By Alex Block

Keep an eye out around DC for these bus back ads on DC Circulator buses: 

When visiting DC for Rail~Volution, check out the Circulator bus.  The Woodley Park-Adams Morgan-McPherson Sq Metro line will take you from the conference hotel to some of DC's most interesting neighborhoods.  

From Metro Forward's facebook page (previously discussed on this blog), check out this great shot of a retro Metrobus: 

By Rich Sampson

The role of all modes of passenger rail in building and strengthening communities and neighborhoods in urban and metropolitan areas is well-established. However, as new priorities are placed on connecting urban, suburban and rural communities together, passenger rail services are finding a new and dynamic role in meeting the mobility needs of areas that were previously considered outside rail’s natural habitat. 

This inclusion of non-traditional rail communities is being made possible by new ways of organizing and delivering passenger rail options. New regional rail routes – such as the River LINE in Southern New Jersey, Austin’s Capital MetroRail, the SPRINTER in Southern California and the recently-opened A-Train in Denton County, Texas – are innovatively bridging the gap between the more established light-rail and commuter rail modes. Often utilizing abandoned or under-utilized rights-of-way along with off-the-shelf diesel multiple unit (DMU) vehicles, these operations are both cost-effective and easy to implement, and offer new opportunities to introduce passenger rail options in areas where lower densities would previously been prohibitive.

At the same time, intermodal facilities find just as much importance in rural and suburban communities as massive terminal stations in large cities. Increasingly, these modern union stations are integrated into regional airports, where connections between a wide range of travel modes are facilitated, including local bus and rail transit service, intercity passenger rail and bus routes, air service and more.

Meanwhile, as new high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects are planned and deployed in coming years and decades, many of them will stretch through smaller urban and rural communities en route to larger metropolitan areas. How these new rail applications impact and serve in-line communities is a vital aspect of their ultimate success, and offer significant opportunities to expand the reach of passenger rail.   

Useful Links

RAIL Magazine’s 23rd Edition, covering regional rail routes: http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/anmviewer.asp?a=1983&z=41

RAIL Magazine’s 21st Edition, covering modern union stations:

http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/anmviewer.asp?a=1496&z=41

RAIL Magazine’s 24th Edition, covering the nexus between rail and air:

http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/anmviewer.asp?a=1984&z=41

New Jersey Transit’s River Line: www.riverline.com

Austin’s Capital MetroRail: http://www.capmetro.org/metrorail/

NCTD Sprinter: http://www.gonctd.com/sprinter

Denton A-Train: http://www.mya-train.com/index.php

Rich Sampson is the Editor of both RAIL Magazine and Community Transportation Magazine, published by the Community Transportation Association of America. In addition to producing both publications, Rich oversees the Association’s Fast Mail and Fast Mail for RAIL e-newsletters, RAIL’s Potomac Express blog and the @RAILMag1

Twitter feed. For more information, visit www.railmagazine.org

By Michael Spotts

As Congress continues to debate the appropriate size and scope of the federal government, one thing is for sure – an era of fiscal austerity is beginning that will have a significant impact on regions and organizations that utilize federal funds. Tighter budgets will surely create a more competitive appropriations environment. Therefore, it is crucial that practitioners are able to justify continued funding for their work through quantifiable and robust metrics. Equitable transit-oriented development (TOD) has the benefit of advancing multiple policy objectives simultaneously: for instance, making efficient use of infrastructure, reducing the combined housing and transportation costs of low-income households, connecting people at all income levels to economic opportunity and services, reducing energy usage and environmental impacts, and increasing/stabilizing transit ridership.

Hypothesizing that these benefits are true is simply not enough. Practitioners have to provide data that explicitly demonstrate the benefits of equitable transit-oriented development to ensure that programs survive among various policy priorities. In order to meet this goal, several organizations have taken the lead in sustainability and TOD research. The Center for Neighborhood Technology’s Housing + Transportation (H + T) Affordability Index , which takes a more comprehensive look at the costs associated with housing location, is perhaps the most prominent of these efforts. Reconnecting America, Strategic Economics and the Center for Transit-Oriented Development have released a number of thorough reports and analyses of TOD-related issues. The Enterprise Green Communities initiative (which supports location-efficient, green and healthy housing) has gathered data and published reports on the utility cost savings and health benefits of green affordable housing. The National Housing Trust has examined how states are prioritizing their Low Income Housing Tax Credit allocations to promote the preservation of affordable units near transit. Finally, the Center for Housing Policy has released reports and blog posts connecting TOD data and principles to policy solutions.

