Making the TOD Vision a Reality: Two US Case Studies The World Bank Transport Forum 2006 Washington, DC
The South Boston Waterfront Boston, Massachusetts
Boston s Unique Opportunity: 300 Acres Next to Downtown World Trade Center Photo: Massachusetts Turnpike Authority; overlay: author
From Weeds, Rails, and Parking Lots To High-Value TOD: 5 Interventions 1. The Big Dig 2. The Silver Line 3. The Parking Freeze 4. The Chapter 91 Regulations 5. The Convention Center
Intervention #1: The Big Dig LOGAN AIRPORT Map: Massachusetts Turnpike Authority; overlay: author
The Big Dig Without the US biggest highway project, there would be no TOD opportunity. Tunnel connects downtown to Logan, with an interchange at the core of the 300-acre district. Complex three-dimensional roadway system provides pedestrian-friendly street grid.
Intervention #2: The Silver Line Fan Pier SOUTH STATION Boston Wharf Co. Map: Massport; overlay: author
The Silver Line A BRT subway from South Station to the waterfront. 60-foot articulated, dual-propulsion catenary / clean diesel; 90-second peak headways. Surfaces at D Street; splits into multiple surface routes, including every terminal at Logan. Everything is within an 8-minute walk of a station.
Intervention #3: The Parking Freeze Boston and Portland: only two US transit cities that use parking caps or freezes. Required city / state / Massport cooperation. Formula: existing commercial spaces plus a 10% bank. Results: TOD parking ratios (1 space or less per 1,000 sf) before the Silver Line opened. Developers save $25-50,000 per space.
Intervention #4: Chapter 91 W W Site plan: Fan Pier Land Development Company T
The Chapter 91 Framework State and City spent 15 years building a consensus framework for waterfront redevelopment. State regulations issued 1990; City s South Boston Plan approved 2000; Massport Plan approved 2001. A public waterfront : rich pedestrian environment; 24/7 mixed uses; retail at grade, housing or office above. Strong emphasis on water transportation the other transit mode.
Intervention #5: The Convention Center Photo: Massport
The Convention Center A 10-year siting debate resolved in 1997. At 550,000 sf of contiguous exhibit space, one of largest in US (opened 2004). High level of 24/7 activity; minimal local traffic; spillover to hotels, restaurants, waterfront amenities. A 600-foot walk from World Trade Station and a dedicated Silver Line stop of its own.
Permitted Mixed-Use TOD Tract Sq. Ft. Uses Parking Commonwealth Pier and Massport / Fidelity Flats 2.4 million World Trade Center, hotel, 3 office towers (2 built), public park 2,300 Massport Core Block and Remaining Comm. Flats 3.4 million Manulife HQ, condos, hotel, major retail center 2,410 Fan Pier 2.7 million Grand Hyatt Hotel, condos, office, retail, Inst. for Contemporary Art, public park 2,280 Pier 4 1.0 million Office, hotel, condos, major restaurant, public park 1,200
TOD at Full Build-Out: The Fan Pier Courthouse Station Pier 4 T Rendering: Fan Pier Land Development Company; overlay: author
Full Build-Out: Commonwealth Flats Silver Line Way Station World Trade Station T T Fish Pier World Trade Rendering: Massport; overlay: author
Five Lessons Learned 1. Boston is a mature transit city where TOD is taken for granted. 2. It still took a series of extraordinary public interventions to make TOD happen from scratch. 3. Transit is a necessary but not sufficient condition for TOD. It can t create a market environment by itself. 4. Be aggressive about parking policy. It is a uniquely important driver of land use and project economics. 5. In urban waterfronts, good TOD planning and good public waterfront planning overlap and reinforce.
Tren Urbano Transit Corridor San Juan, Puerto Rico
Tren Urbano Corridor: Joint Development Sites OLD SAN JUAN Exp. Baldorioty C. del Parque Exp. Baldorioty Ave. Ponce de León Ave. Fernández Juncos New heavy-rail metro line. Ave. Del Caño Ave. Muñoz Rivera 11 kilometers, 16 stations, $2.25 billion. BAYAMÓN CATAÑO Ave. Borinquen Ave. Ponce de León Opened for service in 2005. Ave. Barbosa Exp. Kennedy Initial TOD focus on 6 stations. Exp. Las Américas Ave. F.D. Roosevelt Ave. Jesús T. Piñero Current Joint Development Sites GUAYNABO Núm. 5 Ave. Comerío Núm. 3 Bayamón Núm. 2 Expreso Trujillo Alto Deportivo Jardines Torrimar Maintenance & Storage Facilities Ave. Lomas Verdes Autopista Luis A. Ferré Las Lomas Núm. 1 Martínez Nadal San Francisco HATO REY FINANCIAL DISTRICT Centro Médico SANTURCE Sagrado Corazón Hato Rey Roosevelt Domenech Piñero Universidad Ave. Muñoz Rivera Cupey Río Piedras RIO PIEDRAS KNOWLEDGE CORRIDOR Núm. 173 Martínez Nadal
Three Strategies for TOD 1. Station Area Planning and Zoning An urban planning vision rooted in TOD A transit voice in both public and private investment 2. Station Area Improvement Program Direct public investment in urban place-making Creating the template for mixed-use TOD 3. Joint Development Program Development on transit property Sets the standard for TOD in an unfamiliar market
Station Area Planning and Zoning Law 207 of 2000 makes TOD part of HTA s statutory Public Purpose. Projects within 500 meters of a Tren Urbano station require HTA endorsement. Special TOD Zoning Districts to be created around each station.
