COTA has cut daily bus cancellations by roughly a third since July. The agency expects 20 new buses on the road by the end of September as it overhauls service Sept. 7.

Canceled trips averaged 107 per day in August, down from 160 per day in July, according to COTA Insights, an automated tracker on Bluesky. COTA's on-time performance stands at 81.3 percent so far in 2026, unchanged from 2025 but up from 77 percent in 2024.

Jeff Pullin, COTA's director of public relations, told Columbus Underground that 23 of 38 new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses had arrived as of Tuesday, Sept. 1. All need equipment installed and testing before entering service. COTA projects 20 will be running by month's end, with all 38 deployed in October.

"To our customers, one missed trip is too many, and we will not be satisfied until we are consistent in providing all daily trips," Pullin said.

The agency is also returning recalled battery-electric buses to the manufacturer for repair. Pullin described it as a national recall, with buses sent back a few at a time.

What changes for Dublin riders

As we reported Aug. 25, Line 1 is splitting into two routes at launch. Line 1 Kenny will run between downtown Columbus and Ohio State Outpatient Care Dublin. Line 1 Livingston will run between downtown and the Reynoldsburg Park and Ride. Both routes will operate every 15 minutes, except the Carriage Place-to-Dublin stretch of Line 1 Kenny, which will run every 30 minutes, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Riders traveling between the two Line 1 routes will need to transfer downtown.

A new Line 30 also launches that day, connecting downtown Columbus, Ohio State University, Upper Arlington and Hilliard every 30 minutes, seven days a week. Line 30 is part of LinkUS, COTA's $8 billion plan to expand central Ohio's transit system. Line 32 will shorten to run only between Kingsdale Shopping Center and Easton Transit Center, with Line 30 picking up service west of Kingsdale.

Park and Ride moves to temporary garage

The Dale Drive lot is closing. COTA sold the site to the City of Dublin for Bridge Park's Block J development. A temporary park and ride opens the same day in the parking garage at Dale Drive and Bridge Park Avenue. Dublin's Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed a conditional use application for the temporary site, filed by James Peltier of Crawford Hoying.

The temporary location is expected to operate for about a year while COTA builds a permanent facility with 100 covered parking spaces and an enclosed waiting area on Banker's Drive, just east of the former lot. Pullin said the sale will allow Dublin to continue its economic growth while giving riders covered parking.

Overhead electric bus chargers are also being installed at four transit centers and will go live at launch, allowing buses to charge during their routes.

Riders can track buses in real time through the Transit app or by texting the stop number on any COTA bus sign. Full details on the fall changes are available at COTA's website.