Posted June 23, 20204 yr COTA plans more rapid transit, microtransit – but will deplete savings to keep operating COTA plans to add more high-capacity rapid transit routes similar to CMax, as well as more targeted microtransit to major employment corridors. These plans come even though the coronavirus pandemic's blow to the transit system's finances will mean dipping into savings to keep operating over the next five years. Trustees are to vote Wednesday on strategic planning through 2050 to handle expected 50% population growth in Central Ohio. The plan adds more specifics to principles adopted in last year's five-year plan, and looks further out. Find it here. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/06/23/cota-plans-changes.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 30, 20204 yr Author Work on Northwest Corridor Plan Advances, East and West Corridors to be Next Work is progressing on a plan to bring new transit options and more concentrated development to the Northwest Side, and work will begin soon on a similar effort focused on two additional corridors – one extending west from Downtown, the other traveling east. The City of Columbus and its partners held a press conference today to provide updates on a process that started back in 2014 – when the Insight 2050 initiative highlighted the need for more focused growth in the region – and continued through last year, when the Corridor Concepts study recommended dense development and better transit along five regional corridors. A consultant was hired last fall to to study the Northwest Corridor, which roughly follows Olentangy River Road from Downtown to Bethel Road. A request for qualifications went out earlier this month to produce plans for the West Corridor (West Broad Street) and East Corridor (either East Main Street, East Broad Street, or some combination of the two), meaning that the planning process for those two corridors will get started before work has wrapped up on the Northwest Corridor. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/work-on-northwest-corridor-plan-advances-east-and-west-corridors-to-be-next-bw1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 1, 20204 yr This LinkUs is everything I've wanted....I think. I need to look more into it but I hope something actually comes of it. I really worry that the pandemic is going to hurt the future of transit but perhaps I'm wrong. This is exciting though!!!
September 5, 20204 yr Why don’t we look at better forms of transit such as an elevated Monorail for some of the major corridors, High street being the primary one for such system, with other lines that feed into it to better connect citizens to jobs
November 13, 20204 yr Author Federal Funds Directed Toward Two Transit Corridor Projects The first two transit corridors planned under the LinkUs initiative have made it onto a list of projects that will receive federal funding within the next four years. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) maintains the list – called the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) – and announced last week that both the Northwest corridor and the East-West corridor are now in line to receive federal funding in the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years. A total of $4.8 million is being directed toward the Northwest corridor, which roughly follows Olentangy River Road from Downtown to Bethel Road. A consultant was hired last year to make recommendations for transit improvements along the route and to lay out a strategy for getting it built. The East-West corridor, which would run along West Broad Street and either East Main Street or East Broad Street, is now in line to receive $17.57 million. Thomas Graham, Associate Planner for MORPC, says that the exact use of the funds has not been finalized, but the scope of the project will “include the study, design, and construction of potential BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) options along their respective corridors.” More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/federal-funds-directed-toward-two-transit-corridor-projects-bw1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
November 13, 20204 yr 45 minutes ago, ColDayMan said: Federal Funds Directed Toward Two Transit Corridor Projects The first two transit corridors planned under the LinkUs initiative have made it onto a list of projects that will receive federal funding within the next four years. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) maintains the list – called the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) – and announced last week that both the Northwest corridor and the East-West corridor are now in line to receive federal funding in the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years. A total of $4.8 million is being directed toward the Northwest corridor, which roughly follows Olentangy River Road from Downtown to Bethel Road. A consultant was hired last year to make recommendations for transit improvements along the route and to lay out a strategy for getting it built. The East-West corridor, which would run along West Broad Street and either East Main Street or East Broad Street, is now in line to receive $17.57 million. Thomas Graham, Associate Planner for MORPC, says that the exact use of the funds has not been finalized, but the scope of the project will “include the study, design, and construction of potential BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) options along their respective corridors.” More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/federal-funds-directed-toward-two-transit-corridor-projects-bw1 Hopefully they use it to help fund an actual BRT line. These lines would be great, and it could help spur some larger development on broad and olentangy river road north of campus.
