Transit and Land Use Best Practices

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Transit and Land Use Best Practices
Prepared by Virginia Commonwealth
University June 2008
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Part I Bus TOD Best Practices
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BTOD Case 1 The Boulder Transit Village,
Boulder, Colorado
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Project Location

• The project is located at the northeast corner of
  Pearl Pkwy and 30th street in Boulder, Colorado.

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Aerial Photo
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Transit Facilities and Services

• Regional Transportation District (RTD) will
  develop new transit facilities and services in
  the area
• a bus facility near Pearl Parkway and 30th
  Street, with bus rapid transit (BRT) to Denver
  along U.S. 36 and enhanced local bus service and
• a rail stop at the end of Bluff Street for
  commuter rail service to Denver and Longmont on
  existing railroad tracks currently used for
  freight.

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TOD Facts

• 200-300 or more affordable and market-rate
  residential housing units and
• supportive commercial uses and possibly a
  park-and-ride lot.

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Project Participants

• Regional Transportation District (RTD)
• City of Boulder
• Private Sector 

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Project Phasing

• A phased approach will be taken for the following
  components of implementation the citys funding
  of key public improvements, the regulatory
  aspects of the plan involving land use and zoning
  changes, TDM and transportation connections.
• Phase 1 will occur in the first 10 to 15 years in
  the area between 30th Street and the railroad
  tracks and
• Phase 2 will generally occur thereafter and focus
  on the areas east of the tracks and west of 30th
  Street.

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Project Funding

• Funds for site selection, concept planning and
  land purchase were provided by the City of
  Boulder and RTD. Housing and commercial project
  elements will likely be financed by a future
  private developer and private/public partnership.
  RTD and the City have secured a Federal 7.8
  million grant to fund master planning, site
  planning and design and construction of the first
  phase regional bus/BRT transit station. Funding
  for the future RTD commuter rail transit
  facility will be paid for by RTD FasTracks.

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Lessons Learned

• It is unnecessary to wait for a private developer
  to kick off a TOD project. Government agencies
  can also take the initiative to start a TOD
  project.
• Bus transit can also create a successful TOD
  project. Rail is not the only transit mode for
  TOD.

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BTOD Case 2 Staples Street Transit Center,
Corpus Christi, Texas
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Transit Facilities and Services

• The bus transfer station is across the street
  from City Hall, Corpus Christi, Texas.
• It serves 14 bus routes and some 5,000 daily
  transit users. The bus transfer facility, built
  in a Spanish-style motif, features on-site retail
  offerings and involves public-private equity
  participation.

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Exterior of the Staples Street Transit Center
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Interior of the Staples Street Transit Center
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TOD Facts

• This bus transfer center has become a veritable
  town square, featuring a weekly farmers market,
  food concessions, and 1,500 tiles hand-painted by
  local residents and students.
• By all accounts, it has given bus transit a
  positive image in Corpus Christi.
• The bus transfer center was the recipient of the
  1995 Presidential Design Achievement Award.

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Project Funding

• The Corpus Christi RTA and its capital
  improvements are funded by a 1/2 percent sales
  tax. A Federal Transit Administration grant of
  800,000 was utilized for the completion of the
  Staples Street Station. FTAs Livable Communities
  funding is being used for pedestrian improvements
  to existing transit centers.

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Lessons Learned

• By making people-friendly improvements to such
  transit centers, it is able to reach beyond the
  boundaries of building typical bus stops to the
  larger goal of helping to reshape communities.

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BTOD Case 3 NoHo Arts District, Los Angeles,
California
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Project Location

• The NoHo Arts District is located in North
  Hollywood in the San Fernando Valley, Los
  Angeles.

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Transit Facilities and Services

• Metro Red Line (Heavy Rail) and
• Metro Orange Line (BRT).

