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FTA: National TOD Ladders of Opportunity Technical Assistance Initiat


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#1 CNJRoss

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Posted 09 October 2015 - 11:24 AM

FTA announcement, 10/9:

 

FTA Announces New National Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Ladders of Opportunity Technical Assistance Initiative.

 

As a complement to the Administration’s ongoing Opportunities Agenda Program, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced this week that Smart Growth America, a national nonprofit organization, has been selected to lead a team of experts to support transit-oriented development (TOD) activities that will benefit economically distressed communities across the country. In the near future, the new National TOD Ladders Technical Assistance Initiative will bring together resources and training on public transportation, transit-oriented development, land use, urban planning, affordable housing, and community-based economic development to help local governments get the most out of transit investments. Through this initiative, FTA will provide TOD technical assistance, which will include on-site visits to selected local governments, a new comprehensive website, and toll free call lines for individual assistance. FTA will make a formal announcement once the website and toll free lines are launched.

 

 

 



#2 CNJRoss

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Posted 05 December 2015 - 03:22 PM

Progressive Railroading, 12/4:

FTA initiates transit-oriented development technical assistance program

 

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has launched a nationwide initiative to help communities with transit-oriented development (TOD) projects.

The measure allows communities to apply for TOD-related technical assistance, such as help with planning for and managing economic development near transit systems through zoning and land use, FTA officials said in a press release. The FTA previously tapped Smart Growth America (SGA) to run the TOD Technical Assistance Initiative and provide a variety of planning and analysis tools.

 

FTA_TOD46639.jpg

 

Along with developing best practices and profiles of communities that have successfully implemented TOD, SGA will work on site with leaders in several communities to offer in-depth technical assistance tailored to local needs, FTA officials said. The assistance also includes providing advice on preserving affordable housing and securing commercial development.

 

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#3 CNJRoss

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Posted 05 December 2015 - 03:29 PM

FTA news release:

 

Federal Transit Administration Kicks Off Initiative to Help Communities Develop Successful Transit-Oriented Development Projects

Spring_Mill_TOD.png
 
12/3/2015
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has launched a nationwide transit-oriented development (TOD) initiative to encourage development near transit systems that boosts the local economy; provides easy access to jobs and services; and creates compact, mixed-use, walkable communities. The initiative supports the Ladders of Opportunity Initiative of the President and the Secretary of Transportation.

“Our TOD initiative will help community leaders think about how investment in transit can bring prosperity into low- and moderate-income communities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We’ve seen how investment in transit can lead to new housing stock, new jobs and new economic opportunities in areas that badly need them. To achieve results, we are offering to help local leaders create sound, equitable community-sensitive development plans.”

 

The National Public Transportation Transit-Oriented Development Technical Assistance Initiative focuses on supporting communities across the country. FTA has engaged Smart Growth America (SGA) to run the technical assistance and provide a variety of planning and analysis tools. Along with developing best practices and profiles of communities that have successfully implemented TOD, SGA will work on site with leaders in several communities to offer in-depth technical assistance tailored to local needs. The free technical assistance, which will be offered through a competitive process, will include planning for and managing economic development near transit through effective zoning and land use as well as expert advice on preserving affordable housing and securing advantageous commercial development, among other challenges.

 

“Transit-oriented development is critical to both the success of new transit projects and to the economy of the local communities they serve,” said FTA Acting Administrator Therese McMillan. “What’s particularly great about TOD is that it encourages people to use transit to reach jobs, education, medical care, housing and the other vital services they need. Our TOD initiative will help communities that are less experienced in the latest development tools and real estate market strategies to create stronger neighborhoods.”

 

The City of Richmond, one of seven cities chosen last spring to be part of DOT’s LadderSTEP initiative that focuses on revitalization as part of future transportation projects, will be among the first communities to receive TOD technical assistance along its planned 7.6-mile bus rapid transit line. Richmond’s Pulse BRT project received a $24.9 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant in 2014.

 

Community leaders can apply for technical assistance at the project’s website. The site also will assemble the best information and tools to support TOD planning and deployment as well as create a network that will provide information on funding and training opportunities, on-demand research and analysis, and peer-to-peer meetings and mentoring on topics of shared concern. Community leaders interested in learning more about the new TOD technical assistance are invited to join SGA for a December 10 webinar.

 

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#4 CNJRoss

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Posted 09 December 2015 - 11:16 AM

USDOT "Fastlane" blog, 12/8:

 

Helping Transit Transform Communities
Posted by Therese McMillan

 

One of the great benefits of public transit is how it spurs economic activity and improves neighborhoods. We see many positive spin-off effects when transit is built or extended into new areas.

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New offices rise next to the WMATA Navy Yard Metro Station in Southeast Washington, D.C. Credit: kmf164 on Flickr

Here in Washington, DC, for example, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) extended Metrorail’s Green Line into the Southeast Navy Yard neighborhood in 1999. With the new Metro station attracting new investment, huge changes have taken place. A former industrial district filled with empty warehouses and little-used surface parking lots transformed into a thriving mixed-use community that includes the home of the Washington Nationals baseball team, federal and city agency offices --with our own U.S. Department of Transportation among them, corporate offices, thousands of new apartments and condos, a riverfront park, neighborhood retail shops, a large grocery store, and dozens of new restaurants. Where, once, old businesses were fading, now, new families are growing. And the pace of this transformation hasn't slowed.

 

We call that transit-oriented development (TOD). The best kind of TOD results in compact, mixed-use communities that are desirable places to live, work, and visit. They include housing in varying income ranges, jobs, an improved environment for pedestrians and bicyclists, and amenities like entertainment venues, parks, and retail –all within a short walk from a transit stop.

