COTA expands late night service starting May 5 

    April 30, 2025
    The late night improvements represent one of the first tangible investments stemming from the voter-approved LinkUS initiative.
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    COTA bus drives down street in town center at night
    The late night service puts COTA on a path to becoming a 24-hour transit system.

    Late night service is coming to Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) bus lines starting May 5, with most lines operating past midnight Mondays through Saturdays.  

    These major service improvements are made possible thanks to the LinkUS initiative, the region’s comprehensive mobility and growth strategy that was approved by Central Ohio voters last November. The late night improvements represent one of the first tangible investments delivering on LinkUS promises, positioning COTA on a path to becoming a 24-hour transit system. 

    “This is more than a service expansion; it is a commitment to our values of improving the customer experience for customer,” said COTA President and CEO Monica Téllez-Fowler. “By extending our hours past midnight, we are delivering on our promise to serve the entire community, especially our region’s second- and third-shift workers who deserve the same reliable access to opportunity as everyone else. This is just the beginning of a more accessible future.” 

    The late-night service expansion will include core downtown lines such as Lines 1-11, 102 and CMAX, with late night lineups available at 10:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m. and midnight Monday through Saturday. Additionally, 17 crosstown lines, including Lines 21 through 34, will now operate past midnight to better connect customers across the region. Sunday evening service hours will remain unchanged for now, but COTA says it plans to build on these changes in future trimesters. 

    Also beginning May 5, Line 34 (Morse Road) will extend beyond the Easton Transit Center to the Hamilton Road Meijer, improving access to grocery options and enhancing service along one of the region’s key workforce corridors. 

    COTA’s seasonal Zoo Bus will also return on May 10, offering weekend service to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium through Memorial Day. Beginning Memorial Day, May 26, the Zoo Bus will operate seven days a week through Labor Day. Riders receive discounted admission to both the Zoo and Zoombezi Bay.