LinkUS is a transportation initiative in

Central Ohio According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area includes the counties of Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Hocking, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Perry, Pickaway, and Union. The population of the MSA is 2,078,72 ...

, United States. The project aims to create approximately five rapid transit corridors to support the metro population of

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

, the capital and largest city in Ohio. The initiative was announced in 2020 to create high-capacity rapid transit in Central Ohio. The initiative is a collaboration between the

Central Ohio Transit Authority The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA ) is a public transit agency serving the Columbus metropolitan area, Ohio, Columbus metropolitan area, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. It operates Transit bus, fixed-route buses, bus rapid transit, microtr ...

(COTA), the City of Columbus, and the

Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) is the metropolitan planning organization for Central Ohio, including the state capitol, Columbus. MORPC covers Franklin, Fairfield, Perry, Hocking, Logan, Union, Delaware, Morrow, and Kno ...

. The initiative will also aim to create jobs as well as transit-oriented developments. It will begin its focus on Columbus's northwest corridor, and then to an east–west corridor consisting of Broad and Main Streets. City officials aim for projects like Indianapolis's Red Line (a bus rapid transit line).

Northwest Corridor

The first bus rapid transit line, the Northwest Corridor, will be built on Olentangy River Road, which follows the Olentangy River northwest from the Arena District and Downtown Columbus. In Downtown Columbus, it will follow Long and Spring Streets to the COTA Transit Terminal on Rich Street. The route connects numerous medical offices, corporate buildings, and entertainment centers. Notable among these are OhioHealth, the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

, Lennox Town Center, and the Astor Park development by

Lower.com Field Lower.com Field is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It serves primarily as the home stadium of the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer, replacing the club's previous home, Historic Crew Stadium. The new stadium cost $ ...

. The route may also connect to

Dublin, Ohio Dublin is a city in Franklin, Delaware and Union counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 49,328 in the 2020 census with a census estimate of 49,037 in 2019. Dublin is a suburb of Columbus. The city of Dublin hosts the yearly Mem ...

. As opposed to the

CMAX CMAX is a bus rapid transit (BRT) service in Central Ohio, operated by the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). The line begins in Downtown Columbus, traveling northeast to Westerville. CMAX is Central Ohio's first bus rapid transit line; it ...

bus service, the bus line will aim for "true" bus rapid transit amenities, including dedicated traffic lanes, pedestrian-friendly features, and shelters with fare machines for fast boarding. Federal funding was announced for the northwest and east–west corridors in November 2020, to be released in 2023 and 2024. In February 2021, after considering light rail and BRT for the rapid transit route, LinkUS chose BRT. It cited a lower construction and operation cost while maintaining many benefits of light rail. In June 2021, the design process started as the city approved a $4.5 million contract to TransSystems Corp.; $3.75 million of this is from COTA and the rest is contributed by the city. COTA and city officials want construction on the line to start by the end of the decade; first they will apply for federal funds, a process that can take years.https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/06/29/columbus-bus-rapid-transit-olentangy-river-road.html

References

External links

* Bus rapid transit in Ohio Central Ohio Transit Authority Transportation in Columbus, Ohio

Northwest Corridor

See also

References

External links