LinkUS Columbus

Tim Fulton 00:09Welcome to the Confluence Cast presented by Columbus Underground. We are a weekly Columbus-centric podcast focusing on the civics, lifestyle, entertainment, and people of our city. I'm your host, Tim Fulton. This week, access to transportation is not just about the journey, but the opportunities it creates. Columbus Underground co-founder Walker Evans sat down with the staff at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission to discuss the plan for LinkUS, Central Ohio's strategic transportation initiative. In the three interviews you'll hear today, Walker and his guests focused on the investment and impacts of the plan, their focus on equity and input, and explored the infrastructure enhancements that are coming to a route near you. You can get more information on what we discussed today in the show notes for this episode at theConfluenceCast.com. The Confluence Cast is sponsored this week by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, or MORPC, featuring stories about local and regional partners that envision and embrace innovative directions in economic prosperity, transportation, sustainability, and an inclusive Central Ohio. MORPC's transformative programming, innovative services, and public policy initiatives are designed to promote and support the vitality and growth in the region. For more information, please visit morpc.org. Enjoy the interview.

Walker Evans 01:40To start, you want to say your name and your title and all that?

Maria Schaper 01:43Hi, I'm Maria Schaper. I'm the associate director of transportation planning with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.

Walker Evans 01:53So for the uninitiated person, can you give us sort of an easy overview of what LinkUS is?

Maria Schaper 02:00Yes. So LinkUS is about connecting people with opportunities. And we're connecting people with opportunities via investments in transportation and mobility, as well as creating walkable, connected development to serve all people and bring the opportunities closer together, so they're easy to access via all modes of transportation.

Walker Evans 02:25I know a little bit about how this sort of dates back to the Insight 2050 study. I think that was published, or began, in 2014. That's almost 10 years ago at this point. And I know there's a lot of work that goes into these sorts of things. Can you maybe walk us through a little bit of the timeline from that study, when it was published, and how LinkUS was sort of born out of that?

Maria Schaper 02:47Yes, absolutely. So like you said, like 10 years ago, we've known, we've been growing for 10 years as a region, we've been expecting to grow out to 2050 for at least 10 years now. And so back in the 2014 timeframe, MORPC led the region in the Insight 2050 study, which was a study to understand how we grow, and the different ways we grow as a region can impact things like land consumption, the environment, the cost of traveling, and the cost of living. Basically, it's all interconnected. So that study gave us the information we needed in order to kind of create a strategy of, how can we accommodate this growth? We know what's coming, we can't stop it from coming, so how can we grow in a responsible way and accommodate this growth? And so that led to the Corridor Concepts study in 2019, where we took the information we knew from Insight 2050 about these impacts, and basically we looked at, okay, how can we accommodate this growth by focusing the growth into corridors and developing around these corridors, where we can serve a higher number of people via transportation, as well as decrease the costs to serve these people, as well as just making a living and accessing different opportunities more affordable.

Walker Evans 04:28And a lot of those corridors are sort of existing areas of density and growth. So it's not about creating new corridors, it's about sort of building on where you already see success. Right?

Maria Schaper 04:37Yes. And also, as part of that, within that timeframe, COTA developed what they call their NextGen plan, where they had identified, I think, close to 20 corridors that could accommodate rapid transit. And so from that, that led into the Insight 2050 Corridor Concepts, where it kind of narrowed down to five or so corridors that could best accommodate that growth and the transportation. And then we were able, as a region, to fold that into our metropolitan transportation plan, which kind of laid the groundwork for how we as a region might fund this type of transportation investment. And so here we are with LinkUS, and LinkUS is the implementation of this decade-long planning effort.

Walker Evans 05:27You mentioned how a lot of these things are all interconnected, from housing to jobs. Why the focus on transportation? Why is that sort of the key piece of infrastructure with these types of plans?

Maria Schaper 05:40Well, with transportation, the cost of transportation and getting around — everybody has to move around to access work, education, just their daily needs. And so right now, the way to get around primarily in central Ohio is by owning a car. And we know that, I think today the number is 40,000 Franklin County residents lack access to a personal vehicle. And so that creates barriers to opportunity. And so we know that transportation is a large component of just household costs, the cost of living. And so if you can not have to own a car or maintain a car, you can hop on transit and access your daily needs, that cuts down on the cost of living significantly.