January 26, 20214 yr Northwest Corridor Online Open House LinkUS Columbus has published a set of materials for an online open house to gather input on the alternatives that are being considered for the Northwest Corridor. They considered light rail and BRT and are recommending BRT for the corridor (which I don't think should be a surprise). Unlike CMAX, though, it looks like they are looking to do full BRT with dedicated lanes, stations with off-board fare collection and level boarding, etc. Open house materials - https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/57dc8bff17014071bbf0a367ee56190e Survey - https://linkuscolumbus.com/nw-open-house/ There's a lot to look at in the open house materials, but here are a few snippets - Graphic showing key elements of the BRT stations / what they could look like: Alternatives north of Goodale: Alternatives south of Goodale:
January 26, 20214 yr Proper articulated buses on the CMAX would be incredibly useful for passenger capacity and keeping safe distances in light of COVID
January 27, 20214 yr I feel like the transit section of this forum gets lost. It makes me sad because I believe this is pretty huge news and unless people are talking about it elsewhere, it's being completely lost in the shuffle of other things.
January 27, 20214 yr 12 hours ago, Zyrokai said: I feel like the transit section of this forum gets lost. It makes me sad because I believe this is pretty huge news and unless people are talking about it elsewhere, it's being completely lost in the shuffle of other things. I'll quote one of the messages from this thread and copy it into an appropriate Columbus development thread, like the random development thread. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 27, 20214 yr If they can do a fully dedicated BRT line, this will be amazing. I don’t think light rail is always the answer. BRT works when properly done. I look forward to this.
January 27, 20214 yr 51 minutes ago, VintageLife said: If they can do a fully dedicated BRT line, this will be amazing. I don’t think light rail is always the answer. BRT works when properly done. I look forward to this. You are absolutely correct, I think that the CMAX should be upgraded since a lot of stuff already exists for it as well. And there’s always monorail for the busier corridors that BRT wouldn’t have capacity for. But yeah, I would love to see true Bus Rapid Transit built here in Columbus
January 27, 20214 yr Just now, Julian said: You are absolutely correct, I think that the CMAX should be upgraded since a lot of stuff already exists for it as well. And there’s always monorail for the busier corridors that BRT wouldn’t have capacity for. But yeah, I would love to see true Bus Rapid Transit built here in Columbus I think summit and 4th street would be a great area also
January 27, 20214 yr Just now, VintageLife said: I think summit and 4th street would be a great area also For Bus Rapid Transit? Yeah, that could work
January 27, 20214 yr I find the Northeast corridor to be ideal for Monorail as of now for other reasons, so Summit and 4th could work as BRT for reasons why monorail wouldn’t really work in said corridor
January 27, 20214 yr 22 hours ago, .justin said: Northwest Corridor Online Open House LinkUS Columbus has published a set of materials for an online open house to gather input on the alternatives that are being considered for the Northwest Corridor. They considered light rail and BRT and are recommending BRT for the corridor (which I don't think should be a surprise). Unlike CMAX, though, it looks like they are looking to do full BRT with dedicated lanes, stations with off-board fare collection and level boarding, etc. Open house materials - https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/57dc8bff17014071bbf0a367ee56190e Survey - https://linkuscolumbus.com/nw-open-house/ There's a lot to look at in the open house materials, but here are a few snippets - Graphic showing key elements of the BRT stations / what they could look like: Alternatives north of Goodale: Alternatives south of Goodale: This is amazing. This looks like a true, cohesive, grounded plan to bring public transit in Columbus up to a decent standard. I agree that, as much as I would love to see rail-based transit in Columbus, a true, functional BRT system could be the catalyst needed for more of the population to take public transit seriously from which we can build from there. COTA and MORPC are also moving forward with a $6.75 mil transit center in the Rickenbacker area: https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2021/01/27/cota-plans-new-transit-center-near-rickenbacker/4257878001/ This is very encouraging. I've always found COTA's relative success in the area interesting. It's great to see COTA and MORPC doubling-down on making sure transit continues to be a dominant part of the development in the area.
January 27, 20214 yr The thinking is BRT is more likely to be funded by the feds. I wonder if they need to reevaluate this in light of the new administration...
January 27, 20214 yr 10 minutes ago, Pablo said: The thinking is BRT is more likely to be funded by the feds. I wonder if they need to reevaluate this in light of the new administration... Probably couldn’t hurt to try that. I also think rail would work best for airport to downtown/short north area, and maybe 1-2 other places, but BRT would do great in most places.
