What is LinkUS?
LinkUS is Central Ohio’s comprehensive growth and mobility plan. It’s where fast and reliable public transit, sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and expanded trails meet.
We’re investing in smart development to connect communities and create opportunities for a more equitable and sustainable region for everyone by helping to address growth, affordability, and opportunity gaps in Central Ohio.
Faster, More Reliable Public Transportation
- 5 New rapid transit corridors
- 45% more service hours
Safe, Expanded Bike and Pedestrian Paths
- 500+ miles of bikeways, sidewalks, and greenways
Walkable Communities
- More affordable access to work, home, and entertainment
- $250M Complete Streets roadway investments
Based on extensive research over the last decade, LinkUS selected three corridors to focus on initially, the Northwest, East Main and West Broad corridors.
Beyond these first three corridors, LinkUS also encompasses plans for future corridors to help increase connectivity, affordability and opportunity throughout the entire Central Ohio region.
What Is Transit Supportive Infrastructure?
Transit-supportive infrastructure, or TSI, is everything between your door and getting on the bus. More sidewalks, better trails, and safer crossings will expand transit access and connections for everyone.
This program will provide $60M a year for projects to build new and improve existing sidewalks, trails, bike lanes, roadways, and marked crossings. This means more investments in the region’s active transportation network than ever before.
In establishing this new funding program, it was imperative that a culture of regionalism and a non-competitive source for local funds was created. To accomplish this, a three-tiered committee structure was developed:
Technical Working Groups
- Direct representation of each jurisdiction in the COTA service area; includes 17 cities, 9 villages, 17 townships
- Identifies priority projects
Technical Coordinating Committee
- Builds consensus and moves the projects into a regional TSI Capital Improvement Program.
- Recommends the program of projects to the Leadership Committee
Leadership Committee
- Comprised of executive-level officials
- Approve programs/projects
TSI Regional Priorities
This program will help build everything from large, regional trails, to adding benches and shelters to bus stops.
We are bringing every community to the table to identify the most impactful projects that can be developed in the first years of the program. Over 100 improvements have been identified, with the initial list of projects expected to be selected by Summer 2024.
- 330+ projects under consideration
- 130+ identified as local priorities
- 360+ miles of trails, sidewalks, bike paths
- $500-700M in total estimated project costs
- Collaborating to complete feasibility studies and cost estimates for conceptual projects
TSI Action Items
2023
Focused on engaging with jurisdictions to design a program that benefits every community.
- Executed interagency agreements for program management
- Formalized and convened TSI committees
- Drafted program policies
- Identified TSI project priorities
2024
TSI Committees will:
- Finalize program policies
- Develop TSI CIP/Budget
- Communicate project priorities
- Collaborate to get priority projects “grant-ready” and maintain pipeline of projects
Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, is a premium transit solution that utilizes larger vehicles, enhanced technology and increased frequency to quickly and more reliably move more people.
Features of BRT include:
Level-boarding and multi-door boarding.
Off-board fare collection
Dedicated lanes
Traffic signal priority
Increased frequency and capacity
Larger, zero-emission transit vehicles
Larger, improved stations
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Help us spread the word about LinkUS!
Help spread awareness about Central Ohio’s growth and mobility initiative as we bring Bus Rapid Transit to the region, create more walkable communities, expand access to opportunities, and more.
Follow LinkUS on social media to stay up-to-date on news and events!
LinkUS is a collaborative initiative co-sponsored by the City of Columbus, Central Ohio Transit Authority, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and the Franklin County Board of Commissioners.
