Transit Oriented Development (Tod) Success Stories: New Haven Hartford Springfield Rail Program

TRANSIT‐ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (TOD) SUCCESS STORIES
New Haven‐Hartford‐Springfield Rail Program www.nhhsrail.com
Defining TOD
These TOD Success Stories selected
from projects across the country show
how TOD can create dense, walkable
mixed‐use areas around stations that
generate economic development and
more vibrant communities.
Typically, TOD occurs within 1/4 to 1/2
mile, or within a 5‐ to 10‐ minute walk,
of a transit station. TOD is character‐
ized by:
► A mix of uses,
► Moderate to high density development,
► Pedestrian orientation/connectivity,
► Transportation choices, including walking,

biking, and the use of transit, and
► Urban design and landscape features that

integrate surrounding uses and streets.
Experience from other cities demon‐
HIGHEST DENSITY AT THE STATION: TOD typically occurs within 1/4 to 1/2 of a transit
strates that implementing TOD can station with the immediate area around the station (core area) generally containing the
result in significant benefits to greatest intensity and mix of uses.
individuals, communities and entire
regions by improving the quality of life
for people of all ages and abilities to
live, work, shop, learn and play.
Conventional development often
consumes acres of land, requires
extensive investments in infrastruc‐
ture, and perpetuates dependence on
private vehicles. TOD reduces travel
time, shortens journeys and provides
non‐motorized trip options, helping to
reduce our reliance on the automobile.

The following case studies illustrate BALTIMORE STATE CENTER TOD: This 110-acre site in midtown includes government
how transit‐supportive policies, offices, new retail, public space and subsidized housing.
planning and coordinated investment
in land use and transportation can
create opportunities for TOD.
For more information on TOD and the NHHS Rail Program, please visit

www.nhhsrail.com.

Benefits of TOD
Community Benefits
► Encourages use of non‐motorized transpor‐
tation ‐ By integrating land use and transportation
planning, residents and visitors to TOD communities
have convenient transit options to desired
destinations.
► Provides a balanced approach to accommo‐
dating growth ‐ TOD directs higher density
development to appropriate areas near transit
stations, reducing pressure to build higher density
development where it is not appropriate.
► Creates compact, sustainable urban form ‐
TOD uses infill, greyfield and brownfield sites to
redevelop and intensify existing urban areas,
consuming less land while lowering infrastructure
costs.
► Enhances local economic development ‐
TOD is increasingly used as a tool to help revitalize
neighborhoods and to enhance tax revenues.
► Promotes more sustainable Infrastructure ‐
TOD can help reduce infrastructure costs by up to 25
percent through more compact development and the Personal Benefits
incorporation of “green” infrastructure strategies. ► Increases mobility choices ‐ By creating
► Increases land values ‐ Locations with access to “activity nodes” linked by transit, TOD provides much
transit can enjoy increases in land values in needed mobility options for young people, the
comparison to locations away from transit stops. elderly and people who do not own cars or prefer
not to use a car for the trip.
► Increases public safety ‐ By creating active
places that are busy through the day and evening ► Increases disposable household income ‐
and providing “eyes on the street,” TOD can help TOD can effectively increase disposable income by
increase safety for pedestrians, transit users, and reducing the costs of owning and operating a vehicle.
many others. ► Increases health benefits ‐ TOD promotes a
healthy lifestyle by making it convenient to walk and
by providing the infrastructure that supports walking
Residents in transit rich neighborhoods and biking.
spend 16% less on transportation than
those living in exurban neighborhoods.
For more information on TOD and the NHHS Rail
Center for Transit‐Oriented Development
Program, please visit www.nhhsrail.com

