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Building Livable Communities with
Transit Cont…
Locate Highest Density Development Closest
to Transit
As summed up by Cervero, densities
should gradually decline with distance from the stops, and non-transit
compatible (low-intensity) uses should be located away from transit
stops. This can be achieved by up-zoning or increasing the permitted
intensity of land uses in the areas near transit. Clearly, it makes
more sense to place commercial offices and apartment buildings closer
to the transit stop than single-family homes.
Locate New Development in Existing Activity
Centers
Once a transit line is established,
it is critical that land use policies encourage the establishment
of mixed-use transit-oriented centers along the new transit route.
Often this will require that the city or county revise its zoning
ordinance to allow for higher-density, mixed-uses at identified
centers. If these types of centers do not exist, efforts will need
to be made to create them. The TOD guidelines developed for the
Santa Clara County Transportation Authority by Calthorpe and Associates
presents this as establishing a core commercial area adjacent to
the transit stop. At a minimum, the core area should provide convenient
retail and civic facilities. Larger core areas may also include
major supermarkets, professional offices, restaurants, service commercial,
entertainment uses, comparison retail, and residential over retail
or office uses. [SCCTA Design Concepts, p.10]
Focus New Development Close to Transit Stop
All transit users are pedestrians at
some point during their trip. If the origin or destination of the
trip is too far from the nearest transit stop, most people who have
the choice will simply drive their cars. To support transit, a residential
neighborhood or commercial district should be located within walking
distance of the transit stop. Each community will determine what
is a comfortable walking distance for its residents based on topography,
climate and other factors, but numerous studies have found that
most people will not walk more than a quarter to a half a mile to
a transit stop.
Site Design
As noted above, transit users are also
pedestrians and it is important that every effort be made to create
an environment that is conducive to walking. Transit guidelines
often address this by proposing better ways to design sites near
transit stops. Following are some of the common recommendations
found in transit guidelines.
Locate Retail and Office Buildings Near
the Roadway
Placing buildings up to the edge of
the sidewalk helps minimize the distance pedestrians and transit
users have to travel and provides direct access to buildings along
a street. But it does much more than that. The San Diego guidelines
explain that one of the factors that helps create a pleasant environment
for the pedestrian is the formation of an outdoor space. Most people
don't feel comfortable walking in a wide open area with busy traffic
passing closely by. Pedestrians are, instead, drawn to streets with
a feeling of intimacy and enclosure. This feeling can be created
by locating buildings close to the sidewalk, by lining the street
with trees, and by buffering the sidewalk with parked cars. [MTDB
Manual, p.6]
Place Pedestrian-Oriented Retail Uses Along
the Roadway
This follows from the previous point.
Locating shops along the roadway attracts people to the area and
helps create a dynamic, exciting environment in which pedestrians
feel comfortable. Store windows add interest to the street and draw
pedestrians along its length. Retail destinations close to the bus
or trolley stop are an added incentive for people to use transit.
Store owners near active transit stops also benefit from sales to
the casual, walk-in buyer.
 Orient
Buildings Toward Transit Stops
Buildings in suburban locations often
turn their backs on the street and orient themselves to parking
lots. This automobile-dominated approach contributes to the monotony
and sameness of many suburban areas. But it is even less acceptable
when done in an area close to a transit stop. As noted above, it
is not only a practical matter of making a building more accessible
to transit users, but locating the entrance to a building near the
street is another one of those elements that helps create an interesting,
exciting streetscape.
Minimize Distance to Building Entrances
If buildings or destinations are already
set back from the street or the closest transit stop, efforts should
be made to minimize the distance a pedestrian must walk by providing
a direct, paved route.
Discourage Abundant Free Parking
When it comes to parking, there are
a number of key issues that must be addressed if communities are
going to create pedestrian- and transit- friendly environments.
The San Diego guidelines, emphasize the need to place parking behind
buildings and away from the street. Attention must also be given
to reducing the amount of land devoted to parking. Cities have traditionally
required and retailers have often demanded far more parking than
is actually necessary.
Parking expert Donald Shoup points out that
most requirements for parking are based on serving the needs of
the 20th busiest hour of the year which leaves spaces vacant more
than 99 percent of the time that a shopping center is open for business,
and leaves at least half of the spaces vacant at least 40 percent
of the time. [JAPA, v.61, #1, Winter 1995] Overflow parking for
the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years when parking lots
are at capacity can be met through shared parking arrangements,
shuttle services, and improved transit service. Recent studies have
found that typical parking requirements for office uses in many
communities also greatly exceed peak parking demand on a typical
day.
Connect Neighborhoods and Transit Stops
With Walkways
The issue of providing continuous,
direct and convenient linkages for pedestrians is another area addressed
by transit guidelines. The Cervero report cites two specific cases:
Where sound walls surround a neighborhood, the wall surface should
be staggered to create entrance/ exit points. In the case of a cul-de-sac,
walkway easements should be used to shorten the distance to nearby
bus stops.
Design Streets Appropriate to their Use
Many of the streets in suburban residential
areas are much wider than they need to be. Building excessively
wide streets not only wastes valuable land, it also undermines a
sense of neighborhood intimacy and encourages cars to travel much
faster than they should. Streets should be sized and designed according
to their function.
Allow for Through and Efficient Movement
of Buses
In addition to the need for designing
streets and pathways that provide clear and direct connections for
pedestrians, it is also important that the need for efficient bus
circulation be taken into account. Discontinuous streets, such as
loops and cul-de-sacs, often make it impossible for buses to pass
through an area. According to the MTDB Guidelines: An interconnected
street pattern can solve these problems by allowing buses to penetrate
neighborhoods. Interconnected streets also give pedestrians many
alternative walking paths and help shorten walking distances. When
streets are connected in this way, auto drivers have many routes
to follow, as well. This disperses traffic and reduces the volume
of cars on any one street in the network. [MTDB Manual, p.11]
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