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From page 446... ... PART 5 LESSONS AND CONCLUSIONS Combining insights and findings from the previous chapters, Chapter 20 summarizes the key policy lessons from the research. A matrix is also provided that identifies case studies that underscore each of the lessons. Read the entire page →
From page 447... ... 445 Chapter 20 Research Findings and Policy Lessons Current TOD Practices TOD has gained and continues to gain a steady foothold in much of urban America. Surveys conducted for this research revealed that well over 100 TODs of various shapes and sizes currently exist across the United States. Read the entire page →
From page 448... ... and support in some areas, such as with the Livable Communities Initiatives and Housing Incentive Program in the San Francisco Bay Area. Communities such as Sacramento, Seattle, and Portland are using federal funding from their New Starts grants to pay for strategic TOD planning. Read the entire page →
From page 449... ... land use can and should be better integrated; a general dissatisfaction with automobile-dependent patterns of growth and the problems they create; a view that public-private partnerships in the transit arena is inherently a win-win proposition; and a wide acceptance of the idea that, if done well, TOD and joint development yield numerous benefits, with ridership gains and profits (to both the private and public sectors) topping the list. Read the entire page →
From page 450... ... Besides having differing objectives, stakeholder groups sometimes differed in their views on what could best be done to promote TOD. For the public entity, the obvious answer is more money for planning and construction. Read the entire page →
From page 451... ... TOD as Mixed-Use Development Stakeholder groups have adopted fairly similar definitions as to what constitutes a TOD. Most definitions are wrapped around smart-growth principles, which call for mixed-use developments with high-quality walking environments that support transit riding. Read the entire page →
From page 452... ... (e.g., Portland Metro, SANDAG, and the Met Council in Minneapolis-St. Paul have proactively supported TOD, including through the use of purse strings) Read the entire page →
From page 453... ... as marketing, neighborhood meetings, design charrettes, and interactive web sites -- are vitally important in advancing the cause of TOD. Most large transit properties and cities that were surveyed engage in some level of TOD outreach. Read the entire page →
From page 454... ... market demand, and (related to both) lack of developer interest. Read the entire page →
From page 455... ... developers want the ability to build asof-right, providing a buffer against changing political whims. Many developers also feel that public infrastructure, such as under-grounding of utilities and expansion of sewerage capacity, is also crucial in leveraging TOD. Read the entire page →
From page 456... ... transit station, perhaps most notably the Portland area's Orenco Station. As discussed in Chapter 7, pro-transit observers note that 22% of Orenco's commuters regularly take transit while critics contend that 75% of Orenco's residents always drive and just one in six commuters take transit more than twice a week. Read the entire page →
From page 457... ... new suburbs and far-flung exurbs are poised to accommodate TOD if and when the market brings it their way. Recurring Themes and Lessons This section draws lessons on contemporary TOD practice in the United States on the basis of the body of materials presented in this report, including insights gained from the case studies. Read the entire page →
From page 458... ... institutional bickering, and multiple levels of review are sometimes enough to frighten away the hardiest of developers from station locations. Places like metropolitan Baltimore, Philadelphia, San FranciscoOakland, and Denver have formed interagency working groups and committees to streamline TOD review and coordinate decision making. Read the entire page →
From page 459... ... must be enough lead time to allow plans to be prepared, partnerships to be built, funding to be secured, and improvements to be programmed. Experiences show that developers are often willing to build projects before transit stations even open, as long as they are confident that a strong planning commitment exists to not only deliver first-rate transit services but also improve a neighborhood, strengthen institutional relationships, and supply supportive infrastructure. Read the entire page →
From page 460... ... in Maryland, and the Orenco Station in Hillsboro, Oregon, have managed to largely resolve the conflicting goals of stations as both "places and nodes." Traffic-calmed, walkingfriendly environs near popular transit stops have a cachet in the development community. The ability to moderate the presence of automobiles while attending to the complex access, circulation, and parking needs of multiple nodes can make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful TOD. Read the entire page →
From page 461... ... San Diego, have been particularly forward-looking in their planning and siting of rail extensions, opting to avoid railroad corridors where development opportunities are restricted in favor of settings with stronger market conditions, despite the higher costs incurred. TODs stand the best chance for success when land-use planning precedes, or at least parallels, transit development rather than being an afterthought. Read the entire page →
