transportation oriented development in the new york metropolitan region

Transportation Oriented Development in the New York Metropolitan Region

Robert N. Lane, DirectorRegional Design Program

Regional Plan Associationwww.rpa.org

Transit Oriented Development in the NY Region:•Brownfield redevelopment•Retrofitting sprawl•Intensifying centers

Existing Trend Growth TOD Growth

What is the Share of Workers Who Reach Their New Jersey Jobs by Rail?

• To Jersey City - 21% (9 lines) – PATH, light rail line highly frequent service

• To Newark – 9% (6 lines) – PATH, Newark Subway, NEC, NJCL

• Trenton – 1% (2 lines) – NEC • To New Brunswick - 1% (1 line) - NEC• Elizabeth -1% (2 lines) - NEC• To Atlantic City - 1% (1 line) – once an hour

Change in Resident Labor Force by Decade Living Within and Beyond Walking Distance

of Commuter Rail Stations 20 NYR Counties

-200,000

-100,000

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

1970 to 1980 1980 to 1990 1990 to 2000

Within

Beyond

-6.0

-4.0

-2.0

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

1980/1970 1990/1980 2000/1990

Per

cen

t C

han

ge

-6.0

-4.0

-2.0

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

1980/1970 1990/1980 2000/1990

Within WalkingDistance

Beyond WalkingDistance

Percent Change in Workers Living Within and Beyond Walking Distance of Commuter Rail Stations in

New York Region: 1970 to 2000

-6.0

-4.0

-2.0

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

1980/1970 1990/1980 2000/1990

Somerville Landfill and Station Area Planning Study

Overview - Design

ownership environment access

Somerville Borough 58 aNJ Transit 38 aOther 19 aTotal 115 a

Wetlands 38 a (33%)

• The “Hub”• The “Heights”• The “Green Seam”

Overview – Design

Overview – Design

Mixed-use station area

New civic space

Two new neighborhoods

Green gateway

Downtown gateway

Station Area

HotelMovie Theatre

Overview – Design

Overview – Design

Overview – Design

Total Open Space 41 a (36%)

Trails

Open Space Framework

Overview – Design

The Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor

A deteriorating suburban corridor is saved

•Multiple actors•Public subsidy•Control over land use

Transportation

•Very high transit share•Good car access

Technical Lesson: The Architecture Does Matter

Implementation•Consistency•Public participation

Issues•Quality of urban design•Affordability

Technical Lesson: The Architecture Does Matter

Technical Lesson: Parking Can Be Managed Creatively

Technical Lesson: Parking Can Be Managed creatively

Technical Lesson: Density needs to be explained

Understanding density

Is Density “du per acre” or perception?

Use local precedents

Residential:

Single-family 5

du/acre $100,000 $(-1,800)/du

Two-family 7 100,000 (-5,700)

Townhouse 12 300,000 600

Stacked townhouse 22 700,000 1,700

Apartments (2-3 story) 30 800,000 3,100

Apartments (4+ story) 40 600,000 700

Age-restricted 40 600,000 900

Assisted living 24 200,000 800

Net TOD Net Value Typical

Use Density (per acre) Fiscal Impact

Revenue

Technical Lesson: Explain Housing

• Tax: $300,000

• Units: 105

• Density:

18 du/acre

• Cars/unit:

1.85

• Children/unit:

.05-.1

Franklin Square, MetucheonUnderstanding Housing

Technical Lesson: Explain Housing

Technical Lesson: Create A Flexible Framework for Development

Calibrate to local capabilities

Netcong, NJ

Process Lesson: Use a Diversity of Formats

Diversity of formats

town hall meetings, charrettes, and other convenings

Diversity of media

Interactive models

Process Lesson: Use a Diversity of Formats

Workshop #1: Steering Committee shared understandingexpectations managementvision statement

Workshop #2: Steering Committee plus Stakeholders

expectations managementconcept design alternatives

Workshop #3: Steering Committee plus Stakeholders

schematic design consensus

Workshop #4: Presentation to larger groupfinal designfinal analysis

Technical Studies• Land use analysis• Market reconnaisance• Transportation analysis

Visioning• What do you really want?• Principles• Issues and Opportunities

PlanGuidelines

Implementation StrategyConcerns

Process Lesson: Design an Iterative Process

Iterative Process: Test schemes and “straw men”

Netcong, NJ

Process Lesson: Design an Iterative Process

Process Lesson: Enable Multiple Levels of Stakeholder Involvement

Technical Lessons

Beyond parking and density - find the intersection of:

• Transit agency priorities

parking, development , ridership

• Community based goals and objectives

place-making, redevelopment

• Technical constraints

market, traffic/access, context, environment

Technical Lessons

• The architecture DOES matter• Parking can be managed creatively• Density needs to be explained• Housing needs to be explained• Create a flexible framework for redevelopment

Process Lessons

• Empower and engage stakeholders

• Use a diversity of formats and media

• Iterative process and planning

• Multiple levels of stakeholder involvement