Past Presidents' Award for Merit in Transportation: Bus Rapid Transit Land Development Guidelines

Kelly Blume

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2008

Subject Area

planning - surveys, land use - transit oriented development, economics - appraisal/evaluation, mode - bus, mode - bus rapid transit

Keywords

Transit oriented development, Surveys, Real estate development, Ottawa (Canada), Land use, Guidelines, Evaluation and assessment, Bus rapid transit

Abstract

Transit oriented development (TOD) near bus rapid transit (BRT) stations not only could increase BRT ridership, but could have a positive influence on the community by improving mobility choices, reducing reliance on driving and achieving greater sustainability. This paper investigates the impact of BRT on land development decisions and provides guidelines for public agencies. The paper identifies data sources and analysis tools and presents findings from a survey of developers in Ottawa, Canada. The findings indicate a wide range of opinions, both positive and negative, on TOD and BRT. Developers seem most concerned with the timetable of transit line construction and the amount of right-of-way that developers are required to dedicate to transit routes. Developers feel that BRT is not significantly different than light rail transit in terms of the modes' impacts on TOD project success. Although the local government agencies share several similarities to developers in their perspective of TOD and BRT, a disconnect between transportation professionals, developers and the general public may exist regarding which TOD factors are the most important. The findings from this research are used to develop guidelines to help public agencies assess the potential land development benefits of BRT and to conduct their own surveys of stakeholders in the land development process.

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