January 27, 20214 yr ^If BRT is completely lane separated, I suppose it could be upgraded to rail if necessary in the future. If implemented, I think this will encourage denser redevelopment within the corridor creating greater demand for transit.
January 27, 20214 yr 21 minutes ago, VintageLife said: Probably couldn’t hurt to try that. I also think rail would work best for airport to downtown/short north area, and maybe 1-2 other places, but BRT would do great in most places. BRT would work great in most places, even I’ve narrowed the Monorail down to Two corridors of MORPC’s MTP, being the one from Rickenbacker to Downtown, and from Downtown to Dublin, with the other 6 or so being mostly BRT corridors
January 27, 20214 yr maybe another transit form that could work for some corridors could be a Translohr Rubber Tyre Tram. Maybe for Broad Street, as an example. Any ideas on this opinion? Edited January 27, 20214 yr by Julian
January 27, 20214 yr I think this system is a good mix between BRT and Light Rail, since the “trams” have a central guide rail and drive on rubber tires like a bus
January 27, 20214 yr 17 minutes ago, Julian said: maybe another transit form that could work for some corridors could be a Translohr Rubber Tyre Tram. Maybe for Broad Street, as an example. Any ideas on this opinion? What would be the benefit over a correctly done BRT line? Seems like it is basically the same for a higher upfront cost.
January 27, 20214 yr On 1/26/2021 at 3:00 PM, .justin said: Northwest Corridor Online Open House LinkUS Columbus has published a set of materials for an online open house to gather input on the alternatives that are being considered for the Northwest Corridor. They considered light rail and BRT and are recommending BRT for the corridor (which I don't think should be a surprise). Unlike CMAX, though, it looks like they are looking to do full BRT with dedicated lanes, stations with off-board fare collection and level boarding, etc. Open house materials - https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/57dc8bff17014071bbf0a367ee56190e Survey - https://linkuscolumbus.com/nw-open-house/ There's a lot to look at in the open house materials, but here are a few snippets - Graphic showing key elements of the BRT stations / what they could look like: Alternatives north of Goodale: Alternatives south of Goodale: I realized why that Livery looks somewhat familiar now. I did a mural a while back fir Public transit
January 27, 20214 yr 1 minute ago, VintageLife said: What would be the benefit over a correctly done BRT line? Seems like it is basically the same for a higher upfront cost. The Translohr system is able to have vehicles larger than standard Buses, while also not needed as much as light rail in terms of construction costs, another benefit is that it is electric powered, meaning it is better for the environment
January 27, 20214 yr 14 minutes ago, Julian said: The Translohr system is able to have vehicles larger than standard Buses, while also not needed as much as light rail in terms of construction costs, another benefit is that it is electric powered, meaning it is better for the environment I think the larger capacity would be great, but you could always just get a bunch of electric busses to run in the BRT line. It would still be cheaper and you could have more busses running, to make up for the lower capacity.
January 27, 20214 yr Just now, VintageLife said: I think the larger capacity would be great, but you could always just get a bunch of electric busses to run in the BRT line. It would still be cheaper and you could have more busses running, to make up for the lower capacity. That’s fair, and I do know of some electric buses that are being worked on and tested, the question is now of charging them depending on how long the battery lasts, or would they be trolleybuses, the latter of which saw some active service in multiple lines here in the city in years past. and I guess we could always get Bi-Articulated buses for capacity problems if we get the ridership
February 2, 20214 yr Author LinkUs Team Presents Vision for Northwest Transit Corridor The City of Columbus and its partners have made some key decisions regarding a planned transit corridor along Olentangy River Road. During an informational meeting about the project held virtually last week, Kristina Whitfield, Project Planner with consultant Kimley-Horn, said that the best chance for the corridor to receive federal funding moving forward is if it is served by an enhanced bus line – known as Bus Rapid Transit – and not by light rail. What exactly that would look like in practice is still up in the air, but several speakers emphasized that fast and reliable service will be a priority, and that the overall goal is for the project to be “transformational,” even if that doesn’t involve tracks being laid in the ground. “BRT is really rail on wheels,” said Whitfield, “This will be a next-level, premier situation that is not present in Columbus today.” More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/linkus-team-presents-vision-for-northwest-transit-corridor-bw1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 2, 20214 yr That’s an interesting article, although I also read the comments on it, which add some more interest in some of the figures someone added regarding Portland
February 2, 20214 yr 34 minutes ago, Julian said: That’s an interesting article, although I also read the comments on it, which add some more interest in some of the figures someone added regarding Portland Yea, that was Walker making an extremely dumb comparison between Portland's city limits population in 1986 and the city limits population of Columbus today. He failed to consider the fact that Portland's city limits encompass half the amount of area as Columbus, or the fact that Portland is built up much more densely because of its geographic constraints. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed. With that being said, I would strongly support a legit BRT system. It's functionally the same thing as light rail, but at a fraction of the cost. I know light rail is a lot sexier, but I think real BRT (not CMAX) is the way to go. When it comes to rail transportation, I think we should focus on getting Amtrak back to Columbus and adding a commuter rail line connecting places like Delaware, Newark, Lancaster, etc. to downtown.
