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Northwest 33 Council of Governments Launches The Beta District

By The Beta District

Dublin, OH; Marysville, OH; Union County, OH – The Northwest 33 Council of Governments (COG), which includes Dublin, Marysville, Union County and the Marysville-Union County Port Authority, has launched The Beta District. This innovation hub stretches northwest along US 33 from Columbus, Ohio, the nation’s 14th largest city, through Franklin, Union and Logan counties and is an ecosystem of smart infrastructure and living labs.

In The Beta District, multiple government agencies work together to accelerate innovation and remove red tape. This tech-ready region is one of the few places on the planet where four-season infrastructure and policies are in place for beta testing automated vehicle technology and other smart mobility systems.

More than $100 million in public and private dollars have been invested in The Beta District’s smart mobility living labs, including:

  • Two grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to support connected and automated vehicle testing in the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor, which is the US 33 segment between Dublin and East Liberty.
  • A 432-strand fiber-optic broadband system funded by the Ohio Department of Transportation and DriveOhio, Ohio’s portal to smart mobility on the ground and in the air. The fiber is connected to 100+ roadside towers and intersections to allow vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication.
  • DriveOhio’s FlyOhio U.S. 33 Traffic Monitoring initiative to use advanced air mobility (drone) technology to monitor and report traffic conditions. These real-time insights allow traffic managers to adjust roadway operations to make it safer for travelers.
  • A Connected Dublin smart mobility ecosystem that includes partnerships with Denso and Fujitsu, among other companies. This includes the nation’s first connected roundabout, a smart parking lot and numerous connected intersections.
  • A Connected Marysville smart mobility pilot conducted by DriveOhio and City of Marysville to test V2I technology on all 29 of Marysville’s signalized intersections. The goal is to recruit 400 private participants to outfit their cars with onboard units that will alert drivers to red lights, pedestrians in the cross walk and other safety notifications. Marysville is the first small city in the U.S. to be fully equipped with CVI technology. Marysville has also partnered with Honda, Alpine and Bosch.
  • The 540-acre SMARTCenter at Transportation Research Center (TRC), North America’s most comprehensive closed track testing for connected and automated vehicles.

“’The Beta District is a clarion call to the type of engineering and tech-driven companies the COG wants to attract,” said Union County administrator Tim Hansley and president of the COG. “’District’ is a reminder we are together building a region that will continue to evolve to meet the demands of the businesses we seek to empower.”

“Leaders in all sectors can tap into the resources here and collaborate on groundbreaking projects,” said Eric Phillips, executive director, Union County Economic Development Partnership; CEO, Union County Chamber of Commerce and also a member of the COG. “We expect it won’t be long before everyone sees our region as the leading preeminent research corridor.”

“The identity for The Beta District is something bigger than just an innovation corridor,” said Dublin Deputy City Manager and COG board member Megan O’Callaghan. “We hope people will know us as the place where you can revolutionize technology over time because we have the infrastructure and the talent.”

The Beta District is already home to global brands like Cardinal Health, Scotts Miracle-Gro and Honda of America Mfg., Inc. Another 70+ automotive companies are also located in The Beta District, as are Nestle, OhioHealth, The Ohio State University, Ohio University and Columbus State. Target industries for future living labs include smart mobility, supply and logistics, manufacturing, healthcare and smart city technology.

Multiple global engineering firms and research entities are working on connected and automated vehicle projects in the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor in The Beta District as well, including Michael Baker International; MH Corbin, LLC; Denso; Fujitsu; HNTB; Transportation Research Center; Waymo and WSP.  

 

About The Beta District

The Beta District is the newly named high-tech region that stretches northwest along US 33 from Columbus, Ohio, the nation’s 14th largest city, through Franklin, Union and Logan counties. It is overseen by the Northwest 33 Council of Governments, which includes Dublin, Marysville, Union County and the Marysville-Union County Port Authority. The Beta District offers an ecosystem of smart infrastructure and living labs where leaders in all industry sectors can tap into resources and collaborate on groundbreaking projects. More than $100 million in public and private dollars have been invested in The Beta District’s first living lab, the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor, including significant funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation and DriveOhio. DriveOhio is the state’s portal to smart mobility on the ground and in the air. Another Beta District partner, The Transportation Research Center Inc., is home to the 540-acre SMARTCenter, North America’s most comprehensive closed track testing for connected and automated vehicles.

CONTACT

Lindsay Weisenauer, lweisenauer@dublin.oh.us, 614-704-9742
Anna Krutowskis, akrutowskis@marysvilleohio.org, 937-645-7354
Luke Stedke, luke.stedke@driveohio.gov, 614-203-9140