[IMAGE]tod-1.jpg[/IMAGE]Historically, cities built transit lines to move people; today, they build transit lines to ensure the sustainable growth of their communities as well. The City of Austin, Texas seized the opportunity created by an expansion of its public transit system to plan for continued sustainable growth using the principles of transit-oriented development (TOD).

Austin prides itself on a track record of highly involved neighborhoods and a history of Smart Growth initiatives as key contributors to its high quality of life. Several years ago, in anticipation of opening its first commuter rail line — Capital MetroRail, which began service on March 22, 2010 — the city began TOD planning for the areas surrounding the Plaza Saltillo, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (MLK), and Lamar Blvd./Justin Lane (Crestview) stations. The neighborhoods were of two minds: they supported the broad goals of locating new housing, jobs and stores near the proposed rail stations to encourage transit use and walking, but they were concerned about losing the identity and character of their communities to gentrification and wary of significant increases in density.

In February 2007, Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) initiated TOD planning using a broad-based, community-driven process to engage citizens in an interactive conversation about their neighborhoods, their concerns about gentrification and their vision for future growth. Working in small groups over a number of months, plans were tested and refined to realize the community's vision and city council's interest in leveraging the significant public investment in transit to achieve broad community goals.

TOD plans for the Plaza Saltillo, MLK and Crestview stations will guide development with detailed land use, transportation and open space plans; heightened development standards and zoning for TOD; new pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly street standards; density bonus opportunities for meeting affordable housing goals; and a detailed financing and implementation strategy.

The plans and zoning were approved by the Austin Planning Commission and adopted by the city council in December 2008 and March 2009.

"All Systems Go"

Capital MetroRail is a new passenger rail system between the City of Leander, a suburban community northwest of Austin, and the convention center in downtown Austin.  The Red Line is a 32-mile "starter line," providing service to commuters during peak morning and afternoon hours. Operating on existing freight tracks, MetroRail has nine stations between Leander and downtown Austin. Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) is developing plans to expand the days, hours and frequency of service, contingent on funding to purchase additional railcars and expand infrastructure.

MetroRail is one component of Capital Metro's "All Systems Go" Long-Range Transit Plan, which is designed to address the pressures of rapid regional population growth in the Greater Austin area by reducing traffic congestion and preserving the area's quality of life. The plan includes expanded local and express bus service, MetroRapid bus service, and improvements to and expansions of its park-and-ride lots.

Local and express bus service is the backbone of Austin's public transit system. Capital Metro is enhancing and expanding this system, building additional park-and-ride lots in convenient locations and upgrading bus stops with new benches, signage and amenities.

Designed to reduce travel times up to 20 percent, Capital MetroRapid is the next generation of bus service. With initial service planned for two routes — North Lamar/South Congress and Burnet/South Lamar — Capital MetroRapid stops will be located close to existing local service bus stops. Connections with the Crestview and Kramer MetroRail stations are also planned. Capital MetroRapid is planned to run every 10 minutes during peak service and every 15 minutes during off-peak service.

Congress allocated $13 million in the FY 2010 budget for MetroRapid. President Obama's FY 2011 budget proposal recommends $24 million in additional funding through the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Small Starts Program, which provides funding for low-cost fixed-guideway and corridor-based bus transit projects. Capital Metro is awaiting a project construction grant agreement with the FTA to enable the project to move forward.

[PAGEBREAK]Three Unique Districts

In support of the transit system's comprehensive All Systems Go Long-Range Transit Plan, the city initiated a broad public engagement effort to develop station area plans around the three aforementioned MetroRail stops. To realize these benefits, the city first adopted a TOD ordinance, which identified specific station area boundaries; interim land use and design requirements; and a commitment to develop station area plans.

The ordinance created a broad-stroke TOD overlay zone before the city engaged PB to develop a detailed TOD plan for each station area. The overlay zone included properties with commercial or industrial land use or zoning within one quarter to one half mile of the planned stations. To preserve the unique character of each neighborhood, single-family properties were not included in the overlay zone.

