Know you market #2: DC commercial property incentives

In "Know your market" I commented on some pretty obvious disconnects between Utah and the products being hawked by some of the vendors.

Similarly, DC announces a tax freeze on downtown commercial space for "retail, grocery, or child care" ("D.C. launches ‘Office to Anything’ conversion tax incentive, commits millions," Washington Business Journal).

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has opened up the application window for a new program aimed at revitalizing obsolete offices in or near downtown, offering developers a 15-year property tax freeze to convert their properties largely to nonresidential uses.

The program, dubbed “Office to Anything,” could create up to 2.5 million square feet in repositioned property, according to Bowser, who shared details Monday evening with members of the Business Journal's Power 100 list of influential area leaders.

“Operators were saying, ‘Well, what about us? We don’t want to do housing. We think that we have a different and better idea for a particular building. Can you work with us?’ So, that’s what Office to Anything is about,” Bowser said.

Office to Anything means just that: entertainment, hotel, retail and beyond. The incentive could also be used to renovate outdated offices into trophy space, a segment of D.C.’s office market that faces high demand but low supply. The program locks in a building’s real property tax rate for 15 years, starting either the year after the conversion is complete, or if requested by an applicant, the tax year the conversion is finished.

If because of WFH downtown visitorship is half of what it was, there's no market for retail or child care, until in 10+ years, there's more housing (note: I worked on projects in DC that took 13 years or 20 years or more to come to fruition.

Note: I have to acknowledge that given the fall off in the commercial property market, the Executive Branch is desperate for anything.  And this incentive program will have some impact.  OTOH, desperate projects as a way to fill up space isn't much better.  

The right project in the right space is hard to achieve but worth the wait.

Bollards as a security measure in DC

I can't believe in the Eastern Market entry ("Eastern Market DC's 150th anniversary last weekend | And my unrealized master plan for the market") I forgot to mention a key security element as part of the transportation element. Retractable bollards at key entry points to the pedestrianized area.  I did list it in the comments once I remembered.

When I ran a farmers market in the Brookland neighborhood of DC, we narrowly missed having an incident by an older man who basically said he was above the rules.

Retractable hydraulic bollards in the Liverpool pedestrian district.

I was on the Eastern Market Community Advisory Council for 13 years, and for many of those years I brought this up, because of vehicle incidents in markets world-wide.  Although the first one, in Santa Monica was not a terrorist incident at all ("Case is closed on deadly day at market," Los Angeles Times).

The killings in New Orleans ("How New Orleans failed to protect Bourbon Street from attack, block by block," Washington Post) should remind every jurisdiction that does regular street closures for events to install high quality secure retractable bollards, to provide an extra level of protection against ever increasing vehicular terrorism.

City water outages happen too often

I never did write about Jackson, Mississippi's water crisis a few years, when the water treatment plant failed leaving the city's 150,000 residents high and dry (Jackson Water Crisis, NRDC).  The city is predominately black and the predominately white State Legislature stepped in in what could be considered racist ways ("The Jackson Water Crisis, the Complexity of Environmental Racism," NonProfit Quarterly). From the first citation:

The drinking water system in Jackson, Mississippi, has suffered from serious safety and reliability problems for decades. Residents have endured discolored water, low pressure, oily water, and water with floating particles. Jackson’s water previously had elevated lead levels, and its treatment plants have struggled to properly and consistently filter and disinfect the water. Despite recent attention from federal officials, including a lawsuit filed against the city of Jackson in late 2022, the water system’s problems have not been fully resolved. 

Aging infrastructure and climate change are partial causes, partly an issue of environmental justice ("Jackson water crisis: A legacy of environmental racism?," BBC).

There's no question that many water systems across the country have state of good repair needs far beyond their ability to raise funds to do the improvements.

Richmond, Virginia recently had problems with a flooded water treatment center, leading to supply problems and boil advisories ("Could city workers have stopped flooding at Richmond water treatment plant sooner? State health officials say yes," WRIC TV).

