The City of Columbus is conducting the Columbus South Mobility Study to evaluate the potential need for improvements to safely and efficiently move east-west vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the southern portion of the City.
This study was a recommended action item from the Long Range Transportation Plan developed in 2018 and is included in the current budget as authorized by the City Council. Interested individuals are encouraged to participate in a brief survey through March 3, 2020 at www.surveymonkey.com/r/columbusmobility so the study team can consider user experiences from residents, businesses and commuters.
The study area will primarily focus on 8th Street from U.S. Highway 30/81 (33rd Avenue) on the west to just past 3rd Avenue on the east. The northern limits of the study area extend to the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks and the southern limits of the study area extend to the Loup River Levee.
The study will be prepared over the next several months and will begin with data collection and a traffic and safety analysis. This analysis will include a review of crash and congestion data, historical and current traffic volume data, and future traffic forecasts within the study area. Following data collection, alternatives will be developed that help facilitate safe and efficient traffic movements. Alternatives will then be evaluated against a variety of technical criteria and public input.
“We really need to know the issues that the traveling public face when they are in the study area,” said Rick Bogus, City of Columbus Engineer. “How and why are drivers traveling through the study area? Are their commute times reliable? This is the kind of information we’re asking in the survey, and then we’ll come back to the public later to get more feedback on the alternatives we develop based on this initial feedback about user experience.”
The user experience survey is just the first public input opportunity. Once the team has developed draft alternatives, the public will be invited to a public meeting, anticipated in summer 2020, to review and comment on draft alternatives.
To learn more about the project or to provide location-specific comments within the study area, visit www.columbusne.us/mobilitystudy.
Media Contact
Trevor Harlow
City of Columbus Planner
2424 14th St, PO Box 1677
Columbus, NE 68602-1677
Phone: 402-562-4273
Email: trevor.harlow@columbusne.us