Walker Evans 06:41And it's probably worth pointing out too that most trips are taken in a single-occupant vehicle as well. So it's a very underutilized mode of transportation right now. So you mentioned mass transit, rapid transit. It sounds like the LinkUS plan is to move forward with BRT. Can you tell us a little bit about what BRT means to someone that might not have heard that term before? And why we're taking that route instead of a fixed rail system, like a light rail system or something like that?

Maria Schaper 07:13Yes, that's a great question. So BRT stands for bus rapid transit. And I think a lot of people can get hung up on the B part, which is the bus, but I like to emphasize the rapid in transit. So bus rapid transit, it is a high-capacity, premium transit service with amenities, many of the same amenities you will see in a light rail mode. There's multilevel boarding, there's off-board fare collection. They also will have modern station designs, much more robust, a place to catch, to get on the transit line, not just a sign in the ground in the middle of grass. And it also has dedicated lanes, so dedicated right-of-way, that means a transit-only lane, and it would have transit signal priority. So as the transit vehicle approaches an intersection, they can have that high-technology communication, where it can talk to the signal and it can get the priority green, while the other single-occupant vehicles have to wait. So yes, we are looking at bus rapid transit. And the bus rapid transit has been identified for the three corridors that are in development currently. So that would be West Broad, East Main, and the northwest corridor, which is primarily Olentangy River Road. And I also should start with, each of those corridors were studied separately, and looked at, what mode makes sense for this corridor? Light rail was considered for each of those corridors, and bus rapid transit was identified, I think, for a couple of different reasons. So first of all, it's cost.

Walker Evans 09:15I recall Shannon Hardin, maybe in one of our recent interviews with him, talking about how, just being responsible with taxpayer dollars, with a very large investment like that, you can either get one light rail line, or you get an entire BRT system. It's like multiple degrees of cost between the two types of systems.

Maria Schaper 09:35And off the top of my head — yeah, so BRT, on a cost-per-mile basis, the typical BRT system is about 20% of the cost of a fixed rail system.

Walker Evans 09:48So five times. Exactly.

Maria Schaper 09:50So that was a big component of the decision to look at BRT. But I think more importantly, when we look at the benefits that we get from bus rapid transit and light rail, they're largely similar. And I will point to Cleveland, which has a bus rapid transit system. Their original BRT program cost about $50 million, and that investment has delivered $114 and a half million gained for every dollar spent on their BRT implementation.

Walker Evans 10:32Do you know how that measurement is gained? Is that like transit-oriented development, or is that exactly economic impact?

Maria Schaper 10:38Yes, so it's the value of office space. The value of office space within a quarter mile of that BRT line is 18% higher than comparable space outside of the walking distance of the BRT. So, just looking at new jobs generated. So the impacts and benefits that we gain from BRT are very similar. And as well, I mentioned the dedicated right-of-way with BRT. And I should say that we're looking at BRT now, and we can expect all of the benefits, and that's not to say that sometime in the future we couldn't explore options for light rail. It doesn't preclude that from happening. And I will also mention, we are partnering with the FTA, the Federal Transit Administration, to fund the BRT. And that's a large part — we're depending on federal investment for a large portion of funding the transit system. And so when working with the FTA, they want to see a level of density to support ridership of the transit corridor. And so when looking at the different levels of density, it was determined that bus rapid transit was the most appropriate based on some of their criteria for identifying which funding levels they're willing to invest.

Walker Evans 12:16Nice. On Columbus Underground, we talk to a lot of people about a lot of the different plans going on. There was a Rapid 5 update the other day, we've been talking to folks about the ongoing downtown development plans, there's the zoning initiative to upgrade the city's zoning code. How do all of those sort of tie in to LinkUS? Are you working with those different community partners to make sure that everyone is sort of in sync with all these different plans?

