Transit Oriented Development that's Healthy, Green & Just: Ensuring Transit Investment in Seattle’s Rainier Valley Builds Communities Where All Families Thrive
May 14, 2012|Puget Sound Sage
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Executive Summary
As the Puget Sound region invests billions in a new light rail system, many stakeholders, including community leaders, workers, equity advocates and planners, are asking – who will benefit? Will the advantages of living along light rail be shared by households of all incomes and people of all races and ethnicities?
Transit oriented development (TOD), holds tremendous promise and opportunity for communities of color and low-income households. But, strong evidence of gentrification and the threat of displacement in Seattle’s Rainier Valley, accelerated by the light rail, threaten to undermine this promise. Rainier Valley represents one of the most racially diverse areas in the Puget Sound and is also one of the first communities to receive light rail.
Ensuring that TOD results in real equity outcomes requires a sharp focus on what equity means and a steady determination to achieve those outcomes. By including a racial justice framework in TOD planning and…
Developing the Next Frontier: Capitalizing on Bus Rapid Transit to Build Community
June 24, 2011
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Executive Summary
By 2013, King County Metro Transit’s bus rapid transit (BRT) service, known as RapidRide, will be expanding to six lines covering 64 miles of high-use corridors. The Bus Rapid Transit and Land Use Initiative is the product of a partnership between ULI Seattle, King County Metro Transit, the city of Seattle, the city of Shoreline, and the ULI/Curtis Regional Infrastructure Project. The partnership formed a team of ULI members and transit professionals to analyze and make recommendations about connecting RapidRide and land use opportunities. The team developed case studies of similar BRT service in other cities and analyzed three station areas in Seattle and Shoreline.
From the perspectives of multimodal corridors, neighborhood design, housing, jobs/workers, marketing, and stakeholders, the team developed specific recommendations for RapidRide and initiative partners, as well as recommendations for each station area. Three overarching themes emerged:
Focus on…
An Assessment of Urban Form and Pedestrian and Transit Improvements as an Integrated GHG Reduction Strategy
April 1, 2011|Washington Department of Transportation
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This study is one of the first to test the effect of sidewalks on travel patterns and the first we know of to relate sidewalk availability with VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) and GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions. Recently, several large jurisdictions in King County have developed local sidewalk data layers, creating a new opportunity to look at pedestrian infrastructure alongside other investment and policy strategies associated with reduced VMT and CO2 (carbon dioxide). The study used travel outcome data from the 2006 PSRC (Puget Sound Regional Council) Household Activity Survey. The household-level analysis was restricted to households in King County cities where sidewalk data was already available, and modeled the association of urban form, pedestrian infrastructure, transit service and travel costs on VMT and CO2, while controlling for household characteristics known to influence travel.
The results provide early evidence in the potential effectiveness of …
The results provide early evidence in the potential effectiveness of …
Preserving Affordability and Access in Livable Communities: Subsidized Housing Opportunities Near Transit and the 50+ Population
September 30, 2009
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Executive Summary
INTRODUCTION
A livable community has affordable and appropriate housing, supportive features and services, and adequate mobility options for people, regardless of age or ability. As communities address the general shortage of affordable housing, preserving affordable housing in transit-oriented developments (TODs) is one of the challenges that communities can address to increase their livability.
TODs are compact, walkable, mixed-use communities that are developed around high-quality public transportation. Residents often prize these places for the advantages created by the proximity to transportation and other amenities. One consequence of this desirability is that it can increase land and property values, exacerbating housing affordability challenges.
As policymakers try to extend the benefits of TODs to affordable housing locations, they must ensure that those benefits are available to people of low and moderate incomes and to those with different mobility…
Results of the Supplemental Mititgation Assistance Program on Businesses Impacted by Light Rail Construction in the Rainier Valley
April 1, 2009
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Executive Summary
The decision to construct and operate Central Link light rail at-grade on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South created widespread community concern about the impact that prolonged construction would have on local businesses. As a result, the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund (CDF) was founded in 2002 to manage a $50 million fund established by the City of Seattle, King County, and Sound Transit. The Fund was established to mitigate lost revenues of the businesses impacted by light rail construction and to invest in long-term business and real estate development in the Rainier Valley.
To minimize the impact of the five-year construction project, the CDF created the Supplemental Mitigation Assistance (SMA) program in an effort to prevent business closures and vacant storefronts along the MLK corridor. The SMA program provided financial assistance in the form of grants to businesses that could document a loss in net revenues or to businesses that were relocated as a…
Traffic Generated by Mixed-Use Developments – A Six- Region Study Using Consistent Built Environmental Measures
January 1, 2009|EPA Development, Community and Environment Division
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The purpose of this study was to develop new methodology for more accurately predicting the traffic impacts of mixed-use developments
Preserving Opportunities: Saving Affordable Homes Near Transit
January 1, 2008|National Housing Trust, Reconnecting America
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Study examines federally assisted affordable housing located in close proximity to public transportation in 8 cities (2008)
Light Rail Transit Construction Impact Mitigation Strategies: Case Studies and Recommendations for the Central Corridor
December 21, 2007
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Introduction
The proposed Central Corridor Light Rail Transit (LRT) line stretching from downtown Minneapolis to downtown Saint Paul has the potential to revitalize the neighborhoods it passes through. Projected to carry nearly 43,270 passengers daily by the year 2030, the line is an opportunity for significant investment in the local economy through transportation infrastructure improvements. When completed, the increased mobility and accessibility along the corridor will provide opportunities for increased economic activity and provide existing businesses with the ability to reach new markets.
Many of the business owners along the corridor, however, are concerned about the negative impacts the construction process may bring. The proposed transit line is scheduled to begin a three year construction phase in 2010. Construction of light rail, like any large construction process, can significantly disrupt the normal business operations along a corridor. Potential impacts include the…
Financing Options for an Expanded Seattle Streetcar System and Network
April 1, 2007|Urban League, Seattle Streetcar Alliance
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This two-part study for the Seattle Urban League and the Seattle Streetcar Alliance sought to guide decisions regarding the financing of a network of streetcar lines in and near Downtown Seattle. The first part of the study addressed the potential revenue and funding sources for the operations, maintenance, and capital costs of developing streetcar lines. It drew from experiences around the country and abroad, particularly from the Portland, Oregon, and South Lake Union streetcar systems. The second part explored the social and economic characteristics of neighborhoods and districts that would affect the existing and planned network of streetcar lines and that might affect future extensions to this existing network. During the many interviews conducted over the course of the work, we encountered strong interest in and support for expanding Seattle’s streetcar network among a wide range of Seattle employers and public agency staff. As in other cities, a streetcar system seems to…
Operational Definitions of Walkable Neighborhood
July 7, 2006|Journal of Physical Activity and Health 2006, 3, Suppl 1, S99-S117
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The concept of walkable neighborhoods is increasingly important in physical activity research and intervention. However, limited theoretical understanding and measurable definitions remain a challenge. Methods: This paper reviews theories defining neighborhoods and offers an empirical approach to identify measurable attributes and thresholds of walkable neighborhoods. Bivariate and multivariate analyses are used for self-reported socio-demographic background, neighborhood walking behavior and perception, and objective measures of environments. Results: Environmental attributes positively associated with walking sufficiently to meet health recommendations included higher residential density and smaller street-blocks around home, and shorter distances to food and daily retail facilities from home. Threshold distances for eating/drinking establishments and grocery stores were 860 and 1445 feet. Conclusions: Results questioned theoretical constructs of neighborhoods centered on…
