Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Focus on the Neighborhood

Neighborhood Focus: TOD, Transit-Sensitive Development and Development-Oriented Transit

Moderator, Todd Hemingson Capital Metro, Austin Texas


Cynthia Nikitin

Transit Supportive Spaces and Features (Place-Defining, Transit Ridership-Building TOD Projects)

Transit should see itself as a community shaper instead of just a transit agency.

"We shape our buildings and thereafter our buildings shape us. - Winston Churchill
"We shape our transportation systems and thereafter, our transportation shapes us. - Transportation and Livable Communities Consortium.

Redesigning the train station to look like a welcoming place instead of just a node along the way.

Communities after the riots in LA had no shelters. The Arts forum rented the spot for a dollar and advertised their art shows. The pizza place moved in and put in a garden and had a coffee bar. One bus stop. Partnerships created to leverage the value of transit.

Process/Discipline Driven Approach

Why is the community resistant? Because they are brought in so late in the process.

Create something where community leaders are experts through information

A tale of two libraries

The Riverside Library, the San Antonio Library

San Antonio Library, built for cars

Jane Jacobs: Erosion of cities by automobiles entails so familiar a series of events that these hardly need describing. The erosion proceeds as a kind of nibbling ... Because of vehicular congestion, a street is widened here, another is straightened there, a wide avenue is converted to one-way flow, staggered-signal systems are installed for faster movement, a bridge is double-decked ..., an expressway is cut through yonder, and finally whole webs of expressways. More and more land goes into parking, to accommodate the ever increasing numbers of vehicles while they are idle. ... "Cumulatively the effect is enormous. and each step ... is crucial in the sense that it not only adds its own bit to the total change, but actually accelerates the process.

Mockingbird Station, Englewood, Orenco, San Diego, Toronto, Mountain View ...

Benefits of a Placemaking Approach for community supportive transit.

Project for Public Spaces.

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Sam Zimmerman Bergman - Reconnecting America

Housing Challenges and Policies to Support Transit - (Production of Mixed Income Housing around Transit: Local and State Policies that Work)

The national demand for transit will double by 2030. Types of folks will change

The Diversity and Demand Collision

The costs of transportation fluctuates

A Heavy Load : Report by CNT

Realizing the Potential: A study for the FTA and HUD

Lessons for Mixed-Income TOD
Not enough to just plan and zone for TOD to stimulate mixed income
Size of the parcels dictates a lot of the opportunities
Helps to look along a whole corridor
Not every station has to be mixed income
Discussion needs to happen early

Boston and Charlotte Tools see link above for Realizing the Potential
Seattle transit passes with new units
Targeting LIHTC for transit areas in some states
Community land trusts

Question: Seem to focusing on new projects, are you looking at projects that aren't new?
Answer: It's important to note that there is a lot of existing stock, some of which is expiring LIHTC.

Question: Can you explain Portland's development agreement?
Answer: There were certain targets set by the development agreement including density targets, affordable housing targets

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Greg Kilcoyne

Reducing Parking Demand in Downtown (Influencing External Factors - Reducing Parking Demand)

APTA Transit Vision 2050.

Ridership: Internal and External Factors
If you aren't getting people in the seats, you're not doing anything to help the public

Downtown Bridgeport Revitalization
City wanted a vibrant transit friendly downtown
Numerous Surface Parking Lots Exist - Counter to Ambiance desired
Parking Lots provide development opportunities
Perception of Inadequate Parking - Will get worse with more development

The Parking Quandry
We don't want these lots, but there isn't enough parking

GBTA Conducted workshop : worked with developers

Focus on reducing demand for parking workers and residents
- Universal Passes
- Car Sharing Flex Car, Zip Car, City Car Share

Can reduce parking demand up to 40% with eco passes

Car sharing can reduce cars by 12 with each car they provide

Outcomes:

Downtown Study Recommendations
Urban Green Builders Plans
University of Bridgeport Plans

Seek out parking opportunities, influence external factors

Question: Should transit agencies separate themselves to make parking a money generating entity?

Answer: Charging doesn't seem to be a deterrent. There should never be a downtown surface parking lot.

Question: In Tulsa, there are no parking requirements. Did you bring in the financial community to your workshop?

Answer: We did not, however urban green builders was able to overcome the specific bank issue because when they were seeking financing they were able to get financing because they have the transit options. The developers aren't usually the obstacle, its usually the city and financial institutions

Question: Does transit need mixed income housing development or does mixed income housing development need transit?

Answer: A symbiotic relationship. There is a benefit to having a mixed income component because of ridership gains. The MTC in the Bay Area gives a 1.5 credit for their housing requirements for low and moderate income housing.

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