This document discusses transit-oriented development opportunities around existing and planned transit stations in southern New England. It provides information on different transit types and examples of active transit projects. Case studies on successful transit-oriented developments around the Rosslyn Ballston Metro, Portland Streetcar, and Cleveland HealthLine are presented. Challenges to transit-oriented development include local real estate market conditions and achieving higher densities. The document then discusses potential transit-oriented development strategies and scenarios for specific areas in Wallingford, CT and Branchville, CT based on transportation access, land use, market conditions, and infrastructure constraints.

1. Have Transit…Seeking
Development
Francisco Gomes, AICP, ASLA, Fitzgerald & Halliday
Steve Cecil, AIA, ASLA, Harriman
Kacie Costello, AICP, Town of Wallingford, CT

2. Transit Types
• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
• Street Car
• Light Rail
• Commuter Rail

3. BRT/Rail Transit Lines and Services
in Southern New England
• MBTA
• Green, Orange, Red, Blue Lines
• Commuter Rail Service
• Silver Line BRT
• Metro North
• New Haven Line and Branch Lines
• Shore Line East
• CTfastrak

4. Active Transit Corridor Projects in
Southern New England
• Green Line Extension Project
• South Coast Rail
• Silver Line Gateway
• Downtown Providence Enhanced
Transit Corridor
• Hartford Line (New
Haven/Hartford/Springfield Rail)
• CTfastrak

5. Green Line Extension
Project:
• Will extend Green Line 4.3 miles
into Cambridge with seven stations
• Construction has begun and is
scheduled to be complete by 2020
• $1 billion+ program

6. South Coast Rail
• Would connect New Bedford
and Fall River to Boston
• Design for this route is
currently 15% complete
• The full schedule to complete
design and construction and
the start of service depends
on available future funding for
the program.

7. Silver Line Gateway
• Will connect South Boston, East
Boston and Chelsea
• Construction began in 2015 and is
expected to be complete in 2017

8. Downtown Providence
Enhanced Transit Corridor
• Will provide buses every five minutes
along a 1.4-mile stretch that runs from
the Providence Amtrak Station to Rhode
Island Hospital
• Funding was originally awarded for the
Providence Streetcar Project.
• Preliminary engineering work will be
done in 2016, followed by a final design
phase in the spring of 2017.

9. Hartford Line
• Commuter rail service
• Service to begin in 2018
• Service to 13 stations
• $574 million project

10. CTfastrak
• Bus Rapid Transit connecting
Hartford to New Britain
• Service began in 2015
• Grade-separated right-of-way
• Headways of 10 minutes or
less during peak periods
• Expansion east of Hartford to
Storrs (UCONN) is likely

11. Center for Transit Oriented Development -
TOD Demand

12. Driving the Demand
• Underlying the growth of TOD is a
fundamental shift in demographics that is
helping drive market demand for more
compact, urban living.
• There are two primary drivers of TOD demand
in the coming decades: the 79 million Baby
Boomers approaching retirement and the 85
million Echo Boomers entering the housing
markets for the first time.

13. Market Trends

14. Market Trends

15. Case Studies
• Rosslyn Ballston Metro
• Portland Street Car
• Cleveland Health Line

16. Rosslyn Ballston Metro Corridor Arlington, VA
• The assessed value of land
around stations increased
81 percent in 10 years;
• 8 percent of county land
generates 33 percent of
county revenues
• 50 percent of residents
take transit to work, 73
percent walk to stations

17. Cleveland Health Line
• Bus Rapid Transit
• Has generated $114.54 in
economic development for every
dollar invested
• The $50 million project has
leveraged $5.8 billion in transit
oriented development

18. Portland Street Car
• New development comprises 28% of the
total market value in the corridor.
• The corridor has increased in market value
by $11.63 billion since 1998.
• The corridor comprised 11 percent of
Portland's citywide market value in 1998.
After the streetcar line launched, that
figure increased to 17 percent of
Portland's total market value, as of 2015.
• One-quarter of all apartments developed
in the corridor from 1998 to 2015 were
subsidized affordable housing units