The next step is for policymakers and advocates to fully utilize this information. Jurisdictions should embrace the use of new metrics such as the H + T Index in prioritizing and evaluating community development projects. Government and private funders should work together to synthesize this wealth of information and create common criteria to make reporting requirements more efficient and less confusing. Finally, advocates should use this research and analysis to craft a compelling narrative that affordable, healthy housing with access to transit services is an integral part of the social safety net (along with entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare) for low- and moderate-income households. 

When people are looking to rent an apartment or buy a home, housing affordability is often one of the primary considerations. This is particularly true of low- and moderate-income households, for which an inexpensive place to live can free up income for other necessities such as food, child care and health services. However, housing costs often do not paint a complete picture. Housing costs can be lower in areas without close proximity to employment centers and services. Yet research by the Center for Housing Policy (CHP) has shown that every dollar saved in housing costs is associated with a 77 cent increase in transportation costs. As the maps below show, when both housing and transportation costs are taken into account, the opportunities for true affordability among less wealthy households diminish. 

Public transit investments can help alleviate some of the financial pressures for low- and moderate income households. Transit can be a crucial connection to needed jobs and services. Research has also shown that public transit riders tend to have lower incomes, with nearly 66 percent of riders earning less than $50,000 per year. Transit also has numerous community-level benefits. New transit investments can help spur the redevelopment of struggling neighborhoods. Rising property values can bolster municipal finances and help homeowners build assets.

However, transit expansions and other major public investment projects can also have unintended consequences. The escalation of property values can lead to rent and home price increases that can worsen the cost burden of low- and moderate-income households and potentially lead to displacement. Therefore, it is important to coordinate housing and transportation planning and investment. Creating incentives and financing mechanisms for affordable housing and community development near transit can both improve a transit project’s financial viability (by stabilizing ridership) and ensure that the benefits of the investment are equitably distributed.

Investments in housing, transportation, infrastructure and economic development need to be coordinated as early in the planning process as is possible. Affordable housing preservation and development costs can be significantly reduced if property can be purchased prior to the onset of price escalations. One way to promote early, coordinated planning would be to incorporate affordable housing and community development factors into the rating criteria for transit programs. Last year, Enterprise joined the National Housing Conference and Habitat for Humanity in calling for such criteria to be added to the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts program (read the full comment letter). Federal initiatives, such as the Partnership for Sustainable Communities also support the coordinated planning efforts that can advance this goal.

Local communities can also promote transit-oriented community development in a number of ways. Jurisdictions can adopt inclusionary zoning policies or set up tax increment financing districts (for a more detailed discussion of local policies, see CHP Executive Director Jeffrey Lubell’s blog post on the subject). Governments, nonprofits and community development financial institutions (CDFIs) can also work to provide financing for TOD projects. As an example, Enterprise and other local entities set up the Denver TOD Fund to support the expansion of the city’s rail system. We are also a partner in the Bay Area Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Fund in Northern California, and we are working with local leaders to provide financing in other cities. Implementing these strategies can be difficult and require a significant amount of financial, political and human capital. However, with strong leadership communities can employ a variety of tools to ensure that transit investments have an equitable impact on all people. 

Michael Spotts (biography) is a Policy Analyst for Enterprise Community Partners. At Enterprise he conducts research and analysis of laws and regulations related to affordable housing and community development policies, with a primary focus on sustainable community development and transit-oriented development (TOD). 

Rail~Volution is coming and we need your help!

Rail~Volution DC, the nation’s premier conference on livable communities, will be held in Washington, DC on October 16-19.  You can play a critical part in making Rail~Volution DC a success.  Sign up today to serve as a Rail~Volution volunteer.

Volunteers are needed for each day of the conference and on Saturday, October 15th to assist with conference setup. You can volunteer for just a couple hours, for a full day, or more – it’s up to you.   

• When: Saturday October 15 – Wednesday October 19. The times volunteers are needed vary but are generally 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM  on Saturday 10/15, 7 AM – 9pm on Sunday 10/16, and 8am to 6pm on Monday, 10/17, Tuesday, 10/18, and Wednesday, 10/19. You can volunteer on any or all of these days for “shifts” of at least two hours. You can take as many shifts as you can handle.
  
  
• Where: Most volunteer activities will be at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park hotel. Some volunteers will be needed at other conference-related events off-site. 
  
  
• What: Volunteer needs include assisting with conference set-up, staffing the welcome reception and registration desk, handing out materials to registrants, and helping guests find conference activities. 

Sign up to volunteer for Rail~Volution DC by sending an email to railvolution2011@gmail.com and writing "Volunteer" in the subject line. If possible, please include the day(s) and times you are available.   A volunteer orientation session will be held closer to the conference date to go over assignments and responsibilities.

