Public transit is a vital civic resource and forms a focal point for community activity. Transit ridership around the country is skyrocketing, and communities are deciding to invest in expanding and upgrading their transit systems. Demographic, environmental, and economic trends will continue to push for transit expansion and the intensification and revitalization of neighborhoods served by transit.
Photo Credit: Reconnecting America
PPS, in partnership with Reconnecting America, is developing a campaign called “Thinking Beyond the Station” that addresses the challenges of integrating transit and development into communities by promoting a philosophy of “community-supportive transit” to guide transportation and community planning decisions. This approach focuses on the planning and design of transit facilities and station areas as valuable public places, including opportunities for placemaking and capturing the value of public transportation investments for local communities.
Campaign Goals
Photo Credit: Metropolitan Transportation Commission
The overarching goal of the evolving Thinking Beyond the Station campaign is to fully integrate transit stations into the communities they serve through transit-supportive urban design, architecture, public art, and innovative management techniques. This involves educating transit planners, transit board members, and transit policy decision-makers about the elements that create vital places around transit stations. The initiative also aims to educate the design and development community and the general public about transportation planning, urban design, and the opportunities to create community assets around public transit stations. In so doing, it will expand the understanding of the technical decisions such as alignment, station location and design factors that contribute to increased transit ridership and community value. Additionally, by advocating for policy changes that support the funding and construction of transit facilities, Thinking Beyond the Station provides real and tangible community benefits through the integration of transit facilities into surrounding communities.
This evolving initiative also aims to educate the design and development community and the general public about transportation planning, urban design, and the opportunities to create community assets around public transit stations. In so doing, it will expand the understanding of the technical decisions such as alignment, station location and design factors that contribute to increased transit ridership and community value. Additionally, by advocating for policy changes that support the funding and construction of transit facilities, Thinking Beyond the Station provides real and tangible community benefits through the integration of transit facilities into surrounding communities.
A list of ongoing, completed and evolving future activities for this initiative follows below.
Ongoing Activities
Along with the Regional Plan Association, PPS and Reconnecting America are currently training eight communities along the Tappan Zee Bridge corridor to leverage the state’s transit investment and explore opportunities for transit oriented development.
Completed Activites
- Successfully piloted a half-day seminar entitled “Thinking Beyond the Station: Creating Great Places Around Transit” in Norfolk, Virginia for APTA Board Members and local constituents in the Hampton Roads region;
- Conducted a workshop with transportation and planning professionals in Denver on needs, barriers,and opportunities for crafting a “Thinking Beyond the Station” agenda through a Transportation Research Board conference;
- Moderated a discussion at the annual Railvolution conference in Miami on “Thinking Beyond the Station” on the qualities and characteristics that create Community-Supportive Transit.
Evolving Future Activities
- Developing a Community-Supportive Transit training manual for decision-makers, planning and design professionals, and citizens;
- Roll-out of a national Community-Supportive Transit training program that supports the implementation of innovative projects and management strategies;
- In-depth training sessions presently proposed for Denver, CO, Seattle, WA and New York State;
- Conducting research on the tangible benefits of Community-Supportive Transit.