Does Transit-Oriented Development Need the Transit?

D OES T RANSIT -O RIENTED D EVELOPMENT N EED THE T RANSIT ? D A N I E L G . C H AT M A N U rban planners have invested a lot of energy in the idea of transit-oriented developments (TODs). Developing dense housing near rail stations with mixed land uses and better walkability is intended to encourage people to walk, bike, and take transit instead of driving. But TODs can also be expensive, largely because rail itself is expensive. In one study, the average cost for light rail construction was $61 million per mile in 2009 dollars. If rail access does reduce driving and the environmental problems caused by driving, then expensive rail investments may well be worthwhile. But the actual impact that TODs have on driving remains open to debate. Many studies have shown that households living near rail stations are more likely to use transit than other households. But using transit more is not the same as driving less. And even if people in TODs do drive less than people elsewhere, we cannot be sure that transit was responsible. Easy access to a rail station might encourage people to walk rather than drive—but so too might wider sidewalks, narrower streets, and closer destinations. Denser places also tend to have worse traffic and fewer places to park. In other words, TODs might discourage driving not by making rail travel easy, but by making driving less attractive. If this is the case, TODs may not need their “T” at all. The key to less driving in TODs may not be the presence of rail, but other factors like higher density, greater walkability, and less parking. ➢ Daniel Chatman is Associate Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley (dgc@berkeley.edu). A C C E S S