This report contends that creating and preserving diverse transit-oriented neighborhoods is sound public policy that would favorably impact households and regions on multiple fronts, resulting in: a broader range of housing opportunities, greater transportation choice, better environmental outcomes and stronger family and neighborhood economies. There is no single silver bullet for creating and preserving such neighborhoods, however. Promoting and preserving diverse transit oriented neighborhoods requires policies that address housing, land use and transportation, experienced practitioners in several sectors, tools geared to promote transportation-oriented development (TOD )and affordability, and flexible financing.

A guide to reduce flooding in Riverdale, IL in a way that strengthens neighborhoods and businesses, and brings new life to vacant areas of town. A RainReady Riverdale would be a community where all residents and businesses benefit from flood relief in a way that also brings neighborhood beautification, retail activity, jobs, recreation, and habitat conservation. In this community, public investment is transparent and fair.

Planning policies aimed at reducing vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) combined with growing consumer demand for walkable, transit-rich neighborhoods have led to increased development interest in location-efficient neighborhood - i.e., those places associated with the lowest transportation costs. Location-efficient places are characterized by high levels of accessibility to jobs and services that enable residents to drive less either by making shorter trips or by shifting trips to transit, walking, and bicycling.

Discussion of housing affordability usually revolves around home prices alone, failing to account for the varying costs of transportation in different locations. Although frequently overlooked, research has shown that these costs typically represent a household’s second largest expenditure, in some cases consuming as much as 30% of household income. The lack of clear information about the true costs and tradeoffs associated with housing location motivates inefficient development decisions and has helped spur the “drive ’til you qualify” phenomenon, which describes the movement of households away from the city center in search of lower cost housing. In the last several years, the dramatic increase in foreclosure rates, often concentrated in remote exurbs, and the equally dramatic spike in gasoline prices around the country have revealed the vulnerability of households that choose locations based on an incomplete and often misleading understanding of the true costs.

This report provides analysis of Amtrak's Downeaster rail line, finding that the current level of service is generating increased usage and economic benefits. With further service and connectivity improvements the Downeaster and connected railroads could provide the basic infrastructure for extensive transit oriented development (TOD). A TOD is a compact and integrated development of homes, retail, and service businesses, public park space and other amenities that create an inviting atmosphere for pedestrians in the area that surrounds a public transit station.

Cargo-oriented development (COD) may be defined as the development of places that are both multi-modal nodes of freight transportation and centers of employment in logistics and manufacturing businesses. When high quality transit service is nearby, employers have access to a broader workforce and the site has potential for supportive retail, office and housing, known as transit-oriented development (TOD). Case studies of civic and economic development organizations and local governments collaborating with private freight companies to realize the potential of COD for sustainable development. Case studies reveal the COD collaborations improving both the economies and the quality of life in regions and in established communities.

Report examining the greenhouse gas reduction potential of transit oriented development (TOD). This report calculates potential reductions in carbon emissions associated with household vehicle travel and offers growth strategies for planners attending to urban form and access to transit (fixed rail) and reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Transit-oriented development-- a mix of residential and commercial development within walking distance of public transportation --can play a substantial part in reducing greenhouse gas emissionsThis study shows that in the Chicago Metropolitan Region, households in neighborhoods within a half mile of public transportation have 43 percent lower transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from auto use than households living in the average location in the Chicago Metropolitan Region. Households living in a downtown – which typically have the highest concentration of transit, jobs, housing, shopping and other destinations – have 78 percent lower emissions. While this study focuses on the Chicago Metropolitan Area, similar household behavior is observed in other metropolitan area, and is predicted to result in similar reductions.

Transit defines the vibrancy of downtowns in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Metra and CTA stations, and the development they support, help commuters get to jobs and run errands on their way home, all with little or no driving. Residents come together in these downtown station areas to eat, drink, socialize, borrow library books, shop, and see their neighbors. These activity centers are the brand, lifeblood, and drivers of economic development in these communities. Rail transit anchors downtowns and neighborhoods in many communities throughout Chicago’s northern suburbs and across the region. Municipalities have used these transit-oriented developments, (TODs), to create a sense of place, add retail and housing, and enhance their tax bases. In doing so, TOD helps reduce driving, increase access to transit, and improve the local economy.

The movement of jobs away from historic transportation hubs has made highways the best, in some cases the only, way for employees to get to work. Over the last decade, the number of jobs within a 10-minute walk of rail stations dropped. Between 2002 and 2008, the seven-county region of north-eastern Illinois—including Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties—added a net 110,314 jobs. Yet the number of total jobs within one-half mile of transit declined by 5,555. Low and moderate income workers, already burdened by the cost of driving, felt this drop most acutely. The number of jobs paying less than $40,000 per year located within a half-mile of transit declined 16 percent. This gave fewer working households a choice between car and public transportation options.

A system for evaluating public investment in transportation that adopts a comprehensive understanding of economic benefits. This comprehensive assessment can be localized using the report\\\\\\\'s scorecard management matrix and used to guide public investment in transportation.