Transportation Land Use Integration & Regional Planning Don Kostelec, AICP Senior Planner, Louis Berger Group February 1, 2010
Transportation Land Use Integration DOT-HUD-EPA Sustainable Communities Initiative Implications for MPOs Integration at Different Levels Regional Citywide Neighborhood Corridor Getting from Here to There Complete Streets Complete Communities Green Streets
Transportation Land Use Integration
Pop Quiz What is the typical cost range of constructing one-mile of a 5-lane roadway? a. $1 - $3 million b. $3 - $5 million c. $5 - $7 million d. $7 - $9 million
Pop Quiz What is the typical cost range of constructing one mile of a 5-lane roadway? a. $1 - $3 million b. $3 - $5 million c. $5 - $7 million d. $7+ million, Federal $ = $10m
Pop Quiz What is the cost of constructing 1- mile of sidewalk? a. $50,000 to $100,000 b. $100,000 to $200,000 c. $200,000 to $300,000 d. $300,000 +
Pop Quiz What is the cost of constructing 1- mile of sidewalk? a. $50,000 to $100,000 b. $100,000 to $200,000 c. $200,000 to $300,000 d. $300,000 to $1 million, with curb & gutter
Pop Quiz What is the cost of a traffic signal (signal, poles, software, hardware)? a. $10,000 to $30,000 b. $30,000 to $50,000 c. $50,000 to $70,000 d. $70,000 +
Pop Quiz What is the cost of a traffic signal (signal, poles, software, hardware)? a. $10,000 to $30,000 b. $30,000 to $50,000 c. $50,000 to $70,000 d. $70,000 to $150,000
Pop Quiz What is the power bill to run a traffic signal for one-year? a. $150 b. $500 c. $1,000 d. $1,500
Pop Quiz What is the power bill to run a traffic signal for one-year? a. $150 b. $500 c. $1,000 d. $1,500
Pop Quiz What is the power bill to run a traffic signal for one-year? a. $150, with LED b. $500 c. $1,000 d. $1,500
When will this traffic go away?!?
It s here to Stay You can t build your way out of congestion You can t transit your way out of congestion You can only create a system that operates as effectively and efficiently as it can
City Development Patterns Indianapolis Atlanta Reno CBD Phoenix Houston Las Vegas Charlotte Minneapolis Kansas City
City Development Patterns Chicago Boston Los Angeles New York CBD Lakes, Oceans, Mountains, Rivers Detroit Salt Lake City
City Development Patterns Asheville Pittsburgh CBD Nashville Portland, OR
Where does traffic come from?
Where does traffic come from? LAND Land Use Plans & Ordinances Subdivisions
Where does traffic come from? Subdivisions Traffic Agencies & Services
Where does traffic come from? New facilities or expanded roadways can induce land development Subdivision approvals can induce growth in other uses nearby Adding capacity to one roadway can open capacity on nearby or parallel roadways Major generators (e.g. shopping centers, schools) can alter travel patterns
Where does traffic come from? =
Strategies to Address Traffic & Congestions Roadway and intersection capacity Intelligent transportation systems Multi-modal options ped, bike, transit Improved connectivity for circulation Integration of land use and transportation planning & implementation
DOT-HUD-EPA Sustainable Communities Initiative Provide more transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable and economical transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nations dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote public health.
DOT-HUD-EPA Sustainable Communities Initiative Promote equitable, affordable housing. Expand location- and energy-efficient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.
DOT-HUD-EPA Sustainable Communities Initiative Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitiveness through reliable and timely access to employment centers, educational opportunities, services and other basic needs by workers as well as expanded business access to markets.
DOT-HUD-EPA Sustainable Communities Initiative Support existing communities. Target federal funding toward existing communities through such strategies as transit oriented, mixed-use development and land recycling to increase community revitalization, improve the efficiency of public works investments, and safeguard rural landscapes.
DOT-HUD-EPA Sustainable Communities Initiative Coordinate policies and leverage investment. Align federal policies and funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage funding and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy.
DOT-HUD-EPA Sustainable Communities Initiative Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe and walkable neighborhoods rural, urban or suburban.