Station Area Planning and Zoning: The Martínez Nadal / Las Lomas Segment Development Actions Historic Center Rehabilitation New Development Area Improvements Selective Improvements Land Use Residential Mixed Use Commercial Institutional Recreational Light Industrial Transportation
Exp. Baldorioty Expreso Trujillo Alto Station Area Improvement Program Station Area Improvements Exp. Baldorioty Ave. Ponce de León C. del Parque Ave. Fernández Juncos $114 million program provides: Ave. Del Caño Ave. Muñoz Rivera Ave. Borinquen Ave. Barbosa Ave. Ponce de León Exp. Las Américas Safe, accessible, well-lighted sidewalks CATAÑO Landscaping, plazas, and signage Improved vehicular access to stations Additional park-and-ride capacity where needed Place-making infrastructure where none existed Exp. Kennedy Ave. F.D. Roosevelt BAYAMÓN Núm. 2 GUAYNABO Ave. Jesús T. Piñero Núm. 5 Ave. Muñoz Rivera SAN JUAN Sagrado Corazón Hato Rey Roosevelt Domenech Piñero Universidad Ave. Comerío Núm. 3 Río Piedras Bayamón Deportivo Ave. Lomas Verdes Autopista Luis A. Ferré Núm. 1 Núm. 173 Jardines Torrimar Maintenance & Storage Facilities Martínez Nadal Las Lomas San Francisco Centro Médico Cupey Martínez Nadal
Martínez Nadal: An Urban Makeover
Joint Development Law 207 of 2000 allows HTA to assemble property for joint development purposes. Allows PRHTA to dispose of property for joint development on highly flexible terms. Allows PRHTA to participate in joint development revenues (consistent with FTA program income ).
The Joint Development Program HTA and sister agencies control 100+ acres of surplus land throughout the corridor, plus additional air rights. The opportunity: generate ridership; raise revenues; make a TOD statement on publicly-owned land. Use and design guidelines incorporated in RFP. Mixed use, high density development. 10% minimum workforce housing required. Minimum parking ratios imposed; further reductions below zoning and below typical market encouraged.
Joint Development Results to Date Parcel Use Est. Private Investment Est. HTA Proceeds Status Martinez Nadal A Residential $50 million $3.6 million Start late 2006 Martinez Nadal B Residential $35 million $1.9 million Start mid-2006 Cupey A and B State offices, residential, retail $100 million $9.7 million RFP issued Domenech A Mixed use (college-related) $19 million $2.0 million Start early 2007 Roosevelt A Mixed Use $192 million $13.1 million Under Agreement Roosevelt B1 Mixed Use $30 million $4.6 million Under Agreement Hato Rey A Mixed Use $96 million $10.0 million Under Agreement Sagrado Corazon A State offices, retail $115 million Land Swap Site work underway Totals $637 million $44.9 million
Martínez Nadal: 2000 Development Study
Martínez Nadal: Joint Development Parcels Parcels A and B: Original acquisition costs: $0 to $200 / sq.m. Joint development land sales: $270 to $450 / sq.m Parcels C and D will be next Phase D F Parcels E and F (park-andride lots) will be long-term. C E
Martínez Nadal Station: Parcel A Awarded Project: $50 million investment 120 housing units
Martínez Nadal Station: Parcel B Awarded Project: $35 million investment 176 housing units Headhouse
A Public Policy Vision: La Ciudad Red
Five Lessons Learned 1. San Juan is an automobile-dominated metropolis where TOD is a brand-new concept. 2. Systematic public intervention including state / local cooperation and joint development is indispensable. 3. Transit is a necessary but not sufficient condition for TOD. Transit plus normal market demand can easily produce transit-adjacent development. 4. Parking policy is uniquely challenging. Some developers get it, but most lenders and tenants do not. 5. The pedestrian preconditions for TOD must be created public realm investment and active street-level uses.