The Central Ohio Transit Authority launched its first Customer Experience Action Plan on Thursday, October 29, a roadmap the Columbus-area agency says is meant to improve every part of a rider’s trip, from planning it and paying the fare to boarding and reaching a destination, according to COTA’s announcement via GlobeNewswire.
COTA said the launch makes it one of only eight transit agencies in the United States, and one of only 12 in North America, with a dedicated customer experience plan. The plan covers fixed-route bus service, COTA Mainstream paratransit and the COTA//Plus on-demand service.
"Our customers count on COTA to get to work, attend school, make medical appointments and stay connected to their communities. They deserve service that meets their needs and respects their time," COTA President and CEO Monica Téllez-Fowler said in the agency’s announcement. "Our first Customer Experience Action Plan is our commitment to listening and turning that feedback into action."
The agency said the plan was built in part from feedback from hundreds of customers, combined with community input, employee insights and performance data. That process pointed to priorities that include dependable service, clear communication, safety, accessibility, cleanliness and better connections.
Its focus areas include strengthening service reliability and on-time performance, improving transit stops, transit centers and vehicle conditions, providing clearer and more timely service information, making trip planning and fare payment easier, modernizing accessibility and booking tools, and expanding access to service. COTA said the plan also supports employees through training, communication, safety and professional development.
The announcement acknowledged that recent service reliability challenges have disrupted customers’ daily lives. COTA said the plan will help it identify service risks earlier, strengthen coordination across teams and use customer feedback and performance data to reduce the likelihood and impact of future disruptions, while giving riders clearer information when problems do occur.
For riders across Franklin County and the Columbus area, the practical test will be whether buses arrive more predictably and whether service alerts arrive in time to change plans. COTA is inviting customers and community members to read the full plan and share feedback at COTA.com/experience.
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