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TOD Facts

• Through the hard work of community stakeholders
  in partnership with Los Angeles Neighbourhood
  Initiative (LANI) and the Community Redevelopment
  Agency, NoHo has transformed from a thoroughfare
  dotted with vacant lots to a burgeoning theater
  district with coffee shops, restaurants and
  eclectic retail. In June 2000, the terminal Metro
  Red Line subway station opened within walking
  distance of this blossoming neighbourhood main
  street.
• Medium- and high-density developments are being
  built around the Metro Station.
• Condominium towers (including a 15-story building
  on Lankershim Blvd) being built in the midst of
  older one-story bungalows and small apartment
  complexes.

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Project Funding

• Funding for 100,000 of transit amenities came
  from a Federal Transit Administrations Livable
  Communities grant.

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Lessons Learned

• The NoHo bus TOD reveals more about community
  development than transit, and illustrates how one
  of the greatest powers of TOD is to serve as a
  catalyst to achieve a communitys vision.
• Giving community groups some control over the
  funds to be used in their neighbourhood promoted
  ongoing public involvement.

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BTOD Case 4 Martin Luther King Jr. East
Busway, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Transit Facilities and Services

• The Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway is a
  two-lane dedicated bus-only highway serving the
  city of Pittsburgh and many of its eastern
  neighborhoods and suburbs. Total length is 9.1
  miles.
• Three Port Authority routes and other express and
  suburban Flyer routes utilize the busway seven
  days a week.

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MLK Busway Route Map
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TOD Facts

• 59 new developments within 1,500 feet radius of
  station
• 302 million in land development benefits of
  which 275 million was construction. 80
  clustered at station
• New construction and renovation of existing
  buildings
• Retail, office and residential uses are most
  common.

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BTOD Case 5 Centre Station/John Deere Commons
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Project Location

• Centre Station, 1200 River Drive, Moline,
  Illinois 61265

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Project Location Map
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Centre Station Photo
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Transit Facilities and Services

• The Centre Station is a bus transfer center
  developed by the Rock Island County Metropolitan
  Mass Transit District (MetroLINK) in Illinois. It
  consists of a 12-bay bus staging area arranged in
  a sawtooth pattern at the grade level with an
  elevated bus transfer platform.

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TOD Facts

• The Centre Station in John Deere Commons contains
  offices, a convention center, a Radisson Hotel, a
  parking structure, and various pedestrian
  amenities

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Project Participants

• The Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit
  District (MetroLINK)
• The United States Department of Transportation,
  Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
• The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)
• The United States Department of Housing and Urban
  Development, the Economic Development
  Administration (EDA) and
• Deere Company.

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BTOD Case 6 Uptown District, San Diego,
California
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Project Location

• Uptown District, 1270 Cleveland Avenue, San
  Diego.

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Project Location Map
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Transit Facilities and Services

• 6 bus routes, 15-minute frequency

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TOD Facts

• The Uptown district is a 14-acre mixed-use bus
  TOD.
• TOD development costs 70 million to develop and
  consists of 318 housing units, 145,000 square
  feet of retail and commercial space, and a 3,000
  square foot community center.

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Uptown District Land Use Map
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Project Photo
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Project Funding

• The Uptown project was funded by the Citys
  redevelopment agency (9 million) and by private
  companies.

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Lessons Learned

• With strong city leadership, a bus TOD became an
  important community asset.
• Uptown is a good example of how to accommodate
  the needs of the automobile and create a well
  designed, pedestrian-friendly mixed use TOD.

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BTOD Case 7 Aspen Neighbourhood, West Davis,
California
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Transit Facilities and Services

• 5 bus routes, 5 to 25-minute frequency, and two
  commuter express routes to downtown Sacramento.

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Project Location

• Corner of Arlington Blvd. and Shasta Drive in
  West Davis (west of Highway 113), California.

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Project Location Map
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TOD Facts

• Aspen Village includes 88 units on 4.5 acres (at
  20 dwelling units per net acre density), with 230
  parking spaces (2.6/unit).
• Heather Glen Apartments consists of 62 units on
  3.5 acres (a net density of 17 dwelling units
  (du)/acre), with 124 parking spaces (2
  spaces/unit).
• Muir Commons consists of 26 self contained
  townhomes with small yards a large community
  building with commercial-size kitchen, dining
  room, childrens playrooms, large meeting room,
  and laundry facilities a lawn, gardens, and
  childrens play structure a workshop/garage an
  orchard a hot tub and landscaped sitting areas.
  

