By Will Petrik, Director of Policy & Advocacy
At RISE Together, we envision a community where all of us have the resources and opportunities we need to thrive. The LinkUS initiative will help more people in Central Ohio get to school, work, the grocery store, and the doctor’s office. It will target investment in communities that have historically been excluded from opportunities and support workers with low wages. That’s why we’re excited to support the LinkUS initiative and why we encourage voting yes for Issue 47 in this year’s election.
A history of excluding communities of color from opportunities
In the 1950s and 1960s, the construction of the Interstate Highway System, including I-70, I-71, and the I-270 outer belt, brought significant changes to Columbus, but at a great cost to communities of color. While these highways were intended to spur economic growth and connect suburban areas, they disproportionately displaced residents of historically Black neighborhoods such as the Near East Side and King-Lincoln (Bronzeville), destroying homes and businesses and severing access to opportunities. The construction of these highways deepened racial and economic segregation by isolating neighborhoods, displacing residents, eroding generational wealth, and reducing access to essential services, which led to limited mobility and opportunities for those who remained.
Today, many residents in Franklin County continue to face barriers to get to where they need to go. An estimated 42,000 Franklin County households didn’t have a vehicle in 2022. These issues are especially difficult for people who are paid low wages. People with incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level (at or below $38,730 annually for a family of three) are three times as likely to commute to work using public transportation compared to people with incomes above 150% of the federal poverty level.
The OSU Kirwan Institute Opportunity Index measures access to transportation, education, employment, housing, and healthcare. 1/3 of residents live in areas with persistent opportunity gaps. The lowest opportunity areas in Franklin County are some of the same communities impacted by the construction of the highways as well as communities that were red-lined, limiting residents’ opportunity to own a home.
The LinkUS State of Mobility report acknowledges the harmful impact of past decisions and calls on local leaders to prioritize equitable mobility investment in the future.
Increase Mobility
LinkUS will expand Columbus’s transportation infrastructure system. According to the LinkUS community action plan, the additional revenue generated from Issue 47 will fund three new rapid transit corridors, one new transit center, and 34 new bus shelters by 2030. By 2050, the initiative will increase COTA’s overall service hours by 45%, build over 500 miles of new bikeways, greenways, and sidewalks, and create eight new micromobility zones. By providing better mobility options, LinkUS will connect more residents to jobs, education, and essential services, helping to reduce opportunity gaps.
The LinkUS plan for transit will also open opportunities for people with incomes at or below the federal poverty level. The proposed Broad Street Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line to the west of downtown and the Main Street BRT line to the east will serve many of the neighborhoods in the county with high rates of poverty. The Northwest BRT line will make it easier for residents to connect to jobs as 30% of all jobs in Central Ohio are along this corridor.
The initiative also intends to expand hours of service into night-time hours not currently served by COTA service. This will expand availability of public transportation for third shift workers, who often work difficult hours at low wages and struggle with transportation to work.
Boosting Transit Access and Connectivity: A Critical Step Toward Equity
The LinkUS plan prioritizes communities with opportunity gaps in its plan for sidewalks and bicycle infrastructure. According to an analysis by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), of the 83 current planned projects, 55% will serve areas of low opportunity, 71% will serve areas with high poverty rates and 54% will serve neighborhoods with high shares of residents of color.
Approximately 20% of people in Central Ohio cannot safely walk or bike to a bus stop in 10 minutes using the existing pedestrian and bike infrastructure. The LinkUS initiative will support the development of over 150 miles of new sidewalks, trails, and bikeways by 2030 and 500 miles of sidewalks and trails by 2050. With these additional sidewalks and bike trails, MORPC estimates that 93% of the population will be within a 10-minute walk or bike ride to a COTA bus stop by 2030.
By 2030, MORPC estimates an additional 140,000 people will be within a 10-minute walk or bike ride to COTA. This will make it safer and easier for residents to access public transit. In addition, an estimated additional 44,000 jobs will be more accessible residents. With the proposed projects, over $140 million will be invested in areas with low or very low opportunity.
A Historic Opportunity to Support Inclusive Communities
LinkUS offers a historic opportunity to use mobility investments as a tool for inclusive growth. In the past, transportation and zoning policies often resulted in the exclusion of low-income individuals and people of color from certain communities. LinkUS is an opportunity to reverse these trends by fostering equitable development along key transit corridors. We must ensure that low-income residents and residents of color benefit from new developments and are not displaced by them.
According to Policy Matters Ohio, the state of Ohio contributes far less support for public transit (4%), compared to neighboring states, including Pennsylvania (51.0%), Indiana (34.3%), and Michigan (29%). While we encourage state lawmakers to provide more support for public transit, we can’t wait for state lawmakers to act.
As one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, Central Ohio has a unique opportunity to shape a future where everyone has a chance to thrive. The proposed 0.5% increase to the COTA sales tax will generate an estimated $210 million annually through 2050 to implement the LinkUS initiative. Assuming a household of four at the federal poverty level ($31,200) spends 80% of their income on consumer purchases and 33% of those purchases are taxable, the new initiative would lead to an estimated $42 in extra sales taxes for that family. This is a significant cost for people on a fixed income and residents with low-wages. While not all residents will immediately benefit from the initiative, we believe this will be a positive development for people struggling with economic insecurity.
LinkUS aligns with RISE Together's commitment to equity, mobility and opportunity. It is a step forward in ensuring that more residents can get the resources they need to live a life with dignity and stability. This November, please vote yes for Issue 47 (the LinkUS initiative). Let's build a future where everyone in our community can thrive.
Comments