Regional Rail Maps
Olentangy Suspended Monorail
Yes, yes, this map is for a SAFEGE suspended monorail.1 But why did I choose a suspended monorail for a line running along the rivers, from Powell to Scioto Downs?
The argument for a suspended monorail
Well, the key argument is that people will be able to look down from the train at the nature preserved in the Olentangy and Scioto waterways. This train is for commuters and local transit, but it’s also designed to be scenic.
Unlike the open rails of the Wuppertal Schewebebahn, the French SAFEGE technology is well suited to use in cold and wet environments. Some of the best-known monorails using the SAFEGE technology are in Japan, in Shonan and Chiba, but a new line was recently built in Wuhan, China. For a people-mover take on the idea, see the H-Bahns of Dortmund and Düsseldorf.
Quality transit service demands frequent trains and an unobstructed right-of-way. The elevated track means that several common obstacles: road crossings, sidewalks, trails, rivers. I’ve chosen to route this train in ways that pierce these common geographic roadblocks, to better connect communities. Elevated stations necessarily require pedestrian access bridges, providing further options to connect communities across highways and rivers. While the trains run overhead, the space underneath is kept open for leisure and wildlife, which is an important concern in the park areas around Columbus’ rivers.
Compared to vehicles that ride atop the tracks, there’s a much-reduced risk of conflict between passengers and trains. The suspended train never comes into conflict with ground-dwelling pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, or track-walkers. The elevation provides inherent grade separation. In combination with platform screen doors, there’s no opportunity for riders to come in conflict with the vehicle at stations. This setup compares favorably to the Cinci streetcar, which is often blocked by cars, and to freight trains in Columbus, which are often forced to slow or stop for obstacles on the track.
The SAFEGE monorail design is also well-suited to Columbus’ variable weather. The power supply lines are inside the beam, protected from wind and debris. Ice and snow can’t accumulate inside the beam. Leaves and branches that fall atop the beam do not interfere with the train’s passage, and neither does wildlife: the top of the beam can serve as a nesting area for birds.
The route
These lands are mostly already owned by state and local governments, so the cost of acquisition is lessened greatly. There’s lots of unused airspace along the corridor, and few obstacles to construction. In built-up areas, the monorail runs above major streets, as in Japan.
- Northern terminus of the rail line
- This location provides access to a market, a major east-west road in Dublin, and several small apartment complexes on the west side of the Olentangy River.
- Access for northern Worthington as well as several parks. Potential for park-and-ride access via parking garages built in unused cloverleaf land.
- This station is built in the middle of the SR 315 interchange for efficient space usage, and provides easy walking distance to The Flats park, Dublin—New Albany crosstown buses on 161, and the Dow Nelson Sports Complex.
- This station is built on the edge of the existing Olentangy and Bethel Park and Ride. Columbus' Zone In zoning code update anticipates construction of large amuonts of housing along Bethel Road.
- An overhead station paralleling 315 leaves plenty of room for bus and bike access along Olentangy River Road and the Olentangy Trail. This route would connect to crosstown bus lines, as well as some minor shopping along North High Street.
- This stop on the west side of the Olentangy services OhioHealth and the Kohl's shopping center, as well as several malls. The area is targeted for upzoning and more residential housing construction as part of Columbus' Zone In zoning code update. Via a planned the Olentangy Trail bridge, this stop services Clinton—Como Park and the Old North neighborhoods.
- Easy access to the OSU athletic fields, The Lawn at CAS, and select offcampus housing.
- This station is here for the Schottenstein Center. If COTA can be convinced to build an east-west bus route along Lane Avenue, this would be an important connection point for that route in addition to the #1 bus.
- Exit here for Ohio State University and The Shoe.
- For all your shopping needs. Upzoning in this area is anticipated to increase housing supply along the corridor.
- A stop on the east side of the Olentangy services Battelle Memorial Institute, as well as a connection to crosstown bus lines and the Harrison West neighborhoods. Easy access to Fifth by Northwest is provided via the existing 5th Avenue bridge.
- This stop on the west side of Olentangy River Road provides access to several outpatient medial facilities, as well as upzoned housing construction along Olentangy River Road.
- Huntington Park, KEMBA Live, and Nationwide Arena
- Stop here for the Scioto Trail, COSI, Main Street, Town Street, Rich Street, and the Broad Street BRT.
- The existing Whittier Street Bridge is widened to provide better pedestrian access from the park, South Front Street, and High Street. This stop serves anticipated housing construction in the park, as well as the Brewery District and German Village.
- This stop on the west bank of the Scioto provides access to the north end of the Lou Berliner Sports Park, Merion Village, South Franklinton, and crosstown buses. These parks become available to a much bigger audience than before.
- Primarily a collector station for crosstown buses and park-and-ride commuters.
- The shopping center could serve as a park and ride for drivers from 270, or the shopping center could be redeveloped with large amounts of housing. It's located near a new metro park.
- It's a casino and racetrack, but that just means that people can take the monorail home instead of driving while drunk.
To help divert suburban commuter traffic from the roads, this line can be accompanied by the construction of several new park-and-ride locations:
- Powell Road Park-and-Ride
- Build a park-and-ride for riders who insist on driving. But also build some nice dense apartments and shops.
- Wilson Bridge Road Park-and-Ride
- Built in unused land in the middle of the 270/315 interchange, this park-and-ride connects to the station via the Olentangy Trail. Intended for 270 and 315 commuters, as well as local residents.
- Frank Road Park-and-Ride
- At the intersection of two freeways, let's build a large parking garage for drivers, complete with a coffee shop just outside the station.
- Great Southern Park-and-Ride
- Drivers who use 270 or South High Street to commute can now park outside of town, and ride directly in.
- Scioto Downs Park-and-Ride
- Use the racetrack's surface lots for commuters when there's no events going on.
The line also takes advantage of the existing park-and-ride at Bethel Road.
-
The Simpsons monorail skit is often cited in the Columbus subreddit; people often suggest a monorail as a mode of transit. ↩
