Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

Columbus's experiment with free transit for downtown workers is paying off.

Transit ridership among downtown workers has more than doubled in the year since a program began providing free transit passes for all downtown workers, the local news site Columbus Underground reports.

Before the "C-pass" program, only 5 percent of downtown workers commuted by bus. Today, the number is 10 to 14 percent, the news site reports.

In total, 430 companies have enrolled in the program, and about 14,800 workers have taken advantage of it, out of a total of 85,000 downtown, according to a press release from Capital Crossroads, a downtown special-improvement district. C-Pass users are taking about 25,000 trips on Central Ohio Transit Authority buses weekly.

According to a survey, 68 percent of users said the C-pass program was what motivated them to take transit; 93 percent had access to a private car.

The program was originally proposed as a solution to a downtown parking crunch that was hampering the growth of employers. The free transit passes offer an alternative to adding expensive, subsidized parking downtown; the program already has enough users to have eliminated the need for about two parking garages, a spokesperson for Capital Crossroads says.

It's also popular with employers. Among those surveyed, 17 said the program encouraged them to renew their leases. Interest in the program is growing among employers outside of the central business district, too, Columbus Underground's Walker Evans reports.

The program is expected to cost $5 million over two-and-a-half years. It is funded partly by assessments on downtown land owners and partly by grants, including a grant from the federally funded metropolitan planning organization MORPC.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: Are Driverless Big Rigs a Good Idea?

What will automated trucks really mean for America?

May 30, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Have a Future

But these freeways shouldn't, according to the Congress for New Urbanism.

May 30, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Bike Guides to Build Your City

Bill Schultheiss on AASHTO and NACTO bike lane design guides, the importance of history, political will and the stress of being an expert witness in court.

May 29, 2025

Outrage Grows Over NYPD Bike Criminalization, But City Council Is In No Rush

Many members of the New York City Council want Speaker Adrienne Adams to act to protect immigrant cyclists from the NYPD, but she doesn't want to.

May 29, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Live to Fight Another Day

Congestion pricing won a major court victory that suggests it's here to stay, and could eventually open the door for other cities to follow New York's lead.

May 29, 2025

Duffy Tells Congress He’s Not Delaying DOT Projects — As He Delays DOT Projects

Thousands of federal transportation grants remain in limbo as the Trump administration cuts staff and cracks down on DEI, bike lanes and environmental rules.

May 29, 2025
See all posts