Another BRT starts up.

First BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) Line in Columbus Launches on Monday

New Year's Day will mark the start of service for the CMAX, the first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line to be developed by the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). Rides will be free on the line - which features specially-branded buses that run up and down Cleveland Avenue - for the first week of its...

 From (2017) article, (New Year’s Day will mark the start of service for the CMAX, the first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line to be developed by the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). Rides will be free on the line – which features specially-branded buses that run up and down Cleveland Avenue – for the first week of its operation.

Apart from their distinctive look, the new buses will be different from regular COTA buses in a few other ways – they’ll have lower doors to speed up the boarding process, USB charging ports, and built-in sensors that communicate with traffic lights to limit red-light stops.

“CMAX is a brand new way for COTA to provide public transportation in our growing region,” said Emille Williams, COTA’s Interim President/CEO, in a statement. “The service will improve mobility and connect the communities along Cleveland Avenue with employment opportunities, education and healthcare services.”

The CMAX will make limited stops between downtown and State Route 161, where a new Northland Transit Center will feature an indoor waiting area and also serve as a Park and Ride location (the line will continue north, making all local stops, to the Ohio Health Westerville medical campus). The new transit center sits in the parking lot of a former Meijer store that was converted into offices by Huntington Bank.

BRT systems are often described as a hybrid system that combines the faster travel times and branded stations of light rail with the lower cost and flexibility of buses. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy lists five “essential elements” of a BRT system, including a dedicated right of way and off-board fare collection.)

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