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Regional planners highlight LinkUS and a federal passenger‑rail pipeline as tools to manage growth
Summary
Panelists pointed to the LinkUS initiative, a voter‑backed transit package and federal passenger‑rail planning as key investments to connect residents to jobs and reduce sprawl as Central Ohio grows.
Panelists at the Columbus Metro Club forum said improved transit and regional rail planning are central to managing Central Ohio’s projected population and job growth and to linking residents with jobs and services.
William Murdoch, executive director of the Mid‑Ohio Regional Planning Commission, highlighted local investment: “Last fall, voters … voted an $8,000,000,000 initiative to increase transit service in a way that we've never seen in Central Ohio,” providing expanded transit, sidewalks and trails to connect people to jobs and amenities.
Murdoch and other planners described LinkUS not as a single line but as a comprehensive regional approach meant to give residents options where they live. He also said the region is in the federal pipeline for passenger rail planning: MORPC and local partners are advancing studies for intercity lines to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Chicago and are moving into what federal planners call Step 2 of the process.
Panelists said investments in transit and active transportation help make housing near jobs more feasible and cited local examples of counties redesigning transit to improve access. They recommended ongoing regional coordination and public engagement to ensure new transit connects to housing, childcare and job centers.
Ending: Panelists called for continued public oversight and advocacy to sustain the LinkUS investments and to press federal and state partners to keep the passenger‑rail planning moving toward concrete station and routing decisions.
