Policy Framework - Jacksonville Transportation Authority

City of Jacksonville
Policy Framework for Transit-Oriented Development
What Other Communities Are Doing to Implement Transit and TOD
TOD is a development strategy that has gained momentum around the country and the state in recent years.
Communities have sought to implement transit and TOD to provide a balanced transportation network,
giving people an alternative to driving. A TOD strategy also minimizes the need to provide new infrastructure
to serve metropolitan growth by utilizing existing facilities. This helps to revitalize urban centers and foster
vibrant neighborhoods. A couple examples of TOD strategies taking shape in American cities are described in
the boxes on this page.
iles
Tampa, Florida
In the Tampa Bay region, Hillsborough
Area Regional Transit (HART) is working
to implement the area’s first light rail line
connecting Tampa International Airport to the
University of South Florida via Tampa’s urban
core. The proposed rail line is an important
first piece of the regional transit vision adopted
by the Tampa Bay Regional Transportation
Authority. To meet ridership goals and
enhance the light rail project’s competitiveness
for federal funding, the City of Tampa and
Hillsborough County have adopted TOD
policies that define transit oriented districts,
encourage pedestrian activity, and promote
dense, mixed-use developments. The City’s
TOD policies address the Federal Transit
Administration’s (FTA) increased emphasis
on development policies and land use/
transportation coordination methods.
Charlotte, North Carolina
In the early 1990s, the City of Charlotte
adopted a long term growth strategy that
aimed to focus population and employment
growth in the City’s existing urban centers and
major transportation corridors. Transit and
TOD were identified as critical components
for successfully implementing the “Centers
and Corridors” vision. To support the
growth framework, the City established TOD
districts and policies and began planning for
rapid transit. In 2007, Charlotte completed
construction of its first light rail line, part
of a network of five proposed rapid transit
corridors. With the City’s TOD policies in
place, the LYNX Blue Line sparked a flurry of
mixed use development along its alignment.
As a result, ridership in the first several years
of operation has vastly exceeded projects and
further rapid transit projects are progressing
through the planning stages.
What is Required to Make TOD Work | 11