The Sustainable Communities Partnership and U.S. DOT’s

Livability Initiative

6th Annual East and Southeast Fort Worth Economic Development Summit

Don Koski, AICPCommunity Planner, Region VIFederal Transit Administration

17 September 2010

Livable and Sustainable Communities:

The Federal Perspective

Livability means “being able to take your kids to school, go to

work, see a doctor, drop by the grocery or post office, go out

to dinner and a movie, and play with your kids at the park, all

without having to get into your car.”

Secretary Ray LaHood, U.S. Department of Transportation

Livable Communities Have Transportation Options

Livable Communities Have Housing Options

Livable Communities Have Options That Best Fit Their Citizens’ Needs

Livability Saves the Family Money

Livability Saves the Taxpayer Money

U.S. Census 1950 1,389,582 pop.

U.S. Census 20021,393,978 pop.

Source: Cuyahoga Co Land Use Maps – Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Planning Commission

Six Partnership Principles

About FTA

• Who we are• Regional structure• What we do

– Planning

– Grant delivery

– Grant management

– Engineering

– Liaison to local/regional partners on efforts like Livability Initiative/Partnership for Sustainable Communities

Livability at FTA

FTA believes we have always been “all about livability”

• All segments of the population deserve safe access to transportation services for work, housing, medical services, schools, shopping and other essential activities

• Transit provides the critical ‘lifeline’ connecting people to these services

• Transit needs to be as convenient and affordable as possible, particularly for persons with mobility limitations due to age, disability, or economic situation

Previous FTA Livability Resources

1999 1999 2006

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/docs/livable.pdf

http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/TOD_Lessons_Learned_12_21.pdf

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Livability at FTA

• Section 5307: funds transit capital, operating (small urban), preventive maintenance, paratransit service and transit planning – almost everything transit related!– At least 1% in TMAs must be spent

on Transit Enhancements (passenger shelters, bike/ped accommodations, public art, landscaping, etc.)

FTA Grant Programs and Livability

Livability at FTA

• Section 5309– Buses and bus equipment/facilities

• Recent $150M Bus and Bus Facilities Livability Initiative Discretionary Program

– Rail/fixed guideway system modernization

– New/Small/Very Small Starts for new fixed guideway systems (LRT, heavy rail, commuter rail, BRT, HOV facilities, people-movers, etc.)

• Recent $130M Urban Circulator Livability Initiative Discretionary Program

FTA Grant Programs and Livability

Improving Bicycle and Pedestrian Access to Transit

• FTA encourages the use of its program funds for bike/ped amenities that attract new public transit riders by expanding the catchment area and utility of transit stations

• Proposed policy defines specific distances from a transit station or stop that pedestrian and bicycle facilities are determined to have a de facto functional relationship to transit

• New policy: 15-minute walk or bike trip, or ½ mile for pedestrians and 3 miles for bicycles

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and

Joint Development• TOD - Development focused on transit accessibility

• Community-oriented, walkable development

• A mix of uses that complement and/or serve the transit use

• Joint Development - property owned by transit agency with Federal interest to attract TOD, that has physical and/or functional relationship to the transit facility or use

• Raises revenue from lease and sale – providing public benefit

Additional Resources

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Questions / Comments?