Columbus's Transit Transformation: LinkUs & the Race to Catch Up

[@xiezicong]

I really hope that voters do the right thing. I haven't been a resident since 2015 but C-bus deserves better than what it currently has.

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Couldn’t agree more. The good news is that I’m feeling pretty confident about the outcome of the vote. I’ve been knocking doors to encourage folks to vote and I’ve been getting a very good reception.

[@DnD_Robb404]

I feel like we need a subway under Broad and another under High to get people out of their cars, especially Broad.

[@TransitAndTeslas]

Voters did it and said yes! I’m excited!!

[@jlamm2223443]

I love the fact that he links better mass transit with the housing crisis. I could not agree more.

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

What I found so encouraging if that the city sees the connection too and is moving zoning reform, investing in transit, promoting affordable housing, building bike infrastructure, etc all at once.

[@StrongTownsColumbus]

Yes on Issue 47!! Love the video! If you’re in Columbus and care about this stuff, join a local action group to become a change maker!

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Love Strong Towns Columbus!

[@trevorthefoamer220]

Well despite the unfortunate turn of events in our state. It's very refreshing to see Issue 47 pass.

[@ttopero]

You’ve done your part to get the word out! Way to go! Good luck! As a car-free Denverite, I find it fascinating how our transit system is perceived by those beyond our region. When I moved here 10 years ago, RTD was still in building & expansion mode, not yet grappling with the fact that the prior GM (now CEO of DIA) over promised a huge portion of revenue area a train they can’t afford, even if the tracks were free. Pandemic notwithstanding, RTD hasn’t expanded anything since 2019 & is letting the city of Denver & CDOT take the lead on BRT on surface highways through Denver. We used to be lauded for leadership, but taking eyes off the vision can set a system & region back to experiences not unlike those with little rail or fast, frequent, reliable or accessible surface transit, as it seems for Columbus. Good luck!

[@BrysonTheTomato]

it’s a good day when you upload :)

[@BrysonTheTomato]

halfway through watching I just want to say you have gotten really good at talking to the camera

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Thank you so much! Sorry that it's been a while-this election has been wild (my job is in politics).

[@BrysonTheTomato]

@@HeartlandUrbanist all good

[@ericbruun9020]

good video: I would add that the whole idea of having to vote to fund transit while highways are subsidized without a vote is the root of the problem. Not only transit, but schools, parks, and other public services are inadequate because they are in competition with the sprawl-industrial complex.

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Oh boy, what a great point!

[@ericbruun9020]

@@HeartlandUrbanist I have several case studies of transit votes in Chapter 6 of Sustainable Infrastructure Investment

[@hunterfinan7585]

Great to see a video from this channel again

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Sorry that it’s been so long! I work in politics and this year has been insane.

[@jeffster0224]

Voted yes last week! Really hoping we can make this effort more than a dream in my lifetime

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Thank you!

[@jackd8933]

Great to see urbanist videos that address local issues. Keep fighting for transit in Columbus!

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Thanks so much!

[@nathangraves227]

Omg ur back !!! I knew this had to be in the works before the election :)

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Is intended to do a whole series but my job has been wild this year (I’m the organizing director of Swing Left) so I’ve had zero bandwidth for the channel. But I was so glad to be able to make time for this video. Hopefully the Milwaukee video I’ve been working on can come out next month.

[@NicksDynasty]

Columbus needs to act FAST. It's a shame we don't have rail or good bus frequency

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Couldn't agree more. Only 20 days until Election Day, so we don't have much longer to wait. Please remind your friends to vote!

[@NicksDynasty]

@@HeartlandUrbanist will be voting early Thursday

[@timpekarek9159]

You present the issue well. I hadn't realized that St. Louis , where I live was a little better off than Columbus, as far as the issue of urban transit goes.

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Much better - and exciting things happening in St. Louis!

[@m.j.n.808]

I pray for this. Im a student at OSU without a car and its miserable

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

I thought COTA was decent for getting downtown when I was a car-free student at OSU. But heaven forbid you want to go literally anywhere else.

[@cookiedestroyer19]

Hopefully they implement those center meridian bus lanes. Austin is in part suffering because we lack them, and yet somehow the plan to encourage bus routes to feed the commuter rail are supposed to do it without prioritizing the buses

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

That is the plan for most of the routes - but further out, the lines would run in mixed traffic with stations on the side of the roads.

[@TheTransitCamera]

At a minimum I hope Columbus can get that proposed BRT and service frequency accomplished! Living in the Twin Cities I can definitely vouch for how much of a difference frequency and enhanced stops can make on key bus corridors. One thing I would caution against for BRT station design though is trying to have completely level boarding for the buses if they aren't also investing in solid design and hardware to do it. Assuming they will be working with the typical New Flyer or Gillig products it can eat a lot of time lining up and docking at each station if they are trying to create a bus version of the rail platform experience by just pulling up tight. Going with an elevated/near level boarding platform height still makes it much easier for mobility users, but also makes for much quicker pull up for the operators as there isn't the risk of damaging the bus body coming too close to the platform edge. If they do want a level platform setup then adding guiderails at each station and docking wheels will help speed it up.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

In other words, something similar to the Adelaide BRT Guideway system in Australia but only at the stops.

