There’s been some good momentum in the transit and pedestrian space recently for central Ohio. After passing COTA’s LinkUS levy this past fall, we are starting to get a glimpse of tangible results and a look ahead at what’s to come. In 2025 you can expect more service hours (buses running later into the night) and more frequency (e.g. buses coming every 20 minutes instead of 30, every 30 minutes instead of 60, etc.) as well as construction beginning on the first bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor along West Broad St. In the next few years we can expect 24/7 service on select bus lines and the possibility of some version of the Cbus coming back (a free downtown circulator).

Below I’ll highlight the recent transit and pedestrian changes that have recently gone into effect and some we may expect in the next few months.

COTA Service Changes

COTA goes through service change updates every four months. It’s a chance to make adjustments to schedule timing, make stop location changes, or change service levels. Luckily we’ve been mostly adding more service lately and the passing of the LinkUS levy will help us keep up that momentum. The most recent update came at the beginning of this year on January 6th. There were some minor adjustments in schedules, downtown route changes that coincided with Front Street going to a two-way street, bus-lineup location changes, as well as increased weekend frequency for the CMAX.

COTA recently held a couple meetings for the next service change coming up in May. These are public comment periods and serve as a preview of possible changes that will be coming. Not everything will be possible, so you can contact COTA to let them know what to prioritize. Among the proposals for May include weekend frequency increases for a couple routes as well as midnight lineups for several lines on weekdays and Saturdays (midnight lineup means the buses lineup at that time downtown and then finish off their route for the night).

The final service changes will be announced at their upcoming public meetings on April 10th at 6PM and April 15th at noon. For more information you can visit https://www.cota.com/servicechanges/.

DPS Design Memo Updates

The city of Columbus and the Department of Public Service (DPS) published 7 new and updated 2 existing Design Memos, effective January 1st, 2025. According to Matt Smith, Transit Columbus member and Civil Engineer, “these are nice since it helps us (designers) take the guesswork out of submitting proposed work to the city.” Shout out to Matt for helping us review these memos. Here are some of the highlights.

4.03 - Design Speed

The speed limit of a road only can do so much for the actual speed at which vehicles travel. Think how the downtown speed limits were changed recently to 25mph but cars still travel faster than that. This change will help match the design of the road to the posted speed limit, so it will make it uncomfortable to drive at excess speeds and more cars will drive the appropriate speed.

4.11 - Sight Triangles (Updated)

While designing a new intersection or modifying an existing one this gives guidance on how to handle parking or other obstructions near the intersection. Parked cars can make it not only more dangerous for pedestrians but drivers at the intersection as well. There’s still room for improvement here. The guidance states that parking should only be removed from an established spot if there is crash history at the location to back it up.

9.04 - Turning Radii (Updated)

This update limits the use of slip lanes (think of a lane that allows you to make an easier right hand turn). Right angle entry is the preferred method and encourages lower turn speeds and visibility for pedestrians and cross traffic. Raised crosswalks are also recommended to encourage cars to yield to pedestrians.

Other Updates

3.01 - Functional Classification
4.04 - References to ODOT L&D
4.13 - Roadway Cross-slopes
5.02 - Cross Section Design
6.31 - Bus Facilities
7.05 - Intersecting Roadways

More News

The Linden Green Line recently won a $12 million RAISE grant. You can read about the upcoming Linden Green Line with an updated map and renderings at Columbus Underground.
City council approved $4.3 million for over a mile of sidewalk to Independence High School. Columbus is woefully behind in sidewalk infrastructure, but this is a step in the right direction.

Transit and Pedestrian News Roundup