TOD (Transit-oriented development) is an innovative new trend in planning that seeks to create vibrant communities centered on high quality transit systems while simultaneously reducing energy usage, carbon emissions and traffic congestion.
Research demonstrates the economic advantages of TOD to transit systems, helping reduce housing costs, expand access to opportunities and enhance overall quality of life.
Increasing Transit Ridership
TOD strategies have proven their ability to boost transit ridership by catering specifically to the needs of people who rely on public transportation – this includes increasing service frequency, shortening travel times and providing greater accessibility of systems.
TOD typically involves the concentration of housing, jobs, and retail services around a train or bus station. Many TOD projects also incorporate green spaces.
Research has repeatedly demonstrated the power of fare revenues to enable transit agencies to offer a service level comparable to private vehicles, providing an edge that encourages ridership growth and retention. This competitive edge ultimately contributes to increasing passenger numbers on transit systems across the board.
Research indicates that frequency is an integral element of high quality transit service, surpassing speed as an indicator of ridership choice. To meet demand for increased service, many cities have implemented initiatives to increase frequency on popular routes – for instance Seattle revamped their bus network to offer more frequent service.
Increasing Economic Development
Transit-oriented development (TOD) goes far beyond simply increasing transit ridership to strengthen local economies and communities. By clustering jobs, homes, and services around transit stations, TOD allows people to live a more compact lifestyle that decreases car use while also decreasing congestion, air pollution levels, and increasing property values.
Many cities are adopting TOD policies to guide zoning, real estate and economic development for sustainable growth. Furthermore, local governments often utilize TOD policies as a tool to attract developers while raising funds for infrastructure investments like roads, sidewalks and transit stations.
TOD development is also the key to ensuring your transportation system can accommodate the needs of all users, including those from low-income households. Offering affordable housing near transit helps avoid exacerbating sprawl and increasing travel costs for those on lower incomes while simultaneously adding value to the community. Expanding TOD could also boost climate resilience by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions as well as the amount of land required to support an expanding economy.
Enhancing Quality of Life
Transit-oriented development provides communities with an excellent way to enhance the quality of life for its residents through walkable and bikeable neighborhoods, offering safe walking or bicycling routes that are attractive and well designed – an attractive combination that can improve work-life balance, safety measures in homes and neighborhoods, healthy and affordable housing solutions and access to cultural and leisure activities.
TODs typically consist of dense, compact mixed use developments located within walking distance of high capacity public transportation – offering opportunities for residential, business and service spaces. Walking provides a high quality environment which reduces congestion from motor vehicles and pollution as well as the need to own and maintain one’s own car.
TODs also incorporate pedestrian-scaled streets and urban design features compatible with public transportation operations, including wider sidewalks, angled intersections and tapering of buildings as they get further from transit stations. Communities incorporating TOD principles can become more competitive at attracting businesses and employees while simultaneously keeping existing residents while raising property values and tax revenue.
Increasing Environmental Sustainability
Addition of residential, commercial, and retail space around transit stations increases the number of places people can access without using cars – thus decreasing residents’ reliance on their vehicle(s) while simultaneously decreasing toxic emissions that contribute to climate change.
TOD projects can help promote sustainability by reducing energy consumption. This can be accomplished through green design and infrastructure implementation – for instance, TOD can include streets with narrower lanes to improve safety while simultaneously lowering surface temperatures to save on air conditioning costs.
TOD has become a highly effective strategy for local governments looking for ways to enhance their communities, meet community goals, and expand access to opportunity. Many cities are turning towards TOD as a strategy to develop vibrant neighborhoods that serve the public while creating jobs and opportunities for low income households – communities which will then serve as economic backbones in their region.