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A Bus Stop Photo
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A Neighborhood Photo
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Lessons Learned

• This neighbourhood is a successful example of a
  suburban bus TOD. There has been very little
  community opposition to the attractive and well
  maintained medium-density housing complexes. The
  private developer has indicated a desire to
  include transit in future projects due to the
  benefit of reduced traffic and parking problems
  in this neighbourhood due to its accessibility to
  high-quality transit service, especially for
  students.

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BTOD Case 8 Benjamin and Marian Schuster
Performing Arts Center, Dayton, Ohio
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Project Location

• Second and Main Streets, Dayton, Ohio.

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Project Location Map
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Transit Facilities and Services

• Bus services (Routes 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 14) of the
  Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority.

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TOD Facts

• The Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts
  Center
• Restaurants
• 15 Story Office Tower
• Condominiums
• Garden Center (Known as the Winter Garden) and
• A Penthouse.

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Project Funding

• The Schusters have donated 8 million toward the
  new arts center.

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Lessons Learned

• This is a typical example of urban TOD, which has
  a great potential to boost bus ridership.

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BTOD Case 9 Adelaide Busway, Adelaide,
Australia
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Project Location

• Adelaide, Australia

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Project Location Map
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Transit Facilities and Services

• At 12 kilometres long, the Adelaide O-Bahn
  (track-guided bus) is the longest and fastest
  guided bus service in the world, travelling at
  speeds up to 100km/hour.
• Currently, there are 22,000 passenger trips daily
  (8 million a year).
• Adelaide Metro operates the busway.

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O-Bahn Technology
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TOD Facts

• In the early 1990s, the site of a new regional
  college campus was relocated to Tea Tree Gully
  (busways terminus)
• A medical complex has also sprung up nearby and
• Some degree of clustered, station-area
  development has occurred.

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Lessons Learned

• Adelaides O-Bahn has proven to be a sensible
  choice for serving low-density, auto-oriented
  markets. By blending the speed and safety of
  light rail transit with the inherent flexibility
  and efficiencies of bus transit, the O-Bahn
  system has been successful. Its ridership
  continues to increase, even though regional
  transit patronage has fallen.

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BTOD Case 10 Brisbane South East Busway,
Brisbane, Australia
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Project Location

• Brisbane, Australia

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Project Location Map
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Transit Facilities and Services

• The 17-kilometer (10.5-mile) South East Busway
  extends from the Brisbane Central Business
  District to the southern suburb of Eight Mile
  Plain, adjacent to the South East Freeway. The
  400 million-busway includes 10 attractively
  designed stations and a bus operations center.
• Daily ridership approximates 60,000.

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Brisbane South East Busway Photo
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TOD Facts

• Up to 20 gain in property values near the
  busway. Property values in area within 6 miles of
  station grew by 2 to 3 times faster than those at
  greater distance

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BTOD Case 11 Curitiba BRT, Brazil
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Project location

• Curitiba, Brazil

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Location of Curitiba in Brazil
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Transit Facilities and Services

• Bus rapid transit operates on the five main
  arterials leading into the center of the city
  like spokes on a wheel hub.
• Tube stations serve the dual purpose of providing
  shelter from the elements, and facilitate the
  simultaneous loading and unloading of passengers.

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BRT Routes in Curitiba
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BRT Tube Stations in Curitiba
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TOD Facts

• BRT limited central area growth, while
  encouraging commercial growth along the transport
  arteries radiating out from the city center. The
  city center was partly closed to vehicular
  traffic, and pedestrian streets were created.
  Linear development along the arteries reduced the
  traditional importance of the downtown area.

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Lessons Learned

• Curitibas BRT successes were due to careful
  planning, smart decision making, and inspired
  leadership
• Curitiba took many innovative measures the
  creation of trinary roads, introduction of zoning
  bonuses, and initiation of direct-line services
  that tie into boarding tubes and
• Curitiba also kept things simple. Curitiba set
  off with a small set of realistic long-range
  goals.

