The Boring Company
Columbus Loop
3 corridors. 44-mile network. Zero rail.
Columbus is the largest US city without rail transit. The last Amtrak train left decades ago. The Columbus Loop changes that, starting with one mile.
Why Tunnels?
Columbus is the largest US city with zero rail transit. The last Amtrak service departed decades ago, leaving 2.2 million people with no subway, light rail, or commuter rail. The 1-mile High Street corridor between Ohio State University and the Short North Arts District carries 112,163 daily campus residents past 45 road crossings, with no grade-separated transit option. The city's Vision Zero initiative has flagged this corridor as a priority. A tunnel solves it directly: grade-separated, weather-proof, and buildable beneath the street we already have.
#1
Largest US city with zero rail
9th
Largest in the world without rail
1977
Last Amtrak service to Columbus
0
Miles of rail transit
Top 20 US Metros: Rail Transit Status
| Metro | Population | Rail |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 20.1M | RAIL |
| Los Angeles | 13.2M | RAIL |
| Chicago | 9.5M | RAIL |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 7.6M | RAIL |
| Houston | 7.1M | RAIL |
| Washington DC | 6.4M | RAIL |
| Philadelphia | 6.2M | RAIL |
| Atlanta | 6.1M | RAIL |
| Miami | 6.1M | RAIL |
| Phoenix | 4.9M | RAIL |
| Boston | 4.9M | RAIL |
| San Francisco | 4.7M | RAIL |
| Riverside | 4.6M | RAIL |
| Detroit | 4.4M | RAIL |
| Seattle | 4.0M | RAIL |
| Minneapolis | 3.7M | RAIL |
| San Diego | 3.3M | RAIL |
| Tampa | 3.2M | NO RAIL |
| Denver | 3.0M | RAIL |
| COLUMBUS | 2.2M | NO RAIL |
Introducing Loop
Columbus Loop is a regional network that begins with one fundable mile. First the corridor vision, then the demonstration that proves it.
The Three-Way Corridor
The campus loop is the demonstration: the proof of concept, the anchor. From this 1-mile spine, the same tunnel standard scales into three corridors radiating from a shared downtown hub. One runs to John Glenn CMH airport (12 minutes nonstop), one to the Rickenbacker inland port for all-shift logistics (14 minutes), and one to the Intel Ohio One semiconductor campus (22 minutes versus a congested 45-minute drive). A 44-mile Loop network from a single proven 1-mile beginning, complementing LinkUS bus rapid transit rather than replacing it.
Approximate Columbus geography, anchored at a shared downtown hub. Alignments are illustrative and conceptual.
Network at a Glance
- Network Length
- 44 mi
- Campus loop plus three corridors
- Loop Lines
- 4
- 3 corridors, 1 campus anchor
- Projected Daily Riders
- 33,700
- System base case
- Shared Hub
- 1
- Downtown Columbus interchange
Downtown to CMH, nonstop
12 minutes downtown to gate, no traffic, no transfer
- Distance
- 7 mi
- Loop Time
- 12 min
- Daily Riders
- 9,500
- vs. Peak Drive
- ~25 min
A nonstop, congestion-free ride from the convention district to the terminal, every day, in any weather. Columbus is the largest US city with no rail link to its airport.
Downtown to Rickenbacker
14 minutes to the inland port, all three shifts covered
- Distance
- 12 mi
- Loop Time
- 14 min
- Daily Riders
- 5,200
- vs. Peak Drive
- ~30 min
A dependable, all-shift connection between downtown labor and south-side logistics jobs, with off-peak capacity for small-parcel moves.
Downtown to Intel Ohio One
Predictable 22 minutes to the Silicon Heartland versus a 45-minute peak drive
- Distance
- 22 mi
- Loop Time
- 22 min
- Daily Riders
- 7,000
- vs. Peak Drive
- ~45 min
A fast, fixed-time link from the downtown and university talent base to the Intel Ohio One semiconductor campus and its supplier ecosystem.
Corridor distances, ride times, and ridership are planning estimates for the regional vision. The 1-mile campus loop below is the fundable demonstration; each corridor scales from that same proven tunnel standard.
The First Mile
A 1-mile underground link from Ohio State University (Lane Avenue) to the Short North Arts District (Goodale Street), 40 to 60 feet beneath High Street. 12-passenger autonomous electric vehicles, a 3-minute ride, a $10.00 fare. This is the fundable first step that sets the tunnel standard for every corridor above.
One mile beneath High Street: Station A at Lane Avenue (OSU campus) to Station B at Goodale Street (Short North), 40 to 60 feet below grade.
Specifications
1.0 mile
5,280 feet
12 feet
Prufrock standard
40-60 ft
Below grade
~3 min
Portal to portal
$10.00
Per ride
15,000+
Riders per day
Glacial till / limestone
N=25-50, Seismic Zone 0
22,000
Riders per game
The tunnel sits in ideal glacial till, safely beneath the utilities and foundations of the High Street corridor, in geology proven across decades of Midwest tunneling.