February 2, 20214 yr 8 minutes ago, cbussoccer said: Yea, that was Walker making an extremely dumb comparison between Portland's city limits population in 1986 and the city limits population of Columbus today. He failed to consider the fact that Portland's city limits encompass half the amount of area as Columbus, or the fact that Portland is built up much more densely because of its geographic constraints. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed. With that being said, I would strongly support a legit BRT system. It's functionally the same thing as light rail, but at a fraction of the cost. I know light rail is a lot sexier, but I think real BRT (not CMAX) is the way to go. When it comes to rail transportation, I think we should focus on getting Amtrak back to Columbus and adding a commuter rail line connecting places like Delaware, Newark, Lancaster, etc. to downtown. Well, if your in to those kinds of changes, you should voice your opinions on my Facebook group, Greater Central Ohio Public Transit Project. I made the group just for those reasons, but a lack of activity is dragging us under. I personally find monorail as the way to go in terms of transit for Some corridors, whereas BRT in its proper form could work as feeder systems to said monorail. My whole county map is almost full of proposed updates to the transit system here in Columbus, and I’ve even shown it to members of COTA and MORPC. But, I do agree that BRT in its truest form would work wonders, maybe even a line along 161 or Morse road
February 2, 20214 yr 19 hours ago, ColDayMan said: LinkUs Team Presents Vision for Northwest Transit Corridor The City of Columbus and its partners have made some key decisions regarding a planned transit corridor along Olentangy River Road. During an informational meeting about the project held virtually last week, Kristina Whitfield, Project Planner with consultant Kimley-Horn, said that the best chance for the corridor to receive federal funding moving forward is if it is served by an enhanced bus line – known as Bus Rapid Transit – and not by light rail. What exactly that would look like in practice is still up in the air, but several speakers emphasized that fast and reliable service will be a priority, and that the overall goal is for the project to be “transformational,” even if that doesn’t involve tracks being laid in the ground. “BRT is really rail on wheels,” said Whitfield, “This will be a next-level, premier situation that is not present in Columbus today.” More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/linkus-team-presents-vision-for-northwest-transit-corridor-bw1 I love that there appears to be an actual, realistic plan to drastically improve mass transit in Columbus. I like that it's comprehensive, takes a corridor that is ripe for mass transit, and proposes a solution that is a fully built-out BRT (not the current CMAX). I truly hope this, along with the East-West Broad St. proposal and upgrading of the current CMAX to this standard happen and happen soon. This could really change the face and perception of mass transit in Columbus and Central Ohio. Add the possibility of Amtrak service along the 3-C Corridor, and we could see a transportation revolution in Central Ohio.
February 2, 20214 yr 31 minutes ago, CMHOhio said: I love that there appears to be an actual, realistic plan to drastically improve mass transit in Columbus. I like that it's comprehensive, takes a corridor that is ripe for mass transit, and proposes a solution that is a fully built-out BRT (not the current CMAX). I truly hope this, along with the East-West Broad St. proposal and upgrading of the current CMAX to this standard happen and happen soon. This could really change the face and perception of mass transit in Columbus and Central Ohio. Add the possibility of Amtrak service along the 3-C Corridor, and we could see a transportation revolution in Central Ohio. East and West Broad would be absolutely perfect for true Bus Rapid Transit due to all the bridges that cross it in Franklinton and whatnot. and I also agree that CMAX should be upped to the levels of Real Bus Rapid Transit, as it would really boost ridership.
