Transit-Oriented Development : Buzz

Streetsblog Capitol Hill, a daily news source on national transportation and infrastructure issues, states that the Twin Cities are ahead of the curve when it comes to regional transportation policy.

In a forward-looking move, the Twin Cities are opting for more transit options and not more highways, it states.

Streetsblog cites the Twin Cities 2030 Transportation Plan, which "strives to maximize existing freeways by adding bus lanes or priced traffic lanes in shoulders wherever possible and increase emphasis on transit and other non-automotive modes," it reads.   

The plan calls for compact, transit-oriented development to be promoted along these corridors, with an emphasis on mixed-use projects and clustering jobs near transportation centers.

A network of transitways will help alleviate water and air pollution and prevent sprawl from swallowing farmland, according to Jim Erkel, director of the land use and transportation program at the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, who is referenced in the piece.

An article in the November 30 StarTribune takes a wide-ranging look at the possible impact of the Central Corridor Light Rail line on Saint Paul's West Midway, near the border of the two cities. This "amalgam of arts, industries,housing, services and transportation" could see major economic shifts as the line is completed and property values ramp up, writes Chris Havens,

Among the questions he asks: "Will artists be forced to move because of rising property values? Will new city land-use rules stifle business expansion? Will there still be room for manufacturing jobs? Will the neighborhood lose its character?...The area has some of St. Paul's most valuable land, thousands of jobs, hundreds of artists, small businesses and nonprofits, and accessibility to many major thoroughfares."

Havens talks to people with these concerns, as well as to organizations working to ensure that the area maintains its character and continues to offer opportunities for a diverse mix of residents.

"One group is looking at the area as a 'Creative Enterprise Zone' to figure out how the arts community can remain and thrive. Another group, the West Midway Task Force, is looking at business and jobs. The city is considering changes to its zoning code to encourage more mixed-use, high-density development along the light-rail line."

Late last month, Minneapolis and St. Paul received a $16 million grant from the Living Cities Integration Initiative, a New York-based philanthropic organization, to boost affordable housing and small business, particular around transit areas, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports.  

The mayors from both cities traveled to Detroit on Oct. 27 to accept the grant. According to the Business Journal, the money will flow especially to areas along the planned Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Line.

The grant will help create or preserve between 400 and 600 affordable housing units while an estimated 100 businesses will receive support for everything from marketing to fa�ade improvements, including loans to offset hardships imposed by transit construction, the article states.