Maria Schaper 12:39Yes, absolutely. I'm glad you brought that up. Because I think so much of LinkUS that we're talking about is investment in transportation, investment in bus rapid transit, investment in bike and pedestrian infrastructure to support that investment. But the other piece of the puzzle is really the development side, and making sure that we have development that the transit serves, but that the development is supporting the transit as well. And so, yeah, you mentioned zoning. The zoning team has prioritized the LinkUS corridors as they look at updating the zoning code. So looking at the form and function of the development in those corridors, are the buildings close to the street where you don't have to walk down the driveway half a mile just to get to your final destination? And then we're also working with other jurisdictions along the corridors. Working with COTA, we've applied for some grant funding to develop an equitable transit-oriented development policy, and a tool I should say, so it's a tool to really help the local jurisdictions look at and update their land use policies as needed to support the investment.

Walker Evans 14:00Yeah, cuz the LinkUS program touches more than just Columbus, right, where the Zone In is Columbus-specific. Exactly. So what happens next, what are we going to see, when are things going to start happening or being announced?

Maria Schaper 14:14Sure. Well, we've been working on this for almost three years now, the partners, COTA, MORPC, the city of Columbus, Franklin County, and, as you mentioned, all the jurisdictions. And so we are going to keep working on developing the design of these corridors. We're working with all the jurisdictions on identifying funding sources for the transit-supportive infrastructure component, which I know I think you're gonna hear more about from my colleague. And so I think what's next is we're really just doing things like this, trying to talk to the community, help you understand how this initiative can benefit everybody, and we really just share the information and keep moving forward.

Walker Evans 15:07Maria, thanks so much.

Maria Schaper 15:09Okay, thank you. Thanks for having me.

Walker Evans 15:14Can you tell us your name and title?

Neil Jurist 15:15Neil Jurist. I am the communications and engagement senior director at MORPC, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.

Walker Evans 15:24So for anyone who is unfamiliar with what LinkUS is, can you give us kind of an overview?

Neil Jurist 15:29Sure. It's a transportation development initiative that was created in partnership with COTA, MORPC, the city of Columbus, Franklin County, that addresses the growing housing and transportation demands of the region. And so the LinkUS mobility initiative is a faster, more reliable public transportation network. It creates safer, more expanded bike and pedestrian paths, more walkable communities. It really connects the community together to more access to affordable housing, to have people go to and from work, appointments, and recreation. It's just a better mode of transportation to get people where they need to go. And most importantly, this mobility initiative is about equity. That's something that's a core value that's important to all of us that are involved. But it's really ensuring that everybody in the region has more access to affordable, faster, reliable transportation options.

Walker Evans 16:32I know something of this magnitude in the region — I know a lot of what you work on involves a lot of community input, public input processes. Can you tell us a little bit about what's been done to gather community input for the first couple of years?

Neil Jurist 16:47Sure. So we've been working on this probably for the last three, going on four years. And so we're probably maybe in the second phase of the community engagement. The first one was more or less just trying to get the information out to different stakeholders. And so in doing so, we participated in a variety of events, ranging from 614 Day, the African American Male Wellness Walk, and really, anything that MORPC is participating in from a grassroots community initiative, there will always be some information at our table or booth on LinkUS. And it's really an opportunity for us to ask people, do you know what it is? And then we explain it to them. And I think once we explain how it's a little bit different than what we currently have, and how it'll connect in the future, I think then they become a little bit more excited about it. So we've also done presentations at commissions, we've also held a community stakeholder meeting. And we attracted probably over 100 people, over capacity, which is great, because that demonstrated that there was a genuine interest in wanting to learn. For that particular stakeholder meeting, it was held here at MORPC, and it was hosted by Councilwoman Lourdes Barroso de Padilla and the Columbus Urban League president, Stephanie Hightower. And so it was a really good opportunity for Councilwoman Barroso de Padilla to share her story, and also to really answer questions and just present kind of where we're at right now.

Walker Evans 18:29Yeah. You mentioned stakeholders a couple of times. I know MORPC herds a lot of cats. There's a lot of different municipalities and groups and organizations. Who are some of the stakeholders involved in LinkUS?

Neil Jurist 18:40Sure. So in addition to MORPC, city of Columbus, COTA, and Franklin County, we also have the Franklin County Engineer's Office, Central Ohio Greenways, Metro Parks. If we're looking at service organizations and nonprofits, we have the Columbus Urban League, Affordable Housing Trust, Rapid 5. We also have, in the private sector, the One Columbus Partnership, the Columbus Black CEO collective, and a variety of developers. And then for alternative transportation and mobility, GABIKES, Transit Columbus, and faith-based communities are among some of the, I would say, key stakeholders, if you will.

