The Loma Prietan
May/June 2005
Support Strong Communities
with Transit and Housing Choices
by Stephanie Schaaf
Did you know that people who live near convenient
public transit are five times more likely to use transit
and own fewer vehicles? With 60% of California's
global warming gas emissions coming from fuel use in
vehicles, increased transit use is a significant benefit to
the environment. Plus, when more people live near
transit and use it, increasing demand, the system
becomes more frequent and reliable. This makes transit
more convenient and appealing, and increases ridership
even more. It's a positive feedback loop.
So it seems almost criminal to squander the valuable
land around transit stations with wasteful uses such as
big box stores with large parking lots. Yet many cities
remain reluctant to make the best, most environmentally
friendly use of their transit stations by creating "transit
villages" of housing, offices, and shops, like Fruitvale
Village by the Oakland BART station.
The good news is that our regional transportation
agency, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission
(MTC), is now considering a Regional Transit
Oriented Development Policy, requiring local governments
to plan for a specified amount of housing and
jobs within a half-mile radius of transit centers before
funds are released for new transit expansion projects.
But more is needed for the new policy to have the
desired effect. The Transportation and Land Use
Coalition (TALC), of which the Sierra Club is a member,
is urging the MTC and the Joint Policy Committee
(JPC) that advises it to adopt stronger and more specific
standards to create livable communities near transit.
TALC's Livable Communities Platform calls for
cities and counties to meet a high housing threshold
along transit corridors, with at least half of the land
designated for housing, including a significant component
of affordable housing. TALC also emphasizes the
need for bicycle and pedestrian paths to station areas,
and short city blocks to ensure walkable neighborhoods.
Creating transit villages also helps protect the Bay
Area's beautiful open space and valuable agricultural
land from being paved over for sprawling subdivisions
and office parks. Livable communities near transit will
help save some of the 2 million acres of parks, farms,
and open space lost every year to sprawl.
You can help encourage the JPC and MTC to
support strong standards for livable communities by
filling out the postcard that came with this issue of
the LP. The San Mateo and Santa Clara County representatives
to the MTC need to hear from their constituents
that we are serious about environmentally
friendly land use. So put that postcard in the mail
today!