East Main Street BRT Corridor

East Main Street is already one of the highest ridership transit corridors in Central Ohio, connecting key destinations, neighborhoods and job centers.

With 3.14 million residents expected in our region by 2050, now is the time to reimagine how to move more people faster, safer and smarter.

Upgrading the East Main Street corridor to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will increase access to jobs, businesses, schools and healthcare for all members of the community, including seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, students and working families, making Central Ohio a more affordable community.

It's part of a multi-corridor vision to link us all together.

Neighborhoods include:

Downtown Columbus
Olde Towne East/Near East Side
Bexley
Mideast/Eastmoor
Whitehall
Far East
Reynoldsburg

The East Main BRT project would also increase access to key community resources, many within walking distance of the corridor, including:

2 hospitals
24 grocery stores
17 K-12 schools
23 daycare facilities
15 pharmacies
8 addiction treatment facilities

What is Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

Bus Rapid Transit, commonly known as BRT, is a high-quality, bus-based transportation system that is designed to deliver fast, cost-effective and comfortable services to meet the needs of metro areas. By providing dedicated lanes specifically for rapid transit — most often at the center of road — it is more reliable and convenient than traditional bus systems.

What would Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) upgrades mean
for East Main Street?

Larger, zero-emission transit vehicles that comfortably fit more people
Improved transit travel speed and reliability
Improved passenger waiting areas at modern stations

Learn more about BRT

View the Future of East Main Street BRT

East Main Street BRT: Downtown Columbus

Travel along 3rd Street in Downtown Columbus and view major intersections, high-visibility crosswalks and the Broad Street BRT Station.

East Main Street BRT: Whitehall

Travel along East Main Street and view how BRT will move throughout Whitehall with expanded medians and the Maplewood Avenue Station with platform-level boarding and a covered shelter.

East Main Street BRT: Kelton Avenue

Travel along East Main Street near Kelton Avenue to view the new Kelton Avenue Station, a micro-mobility hub and expanded sidewalks and crosswalks.

East Main Street BRT: Bexley

Travel along East Main Street in Bexley to view the new Pleasant Ridge Avenue Station with high-visibility crosswalks, a sheltered station area, platform-level boarding and protected medians for easy accessibility.

East Main Street BRT: Reynoldsburg

Travel along East Main Street in Reynoldsburg to view the new Haft Drive Station, a micro-mobility hub and u-turn movement capabilities at the intersection of Haft Drive and East Main Street.

Community Inspired Station Designs

After meeting with residents earlier in 2022, our project team released the first station design concepts in December 2022. More than 100 community members joined the project team via Zoom and Facebook Live to get a first look at concepts for transit stations and mobility updates along LinkUS corridors. New stations along the LinkUS corridors will enhance the rapid transit experience for our residents and visitors.

The number of miles that BRT will operate in on a dedicated guideway, switching to mixed traffic in Bexley and east of Haft Drive in Reynoldsburg.

The number of stations that are planned along the route. The exact placement of these facilities will be coordinated with the local community during the design phase.

100,000

The number of jobs and economic opportunities BRT can connect people to within the half-mile radius of the BRT stations.

64%

The percentage of East Main Street residents who live in an area of persistent poverty. BRT aims to connect the community to jobs, healthcare, education and other resources.

Project Timeline & History

Next Phase

30% design is now complete and project staff are proceeding toward 60% through 2024 with a goal of 100% design in 2026 and construction from 2027-2029. There are multiple concurrent planning efforts underway within downtown Columbus that require coordination between the City of Columbus, COTA, MORPC and downtown stakeholders. We envision integrated rapid transit that gives residents access to jobs, education, thriving business communities and the city’s vibrant culture. With nearly 3.14 million residents expected in our region by 2050, now is the time to reimagine how we can move faster, safer and smarter.

2021

In July 2021, the COTA Board of Trustees adopted three Locally Preferred Alternatives (LPAs), voting to move the East Main Street and West Broad Street BRT Corridors into the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program process. Learn more about the East Main LPA here. LinkUS gained insights from the community and made initial plans for the project.

The LinkUS public engagement process supports the technical analysis of these projects through stakeholder and public engagement to gather feedback and insight from the community. These community insights are used to help develop a 30% design for the East Main and West Broad Street BRT Corridors.

2022

Our project team met with hundreds of residents to learn more about what enhancements to mobility and transit can look like in central Ohio neighborhoods. From virtual meetings to community festivals and a bike-a-long event, LinkUS reached more than 10,000 residents and businesses to spread the word about the West Broad and East Main Street BRT Corridors.

The East Main Street BRT Corridor was accepted into the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program, which is the main federal funding source for large transit projects.

2023-2024

30% design and engineering was completed for the East Main BRT project.

2025

The project team is advancing towards 60% design this year. Project staff are planning for business meetings, community events and pop-ups this year in your community to share the latest project updates.

Upcoming Events

Join us at these upcoming community events to learn more about the East Main BRT line and what it means for your neighborhood.

Date/Time	Location
Sept. 12–13 \| 6-9 p.m.	934 Fest Land Grant Brewing 424 W Town St. Columbus, OH 43215 More info: www.facebook.com/934fest/
Sept. 17 \| Noon-1:30 p.m.	Virtual Event Join us online via Teams. No account required.
Sept. 18 \| 5-7 p.m.	Bexley Open House Bexley City Hall 2242 E Main St, Bexley, OH 43209
Sept. 20 \| 4-7 p.m.	Village Makers Festival Central Community House 1472 Bryden Rd. Columbus, OH 43205 More info: www.cchouse.org/village-makers-festival
Sept. 25 \| 11 a.m.–2 p.m.	Pearl Market North Pearl Street & East Gay Street Columbus, OH 43215
Oct. 4 \| 2–7:30 p.m.	Diwal-Tihar Festival Huber Park 1640 Davidson Dr. Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
Oct. 10 \| 5:30–8 p.m.	Bexley Harvest Festival Jeffrey Park 165 N. Parkview Ave. Bexley, OH 43209
Oct. 13 \| 5:30-8:30 p.m.	Taste of Bexley St Charles Preparatory School - Walter Student Commons 2010 East Broad St. Bexley, OH, 43209 More info: www.cobalt-ranunculus-m8za.squarespace.com/events/taste-of-bexley-2025
Oct. 18 \| 4–9 p.m.	Halloweekend in the BURG! John F. Kennedy Park 7232 E. Main St. Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
Nov. 1 \| 6–8 p.m.	Fall Forward Mingle Whitehall Community Park 401 N. Hamilton Rd. Columbus, OH 43213

*Additional pop-up and tabling events will be added to this list as they are scheduled. Our attendance at these community events is subject to change.

Cultural Resources

As a project with federal funding administered by the Federal Transit Administration, the East Main Corridor is subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. This requires federal agencies to consider effects on historic properties, in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office, interested parties and the public. Both architectural (above ground) and archaeological (below ground) resources are studied.

The following documents are available, which initiate the Section 106 process and outline the proposed Area of Potential Effect (APE), or study area for architectural and archaeological resources:

Get Connected to LinkUS

If your organization would like to have a one-on-one conversation about the East Main Street BRT Corridor, please let us know at info@linkuscolumbus.com.