Walker Evans 19:21Nice. Sounds like the whole community, basically. Right?

Neil Jurist 19:24We would love it to be that way.

Walker Evans 19:29I know a lot of the initial planning for this got started before the pandemic. I'm sure there's been some pivoting along the way. Can you tell us a little bit about what's changed? You know, has that affected our growth? What's changed with the plan since then?

Neil Jurist 19:42I would say, of course, during the pandemic, much like everyone else, we had to shift from in-person to virtual meetings. During that time, I think we did a lot more listening and engagement through digital engagement, just kind of looking at people's comments on social media, getting feedback on different aspects of LinkUS. We also kind of heard during this time that people want more transportation options, probably because during the pandemic they had more time to think about what they wanted, they had less distractions. I mean, we still worked, but we were able to do it, many of us — won't say all of us — in the comfort of our home. So that gave us a lot of time to be a little bit introspective. So since we're kind of getting back to where we used to be before the pandemic, we're back to grassroots, we're back to engaging people, trying to meet people where they're at. Because of the digital divide, we can't do a whole campaign on social media or expect people to go to our website, we have to be out talking to people. And so we're back to that. So what we're trying to do is get people excited and re-engaged in the process, so they can help us spread the word.

Walker Evans 20:55Cool. I know we're eventually heading into the colder months here in a little bit. But are there any upcoming opportunities for continued public input, if people want to still be a part of the process?

Neil Jurist 21:05Yes, absolutely. So we do have plans to go to some of the commission meetings and council meetings, we're meeting with businesses, and one of the things we're going to do is re-engage that stakeholder group I mentioned a short while ago. And we are also looking to engage with some businesses and continue with meeting with developers. And so really, we'd love any of the partners, we'd love the opportunity to present information to anyone's organization. So people are interested and really want to learn more — I mean, civic associations, we'd be happy to do that presentation. I think that's kind of the next thing, we'll continue to do that, as well as simplify our message. I know sometimes it can be a little bit technical. But I think if we really explain the benefits, and how it really works, I think people will really find value in what we're trying to do and get excited about it. And that's really what we want.

Walker Evans 22:02A lot of folks, I know myself included, are sort of self-defined transit nerds, geeking out about this stuff, whether it's improving bike lanes, bus rapid transit. And they're the kind of people that want to really get hands-on and really get involved beyond just filling out a survey, which is important. But are there other ways they can advocate, or really help spread the word on this?

Neil Jurist 22:26Oh, I'm so glad you asked that question. One of the things that we want to try to get is people to be our LinkUS ambassadors, getting the information and sharing it with their organizations, their businesses, their networks, and really just informing people about the importance of this new and much-needed transformative transportation and housing initiative. And I say housing and transportation because they're going — there's some integration between that, and you can't overlook that connection. We also have a monthly newsletter on the LinkUSColumbus.com website. I believe it's monthly, it's a digital newsletter, and you can sign up and get all the updates. Following on social media. And really, I believe you can request again to have representatives or members of the partners or stakeholder groups come out and do presentations or answer any questions. And then as a transit enthusiast, I would encourage you to tap into your transportation networks, be vocal about what this change could mean, how it can create a better region and environment, and really improve the quality of life, not only for you, but for everyone across the region and the community.

Walker Evans 23:47Neil, thanks so much for joining us.

Neil Jurist 23:47Thank you.

Walker Evans 23:47Can you tell us your name and title just to kick things off?

Elliott Lewis 23:55Yes. I'm Elliott Lewis. I'm a senior planner here at MORPC.

Walker Evans 24:00So for anyone tuning in, maybe for the first time and not knowing anything about LinkUS, tell us in your words, what is LinkUS all about?

Elliott Lewis 24:09LinkUS is about expanding mobility options for everyone, everywhere, through multimodal. So everyone hears LinkUS, LinkUS, and if they know a little bit about it, they hear about the high-capacity rapid transit, the bus rapid transit corridors, but it's so much more than that. We're expanding other bus service by like almost half, like 40% at least. But it's not even that, too, because you have more frequent buses, more bus lines, you have COTA Plus, which is a demand-response type of mode, but you also have all the things that get you to the transit. I mean, it's great to have more buses, but if you can't get to them, then they're not that useful. So a portion of that that I'm helping to manage is the transit-supportive infrastructure portion. And that's all the sidewalks, the trails, the crosswalks, everything that gets you from the bus to your destination and vice versa. That first-mile, last-mile connection, that's really critical when you look at the totality of mobility.

