Title: New York City's Plans for Bus Rapid Transit as an Investment to Generate Economic Recovery
Abstract: Bus Rapid Transit is increased advocated by policymakers and researchers as a tool to improve transit efficiency and as a way of increasing ridership and the modal share for buses. In recent years, there have also been some attempts to also explore its potential to act as an anchor for denser, sustainable development and specifically as an anchor for transit oriented development (TOD). Yet very little quantitative evidence exists of the potential land use impacts of BRT. In this paper, the authors begin to address this by focusing on unused residential development capacity in proximity to New York City's proposed Select Bus Service (SBS) corridors that are due to come on line in the next half decade. The authors explore if there is a need for additional criteria in selecting SBS corridors, especially relevant in the context of Federal attempts to better coordinate local transportation and land use planning. The authors use geographic information system (GIS) tools to identify all residentially-zoned lots in New York City that were developed at less than 50% of their zoned capacity as of 2008 and compare these to 1/2 mile walking distance catchment areas around the proposed SBS corridors. The authors find significant unused capacity in these catchment areas; about 20% of lots are underdeveloped by our definition. This may highlight the need for policymakers to be cognizant of land use patterns when they are proposing transit improvement interventions. It may also create significant opportunities for City agencies to work together in response to the new Federal imperatives.
Publication Year: 2011
Publication Date: 2011-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 3
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