City’s Capital Line project would improve bike, pedestrian access Downtown

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – There’s a radical new proposal for downtown Columbus called the Capital Line, which would create new space for cyclists and pedestrians.

Columbus wants to compete with similar-sized cities that have created similar plans like Charlotte with the Rail Trail, the Cultural Trail in Indianapolis, and in Minneapolis with the Midtown Greenway.

The Capital Line is in the development stages and needs many approvals before the city breaks ground, but those leaders hope it’s a groundbreaking move in the redevelopment of downtown.

More than 13,000 people live in Downtown Columbus. City planners are aiming for a population of 40,000 Downtown residents by 2040 and how people get around town today stands as a hurdle.

“The theory is that the more you can make pedestrians feel welcome, the longer they’re going to extend their stay in Downtown,” Amy Taylor, president of Downtown Columbus Inc., said. “This is the next step in an integrated and comprehensive public realm plan, because the more you make public space for everyone, the better our downtown is going to be.”

"We see the Capital Line as a nexus for, really, a city-wide network that brings people into Downtown,” Justin Goodwin, Columbus administrator for Mobility and Parking Services, said.

The Capital Line development will unfold over four phases, beginning with a redevelopment of Gay Street. That includes a barrier-protected bike lane and pedestrian space. It's still in the design phase, and if city council approves, it could begin construction next year.

“This isn't taking an area like on Gay Street and making it pedestrian only. We're making it pedestrian forward,” Taylor said.

Gregory Stokes owns Accent Wine, a store right next to Gay Street where the Capital Line would unfold.

“I think the thing that Columbus has always needed is walkability,” he said. “So to have more of a neighborhood feel, the more people are out of their cars and walking around, the more businesses can be sustained.”

“Everybody on a bike is a customer or a potential customer,” Goodwin said. “And that's certainly there's an economic development benefit of promoting cycling and walking as a means of allowing people to have access to commercial destinations.”

Bike users said they’re encouraged by the investment in protected bike space, but they also said the city should prioritize other bike safety plans first.

“I would consider it to be a little bit of a luxury item,” Brian Estabrook, president of Yay Bikes!, said. “I think the Capital Line is really cool and I like the idea of it, but I'm not sure it's the thing that we should be prioritizing right now, considering all the challenges we have locally. There just isn’t that much protected infrastructure.”

“Reconfiguring the streets to still allow for traffic, to still allow for parking and loading and all of those things that you have in a dense downtown, but to do in a way that really prioritizes the safe movement of people, whether they're on foot or bike or rolling in some other way, It's really about putting people first,” Goodwin said.

The city estimates the Capital Line project will cost about $100 million. That loop would extend about two miles and over the river into Franklinton.

Again, many approvals are still to come before construction would begin, but that could be as soon as next year.