ADVANCING REGIONAL TOD: CORRIDORS &

CLASSIFICATIONS

Partnership for Regional Opportunity TOD Work GroupJune 4, 2014

Mariia Zimmerman, MZ Strategies, LLCmariia@mzstrategies.com

Integrated transit corridor planning in the Twin Cities

TOD and Transitway Corr idor Planning Best Practices Developed May 2014 by MZ Strategies, LLC based upon Corridor

of Opportunities, Hiawatha and Northstar planning efforts, interviews, and research

TOD Classif icat ion Tool Developed December 2013 by Reconnecting America (now part of

NRDC’s Urban Solutions Team) through McKnight Foundation grant, in coordination with Met Council TOD Office and local advisory group

SHARE NEW TOOLS WITH YOU TODAY

Advancing TOD through Transitway Corridor Planning A resource document for Met Council TOD Office and PRO-TOD partners to

engage project engineers, planners, elected officials and community engagement groups

TOD and Transitway Corridor Planning Elements: Who leads/partners on different elements What are the phases of project development What are shared TOD and transitway goals for public engagement, market

analysis, infrastructure needs, and development How to coordinate on activities, outreach and decision-making

“SHAPING THE NEXT 15 YEARS OF TOD CORRIDOR PLANNING”

Region Design & Construct on-t ime, on-budget high

quality transit project that meets regional transit system needs; and

Collaborate to achieve transit support ive development

Corr idor Dist inguish types and function Desire for catalyt ic investments

Stat ion Area Support placemaking, “ last mile

connections,” & neighborhood and/or community benefits

Land Parcel Maximize development and redevelopment

site potential

PLANNING FOR TOD OCCURS AT MANY SCALES

Source: Flessig & Carlton, 2014

TRANSITWAY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Lead/partner agencies and jurisdictions defined by who brings $ to tablewho influences land use

decisionswho makes transportation

engineering decisions

Collaboration is key!

WHO HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE

1. The importance of corr idor level partnerships

2. Corr idor context impacts TOD potent ial

3. Creat ive methods needed to tackle chal lenges impl ic i t in TOD

4. Community Engagement must be coordinated and continuous

REGIONAL BEST PRACTICES

TOD CLASSIFICATION TOOL

• Goals: – Prioritize and inform public and private investment in TOD– Coordinate actors making regional and station area investments – Inform local community strategies– Input to more detailed market assessment work

• Objectives:– Differentiate TOD areas based on quantitative factors– Provide a measure of TOD readiness– Create a shared understanding of prioritization needs

ADVISORY GROUP MEMBERS (2013 – 2014)

Roles Provide input on approach, development of Prioritization Tool, TOD

investments Consider how to apply the Prioritization Tool within respective organizations Brief leadership and partners on the Prioritization Tool

Members GreaterMSP, ULI, the Met Council, Hennepin County, Minnesota Housing,

DEED, local jurisdictions and the McKnight Foundation Developed by Reconnecting America through a grant from the McKnight

Foundation

METHODOLOGY

Identify station areas

Score station areas on nine different metrics Transit-Orientation Market Potential

Overlays for Economic Development and Equity– Location of significant job centers– Fair Housing and Equity Assessment (FHEA) analysis identified

areas of racially concentrated areas poverty and opportunity

Add metrics to calculate composite scores

Raise the Bar

Catalyze

ConnectTransition

Plan and Partner

TOD CLASSIFICATION TYPES

Different opportunities and support needed in different station areas; all have TOD potential

Local Connections and Planning Support Critical

TOD Classifications: Twin Cities Transitway Station Types

Existing LRT TOD Classification Types

TRANSITION: SOUTHWEST STATION

Market Potential

Transit-Orientation • Implementation Priorities– Implement preliminary station area

planning– Planning and visioning where necessary

• Overlays– Economic: Engage in detailed planning,

form public/private partnerships– Equity: Engagement with traditionally

under-represented communities• Examples of Programs

– Station Area Planning – Met Council and Local Jurisdiction

Comprehensive Planning

CATALYZE: WESTERN AVE STATION

• Implementation Priorities– Catalytic development projects– Placemaking investments a priority

• Overlays– Economic: Major employers can be private

catalytic force, transit-oriented facilities– Equity: Mixed-income housing, affordable

housing can act as catalyst • Examples of Programs

– Metropolitan Council’s TOD Office Activities

– Met Council’s LCA TOD Grant Program– Minnesota Housing loans and grants– DEED’s Redevelopment grants

Transit-Orientation

Market Potential

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS

• Provide a unified way of talking about the system and how station areas differ.

• Align multiple stakeholder interests in stations or sites near stations.

• Add transit orientation into conversations about site selection, market potential into

conversations about transit and transportation investments.

• Help guide county and city Capital Improvement Plans (CIP)

• Use in applications or consider as criteria or bonus points for grant programs

PANEL

Julie FarnhamSenior PlannerCity of Bloomington

Charles CarlsonSenior Manager, BRT/Small Starts ProjectsMetro Transit

Lucy ThompsonPrincipal City PlannerCity of Saint Paul

Katie WalkerSouthwest Community Works ManagerHennepin County

PANEL QUESTIONS

• Potential uses and value of the TOD Classification Tool?

• What are possible audiences and opportunities for using the Corridor Planning Report?

• How can our region best address local planning and last mile needs?

• What other kinds of tools do we need in this region that Metro Transit TOD Office could provide?