Walker Evans 25:14Yeah, that kind of leads directly into my next question, which was, beyond the experience on the bus or the bus rapid transit, what does this program mean for sidewalk improvements, crosswalk improvements, maybe safer crossings, especially in some of these really wide corridors, like Broad Street? Is that a part of the plan?

Elliott Lewis 25:33Anywhere and everywhere. Just imagine — I'm sure you've ridden the bus or driven around, or rode your bike around in some very dangerous places, or have gone along a roadway and seen like a worn path, where a sidewalk could be, or you look and, oh, there's a bus stop, but it's just a sign on the side of the road.

Walker Evans 25:33At least, right? Exactly.

Elliott Lewis 25:33And so upgrading your transit stop amenities, getting at least a bench or somewhere to where, okay, you can get to this stop, now you can sit at this stop and be a bit more comfortable. And thankfully, through this, you won't have to wait as long, because there'll be more frequent buses too. But yeah, so it's getting all of that linked together.

Walker Evans 26:14Cool. So, a lot of times we're looking at these kinds of plans from the 40,000-foot view. Can you tell us a little bit more about what it feels like from the user point of view? We spoke a little bit previously with Maria and Neil about the off-board ticketing process and waiting areas and platform levels. Can you tell us a little more about those positive experiences for users?

Elliott Lewis 26:42Yeah, so when we're talking about upgrading buses, upgrading stations, we're doing it to upgrade the convenience and upgrade the dignity of the traveler. So you're having spaces that are more sheltered from the elements, that are heated, that have more helpful information. So you know, okay, well, if I need to get on another bus, it's a lot easier to know where you're going to go, and how long it's going to take to get there. And so all of that is tied together in those stops. But again, with the transit-supportive infrastructure portion, now you actually have a sidewalk. You don't have to trudge through the mud and the snow as much to get to that nice new shiny stop. Or a bike path, you can very easily roll your bike right on the bus, take it somewhere and get right on the greenways somewhere, instead of...

Walker Evans 27:39Mounting it on the front of the bus, which is a time-consuming process.

Elliott Lewis 27:39Exactly, right on.

Walker Evans 27:39That's cool. Nice. What about technology for this, like apps, things like that? Will this tap into existing systems potentially for like ridership cards? When I get on the bus, I scan the QR code on my phone? Or will there be new apps for that?

Elliott Lewis 28:00Everything will still be integrated in the apps they are now, like the Transit app that COTA is partnered with. Everything will be rolled into that, just to make it more seamless for people who are already used to using it.

Walker Evans 28:15One of the questions Brent, our urban development writer and transit writer, wanted me to ask was about, the focus being on these corridors, what sort of advantages will users who don't live directly on those corridors see through the LinkUS program?

Elliott Lewis 28:33Yes, that's a big key, and that's something that — I mean, what's in it for me, what's in it for you, but I mean, what's in it for people who are several blocks away, several miles away from these corridors? So I mentioned earlier that there are so many increased frequencies of existing routes, and new routes being proposed. And so you might live maybe a mile away from a bus route now, but pretty soon you'll be living maybe a quarter mile away from one that comes every 15 minutes, which would be fantastic. But even if you're further away than that, now, the program that I'm over, we want to use it to increase access to transit, but also build non-motorized active transportation use all throughout the COTA service area. And we want to see all the connections to our greenways, we want to foster that culture that, okay, I don't need to hop into my car to go from A to B today. And with that, okay, well now this is an option that I can use for other trips. And so letting that be an option everywhere, and then having that sort of just lift the culture of active transportation and multimodalism, helps to improve that everywhere.

Walker Evans 29:55Yeah. Would you say that part of the benefit or initiative is to reduce barriers to entry? I feel like, if you want to walk, whether there's a sidewalk or not, you can walk, but it reduces the ability for a lot of people to do it if they're disabled or elderly, or just don't feel safe doing that sort of thing. And the same sort of thing with a bus — like, sure, I can ride the bus, but if it's inconvenient, the shelter isn't really the nicest, it's raining outside, that sort of stuff. Do you think that these kinds of improvements will just help increase ridership, because it removes barriers to entry?

