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COTA Board Approves Outline Of Options Through 2050

The Central Ohio Transit Authority's board of trustees this week approved a plan for public transportation that will last through the year 2050.   Jim Letizia reports.  

The more than seven billion dollar plan called NextGen gives COTA options rather than specifying what transportation mode or system should be used to help people travel between home and large employment areas. At least 11 high-capacity transit corridors are under consideration that would move riders to hubs where alternative transportation can be accessed for the last or first mile to a destination. 

The plan estimates the cost to build a system at 5.4 billion dollars plus another 2 billion in operating costs over the next eight years. COTA says it will be publicly funded. The plan is designed to deal with a growing regional population. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates central Ohio's population will grow by at least 1 million by the year 2050. 

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
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