This document summarizes a study analyzing the transportation impacts of a large, mixed-use development in Stamford, Connecticut. The project includes over 4,000 residential units, 2 million square feet of office space, 750,000 square feet of commercial space, and two hotels. The study found that highway capacity in the area has been reached, so transit options will be key to facilitating the "city building" development. Special studies showed trip generation for the development could be 50% lower than standard estimates due to transit accessibility. Enhanced pedestrian access to the nearby rail station and a planned on-demand transit shuttle system are aimed at shifting trips to sustainable modes. Ongoing monitoring will be needed to ensure transit goals are met

1. Analyzing TOD Development
Transportation Impacts
in Suburban Areas
James W. Ford, PE
Senior Associate
Beta Group

2. TODAY’S
PRESENTATION
• Introduction
• Brief History of the project
• Description of Area and Issues faced
• Methodology of the Study
• Results to date
• Lessons learned and the way forward

3. Project History
• Commenced as traditional TIA
– Proposed Development
– Estimate Trip Generation
– Assign Traffic
– Check operations
• Migrated to an effort in analyzing much more!
– Over 4000 Residential Units
– 2.0 Million SF office
– .75 Million SF Commercial
– 2 Hotels.
– Marina

4. The Project Location
• Stamford Connecticut

5. Regional Constraints

6. Close up of the components
• Harbor Point
• UBS
• RBS
• Metro Green
• Yale and Towne
• Gateway

7. What is now!

8. What will be!

9. What it will be!

10. How is this project different?
• ISSUE
– Traffic Generation
– Traffic Assignment
– Highway Network
– Walkability
– Transit
– Commuter Rail
– Transportation Center
• Complication
– Density and Capture
– Labor Market Access
– Constrained Capacity
– Infrastructure
– Service levels
– Capacity to serve
– Pedestrian Capacity
• Platforms
• Tunnels

11. Commute time contours

12. Estimating Traffic Generation
• ITE Trip Generation
Manual
• “Transit Credit”
– 15%
– 30%
– 50%
• Homegrown Study
We selected 30% as a conservative baseline

13. Traffic Growth and Constraints

14. Modes were documented
• Journey to Work
– 70% SOV
– 11% Train
• Commute to NYC
– 71% Train
• Transit Growth
• Local Employment Profile
– 64% of Workers

15. TOD

16. Transit and Rail Use Grows
• Transit up 13.2%
– 2001 to 2009
• Rail up 19%
– 2001 to 2007
Stamford Transit Bus Ridership
3,195,477
3,142,743
2,908,407
2,875,082
2,864,153
0%
13.2%
1.9%
0.4%
11.5%
2,600,000
2,700,000
2,800,000
2,900,000
3,000,000
3,100,000
3,200,000
3,300,000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Year
RidersperYear
0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
12.0%
14.0%
PercentRidershipIncrease
1
2 3
4 5
6
7
8
9
2007TOTALSON
2007TOTALSOFF
2001TOTALSON
2001TOTALSOFF0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
Year
Pas s enger s
S t amf ord S t at ion
2007TOTALSON
2007TOTALSOFF
2001TOTALSON
2001TOTALSOFF

17. Study Objectives became obvious
• This “City Building” effort will be facilitated by
Transit Options
• Highway Capacity has been reached
• The pieces were in place to make it work
– Housing
– Transit
– Infrastructure
• Travel Demand Management is a key
• Stress Transit over lanes – Not possible to build
way out.

18. The Trip Generation Quandary!
• Is this TOD? How far will people walk?
• What is the Capture?
• How much Transit will work?
• Answers were different depending on who
was talking.

19. We undertook some special studies
• Trip Generation Study Sites operating in
the area.
– Results varied based on location
– One building right on ITE
– Two Buildings far lower than ITE.
50%

20. We looked at Train Station Operation
• A pedestrian study revealed some limits
– Station Platforms
– Tunnel
– Stairways
• At times more people than space
• Solution Goal: More access to Station

21. Rail Station Interface
• Rail Platform capacity
• Pedestrian
Connections
• Jitney Stations

22. We estimated the benefit of Transit
options
• Estimated new Population 12,000
• Transit population to STC 3500.
• Six vehicles – 15 to 30 minute headways

23. The Jitney Plan Emerged
• A dedicated Transit
Jitney System
– Open Door and Free
– Funded by
Development District

25. Enhanced Infrastructure

26. Traditional Traffic Engineering
• Traffic Operations
• Traffic Signal
Optimization
• Pedestrian Walkability

27. Results of our work
• Project appears
feasible
• Transit Improvements
are critical
• Vision for the future is
driving big ticket items
• Construction is
beginning
• 20 year build-out

28. Lessons Learned
• This is a program that needs ongoing
monitoring
• Transit Goals will only be realized through
station upgrades
• Stamford is seeing reductions in trip
generation of 50 % based on building
counts.

29. Questions Remaining
• Is Highway Constraint forcing a lower trip
rate?
• Can transit and rail keep up with growing
demand of this level of project?
• $$$$$?

30. Thank you!
James W. Ford, PE
The Beta Group, Inc.
750 Old Main Street
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Jford@Beta-inc.com