In shades of Flint Michigan, which ended up leaching lead into water after switching water suppliers without updating their chemical treatment formula, Richmond's water department hadn't replaced the part that led to the failure, for many years ("For 8 years, city put off replacement of part that caused water outage," "Read the documents: Problems with Richmond’s waterworks well-known before system collapse," Richmond Times-Dispatch).  From the first article:

Mayor Danny Avula on Thursday afternoon said that, during Monday’s power outage, the switchgear failed to automatically transfer the plant to its primary backup power source. Instead, Avula said, the plant diverted to a secondary, battery-powered source that lasted for only 45 minutes.

Officials also wanted to “replace … the existing controls in the … switchgear,” the records show.

That battery source died before power was restored to the facility, leaving valves stuck open and causing catastrophic flooding. Avula on Thursday said that the switchgear had functioned properly through many previous blackouts, but at the time he could not say, precisely, when the component had last been replaced. The solicitation issued by the city in October 2016, obtained by The Times-Dispatch, shows that officials sought “modification of the existing switchgear” to ensure it could "automatically operate” the facility.

And Prince George's and Montgomery Counties recently had water boil advisories because of an excess of broken water mains and other problems ("Water-use request lifted for Montgomery and Prince George’s counties," Washington Post).

In 2021, the Texas electricity blackouts led to water system failures too, because most didn't have backup power generators ("Texans now face a water crisis after enduring days without power," Texas Tribune).

Conclusions.  (1) a failure to plan; (2) lack of money to replace seriously aged infrastructure; (3) lack of a sense of urgency. (4) climate change.

Should transit on inauguration day be free (Reprint)

I wish I could score one of these special MetroCards.  This is likely one of the only times Trump's picture will feature in this blog.

Trying not to think about the coming presidency of Donald Trump, but this Washington Post article, "D.C. prepares for more than 200,000 inauguration visitors — and protesters," and others ("WMATA Inauguration service information," WMATA) reminded me.  And that it's worth revisiting this past blog entry, "Should transit on Inauguration Day be free? (Reprint),"

Note that this year, 2025: some stations will be closed within the National Mall area, and service will start at 4 am but "Everyone over the age of 5 needs a SmarTrip card to enter and exit stations"--which as I discuss below creates a throughput problem of great proportion.  

On the other hand, if there will be a maximum of 250,000 attendees, it won't be much of a problem to accommodate them.

========

The original post was from January 2, 2013, about 3 weeks before the Inauguration for President Obama's second term. 

The first Inauguration in 2009 was probably the absolute peak of success for WMATA, with more than one million subway riders that day--and it was about 6 months before the terrible crash at Fort Totten which killed nine people.

The latter, along with the opening of the Silver Line, seem to be the key events in marking the decline of the WMATA system in terms of service, operations, and ridership declines.

While WMATA probably can't successfully carry that many people today, it was a high point in the system's history and the points made below still pertain.

In short, I argue that for transportation demand and system management goals, transit in the DC area should be free on Inauguration Day.

Note that I considered listing this in the previous entry, but I don't think this should be paid for by the local jurisdictions and the transit agencies. Instead the cost should be covered by the Presidential Inauguration Committee.

The entry is edited slightly from the original.

======

Many transit authorities--San Francisco, Minneapolis, Madison, Reno, Long Beach, Edmonton, Milwaukee (paid for by Miller Beer, which was based in that city for decades), Calgary to mention a few--provide free transit during the night and into the wee hours of New Year's Eve, the idea being that it's better that people ride transit than drive drunk.

(This is separate from "Sober Ride" initiatives, such as in the DC region, where on New Year's Eve, inebriated patrons can get free taxi rides--up to $30.)

