COTA Awards A&E Firm for $250 Million North Corridor Light Rail Project in Ohio

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). COTA (Central Ohio Transit Authority) (Columbus, Ohio) has awarded Parsons Brinkerhoff (PB) (Dublin, Ohio) the prime design consultant contract for their $250 Million North Corridor Light Rail Transit Project in Columbus, Ohio (PEC 10002899, Plant 1060623).

Located in Franklin County, with the rail route on High Street, the project would extend from downtown Columbus, Ohio, northward to the Franklin/Delaware County line and would include construction of fourteen stations. The proposed route would parallel the CSX Columbus Line and Norfolk Southern Sandusky-Columbus rail lines. Approximately, 17,600 riders per year are estimated to ride the new rail system. A design-build firm will be hired in the Spring 2006 to provide detailed engineering and construction. Construction is slated to start in April 2006 with project completion slated for 2009.

Parsons Brinkerhoff (PB) located in Dublin, Ohio will provide consulting services for the preliminary engineering and environmental studies of the proposed North Corridor Light Rail Transit Project. PB will be responsible for project definition, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement, preliminary engineering and ongoing support to COTA.

COTA was formed in 1971 through the privately owned Columbus Transit Company (CTC) consisting of the local governments of Bexley, Columbus, Gahanna, Grandview Heights, Grove City, Hilliard, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Whitehall, Worthington, and Franklin County. COTA began providing service in Franklin County in 1974. COTA provides 55,534 weekday bus rides and 3,000 to 3,600 weekly rides on Project Mainstream, COTA's service for people with disabilities who can't use fixed-route service. COTA travels through Franklin County on 64 routes, with a fleet of 299 buses, with 4,851 bus stops, 373 bus shelters, and 24 park and rides.