COTA
COTA (Central Ohio Transit Authority) offers public bus transportation to Franklin County and small portions of adjacent Delaware, Fairfield and Licking Counties.  They run 58 routes and have over 4,300 bus stops located throughout the area mentioned above.  Visit their web site (or call 228-1776) for more information on their specific routes, bus fares, and other services.

OSU students pay a fee ($9.00 a quarter for undergrads and grads; $13.50 a semester for professional students) to ride COTA with their tuition. This fee allows OSU students to ride any COTA bus route at any time.  A valid OSU ID or Buck ID card should be shown to the COTA bus driver when boarding.

Faculty and staff have the option of purchasing a reduced monthly bus pass at the Transportation & Parking Services 160 Bevis Hall office. Currently the costs are $41.00/month for the local bus pass (regularly $45) and $58.00/month for the express pass (regularly $62.00). (Please note: COTA passes at Transportation & Parking are only sold on a monthly basis.  The month is designated as the first of each month, not the date from which the pass is purchased.)

MORPC RIDESOLUTIONS
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission's RideSolutions program promotes alternatives to driving alone - vanpools, carpools, transit, and even walking or cycling to work. (RideSolutions is a nonprofit organization and does not charge to coordinate vanpools and carpools.) They maintain a database with nearly 10,000 commuters who are interested in sharing a ride to work. With a commuter's home and work addresses, work hours, and a phone number or email, their computerized matching software is able to generate a list of potential vanpool and carpool partners.

For more information, please visit their web site or call 1-888-742-RIDE.

RIDESHARE/CARPOOL OPTIONS
Student customers who are interested in finding others with whom they would like to carpool to the University or if they are looking for a ride home for the weekend are encouraged to check out the rideshare board in the hallway near 160 Bevis Hall.  Customers may post their interests in finding or sharing a ride and/or contact others who have done the same.  For more information, please visit the rideshare board.

Staff and faculty wishing to do the same are encouraged to use the MORPC RideSolutions program (see above).

MOTORCYCLES
Motorcycles are an efficient mode of travel and are welcome on the OSU campus. A current OSU motorcycle parking permit is required. The cost of a motorcycle permit is $11.00 annually and should be placed on the right side of the front fork.

A motorcycle symbol on the parking map identifies the motorcycle parking areas on campus. Motorcycles must park in two-wheeled spaces from 2:00AM - 4:00PM and may park in regular four-wheel vehicle spaces from 4:00PM - 2:00AM.  Motorcycles are permitted to park at a meter as long as the meter fee is paid.  Motorcycles are not permitted to park in most of the garages on campus at any time because of the limitations of the parking gates.  The two newest garages, Hospitals and Neil Ave., have separate motorcycle areas specifically designed to meet the needs of our motorcycle patrons.
Motorcycle Map (pdf)

BICYCLES
If you plan to ride your bicycle on campus, registration is free and strongly encouraged. A registered bike that is lost or stolen is more likely to be found and returned. To obtain more information on how to register your bicycle, please call OSU Public Safety at 247-6300, stop by the T&P office at 160 Bevis Hall, or visit our web site.

Bike racks are located throughout campus providing cyclists with a convenient place to secure their bikes. Bicycles should be locked to a bike rack using a u-bolt lock and cable combination. Please do not lock your bike to fences, signposts, disability ramps, stair railings, or trees. Bikes locked in places other than bike racks may impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic and may be impounded.

Additional bicycle information

CARPOOLS
The transferable parking permit makes carpooling easy.  A parking permit can be displayed in any vehicle within the carpool as long as the registered person is along.  If the group disbands, individual permits can be obtained.