Seeing this piece in the Post, "Tour bus operators fret that passengers may have a hike to presidential inauguration," about procedures for charter bus management during the Inauguration, thinking about witnessing charter bus drop off for other "special events" at outlying stations such as in Greenbelt, and thinking about yesterday, makes me wonder if as part of special event management:

Perhaps transit service on the WMATA system should be free the day of the Inauguration Parade?, in this case Monday January 21st, 2013.

This would speed throughput, increase safety (in 2009 crowds exceeded the capacity of some stations and to move people through station managers just opened the gates and let people in for free--see "Mall east of 14th St. reaches capacity," this piece lists hour by hour rider counts for the subway up to 11am, from WTOP, the after action report from MWCOG, and comments in this Post article "Metro Ridership Tops 1 Million, Shattering Record"), and minimize confusion.  (Also see "Metro approves expanded Inauguration Day  service, fees" from the Post.)

The system isn't really designed to move through hundreds of thousands of people in a relatively short time window--mechanical chokepoints at fare machines and fare gates slow operations significantly--especially when a bulk of the riders are unfamiliar with using transit.

So don't charge individuals (and charge the Inauguration Committee to cover the lost revenue) in order to reduce the crush on the system by not having to use those trip-slowing mechanical components.

Making transit free on Inauguration Day will speed throughput, which is a desirable benefit in terms of facilitating mobility and reducing "friction."


Transit Throughput Delays 

1.  Buying farecards.   In 2009 we left town to be away from Inauguration madness--although the madness didn't really makes it way up to where we live--and at the Priory Inn in Pittsburgh, we were talking to some people on their way to DC for the Inauguration.

I said the biggest thing they should do is have the guy's daughter (who lived somewhere in Northern Virginia) buy them loaded transit passes, because the biggest delay in getting on is dealing with people buying transit tickets, and being flummoxed trying to figure out how to use the fare machine(s).

I don't know what the throughput is per hour for the fare machines, but it can't be much better than 1.5 people/minute.

That's with (uncrumpled) cash.  It's even slower when using credit cards.

I joke that the blue machines--where you are supposed to indicate how much money you want on a card--which are more difficult to use, draw the inexperienced like moths to light.  And they are the only machines that take credit cards.

Left: Greenbelt Station on the day of a protest, full of people being dropped off by tour buses, and being shepherded to Downtown DC via the Metro (2005).

2.  Getting through faregates.  The gates open and close for each patron.  The throughput per gate is just a few people per minute.

3.  Congested station entryways (foyers).  Station foyers in many stations are small, and the combination of lines at the farecard machines and lines at the fare gates can overcrowd the stations very quickly.

4.  Paying when entering a bus.  Similarly, delays on buses mount with long lines, and each person having to pay upon entry, either with cash or with a Smart Card.  Paying transit fares in cash on the bus will significantly slow movement of the bus--and it costs at least 6 cents/second to operate a bus.

Mobility planning for special events in the National Capital (demonstrations and other events on the National Mall)

Note that special event mobility planning for events held on the National Mall is in need of a reboot.

See "A broken record on transportation demand management planning, this time with regard to special events."  But in that blog entry, from 2010, I didn't suggest free transit as a way to cope.

Right: crowd waiting for buses (because of a subway system breakdown).

SF MUNI:  Free transit on agency's 100th anniversary. Note that I am probably being influenced by how SF MUNI didn't charge for transit on their 100th anniversary.  See "Free Muni for…everyone…for a day" from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Free transit on bad air days.  Also, places with strict Air Quality Management requirements often provide free transit on days when air quality is particularly poor, as a way to discourage driving (although I doubt that providing free transit on those days shifts that many people from driving).  More recently, Paris has been forced to do this in an attempt to address air quality ("Paris makes all public transport free in battle against 'worst air pollution for 10 years': Temporary measures also include allowing only cars with odd-numbered licence plates to use roads," Independent; "Madrid's Bold New Pollution Plan: Ban Cars and Make Transit Free," CityLab).

There are some special event transportation planning resources out there, but even they may be insufficiently creative.