19. Mode as a Factor
“The analysis revealed no case in which one mode of transit —
BRT, LRT, or streetcar — was more instrumental in stimulating
development than another. In fact, under comparable conditions
(similar land potential, similar levels of government TOD support),
the type of the transit investment did not make any difference in
the level of TOD impact.”
“MORE DEVELOPMENT FOR YOUR TRANSIT DOLLAR”
Institute for Transportation & Development Policy

20. TOD Success
Successful TOD projects all have one common thread: the development project
has to be successful without transit in order to be successful with transit. In
other words, these are transit-oriented, not transit-dependent projects.
Source: G. B. ARRINGTON Parsons
Brinckerhoff

21. Challenges to TOD
• TOD cannot overcome local and regional economics. If the local real
estate market conditions are not supportive of development, subsidies may
be required
• Achieving increased property values requires building more complex
(mixed use) projects at higher densities. Such projects have higher costs
of development and higher risks.
• Low levels of transit connectivity and service do not add the “transit
premium” that may be necessary to incentivize development.
• Developers are often reluctant to introduce a new “product” that has not
been tested in a regional market and banks may be reluctant to provide
financing.

22. Wallingford, CT

23. Commuter Rail service will begin in 2018 and is
expected to create market demand in station areas
WALLINGFORD

24. Land Use and Zoning

25. Transportation and Environmental Features

26. Recommended TOD
Focus Area

27. The station area is perceived as “run down”

28. Industrial/Warehouse land use in the station area is not
compatible with a residential neighborhood

29. Many of the retail areas are not pedestrian friendly

30. There is an excess of parking in
the station area

31. Commuting Patterns
The top destinations of
commuters who live in the
station area are located on
the Hartford Line

32. Commuting Patterns
Currently, there are approximately 21
boardings per day at Wallingford Station

33. Commuter Preferences
There is a demand for
transit, bicycling, and
walking as a means of
commuting to work

34. Housing Market Trends

35. Housing Market Trends
Wallingford Home Values
Wallingford Rental Index
Home values
are flat Rental cost is rising

36. Housing Market Trends
Housing Permits at
20+ year lows

37. Housing Market Trends
Housing Occupancy
(within 3 minute drive of station)
Vacancy rate increased
between 2010 and 2015

38. Market Conditions
Development Potential for a three-year horizon

39. Land Use Strategies
• Concentrate land uses
• Organize new developments
along street fronts
• Hide surface parking
• Manage parking access
• Reduce parking requirements

40. Concentrate Land Uses
• Shift auto-centric retail to north
• Shift pedestrian-scaled retail to south
• Shift industrial/heavy commercial to north
of Hosford Street
• Concentrate residential development in
station area

41. Organize new development along street fronts
• New residences, storefronts
and commercial entrances
should be oriented to the street
• Setbacks should be sufficient
(but not excessive) to allow for
landscaping in front of
residences, plazas in front of
commercial buildings, and café
seating in front of restaurants.

42. Hide Surface Parking
• Place parking lots behind buildings and building line
• Provide landscaping on perimeter of parking areas and
landscaped islands within larger parking areas

43. Manage Parking Access
• Require connections between
adjacent parking lots
• Encourage shared driveways
for adjacent parcels
• Restrict width of driveway
entrances

44. Reduce Parking Requirements
Wallingford’s parking requirements exceed the Institute
for Transportation Engineers parking generation rates
and those of transit oriented development areas.
Use Wallingford ITE Surburban
Multifamily 1.75-2.5 per unit 1.23 per unit
Office 4 per 1,000 sf 2.84 per 1,000 sf
Retail 4 per 1,000 sf 1.4-4.0 per 1,000 sf
Restaurant 13.3 per 1,000 sf 10.6-12.4 per 1,000
sf

45. Infrastructure
Strategies
• Enhance Pedestrian Connectivity
• Provide Bicycle Facilities

46. Development Strategies
• Direct new development to commercial, industrial, and vacant or
underutilized parcels in station area
• Minimize disturbance to existing residential areas
• Avoid environmental resource areas
• Consolidate small parcels into larger development areas, while
allowing for individual development blocks that are not dependent
upon adjacent development.
• Provide a range of housing types that increase residential density in
station area
• Allow a 3-story maximum building height (exclusive of basement)

