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Transit Villages:
The Story in Photos
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Destination Stations
Imagine a city like Los Angeles, whose criss-crossing freeways section and
slice its downtown into urban blocks isolated from each other by a roaring
belt of continuous traffic. Now, imagine those freeways being peeled up,
the space they occupy filled in by greenbelts, clusters of energy
efficient houses, apartments and condominiums, retail shops and industrial
parks. All of it edged by wide sidewalks and bike paths that lead up to
stations where trains, light rail and buses flow in and out, delivering
commuters and residents. Those who don’t feel like walking or biking to
and from the station can hop on a PRT (personal rapid transit) car, which
runs above ground along a grid of tiny stations. A pipe dream? Not really,
only a slightly futuristic view of what’s already taking shape in the
blossoming world of Transit Oriented Developments (TODs) and Transit
Villages.
TODs are usually described as new construction or redevelopment of one or
more office buildings, retail outlets, housing and entertainment venues
within walking distance of a major transit stop. A transit village takes
the concept a few significant steps further, encompassing a mix of these
as a planned community around a transit stop. They are designed to enhance
walking, biking and the use of rapid transit. As California’s population
surges, with 11-16 million new residents and over 4 million new
households expected over the next 20 years, the state will experience more
growth than in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s combined, according to the
California Department of Transportation.
Between 1970 and 1996, the mileage people drove grew four times faster
than the population itself, and 18 times faster than new roads could be
built to accommodate them. Suburban sprawl has been gobbling up
California’s farmlands, canyons and open spaces faster than local and
municipal agencies can enact zoning requirements and land use regulations
to control them. People have moved to California’s suburban developments
by the millions. Industries and retail outlets follow, leaving swaths of
once productive and now degrading urban areas behind. As home buyers reach
further and further out in a quest for affordable housing, the two-hour
commute to work, each way, has become a way of life. Endless chains of
headlights form the predawn art of California’s freeways. The fumes from
those tailpipes feed the canopy of greenhouse gases at an alarming rate.
Metrolink,
Amtrak,
BART and other forms of rapid transit have
expanded operations, but many riders find the systems difficult to use,
requiring long drives to get to, with more travel required at the other
end. Many eventually drift back to the convenience and comfort of their
cars.
The vision of vibrant communities built around transit stations began to
take form as a way to revitalize inner city communities and connect far
flung suburbs to each other and to the cities. Except for difficulties in
permitting and zoning and the higher cost of infield building (where there
are already buildings), as opposed to greenfield building (in farmland and
other open space) the transit oriented development is an idea whose time
has come. And it has caught on with developers, local governments and
investors — as well as residents. Transit agencies, always looking to
increase ridership, are making the development of TODs a top priority.
According to Dave Martindale, a spokesman for BART, the agency’s board
adopted a policy in 2005 that made TOD a “real priority.” They weren’t
just whistling in the wind. Of the 43 BART stations in 4 counties of the
Bay Area, 5 have completed TODs, 7 have gained approval, 6 are in
negotiations and 8 are ready for development. That’s 26 in all, with an
estimated value of $1.2 billion. Some are stunning examples of what can be
done with a strong vision and a good public-private partnership. The
Castro Valley Station, for instance, includes a 96-unit
affordable housing project, the restored historic Victorian Stowbridge
House and a police facility.
The
Richmond Transit Village
completed its first phase of 132 housing units in 2003-04. A second phase
will see 99 additional for sale housing units, a BART garage and 17,000
square feet of retail space. The high density housing in the village
promotes transit ridership, with every home within short walking distance
of the regional rail system (BART), Amtrak, and bus service. The village
also includes a new performing arts center, plaza and parks.
The quintessential California transit village, the one most often referred
to, is
Fruitvale Village in the city of
Oakland,
the first phase of which was completed in 2004. It consists of 135,000
square feet of retail space, a library, offices, child care facilities, a
medical clinic, senior center — all attached to a BART station — and 47
units of housing.
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