The chief officer of the Central Ohio Transit Authority's LinkUS program has left the agency.
Dorinda McCombs left on Wednesday after just seven months on the job. It's unclear whether she left on her own or was fired.
COTA spokesperson Jeff Pullin said in an email to WOSU that the decision was made after "it was determined that there was misalignment on how LinkUS should be delivered."
LinkUS is the $8-billion transportation plan to bring bus rapid transit lines and related development to the Columbus area. The money comes from a voter-approved half-percent sales tax. Work on the West Broad Street line should begin this fall.
COTA President and CEO Monica Tellez-Fowler will lead LinkUS development during the search for McCombs' replacement. McCombs' annual salary was $246,000.
In the meantime, COTA and the city of Columbus are holding a series of meetings on planning for job and housing growth along the planned bus rapid transit line along West Broad Street.
Ten meetings are scheduled through June for community input on a study on transit-oriented development. That is defined as dense, walkable and bikeable mixed-use development with a 10-minute walk of transit stops.
Hilltop and Columbus leaders hope the bus rapid transit line will lead to development along the nine-mile corridor.
The West Broad Street corridor is the first to be developed as part of the LinkUS initiative.
The first meeting was held on Wednesday. The next meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Prairie Township Community Center, located at 5855 W. Broad St.
