COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has released an update on the progress of LinkUs, including plans to begin construction on multiple bike and pedestrian pathways in 2026.
Central Ohio voters passed Issue 47 in November, a levy that is helping fund Columbus’ initiative with COTA to modernize its public transportation options. The 25-year plan, called LinkUs, is striving to create a Bus Rapid Transit system, which entails dedicated bus lanes and more frequent service. It also aims to install a total of about 500 miles of sidewalks, bike paths and trails.
Collections of revenue raised by the levy began in April, and COTA released its first LinkUs Progress Report in May, sharing how the transportation project is moving forward. The organization stated it will release the reports three times per year, in January, May and September.
In March, the COTA Board of Trustees approved funding for the first phase of bike and pedestrian routes, including 83 projects that will help create 150 miles of pathways throughout COTA’s service area over the next five years, the report said. Work on 11 of those projects is slated to begin next year. The projects commencing in 2026 can be found below, alongside their jurisdictions.
- Eastmoor Green Line (Columbus): The construction of a linear park and trail along an abandoned rail corridor.
- Cooke Road (Franklin County): The construction of a shared-use path and the improvement of road crossings between Karl Road and Cleveland Avenue.
- Minerva Lake Road (Minerva Park): The construction of a shared-use path connecting Cleveland Avenue to the existing Alum Creek Trail and the planned Linden Green Line.
- Brooksedge Business Park Mobility Project (Westerville): The construction of shared-use paths, sidewalks and crossings in the park.
- Shier Rings Road (Washington Township): The closure of a gap in an existing shared-use path.
- Big Walnut Trail (Columbus): The construction of a new segment of the trail between Winchester Pike and Refugee Road.
- Linden Green Line (Columbus): The construction of a linear park and trail along an abandoned rail corridor.
- Eakin Road (Columbus): The construction of a shared-use path.
- West Broad Street (Columbus): The construction of a shared-use path alongside the West Broad Bus Rapid Transit corridor.
- McComb Road (Franklin County): The construction of a sidewalk on McComb Road, providing a connection over Interstate 270.
- McDowell Road Diet (Grove City): The construction of a shared-use path and bike lines.
The LinkUs plan aims to create all 500 miles of the planned pathways by 2050.
The report also detailed the latest timelines for the construction of the first three Bus Rapid Transit corridors. Construction is expected to begin for the West Broad line in 2026, with community members possibly seeing utility work and other pre-construction activities as soon as fall 2025. The corridor is expected to be operational by 2028.
The East Main corridor is currently in the design phase and is expected to be open for service in 2029. The Northwest line is also in the design phase and is expected to begin running in 2031, according to the report.
COTA also stated it began to deliver on the LinkUs promise to provide more service to customers in May, when it made the change to extend its hours past midnight on most of its lines Mondays through Saturdays. The organization called this the “first step toward becoming a 24-hour transit system.”
The LinkUs progress report was completed by COTA and multiple of its partners, including the City of Columbus, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, and the Franklin County Board of Commissioners. The full May 2025 report can be found here.