47. Recommended Development Types
• Townhouses
• Multifamily Apartment or Condo Buildings
• Mixed Use Buildings

48. Potential
Development
Areas

49. Development Concepts

50. Potential Development Summary
• 132 townhouse units
• 514 Apartment/ Condo
units
• 42,000 sf retail/
restaurant/ office

51. Fiscal Impact of TOD Build Out
• The existing development areas generate
$287,000 per year in tax revenue.
• Expansion of existing land uses under the
current zoning would increase tax revenue
by no more than $22,759 per year.
• Redevelopment as per the development
scenarios would generate $2.35 million in
property taxes per year, an additional $2.07
million above existing tax revenues.

52. Implementation Strategies
• Rezone Station Area
• Adopt Design Guidelines
• Expand IHZ
• Implement Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
• Establish a Development Authority
• Pursue grant programs

53. Rezone Station Area
TOD
• New TOD zone would allow
residential development by right
• Higher densities would be allowed
• Building coverage, frontage, setback,
and lot size requirements could be
optimized for development
• Parking requirements could be
reduced for the zone

54. Adopt Design Guidelines
Design guidelines go beyond zoning in providing
specific guidance and/or requirements for site
configuration, building style, and facades.

55. Expand IHZ
• Single family detached = 6 units per acre
• Duplex or townhouse = 10 units per acre
• Multi‐family (includes mixed use) = 20
units per acre
• Density must be at least 25% higher than
underlying allows as of right (no special
permits or special exceptions)
• 20% of the units must be reserved for
households earning no more than 80% of
area median income ($57,671)

56. Implement Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Tax Increment Financing uses
anticipated future increases in property
taxes to pay for current improvements
or to repay debt issued for such current
improvements. Investment in a
specified area (TIF District) is repaid
over time using the increased tax
revenue generated by the investment.

57. Establish a Development Authority
A development authority is an agency designated by a town’s legislative
body to act on the town’s behalf when undertaking a municipal development
or infrastructure project. The authority can:
• Clear, demolish, repair, rehabilitate, operate, and insure real property while
it is in their possession
• Make site improvements
• Install, construct, or renovate streets, utilities, and other infrastructure
• Provide financial assistance to eligible businesses.
• Development Authorities are also responsible for acquiring project
financing, and can be the channel for financing the project through bond
sales.

58. Norwalk, CT
Setting the Stage for TOD
South Norwalk TOD District
 Use strong demand for TOD near the
South Norwalk Transportation Hub as a
community revitalization tool
 Manage the physical and economic
development to create a walkable district
 Limit displacement of existing residents
and businesses
 Leverage public investment and municipal
ownership to unlock private investment

59. Urban Renewal Tools at Work
Norwalk Redevelopment Agency
 Land disposition and redevelopment activities leveraging municipal land
 Joint initiative: Choice Neighborhoods Redevelopment
Rendering of Washington Village Development (Icon Architecture)

60. Urban Renewal Tools at Work
Norwalk Redevelopment Agency
 Urban Renewal Plan and design guidelines
Future Conditions of Blight

61. Urban Renewal Tools at Work
Norwalk Redevelopment Agency
 Urban Renewal Plan and design
guidelines

62. Transit Oriented Zoning
 Density and parking standards
 Parcel assembly incentives
 District walkability and ground
level activation

63. Transit Oriented Zoning
 TOD/Historic District Zoning
 “Whistleville” – Lexington Avenue neighborhood
 Density bonuses for preservation
 Initiative funded by the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation
Proposed Village District (2-family + multifamily)Restored historic home
New townhouses

64. TOD: Illustrations and Guidelines

65. TOD: Illustrations and Guidelines

66. Boston: Fairmount Indigo
Corridor and TOD
Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative objectives:
 Encourage sustainable growth and TOD
around stations along a new transit corridor
 Guide physical and economic development
 Limit displacement of existing residents and
businesses
 Incorporate existing planning initiatives (City-
led and Community-based) into one vision
for the future

