Public transit has a bad rap. Anyone who’s spent more than 10 minutes on a city bus has likely experienced some unforgettable sights and smells, as well as a few lessons in bad parenting. But as gas prices stagger the imagination and parking becomes even more challenging, many are taking notice of COTA’s convenience.

The Central Ohio Transit Authority recently reported its greatest ridership in over a decade, and the number of passengers is climbing steadily. In August, the number of riders spiked 8.6 percent over 2010, and up 10.3 percent from 2009. Officials estimate that in 2011, over 18 million rides were provided.

Due to the inconvenience and expenses of parking downtown, young professionals have become some of the most consistent and loyal riders. Michelle McVay, a sales coordinator at the Renaissance Hotel, takes the bus to work every day from her home in Harrison West.

“If you don’t want to spend $80 a month trying to park downtown, there really isn’t any other option,” she said.

Like many downtown businesses, McVay's employer provides her with a monthly bus pass and takes the fee out of her weekly paycheck.

“It’s really convenient, because I don’t even notice it when it comes out,” she noted.

Avoiding rush-hour traffic is an oft-overlooked benefit, as well. “I’ve actually timed my commute a few times, and it takes less time to take the bus than to drive,” McVay explained. “It just makes more sense.”

Ben Holt, an accountant at Nationwide, has had few complaints about his commute. “There have been a handful of times that the bus was more than five minutes late, or there was a new driver who was taking wrong turns, but it’s definitely the exception,” he said, adding that parking costs have caused a noticeable increase in professional passengers.

“If you get on the bus between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., or at the other end of the day between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., you’ll definitely see a lot of people that are clearly going to and from work,” he said.

Ohio State ridership has increased as well, with off-campus students taking the bus to and from class, and using their BuckID to explore otherwise unreachable parts of the city. This year, ridership among students was more thsn 4,300 during the week, a 17.8-percent increase over 2010.

“People are continuing to try public transit,” said COTA President and CEO Bill Lhota. “We are especially pleased that, once they realize using COTA results in significant cost savings when compared to driving, they remain transit customers.”

While many are still reticent to trade their keys in for a bus pass, advances in technology are helping to ease the transition. Smartphones and applications like Google Transit take nearly all the work out of plotting bus routes, and in cities like Chicago, GPS technology now allows commuters to track the exact location of city buses.

“I think the biggest deterrent for people is that they don’t know how to do it, or they’re intimidated,” speculated McVay. “I think you just need to have the mindset that it will be a little less convenient, but that there are a lot of other benefits.”

For maps, fares and passes, visit www.cota.com.