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.
Media note: Lots
of potential for good photos, sound and video in the workshops, Plan Van
activity, and in the ideas and stories we’re already hearing from the public.
How Columbus chooses to move toward more and better mobility will be a good,
on-going story.