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Transit Oriented DevelopmentCE 458/558 Spring 2006

Jennifer Dill, PhDNohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning

Center for Urban StudiesCenter for Transportation Studies

Outline• What and why• History• How• Does it work?• The future

Transit-Oriented Development: What?

• Close to transit• Compact• Mixed-use• High-quality pedestrian environment

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Transit-Oriented Development: Why?

• Increase ridership, farebox revenue• Manage growth• Provide variety of housing opportunities• Increase land values• Revitalize neighborhoods/economic

development

It’s not a new concept

Eras of Growth & Transport Development

• Walking-Horsecar Era (1800-1890)• Electric Streetcar Era (1890-1920)

CBD

Early Portland Transit: Electric Streetcars

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1904

What’s different today? Transit-Oriented & Joint Development

• Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) outside of downtown is

unlikely to happen without intervention• Transit Joint Development

– Implementation tool for TOD– Usually involves revenue- or cost-sharing

between developers and public agencies

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Transit Adjacent Development• Development that is near transit, but

doesn’t have features that promote transit use – aside from proximity– Poor pedestrian environment– Single uses

Obstacles to TODs• Land prices outside the central city• Location – rail lines often follow

unattractive routes• Real estate market cycles• Non-supportive government policies• Institutional barriers (public & private)• NIMBY

Public policies to promote TOD• Local Government

– Zoning• Reduced parking• Mixed use• Minimum densities• Density bonuses• Overlay zones

– Planning– Redevelopment– Expedited review– Reduced fees– Siting government facilities

Public policies to promote TOD• Transit Agencies

– Multiple roles: • Brokers, facilitators, educators• Funders, active development partners• Advocates

– Land and land assembly, underwrite land costs

– Infrastructure investment– Site remediation– Shared parking – Direct financial participation (bonds, loans,

grants)

Examples of Policies/Programs• San Francisco Bay Area’s Metropolitan

Transportation Commission Housing Incentive Program

• Oregon tax incentives• Portland’s Metro TOD program

Does it work? • We know that people living closer to

transit are more likely to use transit– One question is what the overall impact could

be for a region• The impact in ridership and overall travel

may depend upon many other factors– Rail system characteristics– Demographic characteristics of residents

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Recent Research• California• Portland

New California TOD study• Hollie Lund, Cal Poly Pomona• Robert Cervero, UC Berkeley• Richard Willson, Cal Poly Pomona• Report: Travel Characteristics of Transit-

Oriented Development in California

Transit Commute Mode Share Work vs. non-work mode shares

Portland: Research Questions• Do residents of TODs drive vehicles less,

use transit more, and/or walk and bicycle more?

• How do TOD features influence mode choices?

• Do the features of TODs induce people to change their travel behavior?

• How do people's attitudes towards travel and their neighborhood influence travel behavior?

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Sunset Downs

Source: http://www.mep-pc.com/projects_housing.htm

Walk to StationOrenco Station: Arbor Homes

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The Round at Beaverton The Merrick• 185 rental apartments• Ground floor retail• Underground parking

Survey Methodology• Survey instrument• Incentive• Response rates

– Merrick: 43% – Westside sites: 29%

Respondent Profile• Not transit-dependent

650.97%$35,000-49,9991.3The Merrick

121.10%$75,000-99,9991.6Beaverton Round

310.94%$50,000-74,9992.1Elmonica Station

141.014%$50,000-74,9992.6Sunset Downs

200.917%$35,000-49,9991.5Orenco Station: Club 1201

540.919%$75,000-99,9991.7 in MF2.0 in SF

Orenco Station:Original

700.96%$75,000-99,9992.4Orenco Station: Arbor Homes

NVehicles perperson 16 or older% 65 and olderMedian Household

IncomeAvg. HH Size

32%

38%

31%

43%42%

29%

25%23% 23%

30%

33%

28%

Orenco Station: Arbor Homes Orenco Station: Originaldevelopment

Sunset Dow ns Elmonica Station Beaverton Round The Merrick

Commutes by MAX once a week or more*

Primary commute mode is transit

Commuting by MAX

2000 Census citywide transit commuting share

Access mode to MAX

250%100.0%The Merrick50%100.0%Beaverton Round

1711.8%76.5%Elmonica StationToo few respondentsSunset Downs

2630.8%69.2%Orenco Station: Original development & Club 1201

2010.0%90.0%Orenco Station: Arbor Homes

nDrive or rideWalk

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Influence of Parking Pricing