-- Special Event Transportation Service Planning and Operations Strategies for Transit
-- for the road network, National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 309: Transportation Planning and Management for Special Events
-- Managing Travel for Planned Special Events (FHWA training course)
-- National Special Security Events: Transportation Planning for Planned Special Events

Left: JANUARY 20, 2009: Spectators sit in trash and debris along the National Mall after the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. Obama became the first African-American to be sworn in as president in the history of the United States. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)

The latter report specifically discusses Presidential Inaugurations, and with the Inauguration of President Obama in 2009, for the first time the Federal Government made some funds available to local jurisdictions for costs, including transit-related, incurred as a result of supporting the event. From the report:

For example, Congress allocated funding to state and local agencies in Virginia following the 56th Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama, for security (police, fire), transportation (transit buses), and other services (environmental services, parks and cultural resources, and human services). In the event that Congress appropriates funds to reimburse agencies for their NSSE costs, detailed documentation of that cost data will be necessary. The January 20, 2009, inauguration of President Barack Obama used NSSE funding of $15 million for “emergency planning and security costs.”

Additionally, for the same inauguration, then President George W. Bush declared a state of emergency for the District of Columbia, which authorized the federal government to reimburse the District for emergency preparedness activities and expenditures that exceeded $15 million.

BUT, the report does not suggest providing free transit as a way to reduce congestion, speed transit throughput, and manage crowds.

MWCOG after action report

Although the report did mention that some stations closed the entryways due to platform overcrowding, the report didn't significantly review WMATA experiences as reported in the media and comments on articles in social media.  The report doesn't state that at some stations operators opened the faregates to reduce overcrowding as the lines bunched up, and it didn't identify systematically various chokepoints and bottlenecks within transit system processes including those listed above.

And while the report didn't comment on general throughput issues with regard to WMATA inside stations and buses, it does suggest not charging for parking at transit stations, as a way to increase station throughput and to reduce traffic congestion waiting to get through the entry gates.  (On special event days, it would be useful to have signage providing real-time data on parking space availability.)

Conclusion

1.  Don't charge for transit on the day of the Presidential Inauguration, let there be free transit for the day.

2.  Still charge for parking at transit stations, as free parking would just fill up fast anyway and more quickly (witness what happened at stations near the Redskins Stadium before WMATA started charging for weekend parking at those stations).  But plan to manage the road congestion and somehow provide some real-time information about parking availability at those stations.

3.  And for that day only, have the capacity to accept cash for parking at transit stations.

(Ideally, WMATA could have real-time parking availability information systems, but the reality is that except for a couple times each year, there isn't financial justification for providing this kind of system.)

4.  While this entry focuses on WMATA, free transit service should also be provided on that day by DC Circulator, RideOn, DASH, ART, The Bus (PG County), and Fairfax Connector.  Again, it should be paid for by the Presidential Inauguration Committee and/or the Federal Government.

Know your market

Utah has the lowest incidence of smoking of any state, because of the dictum against tobacco use on the part of the LDS church, which dominates the state.  Speedway, once owned by Marathon, now 7-11, promotes its cigarettes as the lowest price in town.

The Mormons also have potentially the blandest palate in the U.S.  I joke about "Utah hot" versus "hot" when it comes to spicy foods.  The dish at St. Marks Hospital that I thought was restaurant quality, gets the most complaints for being too spicy.

Houston TX Hot Chicken is a food chain brand owned by private equity, one of those companies that owns multiple brands.  They had a different chicken banner here, but changed it to "hot chicken."  Whenever I look in the windows of the store, it seems empty.  I imagine it will remain so.  I wonder what will replace it.

Salt Lake City's 9th and 9th neighborhood.

In both instances, I suppose the firms could be aiming for a strategy of control of the market/dominance--all the paltry sales of cigarettes that exist in Salt Lake City, and an urban market with a greater diversity of population than the state majority Mormons, who may like spicy food disproportionately.

