The LinkUs sales tax levy for the Central Ohio Transit Authority this fall plans to fund more than 150 miles of new sidewalks, bikeways and trails in its first five years.
City leaders Thursday unveiled the first projects in Franklin County that will get that funding should the levy pass.
More than 80 projects are being tagged for money with a sales tax increase from 0.5% to 1% if approved by voters. This would include building the Linden Green Line park and bike path project in Columbus and extending the Big Walnut Creek Trail in Gahanna.
Route 62 heading to Grove City will get a shared use path and the neighborhood between the road and Greenlawn Cemetery will get more sidewalks.
Gahanna Mayor Laurie Jadwin said LinkUs is about connecting neighborhoods.
"Many initiatives typically don't touch every neighborhood. This one actually does, because it creates that connectivity from community to community. You know, you can have sidewalks, you can have trails. But if they lead to nowhere, they serve no purpose," Jadwin said.
The projects announced are the first set of them. LinkUs plans to add a total of 500 miles of sidewalks, trails and bikeways by 2050.
City and county leaders like Jadwin are trying to convince their voters to buy into LinkUs, which they said will be transformational for the county.
On top of bikeways, trails and sidewalks, COTA would use the money to create bus rapid transit lines in the city.
Gahanna's Big Walnut Creek Trail project will extend it across I-270 to the southern part of the city. Right now, the trail hits a dead end.
"Currently, the trail... ends in a field. It goes nowhere. Our team has been working with a team of engineers to ensure that we can identify safe passageway over 270, to then connect to the southern portion of our city," Jadwin said.
Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission Executive Director William Murdock said the investment LinkUs would make in communities is historic.
"Adding these new pathways, these 80 projects represent a $50 million annual investment over the next couple of years. This is a doubling of our annual investment in trails and sidewalks. It is the largest commitment for active transportation in central Ohio's history," Murdock said.
A full interactive map of the projects earmarked for LinkUs to fund in its first five years can be found on MORPC's website.
