Riding the Cbus could remain free through 2020 under a new plan to pay for the Downtown circulator. A task force that Central Ohio Transit Authority CEO Curtis Stitt convened to look at ways to offset the $1.3 million a year it costs to operate the popular bus line finished its work this summer. Fares normally cover about 20 percent of the cost to operate COTA bus lines, and a pair of sales tax levies pay for the rest. COTA needs to come up with about $250,000 a year to make up for revenue it gives up by running the Cbus line without fares.

Riding the Cbus could remain free through 2020 under a new plan to pay for the Downtown circulator.

A task force that Central Ohio Transit Authority CEO Curtis Stitt convened to look at ways to offset the $1.3 million a year it costs to operate the popular bus line finished its work this summer.

Fares normally cover about 20 percent of the cost to operate COTA bus lines, and a pair of sales tax levies pay for the rest. COTA needs to come up with about $250,000 a year to make up for revenue it gives up by running the Cbus line without fares.

Since the shuttle between the Short North and the Brewery District launched in May 2014, COTA has raised money from corporate donors and public agencies to offset the free fares.

�Certainly, short term it was good because it gave us some funds that would offset the operating costs in those early months,� Stitt said. �Any plan that simply calls for you to go hat in hand asking folks every year 'Would you be willing to contribute another year?' isn�t a good, workable plan.�

The task force�s report recommends four strategies to fund the Cbus:

Pursuing additional federal funding.Working with the city of Columbus to expand the Cbus route to cover areas where a shuttle system for city employees now runs, and using the city funding to to operate the shuttles through Cbus.Pursuing private foundation funding.Selling advertising on the Cbus.

COTA will work with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission to identify federal resources that could help pay for the Cbus. MORPC Transportation Director Thea Walsh said COTA could pursue more money for capital projects to free up local funding.

Talks with the city about replacing its shuttle service with an expanded Cbus route are still in the early stages, Stitt said.

The city operates three shuttles now from the early morning into the evening between Short Street and City Hall, said Robin Davis, spokeswoman for Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. It is planning to buy a fourth shuttle as well.

The shuttle has been operating for about five years and transports about 600 city employees each day, she said.

Extending the Cbus to cover the shuttle route would add about $130,000 a year to its operating cost, but the city could potentially use the $227,000 a year that it costs to operate it to pay COTA, according to the report.

Stitt said COTA plans to hire a firm by the start of 2017 to sell ads on the Cbus. Those could be broadcast on video screens or as audio over speakers in the buses. They also could target digital advertising on smartphones.

The city already is raising money for Cbus by negotiating for donations to COTA with developers seeking parking variances.

COTA has received about $45,000 from those contributions this year, and Stitt said he expects � others that are coming forward out of that effort yet this year.�

COTA�s board already has committed to free fares on the Cbus through next May. Officials will have to come up with the funding to offset those fares before then.

Offering free rides on Cbus encourages people who don�t already use the service to try it, said John Patrick Carney, an attorney who was chairman of the task force.

�It really enables them to get their first touch of COTA,� he said. �Hopefully, that encourages more riding.�

rrouan@dispatch.com

@RickRouan