 

But while everyone can agree that TOD provides positive change, not all communities know how to implement it. That’s why the Federal Transit Administration has launched a National TOD Ladders of Opportunity Technical Assistance Initiative, which will provide support for transit-oriented development activities.

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TOD near a SEPTA train line in Southeast Pennsylvania. Credit: Montgomery County, PA Planning Dept

Development projects can be tricky. Fragmented land ownership, financing strategies, zoning and land use changes, and building public support can pose challenges to even the most savvy community leaders. Our TOD technical assistance initiative will help communities that may be less experienced in real estate market strategies and the latest development tools create stronger neighborhoods.

 

And we're not going it alone; FTA is teaming with Smart Growth America [external link] (SGA) to provide technical assistance to communities nationwide. SGA will develop best practices and profiles of communities that have successfully implemented TOD and share them widely, including through a new peer-to-peer network. Our idea is to push out TOD assistance to as many areas as are interested. In addition, SGA will work with leaders in selected communities to offer in-depth help tailored to local needs.

 

Learn more about this assistance and the application process during an informational webinar on Thursday, December 10, 2015 at 1:00 PM EDT. This online event is free but registration is required [external link].

 

Offered through a competitive process, the free on-site assistance will include identifying and implementing effective zoning and land uses, as well as expert advice on preserving affordable housing, securing advantageous commercial development, and more.

The City of Richmond, one of seven cities selected for DOT’s LaddersTEP initiative, which focuses on revitalization connected to transportation projects, will be among the first communities to receive this technical assistance. Building on the work we’re doing with Richmond as part of LaddersTEP, we look forward to helping city leaders plan TOD strategies along Richmond's new 7.6-mile bus rapid transit line.

 

Check out SGA’s December 10 webinar [external link] to learn more; I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to bring the benefits of TOD to your area.

Therese McMillan is Acting Federal Transit Administrator.

 

 



#5 CNJRoss

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Posted 08 April 2016 - 03:10 PM

Metro Magazine, 4/5:
 

FTA to provide 9 cities with TOD technical assistance

 

To help communities benefit from existing or planned public transportation projects, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) selected nine cities to receive technical assistance to encourage economic development around local transit service. As part of the FTA’s nationwide transit-oriented development (TOD) initiative, the technical assistance will create opportunities that jumpstart local economies and strengthen communities, with a focus on boosting disadvantaged areas.

 

After a competitive process, FTA chose communities in Stamford, Conn.; Honolulu; Moline, Ill.; Louisville, Ky.; Kansas City, Mo.; Oklahoma City; San Antonio; Lynwood, Wash.; and Richmond, Va. for TOD technical assistance, ranging from in-depth, multi-day visits to one-day, targeted workshops.

 

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#6 CNJRoss

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Posted 08 April 2016 - 03:17 PM

FTA news release, 4/5:

 

Federal Transit Administration Announces Technical Support to Assist Selected Communities with Transit-Oriented Development

WASHINGTON – To help communities benefit from existing or planned public transportation projects, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has selected nine cities to receive technical assistance to encourage economic development around local transit service. As part of the FTA’s nationwide transit-oriented development (TOD) initiative, the technical assistance will create opportunities that jumpstart local economies and strengthen communities, with a focus on boosting disadvantaged areas.

 

“Helping local leaders leverage their transit investments to attract more affordable housing, commercial development, and jobs is a critical priority for the Department,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We’re also extending ladders of opportunity directly to residents, using strategies that support equitable, appropriate development linked to transit service. In these communities, people will now more easily get to where they need to go without relying solely on cars.”

 

After a competitive process, FTA chose the following communities for TOD technical assistance, ranging from in-depth, multi-day visits to

one-day, targeted workshops:

  • Stamford, CT
  • Honolulu, HI
  • Moline, IL
  • Louisville, KY
  • Kansas City, MO
  • Oklahoma City, OK
  • San Antonio, TX
  • Lynnwood, WA
  • Richmond, VA

“This initiative will help these nine communities create stronger neighborhoods around their transit service,” said FTA Senior Advisor Carolyn Flowers. “We all know that an ideal place to develop – or re-develop – is near a transit station. This initiative encourages these cities to get the most value out of their investment dollars by capitalizing on the access that transit provides.”

 

FTA engaged Smart Growth America to provide a variety of planning and analysis tools tailored to meet local needs. The technical assistance will include planning for and managing economic development near transit through effective zoning and land use as well as expert advice on preserving affordable housing and securing advantageous commercial development, among other opportunities.

 

Examples of the work planned in some of the selected cities include:

  • Technical assistance will help Lynnwood, WA, a suburb of Seattle, create strategies to attract development along a planned extension of the Lynnwood Link light rail line. Lynnwood leaders want to plan for a dense, mixed-use community with affordable options for home buyers and renters, as well as ways to attract new businesses to complement local commercial uses
  • In Oklahoma City, city leaders will use the technical assistance when they host a series of workshops and neighborhood planning sessions to prepare for the restoration of the city’s historic Santa Fe station transit hub. The project will transform the station into a regional transit center, expanding the Amtrak station and bus depot to include connections to future streetcar, light rail, and commuter rail as well as offices and retail shops. The station renovation project received a $13.6 million 2013 DOT TIGER grant.
  • Richmond, VA also was chosen for technical assistance to further the city’s work to spur TOD along its planned 7.6-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) line. Richmond’s “Pulse” BRT project received a $24.9 million TIGER grant in 2014.  Last year, Richmond was named a LadderSTEP city, part of USDOT’s initiative that focuses on revitalization as part of future transportation projects.

The National Public Transportation/Transit-Oriented Development Technical Assistance Initiative [external link] is a four-year project that focuses on supporting the efforts of local communities across the country to build compact, mixed-use, equitable development around transit stations.

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