In recent news, Mayor Coleman is seeking funding for a light-rail line, which has also sparked some discussion. A brief clarification of terminology: “light-rail” can mean any number of types of passenger rail including a commuter line out to the suburbs with few stops or a streetcar line in an urban area with more stops. This line combines both with the line taking a streetcar form from southern Downtown to OSU, while north of that up to the county line it will resemble what is generally thought of as “light-rail”, higher-speed commuter rail with few stops serving suburban areas.
The positive aspects include the fact that suburbanites up north along the corridor will have the option of using light-rail and that urban residents will have an easier time travelling north and south whether it be an urban destination or suburban. Although with the latter, it’s likely to be of little use since there’s no walkable environment save downtown Worthington, which is quite charming in a New England-y kind of way. This will give residents in both urban and suburban areas a taste of both kinds of light-rail and could very well spur demand for more.
The downside is that the light-rail portion will mostly serve as a park & ride for suburban residents with most trips still being made by car. Even those living right along the northern reaches will be using car for most trips whether they be to Polaris or strip-malled roads like Sawmill.
I’d rather see a focus on our urban neighborhoods, many which have been victims of massive disinvestment for decades. Why are we going to spend so much to accommodate suburban sprawl when there are so many empty lots, empty buildings, and empty homes in our urban core that could benefit much more? For anyone that has visited any of our less well-off neighborhoods, the amount of land just sitting there being wasted for nothing is just astounding. Just check out the Timken site in Milo-Grogan off of 5th Ave & Cleveland and you’ll see what I mean.
A well-planned, multi-line streetcar system (see the page on the upper-right for an example) would connect our neighborhoods to a much higher degree. Of course, there’s more to bettering a neighborhood than plopping a streetcar line in it, such as improving the local culture regarding education, etc, but it is much better than nothing. The level of mobility when combined with the goal of complete streets through traffic calming and bike-infrastructure would offer the utmost mobility all throughout our urban center. Where the first light-rail line should go is from the airport to Downtown, from which one could experience our spectacular streetcar system.
Of course, a mere glance at the map will show that plenty of areas are being left out, with the most glaring being all residents south of the split. German Village, the Brewery District, Schumacher Place, and Merion Village, not to mention neighborhoods further south, are all not even part of the equation and will miss out. Why? Because in the future ODOT might, they don’t know since they’re totally dependent on federal funding and with the current and future economic situation may very well not be able to go through with their plan for the split, but if they can then maybe it could possibly go forward. This would present a problem for any rail crossing I-70. How about putting Columbus residents who invested in the south side first and ODOT a distant second? Extend the streetcar section at the very least down to Merion Village and afterward when residents are very keen on using the line can you imagine the fury that ODOT would face if they come in and say, “Umm, sorry guys, but you’re going to have to wait a couple, ten years before you can have this back.” After all, there’s one thing that can stop a DOT in its tracks and that’s some good ole’ fierce opposition from residents.