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BTOD Case 12 Ottawa Transitway
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Project Location

• Ottawa, Canada

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Ottawa Busway Route Map
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Transit Facilities and Services

• Using a dedicated busway, Ottawa has achieved
  many advantages of a rail-based rapid transit
  system, with an added bonus vehicles can leave
  and return to the guideway, thus reducing the
  need to transfer.
• In 1998, Ottawas bus-only guideway connects more
  than 200,000 daily passengers to the regions
  urban centers. Nearly three-quarters of all
  peak-hour trips headed to downtown Ottawa are by
  a transit.

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Ottawa Busway Photo
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TOD Facts

• 1 Can billion (US 675 million) in new
  construction at transitway stations.

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Lessons Learned

• The bus-based Transitway system was the right
  choice for the Ottawa-Carleton region. It
  provides a high level of service to the
  predominantly low-density residences of the
  region, while also providing a focus for
  channeling future employment and commercial
  growth.

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Part IIRail TOD Best Practices
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RTOD Case 1 Columbia Pike Streetcar Project
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Project Location

• Arlington and Fairfax Counties, Virginia

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Project Location Map
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Transit Facilities and Services

• Streetcar technology
• Five mile connection between Skyline and Pentagon
  City
• Six-minute service
• Service augmented with Metro buses during peak
  periods.

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Streetcar Technology
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TOD Facts

• Include a mixture of community- and
  neighbourhood-serving retail, office,
  residential, and recreational/cultural uses
  developed with a pedestrian scale and character.
  New mixed-use projects would create a distinct
  new identity and provide future access to
  multi-modal transit options.

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RTOD Case 2 Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor
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Project Location

• Arlington County, Virginia

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Transit Facilities and Services

• Five Metro Rail stations in the corridors.
• Transit operator is the Washington Metropolitan
  Transportation Authority (WMTA).

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TOD Facts

• Over 21 million square feet of office, retail,
  and commercial space
• more than 3,000 hotel rooms and
• almost 25,000 residences,

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Corridor Development Patterns
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Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor Photo
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Lessons Learned

• Think big and involve all stakeholders in
  dialogue
• Take your time on the big framework decisions.
  Once the framework is set, stick to it
• Have high expectations
• Plan well
• Be patient
• Maintain integrity of plan
• Be consistent
• Density can motivate the private sector.

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RTOD Case 3 South End TOD
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Project Location

• Charlotte, North Carolina

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Project Location Map
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Transit Facilities and Services

• Light rail operated by the Charlotte Area Transit
  System and
• Light rail stations in the South End District
  Carson Boulevard, Rensselaer Avenue and East
  Boulevard.

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TOD Facts

• The overall vision for South End is to become a
  vibrant, historic, pedestrian-oriented urban
  district focused around a multi-modal
  transportation corridor that serves pedestrians,
  bicyclists, bus transit, trolley, light rail, and
  motorists, and is a community gathering place for
  Wilmore and Dilworth.

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RTOD Case 4 Mockingbird Station TOD
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Project Location

• Dallas, Texas

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Project Location Map
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Transit Facilities and Services

• Light rail operated by the Dallas Area Rapid
  Transit.
• Mockingbird Station is located 4 miles north of
  downtown Dallas.

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Mockingbird Station Photo
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TOD Facts

• The assemblage of offices, shops, restaurants,
  and lofts near the station cost around 145
  million
• It includes 211 upscale loft residences, 140,000
  square feet of office space, and 180,000 square
  feet of destination and convenience retail,
  theaters, and restaurants.

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RTOD Case 5 Englewood CityCenter TOD
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Project Location

• Englewood, Colorado

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Transit Facilities and Services

• Light Rail

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TOD Facts
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Lessons Learned

• The public sector was willing to invest
  substantial public resources and was focused on
  the goals of reinvigorating the community and
  establishing a development with long-term
  financial viability.
• The city made a strategic investment to relocate
  civic facilities to the CityCenter area, helping
  to encourage private-sector investment.

