COTA approves sales tax hike proposal for bus rapid transit on November ballot

After years of planning and pitches, voters this fall will decide on whether to approve a sales tax to support LinkUS — an initiative to bring bus rapid transit to the greater Columbus area.

The Central Ohio Transit Authority on Wednesday approved ballot language for a 0.75% sales tax that will go before voters this fall in Franklin County and parts of Delaware, Fairfield, Union and Licking counties, according to a resolution.

The tax includes 0.5% that would support LinkUS and 0.25% that would replace a temporary sales tax that is set to expire in 2026, the resolution shows. If approved by voters, the ballot measure would provide an estimated $6 billion in new revenue to support LinkUS.

More on COTA and LinkUS : COTA ridership rising but still far from pre-COVID high. What does that mean for LinkUS?

What bus rapid transit in Columbus would look like

LinkUS would begin by building out bus rapid transit along three routes including one on West Broad Street, another on East Main Street and a third that would carve through the northwestern part of central Ohio.

Differences between typical bus service and rapid transit include dedicated bus lanes, traffic signal prioritization and control, increased bus capacity and off-board fare collection to speed up boarding and more, according to LinkUS. Along with bus rapid transit, LinkUS would also provide funding for sidewalks, greenways and bike paths.

Bus rapid transit would allow central Ohio to get ahead of its growth, said Monica Tellez-Fowler, COTA president and chief executive officer. If LinkUS is implemented, it would mark "a significant step" forward for public transit in the region, she said.

"I think the alternative is to do nothing or wait and do something later," Tellez-Fowler said. "I think we've seen other cities go down that path and it is something that ultimately results in you can't catch up to where you need to be."

After the vote, Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin called it a "historic day for central Ohio" for the region. Hardin has been a vocal supporter of LinkUS as the initiative has come to fruition and said that he thinks there is pent-up demand and interest that will push the public transit proposal to success at the ballot box later this year.

"Today, the COTA board voted to put forward an initiative that will increase the quality of life for our residents," Hardin said. "As we grow, as we welcome in more people, it will make sure that we have a more walkable, more connected, more sustainable community ... For far too long, we have been the largest region in the country without advanced transit."

Many central Ohioans spoke in support of LinkUS on Wednesday, including Sandy Doyle Ahern, president of engineering and survey firm EMH&T. Some form of modernized mass transit system is needed for the Columbus to remain competitive with other regions and it could serve as an economic driver, Ahern said.

"The build it and they come scenario will absolutely play out here in central Ohio," she said.

Stephanie Hightower, president of the Columbus Urban League who sits on the LinkUS board, told COTA board members that bus rapid transit would be a "game changer for many families we serve" and said that it would support the community in "ways that move generations to come."

Central Ohio's 15-county region is expected to swell to more than 3 million residents by 2050 and public officials and COTA leaders have often referenced the predicted population growth in pushing for the LinkUS ballot imitative.

"We must provide safe comfortable and attractive transit choices as more people choose to call our region home," Chris Groomes, mayor of the city of Dublin told board members Wednesday.

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: COTA asks Columbus area voters to decide on new sales tax