SMALL TOWN SUSTAINABLE TOD
Concord Commons
Concord, Massachusetts
The Concord Common development comprises three mixed
use buildings with retail space, office space, a 180 seat
restaurant, and 20 rental apartments. The Concord
Commons development is just one element of a vibrant
mixed‐use neighborhood surrounding the Concord Center
commuter rail station. The old station building represents a
stunning example of historic train stations of the mid‐
1800s. This meticulously preserved building houses an
upscale general store and a restaurant. A mix of retail and
office uses line both Thoreau and Sudbury Road within an
easy walk to the station.
The zoning required 146 parking spaces for the mix of uses
proposed. However, the developer negotiated a 15%
parking reduction by demonstrating successful shared
parking strategies. 15 spaces are dedicated for commuter Key Site Statistics
parking.
The Planning Board negotiated a reduction in the TRANSIT SERVICE
impervious lot area from 2.15 acres to 1.93 acres, which ► Commuter rail
allowed for a landscaped garden amenity for residents. A
landscaped pathway was incorporated by the developer DEVELOPMENT
connecting Sudbury Road to the station platform, providing ► 20 rental apartments
a more walkable connection to the town center. Finally, ► Mixed‐use retail and office
because the Concord Common development directly abuts ► 180 seat restaurant
an established residential neighborhood, the developer
KEY FEATURES
designed the building facing the residential street at a scale
► Reduced parking requirement with shared
that blended well with the existing housing, and provided a
parking
vegetative green buffer between the parking lot and the
► Stormwater management system—reduced
neighborhood.
impervious surface
Source: www.mass.gov/envir/smart_growth_toolkit ► New pedestrian pathway to link new mixed‐
use development to the station

REVITALIZING A HISTORIC DOWNTOWN
Downtown Arlington Heights
Arlington Heights, Illinois
The village of Arlington Heights, west of
Chicago, on Metra’s Union Pacific Northwest
Line, has seized upon TOD as an integral
component of the city’s award‐winning
strategy to revitalize its historic downtown. The
village has created a virtually new town center
that includes a new Metra station, a perform‐
ing arts center, high‐density housing,
commercial uses, and public parking decks. In
1980, 350 residents lived in the downtown in
150 units. By 2000, the numbers jumped to
2,200 residents and 1,500 units. Since 1997,
public investment of $27 million has leveraged
some $225 million in private investment.

Critical to downtown redevelopment was the $4.7‐million construc‐
Key Site Statistics tion and relocation of a Metra station in 2000. By moving the station
one block west and the platforms two blocks west, rail transit is
closer to the downtown core, and a large gap between the north
TRANSIT SERVICE and south sides of the tracks has been filled. The relocated site has
► Commuter rail substantially improved north/south access to the station, made all
the more attractive by the addition of parks and public art next to
DEVELOPMENT the rail platform. The village‐owned station itself is abuzz with
► 1,500 residential units activity, with a McDonalds restaurant, a bakery cafe, and a Gateway
► 157,000 sq. ft. retail Newsstand. Funds for the station refurbishment were provided by
► Performing arts facility six agencies, including Metra, Illinois Department of Transportation
(IDOT), and the village (which used Tax Increment Financing funds).
KEY FEATURES This project received a distinction award from the Chicago
► CMAP distinction award for central Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) for Central Business
business district train‐station District (CBD) train‐station design.
design
Source: City of Winnipeg TOD Handbook : Case Study
RESHAPING A FORMER INDUSTRIAL CENTER
Canton Center Station
Canton, Massachusetts

