Policy Pillar 20: Transit Modernization & Microtransit

Ohio's low-density transit routes should be matched to actual ridership demand. Full-sized 40-60 seat buses are expensive to operate when they run mostly empty, especially on suburban and low-ridership routes.

This pillar models three savings levers:

• Route Right-Sizing: Replace oversized buses with 12-20 passenger shuttles or vans where ridership does not justify full-sized vehicles.
• Demand-Responsive Routing: Move suitable suburban fixed routes to app-based, on-demand service so fuel and labor follow real trips instead of rigid schedules.
• Capital Control: Prioritize proven, right-sized diesel or hybrid vans and reduce long-term debt exposure from expensive fleet mandates.

The policy priority is not to cut useful transit. It is to protect high-density corridors, stop funding symbolic legacy routes that do not move riders, and redirect dollars toward services that match how people actually travel.