Los Angeles wildfires

Speechless.  It's covered elsewhere far better than I could ever hope to do.  Suzanne, from SoCal, knows people whose houses have been leveled, life's work lost.

2.  The disinformation about why the wildfires started is similar to the disinformation the Murdoch media pushes in Australia to discredit climate change theories.

3.  I didn't understand high winds til I came to Utah.  Sometimes we experience ongoing winds of 70mph or more.  In fire conditions this spreads embers beyond firebreaks, and also significantly speeds spread.

4.  Yes, areas prone to fire, and/or difficult to respond to, should not be built upon.

Is DC screwed economically because of Trump and the Republicans? Probably.

 I'd say yes.  Moving agencies and firing employees reduces the demand for office space and housing in DC proper.  The growth in the federal government after 9/11 definitely benefited the city in terms of residents, even though much of the business of cybersecurity is in the suburbs.

-- "High anxiety: What losing 100,000 federal jobs could mean for the local economy," Washington Business Journal

Although in his first term he was successful in doing this with only a couple agencies, even though it came with crippling those agencies in terms of talent unwilling to locate, especially the USDA's Economic Research Service moving to Kansas City, but also BLM to Grand Junction, Colorado.

Although this has been a problem for the last couple decades, as Republicans have been uninterested in investing in federal agencies, especially those located in DC proper.  Plus the Maryland and Virginia delegations constantly aiming to move agencies to their jurisdictions.

From the article:

But one of the potentially most destabilizing and long-term changes would be if the soon-to-be president follows through on his goal to reduce federal employment in this region — a bedrock of the local economy where roughly one in 11 people work directly for the federal government and many more work as contractors.

Some 370,000 people across D.C., suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia are federal employees. Federal civilian employment in D.C. alone is 162,144 as of December — more than any other U.S. territory or state, according to data from the Congressional Research Service. Roughly 27% of wage and salary income earned in D.C. is from federal work, said Erica Williams, executive director of the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute.

...Trump and allies from his incoming administration have said they’d like to cut spending on federal employment. That includes relocating roughly 100,000 jobs out of the high-cost D.C. region to states with lower cost of living and possibly closing some agencies altogether, such as the Department of Education. Some of his inner circle such as those leading the Department of Government Efficiency are also looking into consolidating agencies that regulate banks, according to The Wall Street Journal.

,,, It’s likely there would be multiple layers of challenges to any attempt by Trump to drastically reduce the federal workforce in Washington or elsewhere. He would need congressional approval in order to shut down an agency. A vote that would have eliminated the Department of Education failed to garner the needed 60 votes to pass in the Senate in 2023.

Uncertainty won't help either.  People will decide not to take government jobs.  It will definitely reduce office demand regardless.  It's hard to say about the residential market.  Many 10,000s of jobs would have to be eliminated to make a difference, especially since housing demand remains greater than supply.  This will have long term negative impact on "talent attraction".

Don't forget the multiplier effect.  Each primary job generates additional support jobs.  I don't know what the multiplier effect is for "paper pushers" (information coordination) versus doing jobs.  For example one economist estimates for "innovation jobs," the multiplier effect is 5 ("The Multiplier Effect of Innovation Jobs," Sloan Management Review).

Diversifying DC's Economy.  For a long time and for obvious reasons DC has been focused on the federal government as its primary economic engine, along with the trade associations, law firms, lobbyists, and related groups that seek benefits, provide services, etc.

DC proper needs to continue to focus on diversifying its economy.  I've written before that the government functions in the city proper tend to be information coordination, not doing, which has less positive impact.  E.g., when Obamacare was created DC economic planners said well, we can do electronic health records as a cluster etc. (note that the big player in health care is the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services which is based in Baltimore).  But health informatics isn't part of what HHS proper does.