  • Plaza Saltillo TOD. Located at the center of the historically and culturally significant East Cesar Chavez neighborhood, this community is convenient to downtown Austin. In 2007, industrial uses were predominant in this area bordering downtown; the northern area was primarily commercial and beyond the northern and southern borders, single-family housing predominated. There were opportunities for mixed-use development adjacent to the MetroRail station.
  • MLK TOD. Located in central east Austin, approximately one mile from IH 35 and the University of Texas (UT) campus, this neighborhood is intersected by two major east-west thoroughfares and, to its immediate east, a heavily-used road connects the area to important commercial centers to the north and south. At the time of TOD planning, much of the properties along the railroad were derelict or undeveloped because of the area's former industrial use.
  • Crestview TOD. Located approximately 3.5 miles north of the UT Austin campus, this TOD was a mix of low-density commercial development fronting Lamar and Airport Blvds., with well-established residential neighborhoods behind. In 2007, the district was dominated by a vacant 74-acre tract, which had been rezoned as a planned unit development and slated for higher-density mixed-use development. Redevelopment of the small, low-density commercial properties was deemed likely because of its proximity to the future rail station.

Engagement Drives Planning 

A team of consultants led by PB conducted the TOD planning process in 2007. Public meetings were held over 10 months to draft plans shaped by community input and incorporating TOD principles and best practices. A professional assessment of market conditions and finance, affordable housing, and basic public infrastructure and facility needs in each district was integrated into the planning process.

Austin's strong progressive culture of planning and neighborhood-level civic participation drove the planning process. The three neighborhoods had common goals and interests, including ensuring the continued vitality of a "livable Austin," celebrating the coming of rail transit and using it as a tool to realize a vision for sustainable growth, reducing traffic congestion and facilitating development of affordable housing. In fact, the city council targeted $40 million in housing affordability bonds to realize the community's overarching goal for affordable housing.

Each district also had unique populations, concerns and goals, and both the planning process and outcomes reflected these differences. For example, residents of MLK sought to ensure sustainable development of vacant property along the rail line, concentrating on the impact of development adjacent to the station without overflowing into the neighborhood. Residents of Plaza Saltillo sought a framework for growth while maintaining the character of the neighborhood, in particular, the older Latino community. Residents of the Crestview TOD sought ways to reduce traffic congestion through pedestrian-oriented rather than automobile-oriented development.

[PAGEBREAK]A Plan that Fit

As completed by PB, the TOD plans include recommendations for open space, street and other infrastructure improvements, and affordable housing. Each includes a land use and design concept plan, a circulation concept plan, and an open space and trails concept plan to guide future development.

For example, all three plans include five land-use designations: TOD Mixed-Use, the highest-density designation, located closest to transit; Corridor Mixed-Use, allowing a slightly broader mix of uses and located farther from the transit station; Live/Work Flex, which encourages ground-floor business activity with residential units on the upper floors; High-Density Residential; and Medium-Density Residential.

However, the emphasis is anticipated to vary according to the neighborhood. A primary element of the implementation program is the TOD Station Area Regulating Plan for each TOD district. Based on the citywide Austin Code, the regulating plan ensures consistent development standards, while providing for the specific context of each station area and the vision articulated in each TOD plan.

First Steps in Implementation

The private and public sectors have made progress on implementation even during the economic downturn.

In 2009, the first phase of Midtown Commons at Crestview Station was completed on a 73-acre site adjacent to the new MetroRail station. Developed by Trammell Crow Co. through its subsidiary High Street Residential, the mixed-use TOD has 316 residential units comprising urban lofts, luxury apartments and artist studio spaces, including retail and office space. 

In May 2010, Foundation Communities Inc., a non-profit affordable housing developer and operator, broke ground for M Station, a 150-unit housing community that will be located on an 8.5-acre site on the Boggy Creek Green Belt along Martin Luther King Blvd. in the MLK TOD. Ninety percent of the apartments are reserved for lower income families (households with incomes below 60 percent of the area median family income). The $24-million project received $2 million in funding from the Austin Housing Finance Corp.

Austin's planning department reports that progress has been made on several fronts in the TOD areas: inclusion of TOD projects in five-year capital improvement plans; coordination of street, water utility and wastewater utility upgrades; progress on the city's bike and pedestrian plans; and identification of potential catalyst projects.

"We've made some good progress on implementation, although we've certainly got a long, long way to go," says George Adams, assistant director of planning and development review for the City of Austin. "Community support for affordable housing is key."

With a shared goal of enabling growth while preserving Austin's diversity and quality of life, the city and people of Austin have made a long-term commitment to the success of TOD for sustainable urban development.

GB Arrington is vice president and practice leader of Parsons Brinckerhoff's PlaceMaking Group. He is based in Portland, Ore.

0 Comments