From page 462... ... Fiscal Considerations and Partnerships • TODs benefit from recapturing some of the value conferred by transit investments to generate revenues needed for ancillary improvements. Recapturing some of the land-value premium conferred by transit investments provides much-needed revenues that can go to seed various station-area improvements like landscaping, pedestrian-way upgrades, and public spaces. Read the entire page →
From page 463... ... projects (not all of whom even realize they are funding a "TOD") rarely adjust lending standards to reflect proximity to transit. Read the entire page →
From page 464... ... an afterthought; they must be carefully considered and weighed in keeping with the overall goals set for TOD and tempered by the financial realities that transit agencies face. • Even though mixed land uses are a trademark of TOD, arriving at a workable program poses planning and design challenges that need to be overcome for a successful TOD. Read the entire page →
From page 465... ... Penn Station unleashed a flurry of building activities around centuryold commuter-rail stations. The elimination of a transfer offered those living near stations considerable travel-time savings, prompting many with jobs in Manhattan to seek out rail-served residences. Read the entire page →
From page 466... ... focuses on constructing central-city infill projects close to rail corridors. The San Francisco Bay Area has over the years sought to adopt Portland's regional approach. Read the entire page →
From page 467... ... Institutional Permissive Inclusiveness Coordination & and Enabling Leadership & Public Input Streamlining Legislation Case Study Boston New Jersey Washington D.C. Miami Chicago Dallas Denver Portland San Francisco Southern California Political and Institutional Factors = lesson revealed through case experience Table 20.1. Read the entire page →
From page 468... ... Case Study Boston New Jersey Washington D.C. Miami Chicago Dallas Denver Portland San Francisco Southern California Shared Progressive, Start TOD as Visions Flexible Zoning Early Place-Making Planning and Land-Use Strategies = lesson revealed through case experience Bold Policies Station-Area Sensitive to Markets Planning Table 20.1. Read the entire page →
From page 469... ... Case Study Boston New Jersey Washington D.C. Miami Chicago Dallas Denver Portland San Francisco Southern California Self Selection & Favorable Market-Responsive Economic Zoning Conditions Benefits and Impacts = lesson revealed through case experience Proactive Planning and Network Expansion Table 20.1. Read the entire page →
From page 470... ... Case Study Boston New Jersey Washington D.C. Miami Chicago Dallas Denver Portland San Francisco Southern California Value Creative Market-Driven Parking Lot Workable Recapture Financing Lending Conversions Mixed Uses Fiscal Considerations and Partnerships Design Challenges & Considerations = lesson revealed through case experience Transit Pedestrian System Needs Design Table 20.1. Read the entire page →
From page 471... ... 469 Chapter 21 Policy Reflections and Future Research Directions Policy Reflections The U.S. state of practice with TOD is generally a healthy one. Read the entire page →
From page 472... ... recently opened. The Center proclaimed as its mission the use of transit investments to spur a new wave of development that improves housing affordability and choice, revitalizes downtowns and urban and suburban neighborhoods, and provides value capture and recapture for individuals, communities and transportation agencies.1 Rail∼volution, an increasingly popular annual conference devoted to "building livable communities with transit," often runs conference sessions on TOD, offering a forum for transit professionals, developers, and other interested parties to "trade notes," learn what others are doing, and build networks.2 Also different from the past is that it is not just public policies and interventions that are paving the way for TOD. Read the entire page →
From page 473... ... Of course, this does not guarantee that capital funds will be used for such purposes since local funding authorities and transit agencies might have little flexibility in the expenditure of capital grants. Doing whatever is necessary to get the economics of TOD "right" is also largely a public-sector responsibility. Read the entire page →
From page 474... ... land use are apt to be more elastic. Still, forecasts based on anticipated changes are inherently speculative. Read the entire page →
From page 475... ... variety of settings to allow such a typology to be constructed. Developing typologies should not be confused with restricting and narrowing the definition of TOD. Read the entire page →
From page 476... ... focuses specifically on TOD, joint development, and other multi-lateral initiatives aimed at strengthening the transit/land-use nexus. • Other Research Possibilities. Read the entire page →

From page 446...

... PART 5 LESSONS AND CONCLUSIONS Combining insights and findings from the previous chapters, Chapter 20 summarizes the key policy lessons from the research. A matrix is also provided that identifies case studies that underscore each of the lessons.