COTA AND CITY OF COLUMBUS TO HOST PUBLIC KICKOFF MEETING FOR WEST BROAD TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT STUDY

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), in partnership with the City of Columbus, is inviting residents, businesses and community stakeholders to attend the public kickoff meeting for the West Broad Street Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Study. The kickoff event will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 5 at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Hilltop Branch, 511 South Hague Avenue, Columbus.

TOD is defined as dense, walkable and bikeable mixed-use development within a 10-minute walk of a transit stop that supports vibrant, well-connected communities to jobs, retail, restaurants, educational opportunities and open spaces.

The meeting marks the official launch of a community-driven planning effort for focusing job and residential growth along West Broad Street while preserving affordability for residents and businesses. West Broad Street is also the future site of the first bus rapid transit line as part of the LinkUS Initiative.

People interested in attending Thursday’s meeting are encouraged to RSVP here.

The public kickoff meeting will focus on three primary objectives:

• Providing information about Transit-Oriented Development and how it can support vibrant, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods near high-capacity transit.
• Gathering initial community feedback on what residents and stakeholders would like to see in their neighborhoods, including housing, retail, green space, pedestrian improvements and other amenities.
• Sharing information about the Community Ambassador program, including how residents can apply to serve as paid ambassadors to help lead outreach and engagement throughout the study process.

As final design continues for the West Broad Street BRT corridor, this TOD study represents the next step in ensuring that transit investment translates into expanded economic opportunity, housing choice and neighborhood enhancements for existing and future residents.

PAID COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR OPPORTUNITY
As part of the study, COTA and its partners are seeking 20 Community Ambassadors to support outreach and engagement efforts along the corridor. Anyone interested is urged to attend the kickoff event on Thursday, March 5. Details on the ambassador opportunity include:

• Ambassadors will receive a $1,500 stipend, to be paid in three installments
• Ambassadors will assist with public meetings, community events, business outreach and engagement efforts
• Work will total approximately 75 hours between April and December 2026
• Applications are due Friday, March 13, 2026

Training will be held on Saturday, April 4, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Hilltop Branch, 511 South Hague Avenue, Columbus.

Community members of all backgrounds and abilities are encouraged to apply. Multilingual residents are especially encouraged to participate. Additional information and application details are available at:
LinkUSColumbus.com/Development.