All sorts of Libertarians are now preaching that Uber w/driverless cars will make public transportation obsolete.  They didn't get that idea themselves (nor do they think of really much themselves) -- somebody or something has introduced that idea into that circle and now the idea is catching on, even though big holes can be easily blown in the argument.  First of all, driverless buses are currently being developed, and logic dictates that a driverless bus will cost a fraction of the cost to buy and operate and maintain as compared to 40+ driverless cars.  Bus lines might even become profitable for the first time in 100 eyars whereas it's doubtful that an equivalent number of driverless cars can turn a profit charging the same fare.     

Very interesting tidbit buried in this month's Harrison West Society meeting minutes and attributed to the Short North Foundation:

 

"A streetcar project covering Lane Ave. to German village, with a secondary line on State Street has been proposed. Cars would be able to drive over the tracks."

 

I'd imagine this is an early leak from recommendations that will be coming out from the city's Connect Columbus plan and COTA's NextGen initiative... Hopefully we will be hearing more very shortly.

Hope for the best.

Very interesting tidbit buried in this month's Harrison West Society meeting minutes and attributed to the Short North Foundation:

 

"A streetcar project covering Lane Ave. to German village, with a secondary line on State Street has been proposed. Cars would be able to drive over the tracks."

 

I'd imagine this is an early leak from recommendations that will be coming out from the city's Connect Columbus plan and COTA's NextGen initiative... Hopefully we will be hearing more very shortly.

 

Something else is brewing in the downtown/Short North/OSU area.

I hadn't heard of this before now, but received an email about it tonight. Sounds promising?

 

Council and Community Leaders Kickoff Regional Corridor Analysis

 

WHO: Councilmember Shannon Hardin, MORPC Executive Director William Murdock, COTA Interim President and CEO Emille Williams, Columbus Partnership President and CEO Alex Fischer, Steiner + Associates CEO Yaromir Steiner

 

WHEN: Thursday, November 30, 10am

 

WHERE: Westgate Community Center, 455 S. Westgate Ave.

 

WHAT: The City of Columbus, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), the Columbus District Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI Columbus) and other central Ohio leaders announce the kickoff of the Regional Corridor Analysis.

 

MORPC projects that Central Ohio is expected to grow up to 1 million people by the year 2050. The insight2050 initiative shows that compact development patterns, characterized by infill and redevelopment, are more responsive to the changing demographics associated with this growth.

 

The Regional Corridor Analysis will study a variety of metrics to assess the impact(s) of compact development along five regional corridors, and study the relationship between these corridors and the various types of high-capacity transit technologies.

^

 

Consultants examining development, transit along five Columbus corridors

 

http://www.dispatch.com/news/20171130/consultants-examining-development-transit-along-five-columbus-corridors

^

 

Consultants examining development, transit along five Columbus corridors

 

http://www.dispatch.com/news/20171130/consultants-examining-development-transit-along-five-columbus-corridors

 

I wonder what this guy really means by this:

 

“I hope we won’t be building the last dinosaur transit system but we will be building the first of the new version of transit systems,” said Yaromir Steiner, CEO of Steiner & Associates, at the news conference. Steiner also is the chairman of the Columbus district of the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit education and research institute that pushes land use policies as potential solutions to urban problems.

^ Probably more of the automated car craze we've seen coming out of the Cbus leaders for a while. What use is a subway or light rail down High Street to a guy who made his fortune by developing a mall in the far out burbs?

Self-Driving Cars = Flying Cars

 

Everyone who grew up watching the Jetsons is still waiting for the latter, while the former is merely the latest diversion away from action that addresses our transit needs at the most fundamental levels.

 

May as well add the HYPEerloop onto this list as well.

Self-Driving Cars = Flying Cars

 

Everyone who grew up watching the Jetsons is still waiting for the latter, while the former is merely the latest diversion away from action that addresses our transit needs at the most fundamental levels.

 

May as well add the HYPEerloop onto this list as well.

 

This is quite the stretch. Self-driving cars are actually a reality (though not a large scale yet) while flying cars were never a feasible reality.

 

I'm not trying to say we should pushing self-driving vehicles as the new form of public transportation instead of established forms of transportation such as rail or a well defined bus system. At the same time, we shouldn't completely close ourselves off the possibility of self-driving vehicles being the legitimate future of public transportation.

 

 

Let's compromise and go all-in on self-driving light rail

Which is 1,000,000X easier to pull off than self-driving cars.

