What #InfrastructureWeek has meant in Dallas

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It’s Infrastructure Week this week, a national opportunity to talk about how we as a nation and communities invest in roads, bridges, sidewalks, and railways.

Infrastructure is a big idea that can sometimes seem vague, but infrastructure changes have very practical implications for how a place looks, feels, and works—especially when it comes to TOD projects.

One example is Victory Park in Dallas, TX, located on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail line. A study of what needed to happen to help the development succeed made developers change Victory Park’s infrastructure to better accommodate people walking and biking. As Urban Land magazine reported this week:

Streets were narrowed while sidewalks were widened to create outdoor restaurant seating. A protected bike lane was added that ties into the Katy Trail, and two one-way streets through Victory were made into two-way streets to improve access. The stark concrete and glass development was also warmed up with trees, pavers, plantings, benches, and signage. Once-sleek storefronts are now individually designed to add character.

Those changes have helped Victory Park thrive—and it’s not the only DART station area to do so. Researchers from the Economics Research Group at the University of North Texas released new research this week looking at the economic impact of development along DART. The research found that collectively, $10.8 billion has been invested near or along DART’s 93-mile system since 1999. Or as Mass Transit magazine put it, “DART Rail is driving the North Texas economy.”

Upcoming webinar: Using value capture and P3s to finance public transportation

Want to learn more about value capture and creating successful public-private partnerships for transportation? Join the Transit Cooperative Research Program on June 7 for a free webinar titled Innovative Financing for Public Transportation: Value Capture and Small- and Medium-sized Public Private Partnerships. The discussion will feature research from TRB Report 190: Guide to Value Capture Financing for Public Transportation Projects, and TRB Report 191: Public Transportation Guidebook for Small- and Medium-sized Public-Private Partnership (P3) Initiatives.

Register

The Federal Transit Administration sponsors the Transit Cooperative Research Program to develop innovative solutions and adapt technologies and approaches to help meet the demands placed on the nation’s public transit systems. This webinar is eligible for 1.5 Certification Maintenance Credits from the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Recent TOD news

Here’s what has been happening this week at TOD projects across the country.