Article written by Franny Lazarus. Originally posted here by Ohio State News and reposted here with permission.
Understanding Public Transit Is Key to Community Success
As part of the America Walks’ Week Without Driving, the Age-Friendly Innovation Center (AFIC) brought their Autumn 2025 Scholars Cohort and members of the AFIC resident council to the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) for a travel training.
The national initiative, running Sept. 29–Oct. 5 this year, raises visibility about barriers and challenges faced by nondrivers — who constitute nearly one-third of the U.S. population.
Transportation is a central focus of AFIC’s research and engagement. Participating in Week Without Driving highlights the real-life impacts of limited transportation options and underscores the importance of designing communities that work for all ages and abilities.
“A Week Without Driving is all about finding ways to get around without your car and paying attention to where transportation options fall short,” said Phoebe Allebach, the center’s community engagement coordinator. “We’re kicking off the week by learning about what local transportation resources we have in Columbus, starting with the most robust: COTA.”
Event attendees met with John W. Barrett, a COTA travel trainer, who walked them through the bus system, from how to find the right bus to what to expect at a bus stop and how to pay for a ride.
Pam Shields, founder of the Urban Aging Residents Coalition (UARC), was thrilled to attend the training. She began UARC in 2020 as a way to combat the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As seniors, we know two things for certain,” she said. “You cannot isolate. And if we don’t have socialization, we will die.”
Key to staying connected is having reliable transportation. When driving is no longer an option due to health, cost, or other factors, older adults must rely on the alternatives. The first step is being aware of what those are. Shields and her fellow UARC member Ann Valentine now see themselves as building an information highway for their fellow older individuals.
At monthly meetings, they provide resources, meals and more. Many people don’t know what help is available to them, Valentine said. Events like the travel training supply valuable tips and tricks.
“There’s so much information out there,” she said. “We go out into the community. We bring pamphlets to give to other seniors. We’re talking to our peers, saying, ‘You really need to know about this. You need to know what’s going on.’”
Sam Smith from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) shared information about public transportation beyond Columbus. Smith is also a mobility manager for Franklin County.
“There can be coordination that needs to happen to meet a person’s transportation needs,” he said. “Oftentimes it’s piecing together various options.”
Smith walked attendees through an exercise that asked them to consider how they get from home to somewhere important to them – work, the pharmacy, the doctor.
“This is useful, not just for this week, but as you think about different life circumstances,” he said. Weather, injury, time of day – these can all impact a person’s ability to get from one location to another.
The training concluded with a visit to COTA’s Mobility Assessment Center, a model bus stop that is used to teach people how to use public transportation.
There is a half-size COTA bus, a crosswalk, a bus shelter and different types of terrain, as well as ambient sounds and a video of street traffic inside the bus to better simulate the riding experience. Stairs and ramps are both available to enter the area.
“It is incredibly special that COTA has invested in the Assessment Center, which is a stand-out across the country,” said Marisa Sheldon, director of AFIC. “We’re lucky to have this here and it is a reflection of COTAs commitment to ensuring the systems works well for all riders.”
Social work graduate student Maggie Morrison enjoyed the varying ages and perspectives reflected in the group.
“The most important voices to account for in conversations about accessibility are aging voices,” she said. “I want to listen to them so I can know how best to help them.”
The training gave Morrison insights she was eager to take back to the classroom.
“I’m in the Age-Friendly Scholar program,” she said. “I want to learn how to most effectively work with older adults. Learning what they need when it comes to mobility concerns, that is the focus of my internship.”
Shields also found the experience educational.
“Kudos to all of you,” she said to the organizers. “This feels to me like an octopus. All these arms are out here with resources and services. The more you tell people, the easier it is for a lot of us to use them.”