Self-driving flying cars or bust!

Let's compromise and go all-in on self-driving light rail

 

The gross majority of any transit agency's budget is wages for drivers.  Aside from that, there's just the maintenance guys and the administrators.  Unions have pushed back against driverless trains for decades.  They got the automated 42nd St. shuttle killed back in the 1960s:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42nd_Street_Shuttle

 

So far all of the driverless rail systems like the Vancouver Sky Train are completely grade separated.  Obviously, doing driverless operation on something like the Cincinnati Streetcar is more hazardous than a grade separated system, but infinitely easier than buses or cars.  If the cost of drivers were deleted from the Cincinnati streetcar system, they could afford to run the entire fleet all of the time.

Columbus posters have been asking for a Columbus transit discussion thread.  So I thought I'd rename the existing Streetcar & Light Rail thread and expand it into a general transit news and discussion spot for Columbus.

 

So here it is.

And to start out that discussion is a letter-to-the-editor in today's Business First about a transit idea for the Scioto Peninsula / Franklinton area across the Scioto River from Downtown.

 

For those unaware, the City and their partners at the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation recently announced a $250 million first phase redevelopment of the Scioto Peninsula.  More information about this and renderings are at https://forum.urbanohio.com/topic/1097-columbus-scioto-peninsula-developments-and-news/?do=findComment&comment=906040

 

This redevelopment is in addition to much work accomplished in the Scioto Peninsula and along the downtown riverfront in recent years.  The Urban Land Institute just awarded that work one of 11 Global Awards for Excellence this year.  The 2019 ULI award along with a recap of the work plus renderings and photos are available at https://forum.urbanohio.com/topic/1097-columbus-scioto-peninsula-developments-and-news/?do=findComment&comment=911868

 

So, with that preface - here's today's letter-to-the-editor at Business First:

 

Letter to the editor: Franklinton rail hub would be a ‘smart’ transportation addition to the city

By Gene Nusekabel

 

To the editor:  We have a great smart transportation opportunity before the city of Columbus.  The Scioto Peninsula building plan is about to consume all the available land east of the railroad tracks in East Franklinton, while nearby the Spaghetti Warehouse site is for sale on the west side.

 

What a pity for the city if the two are not combined for a new transportation future.

 

MORE:  https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/09/27/letter-to-the-editor-franklinton-rail-hub-would-be.html

New Plan Will Make Transit Recommendations for Northwest Corridor

 

 

The City of Columbus announced today the next step in a process that started in back in 2014, when the Insight 2050 initiative highlighted the need for more focused and concentrated growth in the region.

 

Last spring’s Corridor Concepts study recommended dense development and better transit along five regional corridors, and today, one of those corridors was picked to be the first. A consultant has been hired to study the Northwest Corridor, which roughly follows Olentangy River Road from Downtown to Bethel Road.

 

The new plan promises to do what the previous plans haven’t – make a specific recommendation for what exactly a “high-capacity transit” option should look like along the corridor, and lay out a step-by-step strategy for actually building it within the next five years.

...

Kimley-Horn – a planning and engineering firm with experience designing both light rail and bus rapid transit (BRT) systems – has been hired to lead the effort.

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-plan-northwest-corridor-bw1

5 minutes ago, ColDayMan said:

New Plan Will Make Transit Recommendations for Northwest Corridor

 

 

The City of Columbus announced today the next step in a process that started in back in 2014, when the Insight 2050 initiative highlighted the need for more focused and concentrated growth in the region.

 

Last spring’s Corridor Concepts study recommended dense development and better transit along five regional corridors, and today, one of those corridors was picked to be the first. A consultant has been hired to study the Northwest Corridor, which roughly follows Olentangy River Road from Downtown to Bethel Road.

 

The new plan promises to do what the previous plans haven’t – make a specific recommendation for what exactly a “high-capacity transit” option should look like along the corridor, and lay out a step-by-step strategy for actually building it within the next five years.

...

Kimley-Horn – a planning and engineering firm with experience designing both light rail and bus rapid transit (BRT) systems – has been hired to lead the effort.

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-plan-northwest-corridor-bw1

Some of the comments on that article are frustrating.  I see @Zyrokai has already chimed in. lol

On 11/15/2019 at 3:00 PM, TH3BUDDHA said:

Some of the comments on that article are frustrating.  I see @Zyrokai has already chimed in. lol

 

Additionally, in a shocking twist of events, all the comments on Facebook are actually advocating for rail. 

