Good Works Columbus: August 26, 2024
Bike Plus Open House, Transit Columbus Happy Hour, Old-Growth Forests
Intro
Hi everyone, happy Monday! A few things to cover before we get to actions:
This weekend a pedestrian died in a hit-skip crash and a bicyclist died in a hit-skip crash the next day. One life is too many and to have two fatal crashes in one weekend is tragic. Earlier this year Transit Columbus led an effort along with Yay Bikes! and others to demand the city implement short term changes to protect our most vulnerable road users. You can read Transit Columbus’ statement here. The city heard us but we must continue to put the pressure on them to act now. There are open houses this week for Bike Plus tonight, Wednesday, and Thursday. I encourage you to go and I also encourage you to keep pushing city council and the mayor to do more for pedestrians now.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to check your voter registration and update if needed. The state of Ohio purged thousands of voters, so check that you’re not one of those affected.
If you have an upcoming event or a link you’d like to share for the newsletter, feel free to send suggestions.
Things you can do in person
Bike Plus Open House (Various dates in August) 🚲
Join us at one of the Open House events in August! You will have the opportunity to share your thoughts on the Bike Plus planning process, the Vision Network, the Near Term Connections map, and recommended policies and programs. Each event is drop-in style and will feature the same content. Hear from city leadership at the top of every hour. We look forward to seeing you there and hearing your feedback!
Transit Columbus Happy Hour Discussion (September 3rd 5:30pm-7:00pm) 🚍Transit Columbus is hosting a series of happy hour panel discussions with city and COTA leadership to dig deeper into upcoming transit and mobility initiatives and what they mean for residents of central Ohio.
On September 3, we’re partnering with NLC Columbus, Columbus Urban League Young Professionals, and Ohio Environmental Council Emerging Leaders to learn more about LinkUS, BikePlus, and the future of mobility in our region.
Green Columbus is doing a free tree giveaway in September and October. You can reserve a tree here starting now.
Things you can do online
From Ohio Environmental Council:
Sign on to support Ohio’s public lands and old-growth forests! 🌳
The U.S. Forest Service has initiated a first-of-its-kind effort to recognize old-growth forests in national forests across the nation. The federal agency is proposing a nationwide amendment to the forest plans of nearly all national forests in the country. In Ohio, the amendment would apply to Ohio’s only National Forest — the largest public forest in the state.
While we believe the Forest Service’s effort to recognize old-growth forests is a step in the right direction, we also believe it falls far short of ensuring meaningful change and protection for existing old growth and maturing forests that could one day recover old growth status.Please join us and fellow citizens across the country in asking the Forest Service to provide real, meaningful protections for mature and old-growth forests to protect the health of our planet and future generations.
Short North Arts District Mobility Survey 🚲
SNAD (Is that a thing?) is conducting a mobility survey for the Short North. Go tell them to create better options for bikes and buses. Honestly, it would be a lot better if cars were banned.
Save the Date
LinkUS Town Hall Events (Various dates) 🚍
Join us for a town hall meeting to learn how COTA’s investment in the region will benefit you, your community and all of Central Ohio. We’ll share more about LinkUS and how COTA will modernize and expand our transit system, answer questions and collect feedback about the project.
TOWN HALL DATES
Thursday, Sept. 126-7:30 p.m.
Carriage Place Community Center
4900 Sawmill Rd, Columbus, OH 43235
Monday, Sept. 235:30-7 p.m.
Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Northern Lights Branch
4093 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH 43224
Saturday, Oct. 510-11:30 a.m.
Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Main Branch
96 S Grant Ave, Columbus, OH 43215
Wednesday, Oct. 96-7:30 p.m.
Reynoldsburg High School
699 E Livingston Ave, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
Transit Advocacy Training Series
Transit Columbus is hosting a series of trainings over the next few months. Come learn how to get involved in local transit advocacy! You can attend any or all events, you don’t need to attend one in order to attend the other. More event details here.
Get out the vote training (Saturday, Sept. 14 11am-12:30pm Main Library Columbus, OH)
2024 is a big election year. Among other important issues on the ballot, central Ohio residents will be deciding whether or not to increase the COTA sales tax levy from 0.5% to 1% in order to fund major transit and mobility improvements like Bus Rapid Transit, more (and improved) pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and a 45% increase in overall COTA service hours.Transit Columbus member Matt Caffrey will lead this training, which will give volunteers the tools they need to get out the vote.
In Case You Missed It
LinkUS Engagement Survey (2 minutes)
Mark up the Vision Zero Columbus map. Have a close call walking, biking, or getting around town? Do you know a dangerous intersection that can be improved? Help identify these spots on the Vision Zero map.
Have a great day everyone!