Transit-Oriented Development

TCSP SVM River line Great Places With Transit Regional TOD Inventory TOD Plans

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is compact, mixed use development within an easy walk of a transit station. Its pedestrian-oriented design encourages residents and workers to drive their cars less and ride mass transit more. These "transit villages" are usually moderate to high density, matching the existing scale of development, and can be new construction or redevelopment. Mixed uses include residential, commercial, and office, or some combination.

What uses are transit supportive?
Uses that are transit supportive include those that cater to convenience goods and service needs of residents, employees, and transit stop users. This can include food markets, restaurants, salons, dry cleaners, newsstands, bookstores, hardware stores, and other retail uses. Uses that entertain, such as movie or professional theatres, uses that create activity on the street, such as sidewalk cafes, and uses that attract day and night activity are all transit supportive.

Benefits of Transit-Oriented Development
A system of TODs along a rail corridor can produce multiple categories of benefits, including transportation, environmental, economic, and quality of life.

Barriers to Transit-Oriented Development
Several barriers exist to implementing transit villages. In general, there is a lack of TOD incentives for local jurisdictions to include TOD in their plans, for developers to make the TOD process easier, for businesses and residents to accept changes in land use, and for housing agencies to build affordable housing near transit. Also, there are specific barriers to transit-oriented development presented by both the public and the private sectors.

TRANSPORTATION & COMMUNITY & SYSTEM PRESERVATION

Read about this new Federal Highway Administration program and view DVRPC's successful application online.

SCHUYLKILL VALLEY METRO (SVM)

Learn about the Station Area Planning and Implementation Study for five stations along the proposed 62-mile rail transit system between Philadelphia and Reading.

NEW JERSEY TRANSIT'S RIVER LINE

Find out about the Transit Village Design in Burlington County Study that examines seven stations along the new light rail line from Camden to Trenton.

GREAT PLACES WITH TRANSIT

Read seven newsletters pertaining to Transit-Oriented Development, published between the Winter of 2000 and the Summer of 2003.

REGIONAL TOD INVENTORY

Find out more about DVRPC's efforts to inventory transit-oriented development opportunities at 45 transit stations in the region.
Volume I
Volume II
Volume One and Volume Two (on CD)

TOD Plans

Learn more about specific station area plans for Lansdale, Thorndale, Woodbury, Girard Avenue and Ellsworth-Federal (Philadelphia), North Wales, and Warminster stations.

Implementing TOD (Girard, Lansdale, Thorndale and Woodbury)
Developing Around Transit

Progress on TOD

This study is an evaluation of progress towards transit-oriented development (TOD) at individual rail (and some bus) stations within the nine-county region. Progress can include a completed or in-progress TOD or related plan, a grant to study or implement TOD, development interest or involvement in the station area, and/or a proposed or completed TOD.

On Track: Progress Towards Transit-Oriented Development in the Delaware Valley [12.24M .pdf]