Columbus LinkUS Advances West Broad BRT to 90% Design as City Council Evaluates Major Affordable Housing Bond

LinkUS Mobility Initiative Reaches 90% Final Design on West Broad BRT

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Transforming Central Ohio's multimodal transit infrastructure to support projected population growth toward three million residents, the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) and the City of Columbus released the September 2026 LinkUS Progress Report, unveiling major engineering advancements across the region's rapid transit corridors.

Engineering teams reached the comprehensive 90 percent design milestone for the West Broad Street Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor, submitting finalized civil design plans to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for Small Starts capital grant evaluations. Parallel design progress pushed the East Main Street BRT line toward 90 percent completion, while the Northwest BRT corridor along Olentangy River Road achieved 30 percent design, incorporating 6.4 miles of dedicated center-running busways engineered for rapid, congestion-free travel.

Shier Rings Road Shared-Use Path Breaks Ground in Dublin

Highlighting the multimodal focus of the LinkUS framework, regional leaders gathered on September 25, 2026, to break ground on the Shier Rings Road Shared-Use Path in suburban Dublin. The dedicated non-motorized trail represents the latest component of LinkUS's Transit-Supportive Infrastructure (TSI) initiative, constructing continuous protected bicycle and pedestrian pathways that safely link residential neighborhoods to primary arterial transit stations and regional employment centers.

City Council Evaluates Landmark Affordable Housing Bond & Zone In Phase II

On the housing front, the Columbus City Council convened high-profile public hearings in late September regarding a comprehensive Affordable Housing Bond package. The proposed municipal bond program provides millions of dollars in flexible gap financing for non-profit and workforce housing builders constructing income-restricted rental homes near active transit arteries.

The bond deliberation complements the ongoing rollout of Zone In: Phase II, the city's historic zoning code modernization. Civic leaders praised the coordinated effort, noting that coupling rapid BRT transit with modern, transit-oriented zoning guarantees that Columbus grows equitably and sustainably for generations to come.