Federal Transit Administration Planning for Transit-Friendly Land Use A Handbook for New Jersey Communities Prepared for the Federal Transit Administration U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration NOTICE This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or the use thereof. The preparation of this report has been financed in part through a grant from the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the United States Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. FTA GRANT NO.: NJ-80-X001 NJTPA PROJECT NO.: F-2005 NJ TRANSIT has consistently taken the position that its land use activities directly related to mass transit services are immunefrom municipal land use regutation under the doctrine of sovereign immunity. Nothing herein, whether stated expressly or by implication, is intended to be a waiver or modification of that position, nor should it be so construed. Anything contained herein, inconsistent with that position, is unintentional. NJ^08'7001 Planning for Transit-Friendly Land Use A Handbook for New Jersey Communities June 1994 Prepared for the Federal Transit Administration Administration CONSULTANT TEAM Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Lehr & Associates Edwards and Kelcey, Inc. Jane Lyle Diepeveen, P. P. Joyce Wilson Graphic Design Technical Report Documentation Pag Teclmclal Report Documentation Page 1 . Report No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. FTA - NJ - 08 - 7001 - 94 - 1 5. Report Date 4. TIHe and Subtitle June 1994 Friendly Land Dse Planning for Transit 6. Performing Orgnalzatlons Code A Handbook for New Jersey ComBunltles 8. Performing Organization Report No. 7. Author(8) CONSULTANT TEAH SkldiiHire, Owlngs & Merrlll,Lehr & Assoclat !S Edwards and Kelcy,lnc., Jane Lyle Dlepevee: I, P. P., Joyce Wilson Graphic Design 9. Performanlng Organization Name and Address 1 1 . Contract or Grant No. New Jersey Transit NJ-08-7001 1 Penn Plaza 13. Types of Report and Period Covered Newark, NJ 07105 12 Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Federal Transit Administration Office of Technical Assistance & Safety FTA, TTS-IO 400 7th St.,SW, WashlnKton. DC 20590 15. Supplementary Notes CONTACT: Effle Stallsmlth Transportation Management Specialist Office of Technical Assistance & Safety 202-366-5653 16. Abstracts This Handbook serves as a guide to New Jersey communities that wish to consider the implementation of "transit friendly" land use plans around their corridors, and for proposed new areas of development. 17. Keywords 1 8. Distribution Statement - Land Dse and Development Patterns Available to the public through the National Vehicular Access, Circulation, and Parkin » Technical Information Service (NTIS) Pedestrian and Bicycle Access and Clrcula clon 5285 Port Royal Road Qualities of the Station Area Environment Springfield, VA 22161 703-487-4650 Classif. (of this 22. Price 1 9. Security Classif . (of this report) 20. Security page) 21. No. of Pages Unclassified Unclassified Form DOT F 1700.7 ws, RapfDduetlon of comptetad page authorized 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 - Summary S^L 1 • 1 The Goal of this Handbook 1 IJgl^U 1.2 What does transit-friendly mean? 2 m|[yj 1.3 How is transit-friendly planning achieved? 5 1.4 Transit and the New Jersey Statewide Plan 6 1.5 Contents of the Handbook 7 1.6 Does this Handbook apply to my community? 8 1.7 Which transit supportive planning techniques will work in my communit}^ 1 'Transit Friendly" Checklist 13 Chapter 2 - Land Use and Development Patterns 2.1 Create a Pattern of Development that is Supportive of Transit Service 16 SL.1 2.2 Introduce Land Uses in the Station Area and Along Transit Routes that will Generate Transit Ridership, Peak and Off-Peak 19 2.3 Encourage a Mix of Uses within the Station Area and Along Major Transit Routes to Reduce Dependence on the Auto 22 2.4 Implement Design Standards to Improve the Quality of the Public Environment ...24 2.5 Plan for an Appropriate Intensity of Uses in the Station Area and Along Transit Corridors 30 2.6 Identify Key Development Opportunities Related to Existing and Future Transit 34 Chapter 3 - Pedestrian and Bicycle Access and Circulation 1 Provide for Increased and Improved Pedestrian Circulation Opportunities 38 E3.3.2 Encourage Walking and Bicycling as Alternative Modes of Station Access 40 Chapter 4 - Vehicular Access, Circulation, and Parking ^^^ 4. 