Explanation
Title
To support the Central Ohio Transit Authority's North Corridor Light Rail and Expanded Bus Service as the Locally Preferred Alternative
Body
WHEREAS, the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) completed a Major Investment Study (MIS) for the North Corridor of Franklin County in 1995 which recognized the feasibility of and desire for an intra-city passenger rail and expanded bus services; and
WHEREAS, the update of the 1995 North Corridor MIS, the selection of a locally preferred alternative, and the submittal of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5309 New Starts Report are prerequisites to securing additional federal capital funds to conduct Preliminary Engineering on the North Corridor Project; and
WHEREAS, the FastTrax Advisory Group recommended the locally preferred alternative include a light rail investment in the north corridor and expanded bus service which the COTA Board of Trustees adopted in its meeting on May 23, 2001; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to FTA guidelines, the North Corridor project received a recommended rating for advancement into Preliminary Engineering; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus continues to support COTA's "Vision 2020" plan to increase mobility and access to jobs by adding LRT and expanding existing transit service; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus urges FTA to continue to support COTA's endeavors to pursue LRT project development to completion; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus urges FTA to continue to rate COTA's LRT proposal as "Recommended"; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That the City of Columbus supports COTA's North Corridor Light Rail and expanded transit service and requests that this alternative continues to receive a "Recommended Rating" from FTA.