Canton Center station is located in the downtown business
district of this former industrial center 18 miles southwest of
Boston. Canton developed as a center of industry by capitalizing
on its waterways as a source of power for copper, rubber,
chemical and woolen manufacturing. Like many post‐industrial
cities, as the industry moved on or closed down, local jobs
disappeared. Coupled with the popularity of shopping malls
that pulled activity away from the downtown, the town
experienced a cycle of economic decline that resulted in a
significant number of vacant buildings. Hoping to reverse this
trend, the town developed a vision for downtown revitalization
with the Canton Center commuter rail station as the centerpiece
of the strategy. The town designated an Economic Opportunity
District and rezoned the area, integrating three distinct and
unrelated zoning districts into a more unified and transit‐ Walkway from station to
oriented development district. The town increased allowable condominium development
densities, encouraged mixed‐use development, and allowed for
shared parking strategies to reduce parking demand ‐
strategies that have helped to attract development interest. Key Site Statistics
As a result of the rezoning, five new housing developments
totaling more than 200 new units have been built within a five‐ TRANSIT SERVICE
minute walk of the station. Several more developments are in ► Commuter rail
various stages of planning, including redevelopment on an
existing brownfield site. DEVELOPMENT
To further attract economic investment, the town has put forth ► 207 new units within a 5‐minute walk of
almost $2 million for streetscape improvements within the station
overlay district.
KEY FEATURES
► Reduced parking requirement for

shared parking
► TOD Zoning overlay
► Publicly funded streetscape
improvements
source: www.mass.gov/envir/smart_growth_toolkit
New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Program www.nhhsrail.com
LOCAL LEADERSHIP MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Collingswood Station Transit Village
Collingswood, New Jersey
Led by its enthusiastic mayor, the town of
Collingswood has taken a hands‐on approach to
redevelopment to reverse the affects of years of
stagnation and vacancies along its main street and
in its downtown. Taking the initiative of buying up
several neglected properties, refurbishing them and
placing them back on the tax rolls has resulted in a
dramatic renaissance. Streets with minimal foot
traffic have been replaced by vibrant active
storefronts, restaurants and activity. The City has
proactively programmed activities that take back Photo: Ryan Collerd for The New York Times
the streets for pedestrians, providing concerts, festivals
Key Site Statistics and street fairs that bring people to the downtown. One of
the most ambitious revitalization efforts has been the
TRANSIT SERVICE transformation of the train station area, directly adjacent
to its main street—Haddon Avenue. A highly engaged
► Heavy rail rapid transit
public visioning process and TOD planning effort for the
DEVELOPMENT area has resulted in the transformation of a series of vacant
lots into the LumberYard. The phase I development
► 9.1 Acres (7.6 owned by Delaware River
Port Authority) combines residential condominiums with ground‐floor
► 119 residential units retail, a parking garage and new public park.
► 19 commercial units
► 2 phases
KEY FEATURES We’ve been able to create a pedestrian‐friendly
► Parking garage to service residents, town … where people can walk to pick up their
shoppers and commuters dry cleaning, go to dinner, shop, patronize local
businesses and enjoy a yearly calendar of festivi‐
► Public park
ties.
Source: New Jersey Future: At the Heart of Your Com‐ Collingswood Mayor James Maley
munity A Citizen’s Guide to Transit‐Oriented Develop‐
ment
UTILIZING EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
Cranford Crossing
Cranford, New Jersey
Cranford, New Jersey has been a bedroom community to
New York City since the 1800s. Like many small towns
and villages, the retail core that was the backbone of the
economy was crippled by the exodus of shopping to
malls that started in the 1960s and quickly began to
replace downtown main street shopping areas in the
1970s. Cranford needed a strategy to rebuild its
downtown and bring residents and shoppers back.
Cranford is using its train station as a catalyst for growth.
Starting in the 1980s, Cranford chose to focus on
streetscape improvements and promotions as a way to
increase interest and cultivate private investment. By
setting up a Special Improvement District (SID) ‐
Cranford was the first town in New Jersey to take Key Site Statistics
advantage of this program. Cranford’s special assessment
on property owners generated more than $2 million in
TRANSIT SERVICE
investment which fed the resurgence of the downtown
business district. That infusion of investment dollars ► Regional commuter rail
spurred a new round of private investment throughout
DEVELOPMENT
the downtown, creating a market for both first floor
retail and upper floor tenancies which added strength to ► 50 condominiums
the local market. One major project that helped to ► 22,000 sq. ft. of retail
► 310 space parking garage
jumpstart the revitalization was the award‐winning
Cranford Crossing, with 50 condominiums, ground floor KEY FEATURES
retail and a carefully placed parking garage. A second ► Special Improvement District
project, the Riverfront Project, will complement the ► Smart Growth Award recipient
densities around the train station, providing two levels of
parking, office and retail.

