COLUMBUS, Ohio — The City of Columbus is launching a pilot program to designate late night drop-off and pickup zones for rideshare users visiting the Short North.
Columbus will be partnering with the Short North Alliance, COTA, Lyft and Uber for the program that begins this week.
Starting on Friday, the eight marked zones designated along High Street between 4th Street and Goodale Street will operate daily from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
“The pilot program will present the opportunity to create a safer environment to manage rideshare use and traffic flow along High Street in the busy Short North,” said Jennifer L. Gallagher, Director of the Columbus Department of Public Service. “It offers another potential tool to support mobility options in our city and safely manage high curb demand.”
The zones will be marked off by Late Night Rideshare Pick Up and Drop Off signage and will temporarily operate at COTA bus stop locations that are not currently in use by buses during those hours.
“Rideshare options are extremely convenient and help patrons avoid driving while under the influence. However, we recognize that they can still pose safety concerns with increased traffic stopping on High Street,” said Betsy Pandora, Executive Director of the Short North Alliance. “This pilot program is one step we are taking to support the safety and wellbeing of visitors leveraging these transportation options.”
Those who are using Lyft or Uber will be directed by the service app to the nearest drop-off/pickup zones. The driver will also be notified that a customer is waiting in that zone for their ride.
The pilot is set to run through Oct. 15 and then it will be evaluated by the program’s partners.