The Boring Company, Tunnel Vision Challenge
Columbus Loop
1 mile. 3 minutes. 112,163 people. Zero rail.
Columbus is the largest city in America without rail transit. Let's change that.
Why Tunnels?
Columbus is the #1 largest city in America with zero rail transit. The last Amtrak service left in 1977. Of the top 20 US metros by population, only Columbus and Tampa have no subway, light rail, or commuter rail.
High Street, the 1-mile corridor between Ohio State University and the Short North Arts District, is one of Columbus's most dangerous pedestrian corridors. Students face 45+ road crossings, unpredictable traffic, and zero grade-separated transit options. The city's Vision Zero initiative has identified this corridor as a priority, yet no solution has ever been built.
#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
Teslas in tunnels, connecting OSU Campus to the Short North.
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
$2.00
Per ride
15,000+
Riders per day
Glacial till / limestone
N=25-50, Seismic Zone 0
22,000
Riders per game
The route runs 1 mile beneath High Street, from Lane Avenue (OSU campus) to Goodale Street (Short North). At 40-60 feet below grade, the tunnel sits safely beneath utilities and existing infrastructure in ideal glacial till geology.
The Three-Way Corridor
The campus loop is the demonstration. The same tunnels extend into a three-way corridor, connecting downtown and Ohio State to the airport, the Rickenbacker inland port, and the Intel Ohio One campus.
Approximate Columbus geography, anchored at a shared downtown hub. Alignments are illustrative and conceptual.
Downtown to CMH, nonstop
12 min downtown to gate, no traffic, no transfer
A nonstop, congestion-free ride from the convention district to the gate, every day, in any weather. Columbus is the largest US city with no rail to its airport.
Downtown to Rickenbacker
14 min to the inland port, all three shifts covered
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 min to the Silicon Heartland vs a 45-min peak drive
A fast, fixed-time link from the downtown and university talent base to the Intel Ohio One semiconductor campus and its supplier ecosystem.
Bang for the Bore
The Columbus Loop delivers 8,500 passengers per day at launch, scaling to over 15,000 daily. That's 620,500 hours saved annually, $42M+ in economic impact, and 45 dangerous road crossings eliminated, all at a $2.00 fare.
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
$6.0M
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
14 Letters of Support across 4 TBC categories
“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”
Letters of Support
Political
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther
City of Columbus
Led Smart City Challenge ($50M), championed LinkUS ($2B+)
Columbus City Council (7 members)
City of Columbus
Unanimous $41.9M federal transit vote for High Street corridor
State Representatives, District 3
Ohio General Assembly
HB 74 expanded provisions for innovative transit pilots
Regulatory
Dept. of Building & Zoning Services
City of Columbus
Streamlined Smart City permitting, dedicated innovation liaison
Dept. of Public Service
City of Columbus
GIS mapping of all subsurface infrastructure in corridor
ODOT District 6
Ohio DOT
Boring logs PID 110027, Office of Innovation pathway
Community
OSU Office of the President
Ohio State University
Campus Transportation Survey n=8,400, strategic plan connectivity goal
University District Organization
Neighborhood Association
30,000+ residents, decade of High Street safety advocacy
Transit Columbus
Advocacy Group
Led LinkUS grassroots campaign, called for grade-separated transit
OSU Student Government
Student Government
2024 resolution supporting innovative transit to Short North
Business
Short North Business Association
400+ member businesses
Largest customer access improvement in district history
Columbus Partnership
80+ CEO coalition
Co-led Smart City, endorsed transformative transit investments
Columbus Chamber of Commerce
2,000+ businesses
OSU-downtown corridor = critical economic development link
Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority
Convention Center/Arena/Hilton
All venues within 0.3 mi of south station
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: $6.2M/year (Year 1)
- Operating costs: $2.8M/year
- Net surplus: $3.4M/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
$6.2M 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.
tunnelvision@boringcompany.com
February 23, 2026
Contact
- davidtphung(at)nlt143(dot)energy