RAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT: STRATEGIES AND TOOLS TO SUPPORT PASSENGER RAIL FINAL DRAFT CDOT-DTD-R-2001-19 March 2002 Colorado Department of Transportation Research Branch The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Colorado Department of Transportation or the Federal Highway Administration. This report does not constitute a standard, specification or regulation. RAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT: STRATEGIES & TOOLS TO SUPPORT PASSENGER RAIL TECHNICAL REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. CDOT-DTD-R-2001-19 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date RAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT: Strategies and Tools to Support Passenger Rail March 2002 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. J Charlier, M Jacobsen, C Hernandez, B Herman, L Ellis 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) Charlier Associates, Inc. Clarion Associates 4041 Hanover Ave. Ste. 101 114 E. Oak Street 11. Contract or Grant No. Boulder, CO 80305 Ft. Collins, CO 80524 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Colorado Department of Transportation Final Report 4201 E. Arkansas Ave. B-606 December 19, 2000 – March 7, 2002 Denver, CO 80222 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Study Number 61.30 15. Supplementary Notes Colorado Department of Transportation Project Manager: Tom Mauser 16. Abstract The Rail-Oriented Development: Strategies and Tools to Support Passenger Rail Handbook (the Handbook) is the final work product associated with the Land Use and Transportation System Components to Support Passenger Rail Study (the Study), sponsored by the Colorado Department of Transportation in 2001. This nine-month Study was initiated in an effort to research and define the land uses, land development patterns and transportation system characteristics that would support a statewide passenger rail system in Colorado. The findings of the Study are presented in this Handbook, which has been designed to provide practical answers to questions regarding how to plan for passenger rail. The Handbook is based on extensive research into the land use/rail transit relationship, and on an evaluation of existing North American rail transit systems and their urban environments. The Handbook is not meant to advocate rail transit, per se, but rather to describe the recommended land uses and development patterns that would support rail transit in Colorado, as well as those that are likely to emerge as a result of passenger rail. 17. Key Words: 18. Distribution Statement Passenger Rail, Transportation, Land Use, Implementation Tools, Rail Transit No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the Colorado Department of Transportation, Denver, CO 80222 19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 171 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) RAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT: STRATEGIES & TOOLS TO SUPPORT PASSENGER RAIL TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents Executive Summary............................................................................................................................................................... i 1. Introduction and Purpose .................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Recent Developments in Rail Transit .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Introduction to this Handbook ............................................................................................................................. 3 1.3 Candidate Rail Corridors in Colorado ................................................................................................................. 4 2. Overview and Background Research.................................................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Literature Review: Selected Findings................................................................................................................. 8 2.3 Peer System Study: Key Findings..................................................................................................................... 11 2.4 The Rail Transit Travel Shed............................................................................................................................. 13 2.5 Economic Relationships in Rail Transit ............................................................................................................ 15 2.6 The Colorado Transportation Environment....................................................................................................... 19 3. Planning Strategies ............................................................................................................................................................. 23 3.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................................ 23 3.2 Regional Land Use and Development ............................................................................................................... 26 3.3 Community Land Use and Development........................................................................................................... 28 3.4 Station Area Land Use and Development.......................................................................................................... 31 TABLE OF CONTENTS RAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT: STRATEGIES & TOOLS TO SUPPORT PASSENGER RAIL 3.5 Supporting Transportation Systems................................................................................................................... 35 3.6 Transit System Development............................................................................................................................. 41 3.7 Other Strategies to Increase Transit Ridership .................................................................................................. 43 3.8 Transitional Strategies ....................................................................................................................................... 45 3.9 Putting it All Together: Station Types & Strategies .......................................................................................... 49 4. Implementation Tools......................................................................................................................................................... 51 4.1 Introduction.........................................................................................................................................................51 4.2 Planning Tools....................................................................................................................................................53 4.3 Education ............................................................................................................................................................60 4.4 Incentives............................................................................................................................................................61 4.5 Regulatory Tools ................................................................................................................................................64 4.6 Organizational and Administrative Tools...........................................................................................................68 4.7 Targeted Public Investment Tools ......................................................................................................................70 4.8 Financing Tools ..................................................................................................................................................73 4.9 Roles & Responsibilities.....................................................................................................................................75 4.10 Putting it All Together: Implementation Tools and Entity Roles.....................................................................78 RAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT: STRATEGIES & TOOLS TO SUPPORT PASSENGER RAIL TABLE OF CONTENTS Glossary of Terms.............................................................................................................................................................................. 81 Resources........................................................................................................................................................................................... 87 Appendix A – “State of the Practice” Literature Review ................................................................................................................ A-1 Appendix B – Peer System Study.................................................................................................................................................... B-1 Appendix C – Related Colorado Projects .......................................................................................................................................