Transportation

Air taxi factory planned in Ohio

in Community/Local News/Transportation

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The same Ohio river valley where the Wright brothers pioneered human flight will soon be manufacturing cutting-edge electric planes that take off and land vertically, under an agreement announced Monday between the state and Joby Aviation Inc.

“When you’re talking about air taxis, that’s the future,” Republican Gov. Mike DeWine told The Associated Press. “We find this very, very exciting — not only for the direct jobs and indirect jobs it’s going to create, but like Intel, it’s a signal to people that Ohio is looking to the future. This is a big deal for us.”

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Columbus gas price decline wipes out previous week’s rate hike

in Community/Economy/Local News/Transportation

COLUMBUS (WCMH) – The ebb and flow of gas prices continues as Columbus motorists experienced a decline in gas prices last week, nearly erasing the previous week’s rise in rates.

GasBuddy is reporting that the average price for gas in Columbus dropped by 8.5 cents, to $3.54 a gallon. That price is 12.9 cents less expensive than a month ago, and 5.9 cents higher than this time from one year ago.

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Ohio to build 27 new electric vehicle charging stations along Interstate highways

in Community/Local News/Technology/Transportation

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Ohio has made arrangements to build more than two dozen new electric vehicle charging stations along highways around the state by 2024, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday.

The 27 new charging stations, each of which will have at least four ports, will be located at gas stations, stores, and restaurants along Interstates 70, 71, 76, 77 and 90, DeWine said at a Columbus-area news conference. Two will be in the Cleveland area – at a Shell gas station off Interstate 71 on State Route 82 in Strongsville and a Chase Bank off Interstate 77 on Rocksville Road in Independence, according to an Ohio Department of Transportation list.

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Columbus rolls out e-bike incentive program

in Community/Local News/Technology/Transportation

It will take intentional choices to move Columbus away from being a “car-centric city,” City Council member Lourdes Barroso de Padilla says, but a new e-bike incentive program’s roll out is one more step — or pedal — in the right direction.

Why it matters: The heavy focus on improving bicycle travel this summer furthers city goals of boosting residents’ health, reducing traffic congestion and lowering carbon emissions.

Riding the news: Starting today, eligible residents can apply online to receive $500-1,200 in city funding toward purchasing e-bikes at Beechwold Bicycles, Franklinton Cycle Works, Johnny Velo Bikes, Orbit City Bikes or Paradise Garage.

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Columbus residents 18+ may be eligible for e-bike discount pilot program

in Community/Local News/Transportation

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus residents interested in biking to work now have a chance to get a discounted electric bike.

The Columbus City Council announced a new pilot program through Smart Columbus Thursday aimed at decreasing traffic congestion and lowering air pollution by making e-bikes more accessible to residents.

An e-bike uses a battery and a small electric motor to assist the bicyclist in pedaling faster and farther. The bikes also use a rechargeable battery and can travel up to 20 mph.

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Two downtown Columbus streets converting from one-way to two-way traffic

in Community/Local News/Transportation

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Stretches of Front Street and Marconi Boulevard in Downtown Columbus will be converted to two-way traffic, likely by the last quarter of 2024.

Columbus City Council voted Monday to fund the project, which came with a $13.9 million total price tag. The city will foot most of the bill — allocating $8.5 million — and the Ohio Public Works Commission will put $4.4 million and the Central Ohio Transit Authority will put $1 million toward the project, according to a city public service spokesperson.

Contractors will transform several blocks of each road, changing them from one-way to two-way traffic. On Front Street, that will eventually run from Broad Street near Columbus City Hall to West Hickory Street near Nationwide, and on Marconi Boulevard, from Broad to Spring Street.

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Gas prices continue steady decline

in Community/Local News/Transportation

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Gas prices saw a decline for a third consecutive week, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 500 stations.

GasBuddy reports the average price for a gallon of gas in Columbus dropped 11.1 cents to $3.19 per gallon. While that price per gallon is 11.3 cents higher than a month ago, it has dropped nearly 24 cents per gallon over the last three weeks and it is 76.8 cents lower than one year ago.

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