Orange Line Opportunity Corridor Report
November 28, 2012
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Executive Summary
The infrastructure needs of the Orange Line transit system are well-documented. But who lives and works in the corridor, and how is the current mix of land uses projected to change? This report provides a baseline understanding of the demographic, economic, transportation, and land use characteristics of the corridor; a schedule of planned and projected corridor development activity over two time horizons: 8 years and 8-15 years; highlights quality TOD projects already completed or underway in the corridor; and recommends five action items to ensure that the corridor receives the continued attention and investment that it deserves as one of the region’s most heavily used and diverse transit corridors.
What are the characteristics of the corridor in the context of the region?
One quarter of the region’s households live near the Orange Line. Approximately 709,900 residents reside within a half mile of an Orange Line station, representing 23 percent of the…
Growing Station Areas: The Variety and Potential of Transit Oriented Development in Metro Boston
June 13, 2012
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Executive Summary
Transit oriented development has been a large part of Boston’s growth since the earliest horse-drawn railways. In fact, we live in a uniquely transit-oriented region, where 25% of housing units and 37% of employment is within a half-mile of a rapid transit or commuter rail station. Now Metro Boston is experiencing a new wave of growth near transit, with hundreds of residential and commercial developments underway and more on the horizon. Cities and towns are creating station area plans and updated zoning to unlock development potential; the MBTA is accepting proposals for major developments on prime T-owned parcels; state agencies are using transit proximity as a criteria for prioritizing infrastructure or housing resources; and the development community is finding a strong market for residential and commercial space near the T.
There are good reasons for this burgeoning interest in Transit Oriented Development (TOD.) New growth near transit stations can help…
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…
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
Realizing The Potential: One Year Later -- Housing Opportunities Near Transit In A Changing Market
January 1, 2009|Federal Transit Administration
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An update to “Realizing the Potential” study for the FTA and HUD, which assessed strategies to promote mixed-income housing along transit corridors in Boston, Charlotte, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Denver and Portland.
Bus Rapid Transit and Transit Oriented Development: Case Studies on Transit Oriented Development Around Bus Rapid Transit Systems in North America and Australia
April 1, 2008|Breakthrough Technologies Institute
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The purpose of this report is to provide examples of BRT-based TOD as a resource for policymakers, public agencies, and the development community. The report uses a case-based research methodology, examining four developed country cities characterized by high private car usage and significant TOD around their BRT corridors.
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)
TOD Case Studies: Implementation In Low- Income, Ethnically Diverse Neighborhoods
August 19, 2007|Philadelphia Neighborhood Development Collaborative and the Surdna Foundation
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These case studies, funded through the support of the Surdna Foundation, present transit-oriented development (TOD) examples from diverse, low-income neighborhoods around transit, all built within the last 10 years. The goal of this survey is to provide examples that can help spur development around Philadelphia’s underutilized transit resources in similar types of neighborhoods. To that end, the examples in these case studies all overcame barriers to implementation using innovative, but replicable approaches. These examples are intended to allow the Philadelphia Neighborhood Development Collaborative and others to advocate for more involvement by the public sector, test some of the same mechanisms for financing and land assembly, and provide examples of successful TOD to developers and community members.
Realizing The Potential: Expanding Housing Opportunities Near Transit
January 1, 2007|Federal Transit Administration
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The FTA and HUD funded this report to examine the effectiveness of regional strategies to ensure there is mixed-income housing near transit. Advancing the state of the practice of linking mixed-income housing to transit investments requires greater creativity and commitment by all levels of government. This report examines five case study regions: Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Minneapolis, and Portland, Oregon. Given the growing demand for housing near transit and limited number of developable sites, the report finds that cities and regions need to be proactive in order to accommodate income diversity in TOD.
Commuter Rail and Land Use: A Network-Based Analysis
May 25, 2006
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Executive Summary
Transportation and land use have long been understood to have impacts on one another. One common justification for transportation investments, particularly public transit investments, is that the transportation improvement will change land use patterns in societally beneficial ways. Even if it is not the stated goal, one would expect that an effective transportation investment would change development patterns from the course that they would otherwise take – a fact grounded on both theoretical and historical literature. Using geographic information systems, remote sensing, and census data, land use change can be quantified, so that it can be compared between different geographic areas. These areas have been defined using network analyses to determine time-based distance, since most people access commuter rail stations by driving to them. This study examines the impact that commuter rail has had on land use patterns in the Boston metropolitan area, and sets up a…