February 26, 20214 yr I am in Tucson, Arizona today for work. I've never been here and I had no idea that Tuscon had a streetcar. A rather efficient, nicely routed streetcar. So, Tucson has a streetcar and Columbus has nothing. I don't understand, lol. I would expect Phoenix, but Tucson?
February 26, 20214 yr I have a suspicion that the reason there is so much "resistance" to rail transit in Ohio is due to the auto factories here. Both GM and Ford have built components here for a very long time. Honda builds cars here, but does Honda lobby against rail transit like the American companies do? I don't know. Arizona doesn't have that dynamic.
March 4, 20214 yr Author Olentangy River Road, Broad Street corridors could land rapid transit under new MORPC proposal Who needs rails? MORPC has proposed requesting federal funds to start design of the next two bus rapid transit lines in Columbus, bringing higher speeds at a fraction of the cost. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/03/03/morpc-includes-columbus-rapid-transit-in-fed-ask.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 29, 20213 yr Author Report Shows Development Opportunities Along Proposed Transit Route A new LinkUs report shows how a proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line along Olentangy River Road could spur the redevelopment of several large, suburban-style retail centers. Frequent, reliable, high-speed transit – designed in a way that also accommodates cyclists and pedestrians – will encourage more urban, walkable development, adding density to a corridor that is currently dominated by big box retail and large surface parking lots. In fact, that type of development will be necessary for the LinkUs initiative to meet its overall goals, which include the building out of dense, transit-supportive corridors throughout the region. A graphic in the report shows how Lennox Town Center, for instance, could be redeveloped in a way that adds thousands of new residents and jobs to the corridor. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/report-shows-development-opportunities-along-proposed-transit-route-bw1 & https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/06/29/columbus-bus-rapid-transit-olentangy-river-road.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 29, 20213 yr 15 minutes ago, Pablo said: I'm glad they picked the Olentangy River Rd route with no detours into OSU. With all of the work on west campus, by the time this is built out, it might actually bisect campus pretty well.
June 29, 20213 yr 1 hour ago, TH3BUDDHA said: With all of the work on west campus, by the time this is built out, it might actually bisect campus pretty well. It would be awesome if Ohio state included a route from lane to high and down to 5th back to olentangy or something. It would connect all of this really well. I think I also saw in that article it was talking about how they are in talks right now for the best form of transportation for the broad st route. That seems perfect for an actual high speed line, so hopefully they go with something interesting for that section.
June 29, 20213 yr Columbus Business First posted a really good article about the latest update on the proposed lines: Columbus to get first dedicated bus rapid transit line along Olentangy River Road By Carrie Ghose – Staff reporter, Columbus Business First 7 hours ago Design is set to start on Columbus's first true bus rapid transit line, with a dedicated lane, connecting downtown to the northwest side. https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/06/29/columbus-bus-rapid-transit-olentangy-river-road.html While generally exciting overall and the first solid proposal to truly enhance mass transit in a holistic way, I'm really hopeful about these 2 blurbs from the article: Planners also are close to choosing the best high-capacity transit mode for the 20-mile east-west stretch of Broad and Main streets. COTA is expected to recommend the transit pick for the east-west corridor in July. Construction can start faster on that straighter and wider route. I'm really hoping that means a rail-based solution is in the running for the East-West corridor. It's understandable that light rail might be a bit too costly of an endeavor for the northwest corridor due to the constraints of Olentangy River Rd. across from Lennox under 315 and on the stretch towards Bethel. But given the lack of those obstacles on West Broad, along with the potential length of the route, will make light rail a viable solution. One that could introduce the greater community to the benefits of rail transit and potentially spur future rail-based transit projects.
July 2, 20213 yr Author Indeed it is! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 6, 20213 yr On 7/2/2021 at 9:00 AM, Pablo said: Is that a cable car over 315 and the Olentangy?? Whoa, good eye! Totally didn't catch that. I think that'd be a creative way to link the Lennox area with campus/Medical Center. COTA Skylink, anyone?