 

 

Anecdotally, I have seen a massive shift in opinion in just the short time i've been in Columbus. When I moved here a few years back it seemed that people I talked to were open to transit but interest was still pretty tepid, however now, I regularly here people discussing/bringing up the transit issue. Personally I think the population is finally seeing strain put on the road infrastructure and even if they never plan on using a train or high-capacity mode of transit, they seem more accepting of the idea that it actually would do wonders for the city and so many people. 

 

Overall, the article was completely unexpected, I really am pleasantly shocked how direct and aggressive the city is coming across here...  This could be it guys. *crosses fingers* I am going to do some digging with some friends and see what they know. 

Ginther would actually have to DO something instead of just show up to meetings.

21 minutes ago, DevolsDance said:

Anecdotally, I have seen a massive shift in opinion in just the short time i've been in Columbus. When I moved here a few years back it seemed that people I talked to were open to transit but interest was still pretty tepid, however now, I regularly here people discussing/bringing up the transit issue. Personally I think the population is finally seeing strain put on the road infrastructure and even if they never plan on using a train or high-capacity mode of transit, they seem more accepting of the idea that it actually would do wonders for the city and so many people. 

I wonder if this also has anything to do with an increase in transplants from more urban areas.

 

23 minutes ago, DevolsDance said:

Overall, the article was completely unexpected, I really am pleasantly shocked how direct and aggressive the city is coming across here...  This could be it guys. *crosses fingers* I am going to do some digging with some friends and see what they know.

I was actually really excited after reading that article.  I think this is the first time this has happened for me after reading a Columbus mass transit article.  This time, it actually feels like something could happen.  The main reason that I think I'm excited is that this corridor goes right through OSU's new innovation district plans.  I think OSU is probably pushing really hard for this.  I wonder if it's part of a larger plan to attract a large company to anchor that district(which would also explain wanting to have the transit built within 5 years), like it was rumored that Apple was supposed to do.

 

OSU very much wants to keep alumni in Columbus after graduation.  There are a lot of east coast students that go to Ohio State.  This would be a good step in making Columbus more attractive to them.

28 minutes ago, TH3BUDDHA said:

I wonder if this also has anything to do with an increase in transplants from more urban areas.

 

I was actually really excited after reading that article.  I think this is the first time this has happened for me after reading a Columbus mass transit article.  This time, it actually feels like something could happen.  The main reason that I think I'm excited is that this corridor goes right through OSU's new innovation district plans.  I think OSU is probably pushing really hard for this.  I wonder if it's part of a larger plan to attract a large company to anchor that district(which would also explain wanting to have the transit built within 5 years), like it was rumored that Apple was supposed to do.

 

OSU very much wants to keep alumni in Columbus after graduation.  There are a lot of east coast students that go to Ohio State.  This would be a good step in making Columbus more attractive to them.

 

I had a similar reaction; I've e seen, heard, and read plenty of iterations involving transit over the past few years here and this is the first one that actually left me with some promise. I am very curious because I believe this is the first time we have actually seen hard timeline of implementation and the hiring of a design build company like Kimley-Horn. To me this reads as someone or some big names have decided to hold the cities feet to the fire. Just basing it on the route, this transit corridor would connect Nationwide (DTWN), possibly Cover My Meds, OBM, Nationwide Grandview Yard, Battelle, OSU, CAS, Riverside, Ohio Health, and countless other big things like the Schott, OSU Innovation District, Crew Stadium. If ever you could assemble a list of big names in the city that can make something happen, this list checks off about half or more of them. This whole thing is very interesting all around.

Edited November 15, 20195 yr by DevolsDance

I think I would have preferred identifying broad street as the starting point for high capacity to spur more east/west development but I understand why this one was chosen. I *hope* but am not confident that this will lead to a complete redo of the vast parking lots and suburban strip malls along this corridor. It would be nice if, in coordination of a final plan, they could get some developer commitments to add density during the implementation of high capacity transit. 

 

Do I think light rail will be proposed. No. But I'd be happy as hell for a PROPER BRT and not another CMAX. 

18 hours ago, TH3BUDDHA said:

I wonder if this also has anything to do with an increase in transplants from more urban areas.