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Arbor HomesOrenco Gardens

Original OrencoStation & Club

1201

Sunset Downs Elmonica BeavertonRound

Merrick All sites

Neighborhood

% c

omm

utin

g pr

imar

ily b

y tr

ansi

t

Does not pay to park

Pays to park

Change in Commute Mode• Of the regular MAX

commuters, 59% drove or carpooled to work/school from their previous residence

Non-transit to transit

20%

Transit to non-transit

4%

Continued with non-

transit70%

Continued using transit

6%

Non-commute travel: Transit

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Orenco Station:Arbor Homes

Orenco Gardens

Orenco Station:Original MF & SF &

Club 1201

Sunset Downs Elmonica Station Beaverton Round The Merrick

% ta

lkin

g tr

ansi

t to

dest

inat

ione

onc

e a

wee

k or

mor

e

Store or place to shop

Restaurant, bar, or coffee place

Entertainment (movie, museum)

Church or civic building (library, post office)

Service provider (bank, hair dresser, dentist)

Non-commute travel:Walk/bike to a store once a week or more

in good weather

31%

69%

19%14% 15%

53%

Orenco Station: ArborHomes

Orenco Station:Original & Club 1201

Sunset Downs Elmonica Station Beaverton Round The Merrick

Non-commute travel:Walk/bike to restaurant/bar/café once a week or

more in good weather

31%

46%

19%

14%

38%

64%

Orenco Station: ArborHomes

Orenco Station:Original & Club 1201

Sunset Downs Elmonica Station Beaverton Round The Merrick

Non-commute travel:Walk/bike to no destination once a week or more

in good weather

59%61%

49%

33%

25%

43%

Orenco Station: ArborHomes

Orenco Station: Original& Club 1201

Sunset Downs Elmonica Station Beaverton Round The Merrick

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Changes in Daily Travel

NoYesNoSig. diff. between neigbhorhoods?

68%47%71%The Merrick

77%15%77%Beaverton Round

61%29%61%Elmonica Station

62%60%40%Sunset Downs

63%58%66Orenco Station:Original & Club 1201

47%64%58%Orenco Station:Arbor Homes

Drives lessnow

Walks morenow

Uses transitmore now

Neighborhood Preferences

YesNoYesYesSig. diff. between neigbhorhoods?

7553%63%59%81%The Merrick

1369%77%62%100%Beaverton Round

4159%46%40%62%Elmonica Station

19100%68%47%53%Sunset Downs

10189%68%84%78%Orenco Station:Original & Club

1201

6585%62%57%77%Orenco Station: Arbor Homes

Sidewalksthroughout

Easy access tofreeway

Shoppingareas within

Walkingdistance

Good publictransit service

N

% indicating that this factor was important

Major Findings• Households are different, but they are not

transit-dependent• Commute by transit at much higher rates

than city-wide, but don’t use transit for many other trips

• Features of TODs do not affect transit commuting rates, but do affect non-commute mode choices

• Distance to station affects access mode, not use of transit for commuting

The Future• Changing demographics support TOD

Changing household structure

1.7 3.6 4.6 5.711.5

14.0 14.9 14.85.6

8.69.7 10.710.0

12.914.8

16.0

30.3

29.929.8

28.7

40.330.9

26.3 24.1

1970 1980 1990 2000

Married couples with own children

Married couples without own children

Other family households

Men living alone

Women living alone

Other nonfamily households

Nonfamily households

Family households

Source: http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/p20-537.pdf

Population will get older

28.5

59.0

12.4

26.0

53.4

20.7

0-19 20-64 65+Age

% o

f pop

ulat

ion

200020102020203020402050

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Useful Resource• Reconnecting America TOD Center

http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/html/TOD/index.htm

• TriMet Community Building Sourcebookhttp://www.trimet.org/inside/publications/pdf/sourcebook.pdf

• TCRP Report 102: TOD in the UShttp://www.tcrponline.org/publications_home.html

My information• Jennifer Dill, PhD.

jdill@pdx.edu• http://web.pdx.edu/~jdill/• USP 456/556 Urban Transportation:

Problems and Policies – 2006-07: Spring quarter