COTA Selects GFT to Finalize Northwest BRT Design as Hoover Road Pedestrian Bridge Advances Under LinkUS

COTA Mobilizes Engineering Firm GFT to Complete Northwest BRT Corridor Design

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Accelerating the next major rapid transit artery under Central Ohio’s transformative mobility initiative, the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) announced that architectural and engineering firm GFT commenced detailed engineering design and construction management in October 2026 for the LinkUS Northwest Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor. Connecting downtown Columbus with Dublin along Olentangy River Road, the high-capacity corridor will link major regional job centers including The Ohio State University, the Wexner Medical Center, and thriving corporate campuses.

Transportation leaders emphasized that completing the design phase brings the Northwest line into alignment with COTA’s federal funding strategy. The announcement follows the landmark achievement of the West Broad Street BRT, which achieved 90 percent design completion and cleared the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) rigorous Capital Investment Grant Risk Assessment, positioning Central Ohio for hundreds of millions in federal infrastructure matching funds.

Hoover Road Pedestrian Bridge Underway as First LinkUS Infrastructure Completion

Highlighting tangible investments across suburban Franklin County, civil contractors in Grove City progressed foundation piers and approach ramps for the Hoover Road Pedestrian Bridge. The structure serves as the premier project under LinkUS’s voter-backed 2027–2031 Capital Improvement Program, which encompasses 75 Transit-Supportive Infrastructure (TSI) investments across the region, including protected bike tracks, illuminated pedestrian paths, and ADA sidewalk improvements.

Regional planners with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) noted that dedicated trail bridges guarantee safe, car-free connectivity for neighborhood residents accessing high-frequency rapid transit routes.

West Broad Transit-Oriented Development Plan Incentivizes Dense Attainable Housing

At Columbus City Hall, municipal officials and community development corporations expanded public workshops on the West Broad Corridor Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Plan. The zoning framework establishes density overlays around planned rapid transit stations, encouraging mixed-use residential buildings, ground-floor local retail, and deed-restricted affordable housing within a five-minute walking radius.

Civic and transit leaders affirmed that as the Columbus metropolitan population moves toward three million residents, integrating high-speed rapid bus corridors with walkable affordable neighborhoods ensures equitable regional growth.