Community Sentiment Report
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Community Sentiment Report (Reflecting stakeholder and public input received in 2020) Northwest Corridor Community Sentiment Report This report summarizes community engagement efforts and public feedback for the LinkUS: Northwest Corridor Mobility Study conducted during the year 2020. Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. 3 Background and Overview .................................................................................................................. 4 Stakeholder (Focus Group) Workshops ............................................................................................. 5 Participation ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Equitable Engagement Efforts ............................................................................................................ 6 Public (Online) Survey ......................................................................................................................... 7 Outreach Efforts ................................................................................................................................. 7 Participation ....................................................................................................................................... 7 Survey Results ................................................................................................................................. 10 Geographic Correlations .................................................................................................................. 18 Themes and Selected Responses .................................................................................................... 22 Appendices ........................................................................................................................................ 29 Appendix A. Stakeholder Workshops Summary ............................................................................... 29 Appendix B. Stakeholder Workshops, Mentimeter Results ............................................................... 35 Appendix C. Stakeholder Workshop Results, LinkUS: Northwest Corridor Memo .......................... 206 Appendix D. Demographics ............................................................................................................ 216 Appendix E. Public Survey Results ................................................................................................ 221 2 Executive Summary As of December 31, 2020, over 780 individuals have shared their insights and opinions through one of two primary engagement venues for the LinkUS: Northwest Corridor Mobility Initiative. Primary Components Round 1 engagement consisted of two primary components: Thirteen (13) 1.5-hour virtual stakeholder workshops Online public survey Key Takeaways There was general consistency in overall sentiment and priorities for the corridor. These include: Improved Transportation Options Desire for more emphasis on safer and more connected active transportation (pedestrian/bicycle) facilities, improved transit and sustainable mobility options (and less auto-centric roadway design). 80% of participants indicated a desire for future travel options to focus on a combination transit, walking and biking. Many respondents (approximately 18%) specifically indicated a desire for rail-based transit; however, many also cited interest in “complete” or “real” Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), dedicated bus lanes and other transit-priority infrastructure. The majority of participants (56.4%) indicate a willingness to accept slightly longer car trips in exchange for more travel choices and transportation safety enhancements. More Desirable Development Patterns Desire for less auto-centric development and more efficient, sustainable use of land The majority of participants indicated priorities for new development around transit stations to be walkable, attractive, and well-integrated with surrounding neighborhoods. More (and more accessible) parks and open space More affordable housing and higher quality design of new housing developments More mixed use development with amenities that serve surrounding neighborhoods Broad Support for the Six LinkUS Goals Sustainability, Equity and Affordability are consistently ranked as high priorities. For many Equity is recommended as a broader lens through which the other goals should be aligned. Workforce Advancement and Economic Development vary in priority, but still rank highly. Many view Innovation as a tool to achieve the other goals, but not a goal unto itself. Frequently Asked Questions Many participants posed questions about how improvements will be funded, how quickly implementation will occur, and whether there is political will to make desired changes. 3 Background and Overview The Northwest Corridor Mobility Initiative is the first major corridor initiative to be launched under the LinkUS program. This initiative is an extension of foundational planning efforts such as MORPC’s Insight 2050 Corridor Concepts Study, COTA’s NextGen Plan, and the City of Columbus’ Connect Columbus initiative. Community engagement conducted for each of these past planning efforts informed the initial identification of the Northwest Corridor as a priority for implementation of high capacity transit, other mobility improvements, and coordinated growth strategies. Technical work for the Northwest Corridor began in February 2020. The original public engagement plan called for early engagement efforts in the Spring of 2020; however, the schedule and engagement methods were required to be modified due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A LinkUS Framework Strategy and Northwest Corridor Foundations Report was published on June 30, 2020 with the launch of the LinkUScolumbus.com website. A brief introductory “mini-survey” for the Northwest Corridor was made available on the website at that time. This was used to inform the development of a more comprehensive survey and stakeholder discussion questions which are the focus of this report. Members of the public were also invited to sign up for updates via the website, helping to build an initial email list for future engagement efforts. Purpose and Objectives of Round 1 Engagement The initial period of community engagement (i.e. “Round 1”) served three primary objectives: Inform stakeholders and the general public about the LinkUS: Northwest Corridor Initiative, Provide an opportunity for the public and other stakeholders to engage with the findings from the LinkUS Framework Strategy and the Northwest Corridor Foundations Report; and, Synthesize and integrate initial community perspectives to help shape the technical analysis and drafting of initial concepts. Primary Components Round 1 engagement consisted of two primary components: Thirteen (13) 1.5-hour virtual stakeholder workshops Online public survey As of December 31, 2020, over 780 individuals shared their insights and opinions through one of these two engagement venues. 4 Stakeholder (Focus Group) Workshops The community engagement effort began with a series of virtual (Zoom platform) meetings in August 2020. Subsequent assessment of racial and gender diversity of participants in the first series of (10) meetings led to expanded efforts with an additional series of (3) focus groups including broader representation of diverse community interests occurring in October and November. The workshops consisted of thirteen 1.5-hour virtual meetings held over Zoom on August 11, 12, 19 and 20; October 8; November 5 and 13. The workshops included a brief presentation that provided an overview of LinkUS, broadly, and the Northwest Corridor Initiative. Participants were asked a series of questions on topics including the LinkUS Goals, mobility within the corridor, development within the corridor and how the project team should address community questions about the initiative. A combination of rating, prioritization and open-ended questions were asked. Real-time polling was used to allow participants to share their thoughts. Discussion was facilitated after each question for a dynamic and insightful consideration of responses. Participation Approximately 100 individuals were invited to participate in the workshops. Stakeholder workshop participants reflected a wide range of interests and industries, including corridor based businsesses, healthcare organizations, financial institutions, neighborhood/area commissions and civic associations, educational facilities including The Ohio State University, other jurisdictions outside of the city of Columbus, developers and property owners, workforce development and social service organizations, mobility providers and advocates, and other city, county, and public agencies. Refer to Appendix A for additional information about workshop participants and stakeholder group representation. Multiple options for days and times to meet were offered both during the day and in the evening for the convenience of participants. Groups of 8-11 individuals were organized into separate, but identical sessions, with a diversity of stakeholder interests represented in each session. Key Takeaways Overarching takeaways from the workshops are presented below, followed by takeaways from specific questions that were asked: Among stakeholders there is enthusiasm and generally