1 Encourage Intermodal Transfers Between Various Modes of Transit 44 pS^l 4.2 Establish Hierarchal Circulation Patterns that Support Transit Operations and Promote Ridership 45 4.3 Encourage Parking Location and Design that Provides Shared or Joint-Use Facilities, Allows for the Productive Reuse of Land, and Integrates Parking into Communities in an Unobtrusive Manner 49 4.4 Institute Transportation Management Plans that Give Preference to Vehicles Accessing the Station Area 52 1 Chapter 5 - Qualities of the Station Area Environment 5.1 Provide a Sense of Arrival, Order, and Orientation within the Station Area 54 5.2 Provide a Safe and Secure Environment within the Station Area 56 5.3 Provide an Attractive and Well-Maintained Station Area 58 5.4 Provide Information About Transit Service 60 5.5 Encourage Community Stewardship of the Station Area 61 Chapter 6 - Implementation Tools and Techniques 6 . 1 Introduction 63 6.2 Station Area Plan 63 6.3 Circulation Plan 64 6.4 Zoning Ordinance 65 6.5 Site Plan Approval Ordinance 67 6.6 Station Site Plan 68 6.7 Land Acquisition 68 6.8 Transfer of Development Rights /Transfer of Development Credits 69 6 . 9 Amenities Enhancement Programs 71 6.10 Public/Private Partnerships 72 Chapter 7 - Sample Master Plan for Station Area 7.1 Adapting Model Station Area Plan Language to Local Conditions 75 m 7.2 Sample Master Plan for Station Area 75 m 7.3 Adopting Model Ordinance Language 86 Chapter 8 - Appendices Appendix "A" Model Zoning Ordinance Language for Station Area 87 I^IH Appendix "B" Model Site Plan Approval Ordinance Language for Station Area Zone.... 101 Appendix "C" Model Redevelopment Plan Ordinance Language 108 Appendix "D" List of Current State, Federal, and Transit Agency Initiatives and Resources Related to Development Around Transit Facilities 1 1 Appendix "E" Outline of Coordination Procedures with Transit and Other State Agencies for Transit Related Development 114 Appendix "F" Selected Annotated Bibliography 116 Glossary of Selected Transit and Land Use Terminology 126 Chapter 1 - Summary 1.1 The Goal of this Handbook The Handbook has been specifically designed to assist elected and appointed planning officials, members of planning and zoning hoards y technical planning staff members, community representatives, and individual citizens interested in improving the relationship between land use planning and transit. Through the use of the These modes of travel include recognizing the need to balance strategies, techniques and tools heavy rail vehicles (trains), This Handbook has been land use, transportation, and described in this Handbook, subways, light-rail vehicles prepared by NJTRANSIT as a open space interests in an you can plan your community (trolleys and people movers), environmentally sensitive guide to New Jersey in ways that create a more buses, vans, and ferries; for manner. 'Transit friendly" cornrnimities that wish to vibrant pedestrian-friendly purposes of this Handbook, planning can be one of a consider the implementation of streetscape, enhance economic they are collectively referred to community's most effective "transitfriendly" land use plans vitality of the area, encourage as "transit." tools in achieving this balance around their transit stations, modes of transportation in and managing growth and As the most densely populated along their major transit addition to, or even instead of, change. state in the nation. New corridors, and proposed new private automobiles, and frir Jersey has assumed an active areas development contribute to a special identity of role in planning its future. of your community. 1 1.2 What does "transit-friendly" mean? What is "transit'friendly^* planning? It is creating an environment around a transit stop or station that supports pedestrian and transit use. That is done hy providing for a mix of land useSf in a safe, clean, vibrant, and active place. Throughout this Handbook, transit- friendly pattern of communities that accomplish development may extend Forest Hills, below, provides the goal of implementing linearly along the route of NY Single-use, dispersed auto an early example of clustering plans with patterns of service, with clusters of multiple activity at the individual stops. dominated development patterns land uses and densities development and circulation are not transtt-Jriendly and are around transit to create an active that encourage transit use are Making your community discouraged. pedestrian environment referred to as "transit- "transit-friendly" means friendly". making land use decisions that encourage residents to 'Transit-friendly" planning use transit as an alternative also involves designing to the automobile for at least outlying large-scale one or more of thefr trips employment and residential between home, work, complexes