The presentation covered transit oriented development (TOD), its benefits, and its role in the Wollaston area. TOD integrates housing, offices, retail, and amenities within a half mile of quality public transit. Benefits include decreased transportation costs, economic opportunity, and environmental gains. The presentation analyzed Wollaston's transit options, demographics of area residents, and development characteristics to understand opportunities for improving transit access and integrating new housing and businesses. Attendees then discussed values, development sites, businesses, and connectivity improvements to enhance Wollaston Center.

1. Photo by Michael Day

2. Presentation will cover:
• What is transit oriented development (TOD)?
• What are the benefits of TOD?
• Characteristics of the Wollaston area

3. The role of TOD in the region

4. What is transit oriented development?
A type of development that includes a mixture of housing,
office, retail, and other amenities integrated into a walkable
neighborhood and located within a half-mile of quality public
transportation.
- Reconnecting America
Haverhill
Newton
Chelsea
Boston

5. Focus areas for Wollaston
Half-Mile Area
T

6. Focus areas for Wollaston
Half-Mile Area
Study Area
T

7. What are the benefits of TOD?
$$$$ Decreased transportation costs
Increased access to jobs and economic
Work Home
opportunity
Reduced driving results in less congestion and
environmental benefits
Added value to the neighborhood from new
development
Increased transit ridership and revenue for the
MBTA

8. TOD and Wollaston
T – availability, quality, and
use of transit
O – demographic make-up of
the area
D – characteristics of
development in the area

9. The T – Transit
What improvements could be made to create better access to transit?
Station Access at Wollaston
Commute Modes: 1.1% 0.2%
Drive Alone - 62% 6.9%
Transit - 29% Walk
Walk/Bike - 4% Drive/Park
32.2% Drop-Off
59.5% Bike
MBTA Bus
Average Weekday Hourly Boardings
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000 Braintree
15,000 Quincy Adams
Quincy Center
10,000
Wollaston
5,000
0

10. The O – Oriented to the People
Who makes up core transit users?
Transit Dependent Renters
19% of households 54% of all housing units
don’t have access to a are renter occupied
vehicle
Lower-Income Households Diverse Populations
20% of households make less More likely to use public transit.
(Simpson Diversity Index Rating
than $25,000 per year. 39%
.55 for the station area)
make less than $50,000 per year.
The Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy has found statistically significant
correlations between these five demographic characteristics and lower vehicle use.

11. The D – Development Characteristics
How can new development add to the vibrancy of Wollaston?
Walkability
WalkScore® rates Wollaston Area Population by Age
Wollaston area as very 4,500
2000
walkable (82 out of 100) 4,000
2010
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
Parking -
Under 18 18_24 25_34 35_44 45_54 55_64 65+
39% of the land in the Source: Census 2000 and 2010, Data for intersecting Census Tracts
study area is currently
used for parking.

12. Group Discussions
• 60 minutes to cover four questions
• Each group has a facilitator to guide the
discussion
• Need one volunteer note taker and one volunteer
to report out
• Report out will consist of one theme or big idea
that came from your group’s discussion

13. Where are Wollaston’s blind spots?
• Cover left eye, look at star with right eye.
• Slowly move paper toward your face.
• Notice the dot disappear?

14. Discussion Questions
1. What do you value most about Wollaston Center
and adjacent neighborhoods?
2. Given the housing needs of the community, where
are the best opportunities for adding housing in
Wollaston Center?
3. What types of businesses could be supported
through improved access by walking, biking and
transit in Wollaston Center?
4. What improvements could be made to better connect
the surrounding neighborhoods to the Wollaston
commercial center and Red Line station?

15. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PARTICIPATION!
NEXT MEETING:
WINTER 2013, STAY TUNED!
Additional information can be found at:
www.mapc.org/envision-wollaston