July 6, 20213 yr 9 hours ago, CMHOhio said: Whoa, good eye! Totally didn't catch that. I think that'd be a creative way to link the Lennox area with campus/Medical Center. COTA Skylink, anyone? I didn't see it either until a colleague pointed it out. Could be a nice way to get from the OSU hospital from the BRT.
July 27, 20213 yr Open House materials were recently (I'm not quite sure when) published for the East-West corridor to the Link Us Columbus website: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9dbe6d7d4be0498bbc32203b2571822e Part of this includes the Locally Preferred Alternatives that have been selected for the East-West corridor. It appears they will actually be pursuing both East Broad and East Main because there was no clear winner and all three legs (West Broad, East Broad, and East Main) are viable for federal funding.
July 30, 20213 yr COTA Puts Price Tag on East-West Transit Line, Will Seek Federal Funding Brent Warren - Columbus Underground - July 30, 2021 "COTA will begin the lengthy Federal Transit Administration process soon for the West Broad and East Main legs, officially requesting entry into project development for the New Starts, Small Starts and Core Capacity Improvements program in August. The first two years of development will include initial design work, environmental review, more public engagement and more detailed cost estimates, although COTA has already taken the first stab at estimating a total cost for the project – about $413 million (for the West Broad and East Main legs). ... The latest documents produced for the East-West corridor suggest that – if the project is selected to receive the federal grant – construction could start as early as 2024. COTA officials have said, though, that it could take longer and that it may not be until 2028 or later that the project is complete."
March 10, 20223 yr Reading up on the latest for LinkUS and the general COTA news, it's so frustrating to think that 2028 is the earliest that one of the Transit Corridor BRTs will be completed IF federal funding comes through. Without it, it will be later. The fact that it takes that long to install a BRT on a mostly 6 lane road seems excessive. This should be easy. With abundant examples, it shouldn't be taking years to develop a plan and hoping with fingers crossed that funding comes through, and if not, oh well. Omaha, Nebraska announces a streetcar project expected to be operational in 2026. 4 years to plan, study, and build. The LinkUS Corridor Initiative was announced in Summer of 2020 and doesn't expect any groundbreaking until 2024 at the earliest on any of the corridors with 4 years of construction and study before service begins. And yes, the corridors are longer than others, but again, building a BRT along significant stretches of insanely wide roads is not rocket science. Minneapolis announced their intents to create BRTs many years ago but funding was a big hinderance. As of 2021, two of their routes were open and these involved major construction of special transit facilities, ramps, bridges, etc in highway medians (imagine a BRT along 71 from Polaris to Downtown). Construction for the first line took roughly 3 years. The second line took about 2 years for the BRT (light rail is taking much longer but for sake of apples to apples, I'm just referring to the BRT) Expansion plans take them to 2040 (including rail). Indy announced corridors concepts in 2016. Conducted studies and design and had their first line (Red, 14 miles) operational in 2019. Construction just started on the 15 mile purple line which is expected to be operational in 2024. Again, roughly two years. At which time, they plan to have begun, or begin soon after, on the Blue Line. In 10 years, Indy is projected to have planned, studied, and constructed 3 full BRTs while Columbus will spend almost half that time hoping to get started on the first. And Columbus plans on 4 years of construction... for a BRT... on Broad Street and Main Street... I supposed the good news is that LinkUs is working through East-West and the Northwest concurrently. COTA is probably my number one reason for wanting to live elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, there are positive improvements from where COTA used to be. And certainly new leadership is what was needed to even get this far. And they are finally putting the time and investment into these plans and not throwing them out like trying to stick spaghetti to a wall. I applaud them on their changes for fares and fleet purchases. But is still seems like the city and MORPC keep their focus on 2050 and lose the sense of urgency. As other cities eye the shorter term and immediate transit needs as they build out better systems. And just like mobile pay systems where leaders decided to reinvent the wheel and spend years developing a mediocre app when we could have borrowed from successful operators and been less behind the times, they seem to be doing the same with BRT. A concept that is hardly new and is virtually plug and play nowadays, especially with abundant space available. And yes, there are systems that take longer, but ours really shouldn't be that way. (All this fails to mention the fact we can't even get them to commit to restarting the CBUS) It's just a bit exhausting living in one of the biggest cities in the country and still being so far behind. Always.
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