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
Recent TOD news
Here’s what has been happening this week at TOD projects across the country.
- Rebounding Energy Sector Plus $2 Billion in TOD Buoys Development in Dallas — Urban Land
- The Economic and Fiscal Impacts of Development Near DART Stations — Mass Transit
- Don Peebles sees great opportunities for Miami, but traffic and zoning issues must be resolved — The Real Deal
- Chamblee MARTA TOD the next to move forward with offices, retail – Curbed Atlanta
- Lynn commuter rail station to be open to public as 1,200 new apartments are built there — Boston Globe
- From Parking Crater To Urban Asset: Northgate TOD — The Urbanist
- Toronto Residents Would be Barred from Challenging Development within 500 meters of transit — The Globe and Mail
- Middle Tennessee RTA breaks ground on new Music City Star station — Progressive Railroading