67. Context: Isolation, Economics
and Demographics
Employment of Residents
 The unemployment rate in the corridor was
15.6% (Boston 9.3%)
 The corridor has fewer than 25,000 jobs for
a population of approximately 120,000
 For Boston, there are about 650,000 jobs
for a population of 640,000

68. Context: Isolation, Economics and
Demographics
Income Distribution
 Nearly half of corridor residents make less
than $40,000 in household income annually
 The largest share of residents below the
poverty threshold ($22,314) are in northern
segments
Ethnicity and Origin
 The corridor has the largest percentage of
persons for whom English is a second
language in Boston
 The corridor is home to very diverse ethnic
and immigrant populations

69. Corridor-wide Plan
(Comprehensive Corridor Plan)
Corridor Identity
Corridor-wide
Strategy:
Community Vision
Corridor-wide
Strategy: Growth,
Brand and Station
Area Action Plans
Station Area Plans
Neighborhood Scale:
Economic, urban
design, public realm,
and open space plan
Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative

70. STRATEGIES
A unique collection of neighborhoods and urban centers within Boston that provide
new opportunities to link culturally rich residential areas with mixed-use amenities in
a setting that is accessible and affordable.
“The world is at home here.”
A reorientation of the built environment and the community to the stations must
occur to elevate this vision. The corridor vision, identity, brand and growth
strategy begin with strategic investment at station gateways to form station
nodes that are amenity centers with placemaking components.
Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative

71. TOD Nodes and Complete Neighborhoods
Station Gateways Amenity Centers with Placemaking Components

72. Station Gateways Amenity
Centers with Placemaking
Components
 Education/training place and programs
 Health care facilities and programs
 Convenient service establishments
 Mobility hubs
 Food choice and quality
 Open space amenities
 Housing choice
Fairmount Indigo

73. Targeting Redevelopment: Sites
and Districts
 Susceptibility to change
analysis
 Site-specific feasibility analysis
 Visualization
 Zoning tools

74. Key Site Development Scenarios: Urban Design and Feasibility Studies
Site-based Planning for TOD

75. Growth Strategy

76. Growth Strategy

77. Attitudes and Transit Oriented
Development
 Plannerly nostalgia and urban aspirations do not
translate into community enthusiasm for compact
(dense) development
 Urban residential communities may not view infill and
intensification as a benefit, but prefer the density of
the existing conditions
 Form-based diagrams and feasibility analyses may
help convey the potential for new development, but
images from analogous places seem to be work
better in communicating opportunities

78. Key Boston TOD Tools and Methods
 Repositioning the station areas as amenity and
transportation hubs
 Leveraging public property through RFP disposition
 Using special permit processes to establish the scale
and density of large projects
 Managing entitlements through City design review and
advocacy, using negotiation rather than standards
 Using inclusionary zoning for affordable housing and
affordable housing bonus incentives

79. Observations
 Leveraging transit to create TOD development is
successful when the district or neighborhood
becomes more walkable, connected, and provides
needed services and identity near the station
 Be careful about assuming that “more development”
is better in the context of community sensibilities and
the indirect impacts of additional autos parking and
moving near station areas
 The public realm and public property are often keys
to unlocking TOD development and walkable places
 Understand the character of the transit service,
market conditions and the community identity before
crafting your zoning and planning tools

80. Branchville, CT

81. Study Area

82. Transportation and Environmental Features

83. Infrastructure Constraints: Wastewater Disposal
1
2
3

84. Market Realities

85. Development Approach
• The development approach
is based upon parcel
ownership patterns

86. Development Approach
• 14 development blocks
were identified for
development scenarios

87. Development Strategy
• Concentrate commercial/mixed use
development in existing commercial
areas
• Increase density of residential
areas

88. Recommended Development Scenario

89. Phasing of Development

90. Preferred Concept Plan
• Emphasis is placed upon
creating a walkable place
with strong connections to
the rail station

91. Preferred Concept

92. Architectural Design Guidelines

93. Architectural Design Guidelines

94. Fiscal Impact Analysis