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City-Related Development Click here for news article: Area Cities Gear Up for Gold Line Extension
On Board With Transit Oriented Development:
At the same time Phase 1 of the Metro Gold Line from Los Angeles to Pasadena was under construction, the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority began working with cities along the proposed Foothill Extension corridor to explore the potential of transit-oriented development ("TOD") as an integral component of future growth and expansion. Workshops conducted resulted in preliminary station area land use concepts that became a platform for cities to further refine their general plans, develop specific plans and update their zoning and land use policies. Cities such as Monrovia, Azusa and San Dimas were already investigating the "return of rail" as a catalyst to revive historic downtown districts adjacent to the original rail system that served passengers decades prior. The restoration of historic depots was also integral to this vision. Cities further east along the route - - Claremont and Montclair specifically - - already had Metrolink operations serving their communities. For these cities, the addition of a Metro Gold Line light rail system sharing both station location and right-of-ways made the prospect of creating new development around an improved public transit system even more appealing, and in the case of Claremont, propelled TOD construction toward faster completion. This section of our website shares the current plans and status of development around the proposed Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension stations, as well as a snapshot of existing destinations and attractions made more accessible by the addition of the Gold Line. As you view photographs and renderings, keep in mind that additional progress most likely has been made since the time of posting. We encourage you to contact the cities and developments directly via the website links we have provided for the most up-to-date information and status reports. A Boost of Support: Federal Grant Provides Cities Opportunity to Complete TOD Visions The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority was recently awarded a $2.5 million federal grant to assess TOD opportunities at each of the 11 proposed station areas. This grant is part of the SAFETEA-LU Transportation Reauthorization Bill signed by President Bush on August 10, 2005. The grant provides an opportunity for cities to build on their preliminary transit-oriented development land use concepts to produce a detailed vision and advanced plans for areas within a 1/4-mile radius around their proposed station areas. Selected to lead the efforts, the "IBI Group" and their team of consultants work with senior city staff members to craft station area development concepts supported by TOD land use policies and market factors. Additional work components of the grant include a corridor-wide market analysis, parking evaluation as well as recommended planning and policy guidelines. Education is a critical part of the study, including presentations to city staff, elected officials and other key stakeholders as needed. Tours of successful TOD projects are also being conducted to provide decision makers with first-hand experience and lessons learned from cities throughout the country. Will Residents Participate in this Grant? As part of the grant assessment process, cities may elect to conduct visioning workshops to launch and or retire current land use plans. Station area visioning is more than a technical exercise. It involves input from residents, businesses and developers in a collaboration of ideas, factoring in changes to population, employment, housing and transportation. Community workshops are being planned to focus on land use scenarios, development potential, redevelopment opportunities, transportation networks and economic sustainability. In addition, a developer workshop will be held to discuss the opportunities and constraints of TOD along the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension corridor. To view city related TOD plans and progress, choose one of following links:
To learn more about best practices and examples of successful Transit-Oriented Development, we recommend the following organization and website: Reconnecting America / Center for Transit Oriented Development
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