Studies about Transit Oriented Development Around Bus Rapid Transit Systems in North America and Australia
Executive Summary: Many cities are promoting “transit-oriented development” (TOD) as a sustainable growth management strategy. At the same time, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is becoming increasingly popular as a flexible, cost-effective rapid transit mode. The purpose of this report is to provide examples of BRT-based TOD as a resource for policymakers, public agencies, and the development community. The report uses a case-based research methodology, examining four developed country cities characterized by high private car usage and significant TOD around their BRT corridor.
We found that the type and level of investment occurring near BRT stations appears comparable to the experience with TOD near rail transit. We also found that planning agencies generally made no distinction between BRT and rail in terms of its ability to attract TOD. Indeed, the public agencies and private developers we interviewed generally were enthusiastic about the potential of BRT to attract TOD, with many developers reporting that BRT has a “very positive” impact on their property values. Finally, there did not appear to be a direct correlation between the level of public investment in the BRT system and the level of private TOD investment. For example, one of the most significant TOD’s we observed is located on the ork Region’s VIVA BRT, which was the least infrastructure-intensive BRT analyzed. Keep reading..
