COTA ridership slips as gas prices fall

The Central Ohio Transit Authority was the fastest-growing large bus system in the country in 2011, when gasoline prices peaked at more than $4 a gallon and the U.S. was still shaking off a recession. Since then, the number of people riding buses in Columbus has stagnated even as COTA has continued to add service. Last year, COTA provided about 100,000 fewer rides — down less than 1 percent — than it did in 2014.