Equity

Inclusive and effective TOD planning considers the needs of people across the region and within their communities. Local community engagement should build relationships with local residents, property owners, business owners, and other community stakeholders. Planners can support the capacity of their communities to address issues and affect planning decisions. Doing so can help broaden commitment to implementing plans.

Involving People Who Depend on Transit

Community engagement helps involve a full range of participants, especially those who depend on transit or may have been underrepresented in earlier planning efforts. These include people who do not own cars or cannot drive, communities of color, low-income households, people with disabilities, immigrants, and people with limited English proficiency.

Corridors of Opportunity

There is no a single, all-purpose approach to community engagement. Principles, lessons learned, and community experiences, however, can inform local TOD planning efforts. Corridors of Opportunity was a partnership that supported community organizations in transitway planning and development, including efforts to engage historically underrepresented populations. Based on their work, we recommend:

• Initiating and maintaining ongoing partnerships with community groups

• Building relationships with leaders of underrepresented groups

• Engaging people at convenient times and locations to improve participation

• Engaging people who will be affected by TOD and involving them in decisions

Resources:

• Metropolitan Council’s Public Engagement Plan
• Corridor Development Initiative
• Corridors of Opportunity Final Evaluation Report

We Can Help!

 
Metro Transit Community Outreach Coordinators 

Sam O’Connell, Manager of Public Involvement
Metro Transit - METRO Green Line and Blue Line Extension Offices
[email protected]
612-373-3815

Living near transit can reduce the cost of living, enhance mobility, and increase the quality of life for many in the region. New housing development near transit, whether or affordable or market-rate, increases these opportunities. 

Housing Policy Plan and Affordable Housing Need

The Metropolitan Council’s Housing Policy Plan identifies the roles of the Council and local governments in addressing housing needs, opportunities, and challenges. One of the priorities of the Metropolitan Council’s Housing Policy Plan addresses housing near transit investments: :

“Creating or preserving a mix of housing affordability around emerging transit investments, helping low-income households benefit from transit investments and expanding opportunities to reduce the combined costs of housing and transportation.”

The Housing Policy Plan does not suggest that new affordable housing should only be built in locations well-served by transit. In fact, most low- and moderate-income households use a personal vehicle as their primary transportation. However, given the regional investment in transit, cities should ensure that their plans and programs support a full range of housing choices and levels of affordability near transit. This should include the preservation of naturally-occurring affordable housing where it may be at risk of gentrification or redevelopment.

Case studies:

• Hamline Station Project

Resources:

• Local Planning Handbook- Housing Element
• Southwest Corridor Housing Strategy, Southwest LRT Community Works
  • Presentation to Metropolitan Council, February 16, 2016
• ​TOD 201: Mixed-Income Housing Near Transit, Center for Transit Oriented Development

We Can Help!

 
Contact your Sector Rep with any questions. 

Improving access to jobs by transit increases access to opportunity, especially for low-income households, people without cars, and people with disabilities. It can also reduce the cost of living for lower income households if car ownership can be reduced or avoided. Job growth near transit can make existing transit service more cost-effective or support potential service improvements.
 

Reinforcing Job Centers

Job growth in areas already well-served by transit is more likely to support transit ridership than in areas with more limited transit service. Familiarity with future transit investments will also help planners as they consider future employment locations or work with prospective developers and employers. Chapter 6 of the 2040 Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) identifies future regional transitways, while Metro Transit’s Network Next planning is identifying potential cost-effective improvements to the bus network.  Metro Transit Commuter Services can help support employers when they locate or expand in a new location served by transit.
 

Transportation Needs of Industries and Jobs

Planners should explore what types of jobs and industries are suited to locations near transit. They should consider both the land use and operational needs of the industry as well as the skill level and pay scale of jobs. Planners should consider the employment density of industries (e.g., jobs/acre), as well as how many employees might benefit from transit. Suburban office complexes may have a higher employment density than industrial uses, but the overall transportation needs of employees may be different. If jobs centers have a low employee/acre density, cities might focus on improving sidewalk connections, adding bicycle sharing programs, or help implement connecting shuttles.
 

Resources:

• TOD 202: Transit and Employment
• Collaboration in mitigating spatial and skills mismatch: Exploring shared understandings between transit planners and workforce professionals

We Can Help!
 

Commuter programs to serve employers and institutions

Theresa Cain, Manager
Metro Transit – Commuter Services
[email protected]
612-349-7797