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RTOD Case 6 Orenco Station Town Center
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Project Location

• Hillsboro, Oregon

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Transit Facilities and Services

• Light Rail operated by Portland Tri-Met.

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TOD Facts

• TOD will encompass 450 to 500 attached town homes
  and detached homes along with 1,400 luxury
  apartment units. One of the communitys focal
  points will be a town center that will initially
  feature 25,000 square feet of retail space, with
  22 apartments or lofts above retail
  establishments and 24 live-work town homes. An
  additional 30,000 square feet of retail space
  will be available for future development.

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RTOD Case 7 Bethesda Metro Center
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Project Location

• Bethesda, Maryland

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Project Location Map
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Transit Facilities and Services

• Metro rail operated by the Washington
  Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

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Metro Bethesda Station Photo
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TOD Facts

• Some 400,000 square feet of office space
• A 380-room Hyatt Hotel
• 60,000 square feet of retail space
• The air-rights lease at the Bethesda Station
  generates 1.6 million annually in rents.

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Metro Bethesda Station TOD Photo
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RTOD Case 8 Lindbergh City Center
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Project Location

• 2424 Piedmont RoadAtlanta, GA 30324

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Project Location Map
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Transit Facilities and Services

• This is the second busiest station in the MARTA
  system, handling an average of 23,400 boardings
  per weekday.
• Intersection of North-South Line and
  Northeast-South Line.
• Connections GRTA, Royal Bus Lines buses.

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Lindbergh City Center Photo
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TOD Facts

• Some 1.3 million square feet of office space,
  retail shops, and a hotel, plus residential
  condominiums, are slated for an 11-acre
  park-and-ride lot
• A pedestrian-friendly Main Street, featuring
  retail shops and restaurants, will bridge over
  the rail station into a multifamily residential
  district.
• One of Atlantas largest companies, BellSouth,
  will be the projects anchor tenant.

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RTOD Case 9 Dadeland North and South
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Project Location

• Miami, Florida

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Project Location Map
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Transit Facilities and Services

• Metro rail operated by Miami-Dade Transit
  Authority.
• Daily ridership 67,000.

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TOD Facts

• The joint development projects at Dadeland North
  and South currently yield 800,000 in annual
  lease revenues.
• The agency is currently seeking to enter into
  deals with private interests to develop 11
  agency-owned properties.

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Datran Center Office Towers
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RTOD Case 10 Ohlone-Chynoweth TOD
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Project Location

• San Jose, California

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Project Location Map
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Transit Facilities and Services

• Light rail operated by Santa Clara Valley
  Transportation Authority (VTA).
• Ohlone-Chynoweth station is located at the
  junction of Alum Rock-Santa Teresa Line and
  Almaden Shuttle.

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Ohlone-Chynoweth Station Photo
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TOD Facts

• 330 units of affordable housing, targeted to
  people making between 30 and 60 of the area
  median income
• 40 park-and-ride spaces
• total project cost of 31.6 million,
• including 14.5 million in tax-exempt bonds,
  10.5 million in tax credit equity, a
• 5.2 million loan from the City to support
  affordable housing, 824,000 in federal
• transportation funds for improvements, a 500,000
  Affordable Housing grant,
• and 350,000 State Proposition 1 funds to
  reimburse the school fee.

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TOD Financing

• Total project cost of 31.6 million.
• 14.5 million in tax-exempt bonds
• 10.5 million in tax credit equity
• 5.2 million loan from the City to support
  affordable housing
• 824,000 in federal transportation funds for
  improvements,
• 500,000 Affordable Housing grant
• 350,000 State Proposition 1 funds to reimburse
  the school fee.

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RTOD Case 11 The Tide - Norfolk's Future Light
Rail Transit System
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Transit Facilities and Services

• 232 million project
• Extend 7.4 miles from the Eastern Virginia
  Medical Center through downtown Norfolk, and
  continuing along the Norfolk Southern Right of
  Way, adjacent to the I-264 corridor to Newtown
  Road
• 11 stations
• The project sponsor is Hampton Roads Transit
  (HRT), the region's sole transit provider.

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Project Status

• Construction is under way
• Will be operational by 2010.