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Transit village

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Transit-oriented development seen clustered adjacent to theAlewife Station,aMassachusetts Bay Transportation Authority(MBTA)intermodal transitstation) inCambridge,Massachusetts.U.S.

Atransit villageis apedestrian-friendlymixed-usedistrict or neighborhood oriented around the station of a high-quality transit system, such asrailorB.R.T.Often acivic squareof public space abuts the train station, functioning as the hub or centerpiece of the surrounding community and encouraging social interaction.[1]While mainly residential in nature, many transit villages offer convenience retail and services to residents heading to and from train stations.[2]

The term "transit villages" was popularized in the 1997 book byMichael BernickandRobert Cervero,Transit Villages for the 21st Century,[3]whose cover shows a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly community infilling what then was a surface park-and-ride lot of the Pleasant Hill BART station area, and what is now theContra Costa CentreTransit Village. In their book, the authors distinguished transit villages fromtransit-oriented development(TOD) as more residential-oriented in land-use composition, with neighborhood retail and services provided in and around the rail station and a prominent civic space immediate to the station.

Portland, Oregonhas actively pursued transit village style development along the Portland area light rail known asMetropolitan Area Express (MAX).Californiais also exploring transit village development options for its evolving transit systems.

Miami, Floridahas placed large affordable housing complexes at its two least usedMetrorailstations, one is known as theBrownsvilleTransit Village and the other isSanta ClaraApartments.Miami-Dade Transithas its headquarters in the Overtown Transit Village building at one of its downtown stations.

New Jersey Transit Village Initiative

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New Jersey has become a national leader in promoting Transit Village development through a program known as theTransit Village initiative.TheNew Jersey Department of Transportationestablished the Transit Village Initiative in 1999, offering multi-agency assistance and grants from the annual $1 million Transit village fund to any municipality with a ready to go project specifying appropriate mixed land-use strategy, available property, station-area management, and commitment to affordable housing, job growth, and culture. Transit village development must also preserve the architectural integrity of historically significant buildings.[4][5]Transit Village districts are defined by the half mile radius surrounding the transit station. To become a Transit Village, towns must meet the following criteria: have existing transit, demonstrate a willingness to grow, adopt a transit-oriented-development redevelopment plan or zoning ordinance, identify specific TOD sites and projects, identify bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and identify "place making" efforts near the transit station, such as community events, celebrations, and other cultural or artistic events.[6]

Since 1999 the state has made 35 Transit Village designations, which are in different stages of development:

Pleasantville(1999),Morristown(1999),Rutherford(1999),South Amboy(1999),South Orange(1999),Riverside(2001),Rahway(2002),Metuchen(2003),Belmar(2003),Bloomfield(2003),Bound Brook(2003),Collingswood(2003),Cranford(2003),Matawan(2003),New Brunswick(2005), Journal Square/Jersey City(2005),Netcong(2005),Elizabeth/Midtown (2007),Burlington City(2007), the City ofOrangeTownship (2009),Montclair(2010),Somerville(2010),Linden(2010),West Windsor(2012),East Orange(2012),Dunellen(2012),Summit(2013),Plainfield(2014),Park Ridge(2015),Irvington(2015)[7][8]Hackensack(2016),[9]Long Branch(2016),[10]Asbury Park(2017),Newark(2021),[11]andAtlantic City.(2023).[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^Bernick, Michael; Cervero, Robert (1997).Transit Villages in the 21st Century.New York: McGraw Hill.ISBN9780070054752.
  2. ^Robert Cervero,Transit Villages: From Idea to Implementation, Access, No. 5, Fall 1994, pp. 8-13.[1]
  3. ^Bernick, Michael; Cervero, Robert (1997).Transit Villages in the 21st Century.
  4. ^"Transit Village Initiative Overview, Community Programs".
  5. ^Transit Village Progress Report 2017
  6. ^"Criteria and Scoring Guide, Transit Village Initiative, Community Programs".state.nj.us.Retrieved2023-09-17.
  7. ^"FAQ".Transit Village Initiative.NJDOT. July 9, 2015.Retrieved2015-07-09.
  8. ^"Christie Administration announces Plainfield as 28th State Transit Village"(Press release). New Jersey Department of Transportation. March 28, 2014.
  9. ^Maag, Christopher (February 17, 2016)."Hackensack named an official transit village by N.J. transportation department".NorthJersey.Archived fromthe originalon February 21, 2016.
  10. ^Walter, Kenny (May 31, 2016)."Long Branch receives Transit Village designation".Greater Media Newspapers. Archived fromthe originalon 2016-06-01.
  11. ^"Office of the Governor | Governor Murphy Announces Newark's Designation as a Transit Village".nj.gov.October 22, 2021.Retrieved2021-10-23.
  12. ^Writer, ERIC CONKLIN Staff (2023-06-15)."Atlantic City accepted to NJ Transit Village program".Press of Atlantic City.Retrieved2023-09-17.
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