar     11/13/38   5/30/65
11   16    E. Long                        Streetcar      8/17/47   6/ 3/63
11   81    Maize (Hudson)                 New Bus                  5/26/47
12   12    McKinley-Fields                New COTA Bus            1980
13   19    Arlington-1st (Grandview)      Streetcar                3/22/36
     13    U.S. 33-Watermark              New COTA Bus                      discontinued
     14    Harmon-Greenlawn               New COTA Bus            1982      discontinued

21   21    Hilliard Rome                  New COTA Bus
22   81    OSU-Rickenbacker (Ohio)        New Bus                  6/ 9/47
23   92    James-Stelzer                  New COTA Bus
24   89    Hamilton                       New Bus                  5/ 6/74
25         Brice                          New COTA Bus             5/ 1/2017
31   80    Hudson (OSU-Lennox)            New COTA Bus
31   82    Hudson (Grandview-OSU)         New COTA Bus
32   83    N. Broadway (Oakland-Weber)    New Bus                  2/13/50
32   84    N. Broadway (OSU-Arlington)    New Bus                 1982
33         Henderson                      New COTA Bus             5/ 1/2017
34   95    Morse                          New COTA Bus
35         Dublin-Granville               New COTA Bus             5/ 1/2017

     82    Bexley                         New Bus                  9/ 8/30  discontinued
     86    S. Columbus                    New Bus                  3/  /75  discontinued

The 3 Harrisburg, previously the 15 Grove City route, evolved from the Columbus, Grove City & Southwestern Railway interurban line, southwest of Columbus to Orient. In 1906, the line was consolidated into the Indiana Columbus & Eastern Traction Co. (IC&E). In 1923, IC&E replaced the interurban trains with buses, and in 1928 IC&E sold the bus line to Columbus-Grove City Bus Co. The bus line was acquired soon after by Columbus-Celina Coach Lines, which in 1967 was merged into Columbus Suburban Coach Lines. In 1970, this line was sold to Lincoln Village Transit Co., which finally sold the line to COTA in July, 1974.

Route 12 primarily exists as a shuttle serving the two COTA bus garages, enabling drivers to make reliefs.


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