Source: New Jersey Future: At the Heart of Your Community A Citizen’s
Guide to Transit‐Oriented Development
FORGING PUBLIC ‐ PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
EmeryStation Plaza
Emeryville, California
The Emeryville train station serves as the main transfer point for
Amtrak travelers riding on the California Zephyr service (which
terminates in Emeryville) to reach connecting bus service to
destinations in San Francisco. After Oakland’s original Beaux‐Arts
16th Street Station was damaged in the Loma Prieta Earthquake in
1989, private developers partnered with the local government to
build a new train station and develop the surrounding 20 acre
brownfield area. The station
re‐opened in 1995 and in 2010
nearly 530,000 passengers
traveled through the station.
Wareham Properties
developed the train station in
1995 and in 1998 began
construction on EmeryStation
www.techeblog.com
Plaza, a three building, 550,000
square foot mixed‐use complex
Key Site Statistics surrounding the station. The project includes two mid‐rise office
buildings totaling approximately 450,000 square feet and a building
that will consist of 101 condominiums atop a multi‐level parking
TRANSIT SERVICE
garage. Eventually, approximately 30,000 square feet of space in the
► Capital Corridor regional rail
office buildings is expected to be leased as ground floor retail,
although some of this space is currently renting to office tenants. At
DEVELOPMENT
build‐out, the investment in EmeryStation is estimated to total $200
► Three building, 550,000 sq. ft.
million. The City had instituted mixed‐use zoning in the station area
mixed‐use complex
and allowed density bonuses.
KEY FEATURES
► New construction and
reconstruction of former
industrial buildings
Sources: Dependable Rail in 2016 ‐ RPA,
► Former brownfield www.transitorienteddevelopment.dot.ca.gov
TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (TOD) SUCCESS STORIES
BUILDING OFF OF REGIONAL RAIL
Downeaster Service
Boston to Portland
The Downeaster, which runs between Portland, Maine
and Boston, Massachusetts was reinstated in 2001 after a
37 year hiatus. Started with minimal headways, this
service has rapidly expanded as popularity and ridership
have increased. Planned service expansion north of
Portland to Brunswick would increase capacity to 7 daily
round trips. The advent of the service has precipitated
development plans around the stations servicing this 116
mile corridor and has greatly enhanced economic activity
throughout the region. In a 2008 study conducted by the
Center for Neighborhood Technology, it was estimated
that by 2015 the rail service will contribute over $100
million to the economy, creating more than 1,500 jobs,
and that by 2030 it will catalyze as much as $255 million in
investment, yielding a 160% return on investment.

Some of the highlights of the planned and implemented
projects include: Key Project Statistics
► Old Orchard Beach ‐ two hotels, a $20 million
residential and retail complex
► Saco ‐ $110 million renovation of an old mill into TRANSIT SERVICE
mixed‐use (residential/retail/office) facility and the ► Regional rail
first “green” train station in the country
► Portland ‐ a 30 acre mixed‐use site surrounding the METRO POPULATION SERVICED
station is for sale for $12 million
► Brunswick ‐ $30 million mixed‐use development (PORTLAND)
planned on former brownfield site ► Roughly 515,000

The Downeaster service, which is run by Amtrak, provides
DAILY SERVICE EXPANSION (PLANNED)
a distinct regional “brand,” focusing on local advertising
and responsive to events in Portland and Boston. The ► 7 daily round trips
service provides a local menu, featuring local favorites like ► Two additional stops ‐ Freeport, Brunswick
lobster rolls and New England clam chowder in order to
attract both residents and tourists. The resurrection of
service came about through local public advocacy and
initiative.

