Transit-Oriented Development in FasTracks

With the start of the FasTracks program, the RTD Board of Directors decided to revise their transit –oriented development (TOD) policy in order to allow for flexible and proactive planning of TOD during  rapid transit projects.

RTD defines TOD to be dense development surrounding transit areas that support a mix of usage and practice pedestrian-oriented design. Ideally, TOD allows citizens to live close to a transit station and buy their groceries, got to work, go to dinner and go to the movies or other entertainment within walking distance of their residence. TODs discourage short trip driving and promotes a sense of community and accessibility.

The framework for RTD’s 2006 adapted policy contains 4 goals: foster relationships for full support of TOD, encourage sustainable development, support multimodal access to transit and protect RTD’s assets.  The first goal aims to work with all stakeholders such as business owners, developers, citizens and government agencies at all levels. RTD wants to get everyone on the same page and working together as a team towards the same goals. RTD plans on meeting the second goal by setting standards for development and land use within a ½ mile of transit stations. The third goal will be achieved by making sure there are bike and pedestrian connections to the stations and optimized parking stations based on proximity to central business districts, and bus and pedestrian connections. The last goal seeks to secure federal funding by meeting federal policy goals and encourage station planning early in the planning process. 

This adapted policy meets the three core goals of FasTracks, which are to improve transit mode share during peak travel times, provide better transit options and balance transit needs with future growth.

The Denver TOD Fund started in 2010 and provides $25 million to purchase sites near future transit areas. The fund aims to preserve affordable housing near transit stations by buying the land before transit service comes through and raises land values. This allows agencies and developers to meet the expense of building affordable housing. The first example of this funding is near the recently opened West Rail Line that was mentioned in the previous post. The Mile High Vista is two blocks from the new rail line. The 2.1 acre site used to be a strip mall with a huge parking lot in a food desert. 


Now, the site features 70 affordable housing units, a public library, grocery store and a childcare facility. The site development was ran by a local non-profit, Urban Land Conservancy, and jointly funded by the Denver TOD Fund, City of Denver, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority and the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB).  

I recently made a trip to Denver to watch my sister receive her doctoral degree in physical therapy from Regis University and was able to take a bus trip on US 36 from Flatirons Mall to Boulder. US 36 connects downtown Denver to Boulder and an 18 mile bus rapid transit system is currently under construction in this corridor. The Flatirons transit area will serve the BRT system in the near future and the land use and planning are beginning to reflect this. The transit area features a parking lot on the north side of the highway with a tunnel connecting to the enormous Flatirons Mall on the south side.


 

Also on the north side, about a ½ mile from the highway are some very large apartment complexes where my sister was staying for the last month of school. As you can see from the pictures, the area around the residences is undeveloped so you have to drive, ride your bike or walk to the transit station or anywhere else you want to go. 

In the future, I imagine the surrounding land use will have mixed commercial and recreational and a bus or shuttle will connect the residences to the transit station.