 

I was actually really excited after reading that article.  I think this is the first time this has happened for me after reading a Columbus mass transit article.  This time, it actually feels like something could happen.  The main reason that I think I'm excited is that this corridor goes right through OSU's new innovation district plans.  I think OSU is probably pushing really hard for this.  I wonder if it's part of a larger plan to attract a large company to anchor that district(which would also explain wanting to have the transit built within 5 years), like it was rumored that Apple was supposed to do.

 

OSU very much wants to keep alumni in Columbus after graduation.  There are a lot of east coast students that go to Ohio State.  This would be a good step in making Columbus more attractive to them.

 

Parents of natives also want to keep their kids in town and not have to subisdise their existence in far-off cities with rail transit. Especially as the offspring reach their late 20s-30s and the parents might need help with certain things depending on their age.

 

"How Are You Going to Keep Them Down on the Farm?" With rail transit, that's how.

 

 

Edited November 16, 20195 yr by GCrites80s

Sounds interesting but I think Columbus should just go for broke with a ten mile or more subway tunnel underneath High Street. 

57 minutes ago, thebillshark said:

Sounds interesting but I think Columbus should just go for broke with a ten mile or more subway tunnel underneath High Street. 

 

Yeah all of this is beating around the bush.  It's pretty obvious that that is the real solution.  Much of the bus network could be remade to run east-west and then transfer to a subway under High. 

On 11/15/2019 at 3:00 PM, TH3BUDDHA said:

Some of the comments on that article are frustrating.  I see @Zyrokai has already chimed in. lol

 

Omg, I'm sorta embarrassed, hahaha. I couldn't help myself this time! I need to be part of the change, dammit! Lol.

3 minutes ago, Zyrokai said:

 

Omg, I'm sorta embarrassed, hahaha. I couldn't help myself this time! I need to be part of the change, dammit! Lol.

I agreed with everything you were saying.  I was glad I didn't need to jump in myself lol

17 hours ago, TH3BUDDHA said:

I agreed with everything you were saying.  I was glad I didn't need to jump in myself lol

 

 

Oh good, haha. Happy to take the torch this time ?

 

Also, can't we just, like, put this on the ballot? Let's just vote on this as a community and see if we all want to fund transit or not.

 

Edit: typo

Edited November 19, 20195 yr by Zyrokai

4 minutes ago, Zyrokai said:

 

 

Oh good, haha. Happy to take the torch this time ?

 

Also, can't we just, like, put this on the ballot? Let's just vote on this as a community and see if we all want to find transit or not.

Yea, one comment was particularly frustrating.  As soon as I saw it, I started furiously typing until I saw you had already replied.  Here's the comment:

 

Quote

Rail doesn't reduce traffic

Have you been to New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Boston during the week?

No shortage of people driving and absolute gridlock in some areas

 

On 11/16/2019 at 4:53 PM, thebillshark said:

Sounds interesting but I think Columbus should just go for broke with a ten mile or more subway tunnel underneath High Street. 

I think this probably is the best solution, but the insane cost of underground rail, makes this basically impossible. The cheapest recent subway line, Seattle's ULine cost $600 Million per mile in 2012 and on the other end you have New York's second avenue subway which cost $2.5 Billion per mile. So a 10 mile stretch would put you at $6-25 billion dollars. COTA's current operating budget is only $170 Million. The entire city's 2020 Projected Revenue (from income/property/hotel/etc taxes) is $1.1 billion. I know you don't have to fund it all in a single year, but if you spread it over a 25 year bond, with zero interest, with the cheapest possible option that's still $240 million a year, or 22% of the entire city's income devoted to paying for a subway for 25 years. On the high end its 90%. Even if you get half the funding from the feds or the state, the numbers are still crazy. Even ODOT's budget is only $3.7 Billion per year. 

 

I hope we get meaningful light rail transit, but I just wouldn't expect it to be underground. 

21 minutes ago, 17thState said:

I think this probably is the best solution, but the insane cost of underground rail, makes this basically impossible. The cheapest recent subway line, Seattle's ULine cost $600 Million per mile in 2012 and on the other end you have New York's second avenue subway which cost $2.5 Billion per mile. So a 10 mile stretch would put you at $6-25 billion dollars. COTA's current operating budget is only $170 Million. The entire city's 2020 Projected Revenue (from income/property/hotel/etc taxes) is $1.1 billion. I know you don't have to fund it all in a single year, but if you spread it over a 25 year bond, with zero interest, with the cheapest possible option that's still $240 million a year, or 22% of the entire city's income devoted to paying for a subway for 25 years. On the high end its 90%. Even if you get half the funding from the feds or the state, the numbers are still crazy. Even ODOT's budget is only $3.7 Billion per year. 