Get on board Rail~Volution DC today!

Well before “Transit Oriented Development (TOD)” became the rage, Crystal City was already into its second generation of smart growth and development, with rail as a centerpiece.  Comprised of more than 11 million square feet of commercial space, 11,000 residents, and nearly 5,000 hotel rooms all connected to Reagan National Airport, Metro’s Blue and Yellow lines, Virginia Railway Express, commuter bus lines, and regional cycling trails, Crystal City provides area commuters and travelers easy access to all of Northern Virginia, the District of Columbia, Pentagon, and other major population and employment centers throughout the region.  This forward thinking has resulted in a greater than fifty percent modal split to non-single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips.

Arlington County government and area developers have committed to continue this valuable association with transit through the development of the Crystal City Sector Plan (large PDF file) which will guide development and investment in the area for the next 40 years.  The plan calls for significant additional density in a way that is oriented to the pedestrian’s and transit-user’s perspective.  To start, two new lines, the Crystal City-Potomac Yards Transitway and the Columbia Pike Street Car, are planned to further enhance accessibility and are close to breaking ground.

As Crystal City’s transformation is being planned, the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) is working to enhance the transit experience today and for riders in the future.  For all area events, the Crystal City BID actively promotes and encourages the use of alternative transportation, especially rail, by providing clear wayfinding for transit users.  As a result, most attendees at area events travel by a mode other than private automobile.

In September of 2010, the Crystal City BID also participated in the roll out of the largest bike sharing system in the nation, further connecting Arlington with DC. Crystal City has enough stations bike sharing stations to extend the Metro’s transit shed beyond the traditional half-mile.

The Crystal City BID is also working to enhance the arrival and departure experience from the Crystal City Metro station by redesigning the Metro entrance plaza.  Partnering with property owner, Vornado/Charles E. Smith, the new plan features more open space, more attractive landscaping, and enhancements to the infrastructure to encourage people to sit and enjoy the new plaza.  The space will also be activated with colorful artwork visible immediately as riders exit the station onto the plaza.

Art has also been used to enhance the experience for Crystal City residents and workers taking advantage of the area’s famous interior walkways.  Seen as a valuable extension of Metro’s reach, more than 100 pieces of engaging, thought-provoking artwork, curated each year through a partnership with FotoDC, line the walkways and transform the experience.  Another annual art project welcomes the thousands of daily riders of the Virginia Railways Express (VRE).  Each spring, the Crystal City BID unveils a new series of sculptures in the VRE station area, bringing added interest and enhancing its attractiveness to the transit riders passing through.

As the transformation of Crystal City progresses, continued investment in transit and accessibility will be an absolute necessity for the area’s success.  With the support of the area property owners, the Crystal City BID, and the County government, transit in the Crystal City area is sure to play a major role. 

Angela Fox is the President / CEO of the Crystal City Business Improvement District

The two-mile distance between Union Station and Rhode Island Avenue was a long distance between stations in the heart of the Nation's Capital.  Owners of derelict industrial properties in this area were unable to redevelop property because nearby roads were at capacity during rush hour and permitting agencies were unwilling to permit significant new development that would exacerbate this condition.  So the owners petitioned for a new Metrorail station in the middle of this area.  Hurdles to overcome were substantial:

Engineering - How to build a new station between existing stations on a busy line?

Multimodalism - The station location was an area intended for a hiker-biker trail.  Would the trail be displaced?

Funding – How to pay for a very expensive undertaking when the District Government was not flush with cash?

Adjacent Streets – The new station was “landlocked” because the street grid did not extend to the station area.  How would new streets be built and funded?

Equity – Although the station was surrounded by industrial land, several low-income African-American neighborhoods existed a few blocks away in all directions.  Would the current residents of these neighborhoods benefit from the new station or be harmed by it?

I was a new employee of the Department of Public Works’ office of policy and planning when landowners petitioned the DC Government for a new transit station at this location.  I suggested value capture as an appropriate funding tool.  Responding to concerns from the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, I also advocated for the inclusion of the displaced hiker-biker trail in the project, ensuring that it was integrated into the design and construction of the new station.  I negotiated for adjacent landowners to construct new streets.  I also cataloged a series of measures designed to prevent displacement of existing residents.

For more information about financing the New York Avenue Metrorail Station, see https://www.mwcog.org/uploads/committee-documents/k15fVl1f20080424150651.pdf

Rick Rybeck is the director of Just Economics, LLC.  See http://www.justeconomicsllc.com