CABS bus routes will be changing until spring 2027 due to construction around campus. Credit: Grace Everett | Lantern Reporter
College Road construction is changing the way students travel around campus, rerouting several of the Campus Area Bus Service – or CABS –? routes to High Street.?
Several CABS routes have been rerouted as construction continues through spring 2027. A stop has been added to the Northwest Connector bus route to serve Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory and North Campus. Ohio State also launched a CABS On-Demand pilot program, allowing students to schedule rides ahead, Nicole Holman, associate director of marketing and communications for the Office of Administration and Planning, said in an email.?
The changes were intended to accommodate construction on College Road and increased ridership demand, Holman said.?
“Many factors influence CABS service offerings and timing for implementation, including ridership demand, construction impacts or changes to the roadways themselves,” Holman said.?
For CABS drivers, the changes have meant adjusting to new routes and to additional traffic on High Street, Adil Zafar, a CABS driver trainee, said.
“There’s always more traffic,” Zafar said. “There are less stops, so it basically is worse for both the drivers and the students.”?
Zafar also said that the changes have altered how easy it is to drive routes.
“The changes have made driving a bit more difficult and it’s made the routes more susceptible to slowdowns,” Zafar said.??
The new Northwest Connector stop is located at the Waterman Lab in the Multispecies Animal Learning Complex, heading southbound on Carmack Road, according to Ohio State’s 2026-2027 CABS Service Map on the Transportation and Traffic Management Website.
Northwest Connector also has been serving North Campus, including stops at Knowlton Hall, Fontana Lab, Arps Hall, Blackburn House and Mason Hall, according to the website. Routes no longer stop at Mid-Towers southbound on Cannon Drive and the Herrick Drive Transit Hub, Holman said.?
Northwest Connector and the East Residential Connector route are the only connectors that stop at Arps Hall, northbound, with College Road being closed, according to the website.
College Road construction also affected bus stops behind the Ohio Union going southbound and northbound, but was replaced with two stops on 12th Ave – left side of the Ohio Union – going eastbound and westbound, the website said.?
In addition to the rerouting, Ohio State launched a new CABS On-Demand pilot program this fall, allowing students to schedule rides four hours in advance, Holman said.?
Students are able to schedule CABS On-Demand rides throughout the day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the autumn semester via the Trip Shot app, Holman said.?
The current CABS bus stops that are west of the Olentangy River and central campus stops will also serve as CABS On-Demand stops, Ohio State’s Transportation and Traffic Management 2026-2027 CABS On-Demand Service Map said.?
Holman also said those factors are reviewed multiple times a year, with adjustments made annually, but mid-year changes can be made when needed.?
“Whenever a change is made, the entire transit system is considered with the goal to ensure a menu of options for riders,” Holman said.?
Riders should plan ahead by checking Ohio State’s communication channels for updates, including the Transportation and Traffic Management website, the university’s social media, the Ohio State app and university newsletters, Holman said.