 

I hope we get meaningful light rail transit, but I just wouldn't expect it to be underground. 

Labor costs twice as much in both those cities.

59 minutes ago, 17thState said:

I know you don't have to fund it all in a single year, but if you spread it over a 25 year bond, with zero interest, with the cheapest possible option that's still $240 million a year, or 22% of the entire city's income devoted to paying for a subway for 25 years. On the high end its 90%.

 

It doesn't really make sense to say "we couldn't afford to build light rail or a subway with the current revenue streams, therefore it's impossible." Obviously you would need a new revenue stream to fund it, and the numbers you mention are not out of the question. In 2006, the multi-county region around Seattle approved a plan which will raise an additional $54 billion to expand their light rail network by 62 miles, bringing to total system to 116 miles.

Impossible was probably too strong, but I think it's relevant to the conversation to put the costs of these projects (particularly underground projects) into perspective. When people look to much larger cities or metro areas and say "well why can't we just have that" there's a cost to consider. How much of a tax increase or rearranging of spend are people actually going to support? A full blown transit network is going to require more than an extra 0.5% sales tax or something similar. 

 

I hope we get much better transit, but we should be smart in how we approach it.

 

MORPC Taking Public Comments on Metropolitan Transportation Plan -- Open House on Feb. 26

 

https://www.morpc.org/news/morpc-taking-public-comments-on-metropolitan-transportation-plan-open-house-next-week/

 

Upcoming Open House:  MORPC will host a public open house about the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) at its offices at 111 Liberty Street, Suite 100 in the Brewery District on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020.  Guests can stop by any time from 4-7 p.m.  A formal presentation will take place at 6 p.m.

 

Those wishing to provide feedback can access the draft strategies and projects at morpc.org/mtp2050.  An interactive webmap is available to see all of the projects, and comments can be submitted directly on the webmap.

 

In addition to the webmap, comments can be submitted by email to [email protected] or in writing to MORPC, 111 Liberty Street, Suite 100, Columbus, OH 43215, Attn: MTP.  The comment period will close at 5 p.m. Friday, April 3, 2020.

 

---

MORPC is the metropolitan planning organization for the Columbus urbanized area, and it is required to conduct a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation planning process.  That planning process, in part, results in the MTP.  This MTP will look 30 years into the future and identify projects as regional priorities – meaning they will be eligible for federal transportation funding to improve, maintain, and operate highways, public transit (COTA and Databus), bikeways, sidewalks, and related facilities.

 

The MTP is a long-range planning document that identifies transportation system deficiencies, strategies, and projects in MORPC’s federally designated transportation planning area.  The area includes: Delaware County; Franklin County; Bloom and Violet townships in Fairfield County; New Albany, Pataskala and Etna Township in Licking County; and Jerome Township in Union County.

On 9/27/2019 at 2:59 PM, Columbo said:

Columbus posters have been asking for a Columbus transit discussion thread.  So I thought I'd rename the existing Streetcar & Light Rail thread and expand it into a general transit news and discussion spot for Columbus.

 

So here it is.

Was it for a group called Greater Central Ohio Public Transit Project?

if so, I’ve been running the group since December of 2019.

 

Monorail is more than feasible as an option for the High Street corridor here in Columbus, Ohio.  I did a whole research paper on the topic for my English class and got a small feature in The Columbus Dispatch regarding the proposal, although my English paper was way more detailed with cost and safety figures for such system 

I know I didn’t go into much detail in this article, but here it is regarding the extreme basics of my proposal, I will also post the full paper I did regarding such systems for the city

https://www.dispatch.com/opinion/20200127/letter-columbus-should-consider-using-monorail-system

Northwest corridor survey:

 

https://linkuscolumbus.com/nw-survey/?fbclid=IwAR3dN8A5UvL7A1NmC3uiN5A9sxAy4WFDMhL2vgvQVOlERGZ-eQdC2_gyTOg

Taken, thank you 

Below is a brief write up about a recent presentation to the proposals for BRT in Cbus and how it is projected to impact development. 
 

From the editor: LinkUS initiative will spur development along corridors, backers say

 

“Panelist William Murdoch, MORPC’s executive director, said mass transit is “at the core” of the plan for how the region could grow better and more inclusively.