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Interesting. From a previous video, I know they're planning to order the buses from New Flyer. I also think I saw in Indy that they are installing guiderails. I don't know for sure, but I suspect COTA will be learning from Indy, Cleveland, and others to make sure they get this right. I'm optimistic they'll address this concern.

[@TheTransitCamera]

@@HeartlandUrbanist That's good! I think if they can get something that works well then definitely go for it. Yes locally in the south metro our Red Line 'BRT' was built with train like level boarding, but the only assistance for the bus operators was additional mirrors and a plastic curb to bump against when docking. Depending on the operators skill initially it would add 30-60 seconds a stop to slow way down and carefully pull up to the platform. The platforms looked great on paper and in a trial, I remember getting to see a mock up at the garage and they could literally get the front door flush with the platform edge with a 1" gap. In operation though it was problematic. Currently due to lower ridership Red is now operated under contract, and the TransDev drivers from what I have experienced just don't want to bother docking and stop with a big gap to jump over at the original stops.

[@BensEcoAdvntr]

My concern with bus rapid transit is that it’s easy for service to degrade. Right now there are promises that it will be on a dedicated right of way. But budget overruns and complaints are unfortunately likely to make it a just bus with a fancy paint job. We need rail transit, I don’t know why that isn’t being considered.

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

There are a few reasons city leaders have said rail isn’t on the table right now: first, Columbus isn’t dense enough today to qualify for federal funding for rail. Second, rail takes much longer to implement and Columbus needs to get a quick start. Finally, light rail costs 6x what BRT costs so we can build a far more comprehensive network with BRT. The hope is that once the BRT is built, we can upgrade it based on demand (my hope would be elevated light metro).

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

AND - agreed. We need to keep the pressure on not to water down the BRT routes.

[@rebeccawinter472]

While BRT can be helpful in expanding ridership - if it’s truly BRT (with mostly grade separated lanes and stations - a la Ottawa) - its impact is limited as upper-middle class people will choose not to take it vs driving in almost all instances. Conversely, rail transit, particularly fast suburban/regional rail - can have the biggest impact on ridership. It needn’t be an either/or, but developing a regional rail network - particularly before the City gets too dense - can be the most significant way to reduce traffic.

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

No disagreement. What I’ve been told my city staff is that Columbus currently is not dense enough to qualify for federal funding for rail isn’t - but if the BRT and zoning changes can help Columbus increase density, we could explore regional rail in the future. I’d love to see that federal policy change because you’re exactly right - waiting until you are dense to build is foolish - but currently that’s the policy.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

I'm not from Columbus but assuming this passes once it's built out the metropolitan area can step up to light rail or light metro.

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Right - that's the long term hope. Columbus doesn't currently qualify for federal funding for light rail because it isn't dense enough - but with LinkUs and ZoneIn, the hope is that it can become denser and qualify at some point in the future - perhaps upgrading the most used bus or BRT lines.

[@qjtvaddict]

Add frequent rail like Switzerland

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

If only we lived in that world. Columbus currently has zero trains - so frequent rail is a ways off. But we're moving in the right direction. If all goes to plan, you'll be able to take the BRT to the Amtrak station and board a train to Pittsburgh, Chicago, Cincinnati, or Cleveland by some time in the early 2030s. Sure there will only be 2 or.3 trains a day to each of those cities, but that's better than the current 0!

[@highway2heaven91]

This is a great plan but it’s missing some rail transit. Many of the other cities mentioned either have or would have had light rail. BRT is a great short term solution, but it isn’t a good long term solution for a growing city.

[@LaynaStambaugh]

Also trains are just cooler

[@jonathanstensberg]

Yes, but the BRT plan is dramatically less likely to draw the kind of hardline political opposition that defeated rail-based transit plans in many peer cities.

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

I totally agree and I think everyone (including the city leaders promoting LinkUs) hope and intend to eventually build light rail (or light metro) in Columbus. It's even possible it could be built with the LinkUs funding along a future corridor (the Downtown > Airport > Easton > New Albany route is most likely). But today, Columbus isn't dense enough to qualify for federal funding for rail transit. And light rail is 6x as expensive, slower to build, and attracts more political opposition. So it makes sense to do BRT first, use it to do a ton of transit oriented development to increase density, and then use that density to qualify for more federal funding for rail. My best guess is that Columbus will have rail transit in my life time, but it will be a while.

[@matthewwelsh294]

BRT is better than a typical bus and plus I love how it moves with the road. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vine_(bus_rapid_transit) Light rail is much better.

[@elijahjp2158]

I want to vote on this issue, but unfortunately, I live just outside of Columbus in Westerville. :(

[@natashadianne1]

Actually everyone that falls in a precinct that is part of the COTA service area will get to vote on Issue 47. All of Franklin Co. and tiny slivers of Licking, Delaware, and Union. Get excited!

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

I believe all of Westerville is in the service area and will be able to vote on this!