Sources: http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/articlefiles/
Amtrak_Downeaster.pdf, Dependable Rail in 2016 ‐ RPA
TOD PLANNING AT THE CORRIDOR LEVEL
Rosslyn—Ballston Corridor
Arlington County, Virginia
The Rosslyn‐Ballston Corridor is arguably the best
TOD success story in the United States. Arlington
County has become an increasingly popular place
to live, work, and shop due in part to high‐
density development along the Rosslyn‐Ballston
corridor. Before development began, Arlington
County adopted a General Land Use Plan to
concentrate dense, mixed‐use development.
More detailed sector plans which specify land
use and zoning as well as urban design,
transportation, and open space guidelines for the
area within 1/4‐mile of each of the five stations,
ensure a distinct sense of community at each
station. Language regarding density and setback
configurations, circulation systems, and zoning
classifications were crafted and compliant
developments were able to proceed through an expedited
Key Site Statistics review process. The ability of developers to create TODs as
‐of‐right was particularly important, for it meant that they
could line up capital, secure loans, incur up‐front costs, and
TRANSIT SERVICE phase in construction without the fear of local government
“changing its mind.” Today, the roughly two square‐mile
► Heavy rail rapid transit Rosslyn‐Ballston Corridor has mixed‐use, infill development
focused at five Metro stations. As of 2004, the corridor had
DEVELOPMENT over 21 million sq. ft. of office, retail, and commercial
space; more than 3,000 hotel rooms; and almost 25,000
► 21 million sq. ft. of office, retail, and
residences, creating vibrant “urban villages” accessible by
commercial space transit users, pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers. The
► 3,000 hotel rooms stations have captured 26% of the residents and 37% of the
► 25,000 residences jobs on just 8% of the County’s land area. With 39% of
residents commuting to work on transit , the Rosslyn‐
KEY FEATURES Ballston Corridor has one of the highest percentages of
transit use in the Washington D.C. region.
► Corridor‐wide guidelines
► Expedited review process for as‐of‐right
TOD

Source: City of Winnipeg TOD Handbook : Case Study
COMMUNITY CREATING CHANGE
Fruitvale Village
Oakland, California
When Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) proposed a
new parking structure at the Fruitvale Transit
Station, the community opted to create its own
plan. The residents wanted a place that would
link local businesses to transit, thereby
increasing pedestrian and bicycle traffic and
catalyzing redevelopment in the neighborhood.
The community created an alternative plan for a
mixed‐use village with local retail shops, a
community center, library, housing, and new
structured parking. BART worked with the
community to achieve their vision.
Today, Fruitvale Transit Village is a 5.9 acre transit village
with a retail‐lined pedestrian connector between the Key Site Statistics
BART station and the primary retail artery. There are 47
mixed‐income housing units, 115,000 sq. ft. of
TRANSIT SERVICE
community service and office space, and 40,000 sq. ft. of
retail. ► Heavy rail rapid transit
The project was designed by and for the neighborhood DEVELOPMENT
surrounding the station. As a result, there are several ► 47 mixed‐income housing units
social service facilities including a health clinic, library,
► 115,000 sq. ft. of community service
senior center, and child development center. Within facilities and office space
walking distance of the Village, 20% of the rental units
► 40,000 sq. ft. of retail
are designated as affordable housing. Phase II includes a
68‐unit senior housing project and a planned 500 unit KEY FEATURES
residential facility. The key to the project was to think ► Innovative integration of parking needs with
about new ways to integrate the parking needs with additional pedestrian‐oriented
additional development and to position all elements in a development
manner that was conducive to new growth. The result is
a pedestrian‐oriented, mixed‐use village where a parking Source: City of Winnipeg TOD Handbook : Case Study
lot formerly stood.

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TRANSIT‐ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (TOD) SUCCESS STORIES

► Moderate to high density development,

► Transportation choices, including walking,

► Urban design and landscape features that

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