 

“What LinkUS looks at is how mass transit can be invested in these corridors, not just transit for transit’s sake, but transit that drives development, drives jobs and drives sustainability,” he said. “LinkUS knits all that together in a way that could move us forward as a region pretty quickly and get us ready for growth.”

 

Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin added that the LinkUS initiative is proceeding in tandem with the zoning overhaul underway at the city that’s designed to encourage development.

 

Hardin said developers will be drawn to the infrastructure built for rapid transit as well as the incentives built into the new zoning code.“

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/09/28/from-the-editor.html

On 9/28/2021 at 3:56 PM, amped91 said:

Below is a brief write up about a recent presentation to the proposals for BRT in Cbus and how it is projected to impact development. 
 

From the editor: LinkUS initiative will spur development along corridors, backers say

 

“Panelist William Murdoch, MORPC’s executive director, said mass transit is “at the core” of the plan for how the region could grow better and more inclusively.

 

“What LinkUS looks at is how mass transit can be invested in these corridors, not just transit for transit’s sake, but transit that drives development, drives jobs and drives sustainability,” he said. “LinkUS knits all that together in a way that could move us forward as a region pretty quickly and get us ready for growth.”

 

Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin added that the LinkUS initiative is proceeding in tandem with the zoning overhaul underway at the city that’s designed to encourage development.

 

Hardin said developers will be drawn to the infrastructure built for rapid transit as well as the incentives built into the new zoning code.“

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/09/28/from-the-editor.html

 

I moved the above post about transit and development in Central Ohio from the Random Projects thread into this General Transit thread.

 

It's interesting that this editorial advocating greater public transit options for Central Ohio is coming from the editor of a business-focused publication.  I've said previously that when the business community decides to get behind expanding transit in Central Ohio, that's when it will happen.  And between the editor of Columbus Business First, the Columbus Partnership and downtown businesses signing up in strong numbers for C-pass, a program that allows eligible Downtown workers to ride COTA buses for free, we might just be at that point.

 

Also, here's a video of the Columbus Metropolitan Club presentation that the editorial is referring to.  Go to 3:50 if you want skip the CMC intros and sponsorship thank-you's:

 

Hypernope? MORPC turns to rail, BRT projects as hyperloop company sorts itself out
 

“Renewed hope for an Amtrak route through Columbus and progress on true bus rapid transithave supplanted hyperloop technology in MORPC's transportation priorities for now.

 

Virgin Hyperloop, the Los Angeles company planning a Chicago-Columbus-Pittsburgh route for its ultra-high-speed new transportation mode, has shifted focus to cargo-only in recent months – despite a win in November's landmark federal infrastructure law making it eligible for federal funding.

 

But the law affects federal incentives and funding structure without changing regulatory apparatus, said Thea Ewing, chief regional development officer and senior director of programming for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.

 

"This really got our team at MORPC thinking more broadly about large-scale projects and innovative projects – and how you fund them," Ewing said. "(Amtrak) knows we’re going to be invested. It sends a message that this is a highly active community that wants to be a partner."‘
 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/inno/stories/news/2022/04/06/morpc-suspends-hyperloop-initiative.html

I think we all knew that pegging hyperloop as a readily-available source of moving people around was a premature notion. I have no doubt that this technology, along with autonomous vehicles, are very real part of current transportation logistics. But it's still nascent technology and we need viable, proven solutions that are currently in place, and we need them now. Rail and BRT are not forgone methods and should be pursued as current and long-term transit initiatives. Hopefully the ability to focus on these 2 modes along with funding available helps in making them a reality in Central Ohio.

Unfortunately it looks like all indications point to Ohio skipping out on regional passenger rail again too and it's going to take COTA a decade to piece together a BRT system if we are lucky so for Ohio,  Cars are the future! S/

 

*14th lol

Looks like Megabus is returning to Columbus starting next Wednesday! To and from the COTA/Greyhound terminal in the Commons Garage.

 

us.megabus.com

 

 

It's better than where it used to be.

Found on Reddit. MORPC has launched a survey for Central Ohio residents to share your experience and desires for transportation in the region. Probably not a bad idea to fill it out. Only takes a few minutes. 
 

MORPC Launches "Leaders Listen" Survey Series with CHRR at The Ohio State University, The Columbus Dispatch

 

https://www.morpc.org/news/morpc-launches-leaders-listen-survey-series-with-chrr-at-the-ohio-state-university-the-columbus-dispatch/