Factors Influencing Land Development Around Rail Transit Stations by Jeffrey Jan Sriver B.S., Civil Engineering Purdue University, 1993 Submitted to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN TRANSPORTATION at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology August, 1995 ©1995 Jeffrey Jan Sriver All rights reserved The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part. r>" i, Signature of Author . .. ................ i/' : A;IparTnnt of CiIl and EnvironmentalEngineering i. Xa! r 1 August, 1995 Certified by ........... .. ... Nigel H. M. Wilson Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Thesis Advisor Accepted By. .. ri~. ..·.... ..Joseph . ...M.Sussman Chairman, Departmental Committee on Graduate Studies ,.,A;A; UJS[{"rTs IN'i' "U'i'F Or 'fEC!4NOLOGY OCT25 1995 Factors Influencing Land Development Around Rail Transit Stations by Jeffrey Jan Sriver Submitted to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering on 1 August, 1995, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Transportation Abstract Many of the factors which have influenced development around transit stations over the past thirty years differ from those that shaped the nature of land development at the dawn of rail transit technology, 100 years ago. Rapid transit systems which have been built in the modem era represent investments in a mode of transport that nearly all other political, economic, institutional, and regulatory factors have been aligned to defeat. However, construction of a rail transit network does provide the opportunity to re-orient metropolitan area development in a manner which will take advantage of the travel efficiencies afforded by this transit mode and affect regional travel behavior and quality of life. This thesis examines the factors which have influenced development at over 55 transit stations built in the last 30 years in the Atlanta, Boston, Miami, Toronto, and Washington metropolitan areas. A typology is constructed which classifies station areas based upon the "intensity" and auto- or pedestrian-orientation of surrounding development, and similar station areas are examined in terms of their development state both prior to station construction and at present. Station areas which exhibit "special" characteristics including "new town" development, urban renewal status, or proximity to a major institution are also examined. The analysis provides several significant implications for planning and developing new rail transit facilities. On a system-wide level, transit network design and station siting must consider the relationships between land uses in station areas and their trip generating behavior. Regional intermodal transportation strategies and policies must be coordinated on an institutional level so that highway, transit, and land use plans may also complement one another, and not undercut each other's effectiveness. Citizen input and individual station design play critical roles in facilitating or precluding potential area development. Although transit access may catalyze land development in a growing district, a new rail station alone is not enough to reverse poor station area economic and land development trends. In this case, a coordinated suite of supporting incentives and regulations must be employed to increase development opportunities. Comprehensive plans form the basis through which other strategies and tools may be implemented. Effective methods for encouraging appropriate development include permitting construction on transit facility air rights, utilizing urban renewal and public land assemblage powers, and directing investment in properly designed public facilities towards station areas, while pedestrian and transit-friendly zoning guidelines, parking restrictions, tax incentives, and travel demand management programs can also help make transit a more favorable travel option. Experiences in the five case cities indicate that low and medium intensity mixed-use station areas are most likely to be able to be transformed into high intensity districts, while residential neighborhoods are least likely to foster intensification. The lessons and implications of this research are applied to the case of the proposed Tren Urbano light rail system in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Recommendations are made for development strategies at each of the fifteen proposed stations in this system. Thesis Advisor: Dr. Nigel H. M. Wilson Title: Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering 4 Acknowledgments In the fall of 1990, midway through my five years of undergraduate studies at Purdue, I opened my mailbox one day to find a letter from the transportation program at MIT. This letter planted a seed in my mind about pursuing a master's degree in transpor- tation, and the person who signed it was "Nigel H. M. Wilson." As my remaining years at Purdue passed, I had the opportunity to visit transportation programs at UC Berkeley and Northwestern, and I even spent a whole summer at the University of Texas in Austin. I expressed my interest in studying about public transit, and everyone I spoke to extolled the virtues of their program, but never failed to add "of course at MIT there's Nigel Wilson." I became more intrigued by this MIT program, and especially the transit guru with two middle initials. So I finally went to visit the renowned Institute in the spring of 1993-the last school visit on my list, and Professor Wilson was away on sabbatical! No fear, everyone said, Nigel is the one professor you wouldn't need to meet to make your decision to come here-he is the person to study with if you are into transit... Over two years have passed since I made the fateful decision to come here, and I have never once considered regretting it. I am thankful and proud to have had the opportunity to study under Nigel, but even more so to have been able to know him and his family as friends. I can say sincerely that the glowing reputation that proceeded him was entirely true. My interest in the field of transit and transportation policy had come from my experiences as a bus and train rider, and as an urban dweller. Nigel has broadened my view to include many nuances of transit service provision from the operator's view, and has instilled in me great confidence in dedicating my professional career to the effective provision of public transport service. My experience with the Chicago Transit Authority last summer was that much richer for being able to view the agency through the lens of Nigel's Transit Operations and Planning class. I look forward to continuing pursuits in this exciting field, and a continuing relationship with the man who has skillfully and thoughtfully guided me through my academic and research endeavors while at MIT. Fred Salvucci's conviction, moral integrity, dedication to improving the welfare of fellow citizens, sincere concern for transportation issues and the quality of urban life, and profound wisdom that he has acquired over thirty years of public activism and leadership has made him a mentor for many people including myself. Fred has also given me confidence that positive social change is possible, even in the presently troubled political environment. I am grateful for his contributions to my thesis, and my academic and professional development at MIT. My thesis itself would not have been possible without the contribution of many, many individuals (some of whom don't even know it!), and I will attempt to recognize as 5 many as I can at this time. First, my mother, father, sister, and brother, have never once failed to support me in any way throughout my life, and I owe the largest part of my present good fortune to this fact. More pragmatically, the National Highway (ironic, isn't it?) Institute of the United States Department of Transportation made my studies at MIT possible through a "Dwight D. Eisenhower Graduate Transportation Fellowship." The vision of the U.S. Congresspeople who authorized funding for this program several years ago will be rewarded. Let us hope that more vision will be returning to Congress soon. I am grateful for the assistance of Ilene Payne and Judith Turner of NHI and Jackie Sciacca, Fellowship Coordinator of the office of the Dean of the Graduate School, who were most effective whenever issues arose related to my grant. Ken Kruckemeyer has provided valuable insight on the subject of station area development, particularly in the context of Boston and San Juan, and I sincerely appreciate his assistance. An incredibly large number of people were extremely helpful in providing me with all of the information that it took to prepare the case studies in this thesis. Many of them sent me more reports than I ever imagined had been prepared on the subject (see the Bibliography!), and many others were happy to share their personal experiences with me at length over the telephone. (Thanks to the MIT Tren Urbano project account for paying what must have been some pretty significant phone bills....) I am deeply indebted to most of my friends here and elsewhere for reasons which are too numerous to mention, but which I will try to summarize: thanks to Bill Cowart, Joan Walker, Daniel Roth, and Tilly Chang, whom I first met when I visited MIT as a prospective student. It was my impression of them that gave me confidence that I would be returning to Boston after that visit, and their ensuing friendships have reaffirmed this initial feeling. The personal relationships I have developed with John Wilson, Nicola Shaw, Marty Schlenker, Jiang Chang, and Kazi Ahmed will continue throughout our lives, and I cannot imagine having experienced the MST program with a better class. For making it more than clear that there is a real world quite independent of Building 1, I am thankful for my friendships with Nummi, Teresa Lau, Pam Prasarttongo- soth, and Alan Shihadeh.