Transit Oriented Development
Target: By 2023, increase the number of destinations such as jobs, residences, and other resources or amenities within a 1/4 mile or five minute safe and accessible walk by 30 percent at 20 stations from a 2018 baseline.
Background: Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is development within a 1/4 mile or a five minute walk from a MetroLink or MetroBus Transfer station that supports transit ridership through design and orientation that focuses on the transit, makes transit accessible by a diversity of mode choices and supports a mix of uses for the rider. Traditional transportation metrics, like commute mode, travel time to work, and vehicle miles travelled, are already required to be measured for many government entities. In order to expand our regional metric tools and to encourage strategic investment that would help increase transportation use, the focus group that formed to discuss goals for the Transportation sector after the 2017 Regional Sustainability Summit indicated that they would like to advance Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in the region.
Structure: The TOD Working Group is a committee convening through Citizens For Modern Transit (CMT) and is led by Kim Cella. The group consists of representatives from Metro, East-West Gateway, St. Louis City, and private developers.
Activities: Looking ahead, the Working Group will:
- Create a more robust indicator for measuring the quality of TOD at light rail and bus station areas.
- Develop a process for assessing Metrolink and Metrobus stations.
- Collect data on the destinations and walkability that currently exists.
- Identify hurdles and opportunities for strategizing more TOD in the region, including development at MetroLink stations as well as site improvements at bus stops. (Check out CMT's "How-To" booklet on Transit Stop Transformation projects, which turn transit stops into welcoming community centers.)
What you can do:
- Check out resources in the OneSTL Toolkit, such as the Transit Oriented Development and Reducing Parking Minimums tools.
- Reach out to your local elected officials and let them know that pedestrian infrastructure like complete sidewalks and pedestrian scale lighting are important to you and an essential component of any sustainable, equitable, and livable city.
- Adopt-A-Stop as a demonstration of your commitment to safe, accessible transit.
- Ask your local elected officials to ride the bus or MetroLink at least a couple of times per year so that they can see the needs and opportunities around existing transit routes and amenities.
- Volunteer to help conduct a sidewalk audit of your neighborhood or local community.
The following organizations Support* or Commit** to assisting with this Target.
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Curium* Bi-State Development** MBS Urban Initiaves CDE, LLC* Global Products, Inc** Renew Missouri* Sitton Energy Solutions* Washington University in St. Louis* University City, MO* Linda Goldstein Consulting* |
The Nature Conservancy in Missouri* Heartlands Conservancy* Missouri Coalition for the Environment* Citizens for Modern Transit** US Green Building Council - Missouri Gateway Chapter* International Society of Sustainability Professionals StL Chapter* Green Dining Alliance / St. Louis Earth Day* Nine Network of Public Media** |
Transit Oriented Development Plans and Projects
OneSTL Transit Oriented Development Resources and Reports
OneSTL has a library of TOD resources, reports, and plans.
CMT MetroLink Station profiles
CMT created a database of station profiles for all MetroLink Stations in 2011. The profiles include a qualitative description of the area, regional accessibility by transit, MetroLink ridership, demographics housing and employment, neighborhood context, zoning, land use policies and community plans, and potential development opportunities and issues.
St. Louis TOD overlay Code and Plans Clearinghouse
CMT has assembled TOD plans, resources, and codes in place.
Currently underway…
Northside-Southside Alignment Study
The Northside-Southside Alignment Study seeks to review, affirm, and revise the findings associated with the adopted Locally Preferred Alternative from 2008, and consider a new alignment that would serve the future National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. Additionally, the study will explore the project’s potential scores if applying for federal funding, including development opportunity around the stations. The study will likely conclude in late 2018.
Northside – Southside TOD Planning Study
In 2017-2018, Bi-State Development in partnership with SDLC and the City of St. Louis will produce a TOD planning study for the potential future Northside Southside MetroLink line. The work will focus on corridor-wide issues of access, governance and management, and implementation strategies.
Infrastructural Opportunism: Mobility for all by all
Washington University received a Mellon Grant under the Urban Humanities Initaitive for the St. Louis Divided Cities grant program. Under this grant, a core project team including CMT, Bi-State Development/Metro Transit, and others, aims to experiment with an arts and design-based approach to building community-centered ownership and broad vision around the potential future Northside Southside MetroLink line. The projects will likely occur during the summer of 2018.
