Best Practice Action 14.2
GreenStep City Best Practices: Transportation
Demand-Side Travel Planning No. 14
Implement Travel Demand Management and Transit-Oriented Design in service of a more walkable city.
Best Practice Action Detail
Best Practice Action 2
For cities with regular transit service, require or provide incentives for the siting of retail services at transit/density nodes.
- Infrastructure Financing Options for Transit-Oriented Development (US EPA: 2013).
- Guide for Transit-Oriented Development (Metropolitan Council: 2006).
- Mixed Income Transit-Oriented Development Action Guide (Center for Transit-Oriented Development, Federal Transit Administration).
- Regular transit (as opposed to dial-a-ride service) includes fixed route service and deviated fixed-route service (where buses may stray roughly 1 miles from a fixed route): established times and stops available at least 9 hours/day, 5 days/week.
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Identify priority transit/density nodes, ensure that retail is a permitted use, require housing projects at these locations to have a mixed use retail component; ensure transit amenities adjacent to retail (indoor waiting areas, real-time schedule displays, etc.); locate new farmer's markets at nodes. |
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Identify priority transit/density nodes, ensure that retail is a permitted use, offer financial or regulatory incentives for retail development at those locations that are not offered elsewhere. |
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Make retail development a conditional use at locations other than transit/density nodes, condition being that retail must demonstrate transit or density connectivity (exempt certain types of retail, such as gas stations). |
Who's doing it
Eden Prairie -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2003
Implementation details:
The City helped to facilitate shared parking at Southwest Station which is a Transit Oriented Development. This project was approved in 2002.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
The City supported Southwest Metro Transit to develop a transit hub on its property at the southwest corner of Highway 5 and Prairie Center Drive in Eden Prairie.
Through the PUD process the City granted density bonuses and incentives to allow for the higher intensity uses that are supportive of a transit hub.
The site provides a compact and pedestrian friendly mixed-use development that offers retail and restaurant services that are utilized by both transit customers and destination shoppers.
Shared parking occurs between the transit parking lot that is prominantly used during daytime business hours and the adjacent property that has land uses (such as entertainment and dining) that could utilize these parking facilities during evening and weekend hours when transit is not running its peak service.
Two ponds were built for water quality and flood storage for the western portion of the property. Both ponds are privately owned and maintained. The ponds were constructed with a 10:1 bench at the normal water level for vegetation growth and for safety concerns.
The project with waivers results in a design with additional interior green space, including perennial gardens, to help soften the visual appearance of parking lots and provide internal pedestrian connections.
Through the PUD process the City granted density bonuses and incentives to allow for the higher intensity uses that are supportive of a transit hub.
The site provides a compact and pedestrian friendly mixed-use development that offers retail and restaurant services that are utilized by both transit customers and destination shoppers.
Shared parking occurs between the transit parking lot that is prominantly used during daytime business hours and the adjacent property that has land uses (such as entertainment and dining) that could utilize these parking facilities during evening and weekend hours when transit is not running its peak service.
Two ponds were built for water quality and flood storage for the western portion of the property. Both ponds are privately owned and maintained. The ponds were constructed with a 10:1 bench at the normal water level for vegetation growth and for safety concerns.
The project with waivers results in a design with additional interior green space, including perennial gardens, to help soften the visual appearance of parking lots and provide internal pedestrian connections.
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Jennifer Fierce (City Staff) | jfierce@edenprairie.org | 952-949-8313
Partners:
Duluth -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2010
Implementation details:
Businesses located near transit hubs can reduce the number of parking spaces they are required to provide (UDC 50-24.3) and the City's Future Land Use maps promote higher density uses along major transit lines. Additionally, the Duluth Transit Authority encourages developers to locate near high frequency lines to provide the most useful transit to customers.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links: https://duluthmn.gov/media/8225/jul-2019-article-4.pdf
For more information contact:
Adam Fulton (City staff) | afulton@hermantownmn.com | 218-729-3618
Partners:
New Hope -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The "New Hope City Center Vision" was adopted in 2011 and provides a comprehensive vision for the redevelopment of the district. It encourages diverse and adaptable commercial spaces, mixed-used development, and transportation goals. The city's Design Guidelines are consistent with this vision. The city's 2030 Comp Plan states in the Policy Plan section (City-Wide General Goal 4 G) that the City should "examine, re-evaluate, and promote proper infill development on under-utilized parcels to ensure full land utilization." The New Hope Farmer's Market began in 2009 and operates June through October within the City Center district, with convenient access to public transportation.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links: https://cityofnewhope.hosted.civiclive.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=9826709&pageId=11168672
For more information contact:
Jeff Alger (City Staff) | jalger@newhopemn.gov | 763-531-5119
Partners:
Saint Cloud -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The City of St. Cloud Metro Transit service provides regular and dial-a-ride transit service to all of the retail centers within the cities of St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Sartell and Waite Park. The transit service routes are routinely revised to accommodate new, expanding and relocating retail centers in the St. Cloud area. In particular, transit service was revised in the fall of 2010 to accommodate the new Wal-Mart and Sams Club retail stores opening in Sartell. In addition, transit expansion at retail centers is identified in the 2003 St. Cloud Comprehensive Plan. Among the Operational and Capital Improvement goals for the transit service is the development of a Sauk Rapids transit hub and a new intermodal transit facility located at the Crossroad Mall centrally located at the crossroads of Highways 15 and 23. The continued expansion of transit service to the south side of St. Cloud to include St. Augusta and the I-94 Industrial Park is also projected.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File: view file
Descriptive links: http://www.stcloudmtc.com/
For more information contact:
Liz Kramer (City staff) | elizabeth.kramer@ci.stcloud.mn.us | 320-255-7226
Partners:
Burnsville -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The regular transit service in Burnsville is the Metro Valley Transit Authority. When new businesses come to Burnsville, they must go through the PUD process. In this process, certain incentives may entice businesses to be located along bus routes, such as more flexibility in their parking lot designs, and green space requirements.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Sue Bast (City staff) | basts@ci.burnsville.mn.us | 952-895-4524
Partners:
Richfield -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The Comprehensive Plan identifies transit routes and calls for mixed use development (including medium-to-high-density residential) at the City's key commercial/transit nodes. The Zoning Code allows mixed use at the Penn Ave./66th St. commercial center and along the I-494 corridor (but not in the downtown area at Lyndale and 66th). The Code does not require housing projects at these locations to have a mixed use retail/office component.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Melissa Poehlman (City staff) | MPoehlman@richfieldmn.gov | 6128619766
Partners:
Saint Anthony -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
All of the redevelopment in the high density areas of St. Anthony are situated along transit corridors.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Jay Hartman (City staff) | jay.hartman@ci.saint-anthony.mn.us | 612-782-3314
Partners:
Sartell -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2016
Implementation details:
Sartell's Epic Center area is a cluster of commercial destinations off Highway 15. Metro Bus has a station at Epic Center which allows residents to take a bus to the St. Cloud transit Center in downtown St. Cloud. In addition to route 31 and 32 Metro Bus also provides dial a ride services to service areas in the Community that are not on or near a fixed route service. The City's Comprehensive Plan also alludes to increasing accessibility for public transportation. Goals include working with Metro Bus to coordinate capital improvement programs to ensure the agency is informed of activity generators impacting future service demand - see pages 10 and 11 from the Comprehensive Plan.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
For more information contact:
Nate Keller (City staff) | nate.keller@sartellmn.com | 320-258-7316
Partners:
Greenstep Advisor
Kristin Mroz, GreenStep Cities coordinator : 651-757-2793, kristin.mroz-risse@state.mn.us