City of Columbus

Connect Columbus: City Asks Residents For Their Ideas To Help Shape Long Range Transportation Plan

The City is asking residents how they want Columbus to move into the next two decades. That includes ideas about Columbus streets, bus routes, sidewalks, bikeways, crosswalks, or slowing down traffic to make children’s walks to school or the playground safer.   Even whether streetcars or light rail should be added.

Connect Columbus, the City’s long-range transportation planning effort, is gathering public input for developing a new long-range plan for how Columbus moves over the next two decades.
 

All options are on the table for discussion in upcoming public workshops scheduled during the day and evening in an effort to provide as many convenient times as possible for individuals and families to participate and provide their ideas.  In addition, Connect Columbus will hit the streets during popular lunch hot-spots, COTA Park & Ride lots, festivals and other locations to gather comments and ideas from the public.

The first of several four-day Connect Columbus design workshops will take place April 27 through April 30, at Haydocy Automotive’s Community Room, 3895 West Broad Street.  The times for the workshops are:    

• Monday, April 27:  1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Workshop Session, with a 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. opening presentation
• Tuesday, April 28:  11 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Workshop Session
• Wednesday, April 29:  1 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Workshop Session
• Thursday, April 30:  11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Workshop Session, with a 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. closing presentation

Design sessions are open to the public, who can spend 20 minutes, two hours or all day brainstorming with the Connect Columbus design team about how to improve transportation. All ideas will be considered, and the public can map out their ideas with the help of planners and designers during the workshop.
 

Residents should also be watching for the Connect Columbus Plan Van at The North Market, Columbus Commons, farmers markets, outside coffee shops, next to food trucks, and other locations and events citywide. Everyone is invited to spend a few minutes with the Connect Columbus design team at mobile locations to share ideas or issues.  So far, the Plan Van schedule is:

• Tuesday, April 28 (all are weather permitting, with a possible rain date of Thursday, April 30):  
• 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.:  Northern Lights Shopping Center Park and Ride; 3561 Cleveland Avenue
• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.:  Neighborhood Services Food Pantry; 1950 North 4th Street
• 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.:  City of Columbus Department of Public Health; 240 Parsons Avenue
• 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.:  Academy of Urban Scholars Student Work Showcase; 1808 East Broad Street
• Wednesday, April 29 (all are weather permitting, with a possible rain date of Thursday, April 30):
• 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.:   John Burroughs Elementary School; 551 South Richardson Avenue
• 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.:  North Market; 59 Spruce Street
• 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.:  ABC 6 Jobs Boot Camp; 3850 Stelzer Road
• 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.:  Columbus State Community College; 550 East Spring Street

Residents can check on the Plan Van schedule through Facebook at Connect Columbus or Twitter @ConnectCBUS2015.    
 

Connect Columbus has made a third option for citizens to comment on the transportation plan if they cannot make it to a workshop or plan van.  Citizens can go to www.columbus.gov/ConnectColumbus to provide their thoughts and ideas.