LinkUS is the region’s mobility and prosperity initiative that will provide a complete mobility system along key regional growth corridors in Central Ohio. We are approaching important decision milestones on the LinkUS project work in two key corridors.

LinkUS builds on numerous previous regional planning efforts, including:

• Insight2050 population and growth forecasts
• COTA NextGen technical analysis and extensive public input
• Insight2050 Corridor Concepts technical analysis and extensive public input

The work in the corridors is designed to address challenges facing a growing region, including managing traffic congestion, ensuring equitable access to jobs and housing, promoting economic vitality, and improving sustainability. It includes a focus on high capacity and advanced rapid transit, bicycle and pedestrian connections, safety improvements, and new housing and job opportunities. It keeps six critical priorities as part of its planning: Equity, Workforce Advancement, Economic Development, Affordability, Innovation and Sustainability. Visit here to learn more.

The initiative is a collaboration among COTA, the City of Columbus, Franklin County and MORPC.

Planning continues for the East-West Corridor as we head into consideration for a Locally Preferred Alternative. Between November 2020 and June 2021, the team has convened technical group and stakeholder group meetings, held virtual public meetings and surveys, and conducted on-street engagement sessions in communities located in the East-West Corridor, including: 

• Six Technical group meetings 
• Six Stakeholder group meetings with members from neighborhoods, jurisdictions, businesses, attractions, and other organizations located in the corridor 
•  Seven Virtual public meetings  
• Online survey with 423 responses 
• Briefings to municipalities, area commissions, civic associations, and other organizations in the corridor 



In May, we hit the streets for the East-West roadshow and met more than 300 residents to get feedback on the new transit options coming to our city. Thanks to Franklinton Fridays, Columbus Museum of Art, Kittie’s Cakes, Brioso Coffee and the Whitehall YMCA for letting LinkUS pop up with information about the East-West Corridor in May!

The East-West Corridor project plan is scheduled to be presented to the COTA Board for consideration at its July 28 Board meeting.

• The Board will be asked to adopt a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA),  
• The consideration will share details from the public engagement and technical work to include the mode, alignment, guideway and stations determined to be the best fit based on technical analysis, community feedback and competitiveness with other transit projects being considered for federal funding. 
• After the July 28 COTA Board decision, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission will be asked to amend the Metropolitan Transportation Plan to include the LPA. That request is expected to be made at its September meeting, after a 30-day comment period starting in August. 

The Northwest Corridor will provide high-capacity rapid transit that carries more people with greater reliability, more frequent service and fewer stops, resulting in shorter travel times. While at the same time, plans will provide modern, innovative transit – unlike anything we currently have here in Central Ohio – for residents. 

At its June 28 public meeting, Columbus City Council passed legislation that will advance the Northwest Corridor project to the next phase of work. As a result, Phase 2 of this project will begin this summer with TranSystems Corporation performing services to advance the work conducted in Phase 1 from concept to design. Phase 2 will prepare the Northwest Corridor for entry into the federal transit funding process.

The Final Report for Phase 1 of the Northwest Corridor Mobility Study is now available for public review here. 

Some key elements of the report are:



• Recommendation for a premium Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line;
• Preliminary station area locations;
• Conceptual images of what BRT could look like in the corridor, including dedicated transit lanes and other premium transit infrastructure;
• Recommendations for coordinated transit-supportive and walkable development;
• An active transportation (pedestrian and bicycle) connectivity plan.

The LinkUS partners recently released The LinkUS Mobility Report, which is a focus on understanding our transportation system and its impact on our community. This is important as we overlay all of the work happening in the corridors. The report: 

• Provides a snapshot of our transportation system and emerging mobility trends;
• Documents ongoing mobility planning efforts in the Columbus region;
• Showcases the critical role of mobility in achieving broader regional goals of equity, public health, sustainability, and economic competitiveness;
• Identifies our changing transportation needs and the importance of strategic investments in mobility.