Linden is a high-opportunity Columbus neighborhood in need of economic improvement. Linden was chosen as the first neighborhood district for its numerous socio-economic challenges, including low household income, lack of major employers and high infant mortality rates. These problems are compounded by the lack of access to transportation options. Despite proximity to the central core of the city, basic services such as healthcare, grocery stores and banking are scarce within its boundaries. Many residents are transit-reliant, yet planning and completing a trip to access employment and services can be challenging, particularly for parents with young children, seniors and travelers with disabilities. There are also many first-mile/last-mile (FMLM) challenges in the district.
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Prenatal Trip Assistance
Columbus has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country, which is partially caused by expectant mothers not getting necessary prenatal healthcare. The existing Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) system does not always provide reliable round-trip transportation. Linden residents have challenges accessing healthcare services due to the current NEMT model and technologies. It is our goal to work with Franklin County and Celebrate One to develop a means for bridging the gap among healthcare providers, expectant mothers and NEMT services that are paid for through the Medicaid system. This project will be further vetted with key stakeholders to identify goals and measurable objectives. A driving force for deployment of this project is the need to provide a more streamlined and efficient NEMT system to improve mobility and satisfaction for users.
Smart Mobility Hubs (SMH)
Currently, there are no enhanced mobility or multimodal transit features to alleviate FMLM challenges in the Linden area or along the Cleveland Ave corridor. Columbus is working to make mobility a great equalizer in part by embracing multi-modal transportation and making it as accessible and easy to use as possible. Our vision is to transform some COTA bus stops along the BRT CMAX corridor and transit centers into smart mobility hubs, where someone getting on or off the bus can easily access the next leg of their trip. Public Wi-Fi will be a key enabler for the hub and its points of connection (Wi-Fi is also present in COTA's stations, CMAX, and buses). The city plans to outfit the hubs with kiosks to assist in travel planning and expanded transportation options via other modes, such as bike and car-sharing. The smart mobility hubs will be linked with COTA systems to provide transit information with real-time arrival and departure times to the passengers waiting at the hubs. This project will also explore the utility of these hubs in the commercial district, which also faces similar FMLM challenges in connecting travelers to their destinations. This project provides an opportunity for residents and visitors to access multiple modes of travel to solve FMLM challenges. The City of Columbus identified the following objectives to evaluate the measurable impact the SMH project is intended to provide:
- Encourage use of multiple modes of transportation
- Improve overall traveler experience