Elliott Lewis 30:30Absolutely. I mean, who wants to go out and wait on a corner for an hour, because you just missed the bus, and oh no, it starts raining, and oh no, you don't have somewhere to sit? Unfortunately, people do have to do that. So we're not proposing to do this just to attract new riders, but also to make the existing experiences that much better for people. But yes, that's something that we want to do, is just to make this less of a burden on people, and where possible, more interesting and more fun and more comfortable.

Walker Evans 31:05Yeah, almost a point of pride as well. I mean, if these are nicer stations, it sort of adds a bit more dignity, I think, maybe.

Elliott Lewis 31:12Yeah, I mean, we look at some of our peer cities across the nation who have done these things, and that becomes, like you said, a point of pride in their communities, that said, oh man, we've got this really cool thing that you don't. And we don't want to be the "you don't" anymore.

Walker Evans 31:28So, good bragging rights. So what comes next in the process for what you're working on, and ways that people can be involved in this?

Elliott Lewis 31:36Yes. So with the transit-supportive infrastructure, the TSI portion of it, we are working with each of our local jurisdictions, over 40 different jurisdictions, and different working groups and committees, to identify sort of the first fruits of what projects we could deliver through this initiative. And so we have been sitting down literally at this table and other tables, multiple jurisdictions coming together and actually collaborating and not competing, to figure out what connections can we make within our communities, but also between. How do we get from Grandview Heights to Columbus? How do we go from Reynoldsburg out? All of these things have been a big process, I'll say that, a lot of coordination, but a lot of productivity to do that. So what we're doing right now is we are identifying those priority projects within our communities, within the COTA service area, to identify and to prioritize, and to develop, as we go into next year and beyond, to show that, oh, this is what is going to be built in your neighborhood, on your street.

Walker Evans 32:51Cool. That's really awesome. So we end every episode of the Confluence Cast with a set of questions. What do you think Columbus is doing well, and what do you think Columbus is doing not so well?

Elliott Lewis 33:03Well, I'm going to start with the well. I think Columbus is, in my opinion, doing well about being honest about what it's not doing well. I know, it's a roundabout way of saying it, but I like seeing — because I moved here just about two years ago, from Chicago, and I'm originally from West Virginia too, so kind of on ends of the spectrum of rural versus urban. And I really like the idiosyncratic kind of neurosis here in Columbus, because everyone's like, Columbus should be this, Columbus should be that, but they never really describe what Columbus is. And in a way, I kind of like that, because it is sort of a blank slate, if you will, or at least something that is a different canvas to different people. And you can set off and do something that you might not necessarily be able to do in a larger or smaller place, and be pigeonholed somehow.

Walker Evans 34:04Gotcha. So we're open to ideas and change.

Elliott Lewis 34:04Exactly, yeah.

Walker Evans 34:04So what is Columbus doing not so well?

Elliott Lewis 34:09Well, it's something that unfortunately you can't change, but I just got back from — well, from West Virginia — I love the mountains, born and raised mountaineer. And boy, if I don't miss those hills. But we have some really great ravines, some very topography that I love, running through the quarry. Highbanks Metro Park has already measured power, it's up there. So it's not all flat farmland.

Walker Evans 34:37Yeah. Well, the usual host of this podcast, Tim Fulton, is back on a big kick about Columbus building a mountain. There was an initiative probably 10, 15 years ago on this topic. And so maybe that will be a future episode. Cool. Thanks again for joining us.

Elliott Lewis 34:37Thank you.

Tim Fulton 35:04Thanks for listening to the Confluence Cast presented by Columbus Underground. Again, you can get more information on what we discussed today in the show notes for this episode at theConfluenceCast.com. Please rate, subscribe, share this episode of the Confluence Cast with your friends, family, contacts, enemies, your favorite commuter. If you're interested in sponsoring the Confluence Cast, get in touch with us. We can be reached by email at info@theConfluenceCast.com. Our theme music was composed by Benji Robinson. Our producer is Philip Cogley. I'm your host, Tim Fulton. Have a great week.