Successful TOD relies on coordinated policy

Cities are looking to the Smart Growth principles of walkability, gentle density, compact development, and multi-use zoning to bring destinations closer together and improve the lives of residents. Providing people an alternative to driving everywhere they need to go can improve a community’s safety and health. It can also distribute access to opportunities more broadly and equitably, and help communities become more economically sustainable. One such widely adopted policy that advances these principles is transit oriented development (TOD). 

Transit-oriented development, VMT, and induced gentrification

Many cities are pursuing transit-oriented development as a strategy to decrease regional vehicle miles traveled. But as TOD has become popular with higher-income residents, low-income residents can be pushed out, complicating that goal. A recent study in California looked at travel patterns of both the new residents of transit-oriented neighborhoods, as well as the households displaced due to gentrification.

Does telecommuting increase vehicle miles traveled?

Recent research looks at the impact telecommuting has on vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The research used the 2009 National Household Travel Survey to compare daily VMT for those who frequently telecommute to those who do not telecommute or only telecommute occasionally. Results indicated that more telecommuting was associated with higher levels of annual VMT. However, increased driving can be avoided with housing close to jobs, improved transit options, and support for transit-oriented developments.

How a Chicago suburb became car-lite and lessons for other communities

In a provocatively titled article—The Suburb That Tried to Kill the Car—Politico digs into how the Chicago suburb of Evanston reinvented itself through transit-oriented development. It is a tale with lessons for many other communities about the interplay and delicate balance of land use, transportation options, parking, zoning, tax revenues, affordable housing, and attracting new development.

Maintaining Diversity In America’s Transit-Rich Neighborhoods: Tools for Equitable Neighborhood Change (Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy, 2013)

As communities across the country plan for and build transit-rich neighborhoods there is a growing need for planning and policy tools to guide this effort. This report provides a detailed analysis of how the introduction of high quality transit can spark neighborhood change, positive and negative. This change may have the unintended consequences of displacing existing residents or not meeting transit ridership goals. The report introduces an on-line tool kit to help planners and policy makers address these and other concerns.

Can BRT drive TOD? Yes, with the right government support

Conventional wisdom asserts that rail does a better job of spurring transit-oriented development than a bus rapid transit line, but until now no one has quantified the return on investment with a BRT line. A new study released by ITDP this week attempts to quantify the TOD potential of these transit options and find that, “Per dollar of transit investment, and under similar conditions, Bus Rapid Transit leverages more transit-oriented development investment than Light Rail Transit or streetcars.”

More Development for Your Transit Dollar: An Analysis of 21 North American Transit Corridors (ITDP, 2013)

Cities short on funds have wondered whether BRT, a low-cost form of transit, cold be used to leverage TOD. This report compares BRT, light-rail, and streetcar projects and finds that per dollar of investment BRT leverages more development than either light rail or streetcar. Other conclusions are that all three types of transit investments show a significant return, and both government support how well the BRT meets best practices are keys to TOD success.