Central Ohio’s LinkUS Initiative

November 2024

The Outset

Central Ohio is growing fast, with the 15-county region projected to reach 3.15 million people by 2050. To support this growth, the Central OhioTransit Authority (COTA), the City of Columbus, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission launched the LinkUS initiative—a growth and mobility plan to expand COTA transit service and build 500 miles of transit supportive infrastructure. Notably, the plan also includes at least 5 rapid transit lines, with the first three Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines planned by the end of the decade.

BRT combines the capacity and speed of a metro or light rail with with the flexibility and affordability of a bus system through features like:

  • Traffic signal priority
  • Platform-level boarding
  • High-capacity vehicles
  • Modern stations
  • Dedicated transit lanes
  • Off-board payment

The Funding Solution

Place a levy for COTA on the 2024 November ballot to permanently raise its share of local sales tax a half-percent (from 0.5% to 1%), which would bring in an estimated $6.2 billion by 2050. Of the new half of a percent. 27.5% would be dedicated to building 500 miles of sidewalks, bikeways and trails within the COTA service territory.

The Campaign Strategy

To execute a successful strategy, the campaign leveraged the potential of public transit as a necessary solution to support the  region’s expectedgrowth. COTA’s messaging focused on how modernizing and expanding their transportation system through LinkUS could address this growth by making historic investments in sidewalks, bikeways and trails throughout the region to create more walkable, connected communities and increase opportunity for all. In simplest form, the messaging hit three points that proved most valuable to the community – More COTA, More Sidewalks, More Opportunity.

To generate support for LinkUS, the campaign utilized validators from a diverse group of residents—including city’s seniors, teens, veterans, and local elected officials. For instance, Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley shared how COTA’s plan to link Central Ohio with more service would benefit our nation’s heroes. Mayor of Whitehall Michael Bivens shared how the plan would help build a future for public transit that is vital to the community. These storytellers helped explain how lives would be touched by a more connected community.

In addition, support from business advocacy groups, including The Columbus Partnership, the Columbus Chamber, and a number of regional chamber organizations helped garner support for the effort, tying its benefits to economic development and job access.

What else made LinkUS so successful? Nearly a decade’s worth of research and community engagement went into LinkUS to ensure the plan could garner support. The lesson? Planning early is critical to ballot measure success.

The Outcome

Voters approved the levy, 57% to 43%, securing…

  • 45% more COTA service;
  • New and improved sidewalks, bike lanes, trails, and crosswalks;
  • Construction of COTA Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines;
  • Bus station improvements;
  • New and improved fixed route lines;
  • The creation of “rapid transit corridors”; and
  • More COTA//Plus zones for on-demand transit.

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