[@een_schildpad]

Wow, that would be a great thing for Columbus!! Here's hoping it passes for y'all!

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Thank you! I’ve been talking to voters in my neighborhood about it and I’m feeling good about our chances!

[@scottrichards3587]

I recently visited Toledo. Their bicycle infrastructure is 99% better than ours in Columbus, mainly due to bike lanes safely seperated by concrete curbs. Columbus should replace those responsible for road design, they have a 1960s mentality placing car transport above all other modes. Painted bike lanes are worse than nothing, littered with trash and broken glass. Recreational trails between parks are fun, but they are of little use for commuting to work😢

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

It’s shameful that Columbus is so far behind Toledo. I’ve met the staff and consultants working on Columbus’s Bike Plus plan to expand bike infrastructure. They’re smart, professional - and critically, they bike infrastructure Columbus! So I’m optimistic that things will get better as the plan is implemented. As long as they have the needed funding.

[@scottrichards3587]

@@HeartlandUrbanist Soon I hope, I'm 67. Hardcore GREEN PARTY!

[@nixon2tube]

I'm not too enthused. Seems that Columbus last mayor was more into this than the joker we have now. They constantly shit on the bike infrastructure that we do have, where it closes first and opens last, and any old thing can do this. There's seldom proper detouring when it does. In addition, this area has no respect for drivers either. Every intersection is counter-timed causing huge backups every day. The road system itself is 20 years behind, always.

[@jayDB5]

12:32 Peter Sonski & Lauren Onak of the American Solidarity Party are another presidential ticket of transit & urbanism champions on the ballot in Ohio!

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

I think there’s basically universal consensus that either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will be the next President, so realistically you’re either voting for Kamala Harris and her pro-urbanist agenda or your allowing Donald Trump and his anti-city agenda. I understand that folks have principled positions that motivate them to support others - but outcomes deeply matter to me so I am determined to focus on what’s practical.

[@qjtvaddict]

Who are they curious

[@jayDB5]

@@HeartlandUrbanist I agree that it is essentially a given that either Harris or Trump will win the national election. However, I don't quite agree with the analysis that it's "either vote for Harris or else you're allowing Trump to win." There are many who argue the opposite, that it's "either a vote for Trump or you're allowing Harris to win." If we're choosing to look at it through glasses like that, I prefer to think of it as "either a vote for your values or you're allowing the duopoly to win." Given my opinions of the three candidates being discussed here, including the practical implications of who I may choose to vote for, I feel confident choosing ASP. I really appreciate what you said about people having principled positions that motivate them to support a given candidate. It seems like you and I agree it would be good if our elections allowed more weight to be placed on principles, than on strategy / electability! (Plug for STAR Voting and Approval voting). I also definitely appreciate your perspective on outcomes for this election. I like to think that, given my perspective on the possible outcomes of this immediate election, I'm choosing to give long-term outcomes a little more weight in my considerations. But I definitely see where you're coming from. Thanks for our sharing of perspectives here!

[@jonathanstensberg]

The ASP is a small, relatively new party inspired by European “Christian Democrat”-style parties and prioritizes care for the poor, workers, and families in government policies. To dramatically oversimplify, they tend to be economically left and socially right. However, their foundational motivations don’t really fit within the familiar left-right divide in American politics, resulting in a mixture of policy positions most Americans would likely find surprising.

[@jonathanstensberg]

Also, the election is more likely to be decided by the voting age being exactly 18 (rather some other arbitrary age) than by people having the audacity to vote the candidate who actually best represents their views. If you prefer somebody who isn’t an R or a D, just vote for them. If we get “bad outcome”, blame the plurality of people who voted for the bad candidate, not the minority who didn’t.

[@fainelia]

Please update us on the results of the vote! looking forward to your video on the results!

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

You bet! Assuming it passes, I can’t wait to cover its implementation!

[@graywolf4241]

I voted yes yesterday 🎉

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

👏👏👏

[@ScottieRC]

I’ve been to downtown Columbus several times. Doesn’t seem big enough to need it. Probably would be later, though.

[@PHILRED]

Wow, this guy clearly has an agenda.

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Welcome to the channel. Not trying to hide the agenda-we love the Midwest, believe in investing in transit, and that dense, walkable cities are good.

[@fromthehaven94]

Who doesn't have an agenda?

[@timalan7406]

The soon to be 9% sales tax in Franklin county is unsustainable. If this is a good idea, we wouldn’t have to be forced to pay for it through another stupid tax hike. I will make all of my purchases outside of Franklin county, including cars (alternate address). This will be great for surrounding counties.

[@fromthehaven94]

Columbus isn't that huge.

[@cmdrobijadah7329]

Lol if Harris wins you'll have to ride the bus!

[@matthewwelsh294]

While Vancouver, Washington which is a much smaller city than Columbus has The Vine with two lines and building another line in the next few years en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vine_(bus_rapid_transit)

[@HeartlandUrbanist]

Oh wow - that’s a pretty impressive network for a city of Vancouver’s size. I hadn’t heard of it before - thanks for sharing!