CTOD Creates Citywide Toolkit For TOD In Los Angeles
Report assesses opportunities to improve land use and transportation linkages in communities surrounding 70 existing and planned transit stations
The Center for Transit-Oriented Development (CTOD) has released the "Creating Successful Transit Oriented Districts in Los Angeles: A Citywide Toolkit for Achieving Regional Goals" report, which assesses opportunities to improve land use and transportation linkages in communities surrounding 70 existing and planned transit stations in the City of Los Angeles. The report identifies strategies to help communities around transit stations achieve high transit ridership, increase mixed-income and mixed-use housing opportunities and create sustainable neighborhoods while offering its residents a wealth of travel options.
(March 31, 2010)
Report Finds Thousands Living In Affordable Housing Near Transit Could Face Higher Rents
Study by AARP, Reconnecting America and National Housing Trust explores impact of expiration of contracts for federally subsidized units
In the next five years as many as 160,000 renters in 20 metro areas could lose their affordable apartments near transit because the contracts on their privately-owned HUD-subsidized rental units are due to expire. The renewed popularity of urban living means that properties in walkable neighborhoods near transit have increased in value, and that property owners are likely to opt out of the HUD program and convert the housing from affordable to market rate. These are the results of a recent study by AARP, Reconnecting America and the National Housing Trust.
(September 30, 2009)
Making The Twin Cities More Walkable
New CTOD report provides methodology for assessing and boosting the walkability of a place
Changing demographics and housing preferences as well as concerns about quality of life are boosting the demand for walkable urbanism and transit-oriented development in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region as elsewhere in the U.S. The Twin Cities’ real estate market must be able to provide for this demand in order to preserve the region’s economic competitiveness, but a recent study by the Brookings Institution found the Twin Cities ranked below average in the number of “regionally significant walkable places.” Brookings found only two such existing places – the downtowns in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. As part of an effort to promote walkable, transit-oriented places in the Twin Cities, the Center for Transit Oriented Development has just completed a study outlining an approach for transforming existing activity centers into walkable places.
(July 23, 2009)
Cost-Effective GHG Reductions through Smart Growth & Improved Transportation Choices
An economic case for investment of cap-and-trade revenues in steps to reduce vehicle-miles driven
The United States needs to link transportation and climate change policies if it hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions enough to ward off the worst impacts of global climate change, according to a new study by the Center for Clean Air Policy.
(June 22, 2009)
The Best Of The Best Practices
Help Reconnecting America promote best practices in transit-oriented development and development-oriented transit
Reconnecting America is the only national non-profit organization devoted to promoting best practices in transit-oriented development and development-oriented transit. Our Center for Transit-Oriented Development, a joint effort with the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Strategic Economics, is funded by the federal government to serve as a national TOD clearinghouse, to help develop TOD standards and performance measures, and to provide research support and technical assistance.
(June 18, 2009)
Demographics Of Transit Zones
Delaware Valley study examines area within half-mile of transit stations in system serving more than 1 million riders a day
The December 2008 report by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission analyzing transit-served areas in the Delaware Valley has been added to the Best Practices section. The report analyzes areas within a half-mile of rail transit stops. The majority of the data in this report comes from Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit-Oriented Development.
(June 9, 2009)
Cool the planet with transit
Three Best Practices documents examine the potential of transit to shrink our carbon footprint
Shifting from a highway-centered federal transportation focus to one centered around transit is explored in a U.S.PIRG document. The specific greenhouse gas savings from using transit is explored in another document. Finally, the national numbers behind greenhouse gases are explored in a FTA presentation.
(May 29, 2009)
A model for predicting light rail ridership
Study determines factors that contribute to high light rail ridership
Critics question whether light rail can generate ridership in low-density, automobile-oriented, polycentric US cities with smaller downtowns. Proponents counter that convenient access to stations via walking, park-and-ride, or bus allow for the development of feasible corridors connecting major residential areas with suburban concentrations of employment and the CBD. With this in mind, the used multiple regression to determine factors that contribute to higher light-rail ridership.
Cross-sectional data on average weekday boardings were collected for the year 2000 for 268 stations in nine US cities representing a variety of urban settings. The resulting model may be useful as a first-cut, one-step approach for predicting demand for possible light-rail alignments.
(May 29, 2009)
The Value In Investing In Properties Near Transit
Pair of Best Practices explore profits of investing in properties near transit and the effect of housing near transit on vehicle trips
The profits of investing in properties near transit and the effect of housing near transit on vehicle trips are explored in a pair of documents added to the Best Practices.
(May 28, 2009)
Transit ridership and job sites, travel forecasting and state TOD efforts
Best Practices on transit performance, forecasting and state support of TOD added
An examination of the relationship between transit ridership and urban decentralization, an evaluation of metropolitan travel forecasting models and a look at transit-oriented development experiences as lessons for Connecticut and New York have been added to the Best Practices.
(May 27, 2009)
