Balancing Development and Conservation in Transit-Oriented

Development

Tim Evans • New Jersey Future2013 NJ Land Conservation Rally • March 9, 2013

New Jersey Future is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that brings together concerned citizens

and leaders to promote responsible land-use policies. The organization employs original research, analysis and advocacy to build coalitions and drive land-use policies

that help revitalize cities and towns, protect natural lands and farms, provide more transportation choices

beyond cars, expand access to safe and affordable neighborhoods and fuel a prosperous economy.

Assessing Development [and Preservation]

Opportunities Around New Jersey’s Transit Stations

More Transit Hubs…But Where?

[suggestions from Getting to Work]

Can we be systematic about prioritizing candidates?

Prioritizing TOD Investments

Database of all 243 distinct transit stations in New Jersey:

• 12 ferry terminals• 16 major bus terminals not served by

any other modes• 205 served only by rail• 10 multi-modal stations [e.g. Hoboken

Terminal, Newark Penn Station, Walter Rand Transp. Center in Camden]

Prioritizing TOD Investments

• Operating characteristics of each station: current ridership, frequency of service, number of lines/modes serving, parking spaces available

• Characteristics of station neighborhood [as defined by NJT]: median HH income, vehicle ownership, population density, vacant housing units – basically ANY data published at Census tract level

• Characteristics of station’s host municipality: per-capita property tax base, property tax rate – basically ANY data published at muni level – parkland per capita, % undeveloped land, % of land still developable

Population density (2009) > 20,000 per square mile in station area

• 9th St. (HBLR) [Hoboken]• 2nd St. (HBLR) [Hoboken]• Hoboken Terminal• Harborside (HBLR) [Jersey City]• Grove St. PATH [Jersey City]• Lincoln Harbor (HBLR) [Weehawken]• Bloomfield Ave (Newark Subway) [Newark]• Journal Square [Jersey City]• Harsimus (HBLR) [Jersey City]• Park Ave (Newark Subway) [Newark]• Orange St. (Newark Subway) [Newark]• Elizabeth

Walkability is a key characteristic of TOD: station neighborhoods with > 45% of households having

zero vehicles available

• Warren St. (Newark Subway) [Newark]• Washington St. (Newark Subway) [Newark]• Newark Airport [Newark]• Norfolk St. (Newark Subway) [Newark]• Military Park (Newark Subway) [Newark]• Journal Square [Jersey City] • Paterson• Newport / Pavonia [Jersey City] • Newark – Penn Station

Preservation!

Stations with host municipality > 50% land undevelopable (preserved or constrained)

• Atco [Waterford Twp., Camden County]• Atlantic City• Egg Harbor City• Gillette• Stirling Long Hill Twp., Morris County

• Millington• Mahwah• Hammonton• Lincoln Park

Most new development will probably be on already-developed land

Stations with host municipality having > 20% of land undeveloped but still developable

• Far Hills• Vineland Transp. Center [bus terminal]• Peapack• Gladstone• White House [Readington Twp.]• Florence• Roebling [Florence Twp.]• Annandale [Clinton Twp.]• Hammonton• Lakewood Bus Terminal• Bernardsville• North Branch [Branchburg Twp.]• Mountain Lakes

Can new development be steered to already-developed land?

Transit-hosting municipalities that are at least 80 percent developed but with less than 1 acre

of parkland per 1,000 residents

• Hoboken• Roselle Park• Garfield• Irvington• Glen Ridge• Union City• Collingswood• Orange• Passaic• Asbury Park• Garwood• Fanwood• East Orange• Wood-Ridge• Freehold• Bradley Beach• Hackensack• South Orange• Allenhurst• Bloomfield• Red Bank

More urban green space needed!

• Paterson• Plainfield• Dunellen• Belmar• Clifton• Waldwick• Rahway• Spring Lake• Weehawken• Bayonne• River Edge• Teterboro• Edgewater• Hawthorne• Oradell• Harrison• Haddon Twp. [Westmont

PATCO]• Westwood• Metuchen• Haddonfield

• Point Pleasant• Perth Amboy• Elizabeth• Park Ridge• Manasquan• Little Falls• Madison• Little Silver• Somerville• Hillsdale• Linden• Raritan borough• Bound Brook• Pennsauken [River Line

stations]• Wildwood [bus terminal]• Woodbridge Twp.• North Bergen• Cherry Hill• New Brunswick• Woodcliff Lake

Can new development be steered to already-developed land?

Tool: “Non-contiguous clustering”

Why Cluster?

Put development where it makes the most sense

Preserve open space or farmland without using tax payer funds

Conventional Development

• “Large lot zoning”• Uniform lot sizes• Development covers

most or all of the site

Contiguous Cluster Development

• Development is concentrated on a portion of the site

• Remaining land is preserved as open space or farmland without relying on public purchase

Noncontiguous Cluster Development

Two or more non-adjacent parcels are treated as a single site for the purpose of clustering.

Simple Example: All allowed units on both parcels are built on one [yellow], and the other is preserved

[green]

More Complex Example: Multiple non-contiguous parcels are treated as one, with one parcel serving

as the receiving area

Implementation in New Jersey

Ten towns with ordinances: • Delaware• Hillsborough*• Hopewell• Middle• Monroe*• Mt. Olive*• North Hanover• Ocean• Plainsboro*• Robbinsville** Five towns with noncontiguous cluster developments

Using TOD to Shrink Your Carbon Footprint:

Why are greenhouse gases a transportation issue?Transportation sector is dominant source of carbon emissions, contributing 35 percent of New Jersey’s greenhouse gas total

How are greenhouse-gas emissions from transportation a land-use issue?

“Reduced demand for auto travel, improved travel options, less air and water pollution”

Total emissions =

[emissions per gallon]

x [gallons per mile (i.e. the inverse of average MPG)]

x [total miles (VMT)]

Or: total emissions = [emissions per mile] x [miles]

low-emissions vehicles,

alternate fuels

fuel efficiency

amount of travel

Vehicle-Miles Traveled (VMT)

• Land use patterns – particularly decisions we make about how far apart to build things – determine how much people have to drive

• These decisions have long-lasting implications: buildings last a lot longer than cars

• Putting things closer together makes some trips walkable, makes transit more viable, and makes many car trips shorter

LAND USE IN TOD

• Higher-density development -- supports transit.• Mixed use development -- provides origins and destinations for transit users.• Compact development form -- encourageswalking and bicycling.

Thank you!

Tim EvansDirector of Research

timevans@njfuture.orgNew Jersey Future

137 W. Hanover St.Trenton, N.J. 08618

609-393-0008 ext. 103http://www.njfuture.org