Sustainable Communities Initiative: Implications for MPO and the Region Increased emphasis on performance of the transportation system and related investments, with priority given to improvements with a multi-modal scope Necessity to provide greater direction of funding toward projects that meet sustainable communities goals Potential for increased scrutiny on long range planning, ability to integrate land use into the transportation planning process and vice versa Greater independence from state DOTs due to performance goals, particularly in NC
Getting to Integration
It Takes Time
Integration at Different Scales Regional / MPO level FBRMPO, Land-of-Sky County-to-City-to-County City / County level Neighborhood level Corridor level
Regional & MPO Scale Incorporate scenario planning into the Long-Range Transportation Plan & other efforts Evaluate different land use alternatives generated by practitioners and the public Yields different transportation alternatives Provides direction to cities and counties for update of land use plans
Regional & MPO Scale Identify corridors and developments of regional significance Subject project and development / subdivision design to considerations within the context of the LRTP LRTP and MPO actions consider land use trends & decisions
Regional & MPO Scale Regional Transportation Authorities & Funding Sources Not just for public transit (potentially?) Opportunity to dedicate funding vs. competition with other needs Local option funding sources
City, Town & County Scale Consider how CTP / LRTP projects could alter development patterns Incorporate goals and objectives of regional plans into review of subdivision / development approval process Integrate land use within transportation plans Pedestrian, Bicycle, Greenway, Transit, Others
City, Town & County Scale Modify ordinances / policies to require transportation-related improvements Sidewalks, bikeways, greenways, bus stops, etc. Access management, cross-access agreements Corridor preservation to help support NCDOT Iterative process with land use plans and updates Allow MPO to provide feedback and evaluate potential impacts on transportation system
Neighborhood Scale Inform community development and neighborhood groups of opportunities for involvement Impacts of regional projects on existing and developing neighborhoods
Neighborhood Scale Strengthen transportation components of neighborhood or small area plans Identify circulation routes for all modes and destinations, such as neighborhood shopping areas, schools and ped-bike-transit facilities Corridors of significance for neighborhood function (e.g. connection across them, barrier effects)
Neighborhood Scale Plan for transportation with infill Streets or areas that are or will become a focus Improvements and their feasibility Impacts to parallel streets and adjoining neighborhoods
Corridor Scale Corridor may mean more than the road itself Develop understanding of mutual interests between city/county and DOT Corridor preservation & access management Funding partnerships & diversification Sidewalks shouldn t be a divisive issue, even in unincorporated areas
Corridor Scale Recognition of long-term nature of project development Cooperation between city/dot to limit development within future project footprint DOT recognize role city/county can play in development regulation to assist in project design and delivery
Complete Streets (true complete streets) as one strategy
What, really, is a Complete Street? Pedestrian-friendly Bicycle facilities Landscaped medians Street trees Transit amenities Is that all??
Common Street Cross-Section Diagram
Complete Streets should be much more Popular Complete Streets literature and definitions ignore Land Use & Urban Design Stormwater treatments & utilities are overlooked Transit for the sake of transit What if the streets are walkable but the adjacent big boxes and snout houses are not? Movement toward Complete Communities?
NCDOT Traditional Neighborhood Development Street Design Guidelines (2000)
Jacksonville, NC Downtown Master Plan
Incorporating Green Street Techniques
What are Green Streets? A street right-of-way that, through a variety of design and operational systems provides treatment for stormwater while giving priority to pedestrian and bicycle circulation and open space over traditional transportation uses.
What are Green Streets? A type of low-impact development (LID) that manages stormwater at the source Treatment, infiltration, groundwater re-charge Integrated with street planning to merge design options to satisfy various goals, including traffic calming and multi-modal accommodations Reduce lane widths and incorporate landscaping to reduce impervious surface
Implementing Green Streets Developers are interested, but skeptical of municipal willingness to try it & uncertainty of outcomes Hard to change historical practices in street design and stormwater management Technology and approaches are new Local needs not clear for many regions(e.g. soil composition, native landscaping, maintenance)
Getting There Changes should be incremental Green street treatments should be tested in different areas of the city Developers given option to implement at block, corridor or subdivision level Permeable pavement technologies are not advanced enough to recommend full-scale implementation (particularly for streets)
Transportation Land Use Integration & Regional Planning Don Kostelec, AICP Senior Planner, Louis Berger Group February 1, 2010