Bang for the Bore
The Columbus Loop delivers 8,500 riders per day at launch, scaling past 15,000. That is 620,500 hours saved each year, more than $42M in annual economic impact, and 45 dangerous road crossings eliminated, all at a $10.00 fare. The economics are self-sustaining: $30.8M in annual revenue against $2.8M in operating costs, a $28M surplus that holds even 30 percent below ridership projections. Utility leases on 144 fiber strands and 15 MW of power add $350K to $500K a year, funding expansion and redundancy.
720
Passengers/Hr (Normal)
1,440
Passengers/Hr (Gameday)
8,500
Daily Riders (Year 1)
$42M+
Annual Economic Impact
40
Cargo Runs/Night (Off-Peak)
144
Fiber Strands (14.4 Tbps)
15 MW
Power Conduit Capacity
620,500
Hours Saved/Year
Hourly Throughput
Passengers/hour by operating mode (bi-directional)
12-passenger autonomous shuttles, bi-directional
Freight & Logistics
Small-parcel logistics (not freight containers)
40
cargo runs/night
Cargo Types
Columbus Loop is a passenger transit system. The autonomous shuttle platform supports off-peak small-parcel logistics.
Utility Co-Location
Fiber + power infrastructure in tunnel envelope
144
fiber strands
14.4 Tbps
bandwidth
15 MW
power capacity
Serves
- OSU campus data center to downtown Columbus
- Short North business connectivity
- Smart-city infrastructure backbone
Interactive Ridership Calculator
Adjust daily ridership to see projected impact
2,975,000
Annual Riders
595,000
Hours Saved/Year
$11.0M
Time Value
$29.8M
Fare Revenue
$40.2M
Economic Impact
$13.505
Per-Rider Value
5-Year Ridership Projection
Annual Economic Impact
Mode Comparison
| Mode | Travel Time | Reliability | Crossings | Gameday | Emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Loop | 3 min | 99%+ | Zero | 22K surge | Zero |
| COTA Bus | 15 min | ~75% | Bus stop risk | Limited | Low |
| Walking | 20 min | Weather dep. | 45+ crossings | Gridlock | Zero |
| Driving | 12-18 min | Variable | N/A | Gridlock | High |
Stakeholder Engagement
The Columbus Loop is backed by 14 letters of support spanning city government, ODOT District 6, Ohio State University, the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, the Short North Business Association, OSU Athletics, and the Columbus Partnership. A campus survey of 8,400 students ranked faster Short North access their number one transportation priority. More than 400 businesses are aligned, and the City of Columbus has committed $41.9M to the High Street corridor through LinkUS, viewing the Loop as a transformative complement to bus rapid transit. This is not speculative, it is politically ready.
“88% of surveyed students ranked faster Short North access as their #1 transportation priority.”
Ohio State University
112,163 daily campus population
“Direct student safety and recruiting advantage”
OSU Students (67,255)
88% survey support
“Safe, fast access to dining, jobs, nightlife”
Short North Business Assoc.
400+ member businesses
“67K+ potential customers via 3-min ride”
City of Columbus
$41.9M LinkUS investment
“Vision Zero alignment, Smart City legacy”
COTA Transit Authority
Tier 1 Priority Corridor
“Complements LinkUS BRT system”
OSU Athletics
102,780 fans per game
“Gameday crowd management revolution”
8,400
Survey Respondents
400+
Businesses Aligned
$41.9M
City Commitment
Feasibility
Success is physically possible. The geology is ideal, the economics are self-sustaining, and the regulatory path is clear.
Technical
- Glacial till (N=25-50): ideal for TBM
- Columbus Limestone bedrock at 60-80 ft
- Water table: 15-25 ft (above tunnel)
- Seismic Zone 0/1: negligible risk
- Settlement: <0.25 in surface displacement
- No river crossings, no geological surprises
Economic
- Revenue: $30.8M/year (Year 1)
- Operating costs: $2.8M/year
- Net surplus: $28M/year
- Even at 30% lower ridership: still profitable
- LV Loop comparable: $3M/yr for 1.7 mi
- TBC covers construction (Challenge prize)
Regulatory
- No NEPA review required (private funding)
- OSU land (north): state-owned
- FCCFA land (south): public authority
- City permit: 60-90 days
- ODOT ROW: 45-60 days
- ADA-compliant station design
Feasibility Scorecard
Geology: Ideal for TBM
Glacial till, N=25-50 blows/ft
Groundwater: Clear
Water table 15-25 ft, tunnel at 40-60 ft
Seismic: Zone 0
Negligible earthquake hazard
Revenue: Self-sustaining
$30.8M revenue vs $2.8M costs
Permits: 3-4 months
City, ODOT, EPA, OSU (concurrent)
NEPA: Not required
Private funding, no federal nexus
ADA: Fully compliant
Elevator access, accessible vehicles
Prufrock: Ready to bore
1 mile, flat, ideal ground conditions
Columbus is ready.
Ohio State is ready.
The Short North is ready.
Let's build.
columbusloop@gmail.com
February 23, 2026
Contact
- columbusloop@gmail.com