If You Could Build It, They Would Come

Course Details

Transit supports vibrant, diverse communities and is critical to support the higher densities found in town centers, downtowns, and main street communities. Zoning regulations often make it difficult for transit agencies to construct the facilities needed to support operations and riders while they wait for or transfer between lines or modes. Some obstacles, like sign ordinances that prohibit advertisements on shelters, may seem small; however, advertising revenues fund shelters, and advertisers seek busy locations.

The magnitude of the challenges increases for major facilities like transit centers. Transit vehicles are large and need room to turn and lay over. It may not be clear how to integrate vehicular and operational transit needs into a dense, human-scaled environment. The disconnect between transit needs and zoning laws is hurting current riders and making it harder to attract new ones, ultimately limiting the ability to reduce automobile use in urban and suburban centers.

This presentation demonstrates how municipalities and transit agencies in three very different communities — Clearwater, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh — have worked together to develop design guidelines and zoning regulations to meet their shared mobility, community, and development goals.

Learning Outcomes

• Consider the disconnect between zoning policies and development of transit facilities in urban and suburban environments.
• Identify effective approaches that transit agencies can use to influence zoning to support local transit and land-use goals.
• Develop design guidelines for transit facilities that effectively serve riders and contribute to an enhanced sense of place.