Columbus riders should check COTA’s May 4 service changes now — several key routes are changing
Columbus OH – COTA’s May 4 service update changes several bus lines, adds weekday frequency on Line 6, and brings back the seasonal Zoo Bus.
Columbus riders have a May 4 date to watch
Columbus bus riders who use several COTA routes should check their trips now, before the agency’s May 4 service changes take effect. The update is not a systemwide overhaul, but it does affect a set of familiar lines that commuters, students, shoppers, and workers may rely on every week.
According to COTA, Line 6 Sullivant will get increased weekday frequency. Lines 10, 35, 61, 73, and 74 will also see schedule or alignment adjustments. COTA is also bringing back the Zoo Bus for its seasonal May service.
What that means for daily travel
The practical takeaway is simple: riders on those routes should verify departure times, transfer plans, and any stop changes before the new schedules begin. Even when a route still exists, a timing change can ripple through a morning commute, a school drop-off, or a shift that depends on a narrow transfer window.
That matters most for people who do not have much flexibility in their travel routine. A bus that comes a few minutes earlier or later can change whether someone makes it to work on time, reaches a medical appointment, or gets across town without an extra wait.
COTA has not said that every route in the network is changing. The service notice is focused on the named lines and the seasonal Zoo Bus return, so riders on other routes should not assume their trips are affected.
How this fits into the larger transit picture
The changes also land during a broader period of transit planning in Columbus, especially around LinkUS and West Broad Street. LinkUS Columbus is continuing to frame longer-term conversations about mobility, corridor development, and transit access, while public meetings tied to West Broad Street planning have continued this spring.
That broader work does not mean every schedule adjustment is directly tied to LinkUS. But it does show that Columbus transit remains in motion, with day-to-day bus service and longer-range corridor planning moving at the same time.
For riders, that means two things can be true at once: some routes may improve service, and some regular trips may still need a fresh check before May 4. If a bus is part of a workday, a school routine, or a shopping trip, it is better to confirm the new schedule now than to find out after it changes.
The safest move is to review the route you actually ride, pay attention to any updated timing or alignment, and plan a little extra time for the first few days after the change.
