NBC4 Columbus recently released an excellent digital special, "Trains, transit and central Ohio's car problem | Columbus 2.0: The Way We Move," and it's a must-watch for anyone who cares about the future of our state. The program, hosted by Jared Smalling, does a fantastic job of laying out the transportation challenges facing a rapidly growing Central Ohio and exploring the solutions that will keep us moving, with a significant and welcome focus on passenger rail.

Watch the full video to understand the complete picture of mobility in the region.

All Aboard for Passenger Rail

The special immediately dives into the topic closest to our hearts: bringing passenger trains back to Columbus, the largest city in America without rail service. The segment highlights the renewed push to get Ohio back on track after years of political hesitation, including the infamous decision in 2011 by former Governor John Kasich to reject $400 million in federal funding for high-speed rail.

We were thrilled to see our own Executive Director, John Esterly, featured prominently. John clearly explained that the biggest hurdle has been a lack of political will, noting that many Ohio legislators "don't understand what it looks like when it works well." He pointed to the success in peer states like Michigan as a prime example of what's possible when a state embraces modern passenger rail.

The report covers the exciting progress being made on two federally approved corridors for further study:

• The Columbus-Cleveland-Cincinnati-Dayton (3C+D) corridor

• The Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit (CTD) corridor

Expert Voices Weigh In

It was great to see a variety of expert voices validating the arguments we've been making for years.

Friend of All Aboard Ohio, Hayden Clarkin, a civil engineer and popular online transit analyst, was featured, calling Ohio "one of the best states for passenger rail revitalization." He correctly points out that since many existing freight tracks can be used, we can avoid the enormous costs and eminent domain issues associated with building new lines. He also noted a distinct challenge: ensuring passenger trains get priority on tracks owned by freight companies.

The special also included perspectives from national transportation leaders like Jeff Tumlin of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and Amy Lee of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. They emphasized that effective public transit is not about forcing everyone out of their cars but about creating a more efficient transportation system for everyone. As Tumlin put it, transit needs to be at the "heart of the economic development strategy" for a growing city like Columbus.

The bottom line from the video is clear: passenger rail is about connectivity, economic development, and providing Ohioans with the modern transportation choices they deserve. The stars are aligning, and now is the time to make it happen.

Watch the full NBC4 special here and share it with your friends, family, and elected officials!