News

April 2021

COTA distributes 10,000 one-day passes to nonprofit for trips for vaccines

Courtesy of The Columbus Dispatch
By Mark Ferenchik
April 7, 2021

The Central Ohio Transit Authority has distributed 10,000 one-day passes this week to almost 30 nonprofits to help people get their COVID-19 vaccines.

The nonprofits include the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center, Columbus Urban League, Communities in Schools of Ohio, Dress for Success Columbus, Equitas Health, Freedom a la Cart, Gladden Community House, Goodwill Columbus, Huckleberry House, Human Service Chamber of Franklin County, IMPACT Community Action, Lifecare Alliance, Lifecare Alliance Columbus Cancer Clinic, MOBILE, Muslim Family Services of Ohio, North Community Counseling Center, Penney Watkins, Reeb Avenue Center, South Side Early Learning Center, United Schools Network, and YMCA Shelter Services, including the Van Buren Center Women and Families and Van Buren North Men’s Shelter.

You can schedule a vaccination by going here: https://gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov/.

Also this week, COTA again will provide transportation assistance to customers in underserved communities who are scheduled to be vaccinated at the pop-up mass vaccination clinic at St. John Arena.

The site will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Thursday though Sunday. People who have scheduled their vaccination can book a trip to and from St. John Arena at no charge using COTA Mainstream On-Demand and calling (614) 344-4488. Customers can schedule their trips now or at least one hour before the trip.

A Mainstream On-Demand vehicle will pick the customer up at their home and take them to St. John Arena. After the vaccination, customers will need to call when they are ready to be picked up.

Customers who live and work on the South Side can also use COTA Plus South Columbus to St. John Arena on those days at no charge. COTA Plus is an on-demand microtransit service that can be hailed via the COTA Plus App or by calling COTA’s Customer Care hotline at 614-228-1776

Customers living in Westerville, Grove City and on Columbus’ South Side can take COTA Plus to any vaccination site within their defined zone at no charge via the COTA Plus app or by calling COTA’s Customer Care hotline at 614-228-1776.

COTA has also partnered with the grass roots organization Columbus Stand Up! to provide no-cost transportation every day for people living in underserved communities to any Columbus vaccination site. Once a customer has a confirmed appointment, they can schedule a ride by going online to https://columbusstandup.org/vaccine.

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