Military.  In the past, I've mentioned how the area economy is divided into military related and not military related  ("The East-West Divide | DC area regional economic development: anchors and where they are placed matter + airports | But military spending matters the most," 2021).  NoVA has a stronger economy because it is more centered on the military..  The strong IT cluster is broader than the military, but is still heavily focused on it. 

Engineering/Higher education.  DC should work to leverage the higher education institutions in the city, especially around engineering ("Naturally occurring innovation districts | Technology districts and the tech sector,"), but they haven't really done it.  For example, comparably to how Bloomberg created the Cornell Tech initiative in NYC ("Cornell Tech’s economic impact on NYC to double by 2030," Cornell Chronicle, "Better leveraging higher education institutions in cities and counties: Greensboro; Spokane; Mesa; Phoenix; Montgomery County, Maryland; Washington, DC,"). From the Cornell article:

A new analysis finds that Cornell Tech, its alumni and its 115 startups achieved $768 million in total economic impact and supported 2,800 jobs in New York City in the 2023-24 fiscal year.

According to the report, from economic development firm HR&A Advisors, Cornell Tech is projected to generate $1.5 billion in annual economic impact while supporting 7,000 jobs by 2030, affirming its reputation as the most effective economic development project undertaken by city government in recent decades.

“New York City has been a consistent draw for ambitious and intelligent people from around the world,” said Greg Morrisett, the Jack and Rilla Neafsey Dean and Vice Provost of Cornell Tech. “Cornell Tech has created a novel academic and entrepreneurial environment that brings new tech talent to the city who go on to become industry leaders and builders who are driving our city’s workforce and technology industry.

Corporate headquarters recruitment.  Before covid I thought the city could compete for "back to the city" corporate headquarters, but those still seem to be focused in the DC area on the suburbs, e.g., Boeing or Hilton ("Could bringing premier regionally headquartered business enterprises to the Pennsylvania Avenue Corridor be key to its renewal and revitalization?").

Health education and biotechnology.  In the series about better leveraging health care east of the river, the second piece was repositioning St. Elizabeths campus as a center for biotechnology research and graduate health education ("Part Two: Creating a graduate health and biotechnology research initiative on the St. Elizabeths campus"), but learning more about what happened in Ann Arbor, after Pfizer closed its research center there, made me realize that it's a lot easier "to start from the ground up" when you already have products in the pipeline   ("How the closure of a Pfizer research center in Ann Arbor, Michigan led to the development of a more robust and independent biotech sector").  Children's Hospital got a portion of the Walter Reed campus to do this kind of research too, but I haven't heard much about it since.

Maglev as a way to rebrand the Central Business District.  I also argued that maglev to the central business district could be a way to strengthen the appeal of locating business in Washington, but the city government was oppositional (""DC, Transformational Projects Action Planning, and the Baltimore-Washington Maglev project"). 

In short, many opportunities but few taken. 

Bait and switch in Philadelphia: 76ers basketball team won't move to Downtown, will remain in South Philly

An arena supporter is in the chamber Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 as opponents are on the floor before City Council is scheduled to give final approval to the Sixers arena during its regular meeting. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

It's been more than a year that the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team has been pursuing a relocation to downtown, modeled after the Wizards in DC and the Celtics in Boston.  

The City Council just approved the move, and inducements, even after recognizing some serious deleterious effects on Chinatown and SEPTA, the transit agency ("City Council gives final approval to the 76ers’ Center City arena proposal," "Inside the 76ers arena agreement approved by Philly City Council members", Philadelphia Inquirer).

I was somewhat supportive, because I think it's better to have such uses downtown and proximate to high quality transit like the Knicks in Manhattan and the Nets in Brooklyn (and yes, the teams in DC and Boston).  

I think Chinatown has a lot more realizable strength than it realizes because it is still a destination for first generation immigrants, while in DC, first generation Asian immigrants move directly to the Virginia suburbs ("Richard's Rules for Restaurant (Food) Based Revitalization, Salt Lake City and DC's Chinatown").

But now the 76ers have announced they're not moving ("The 76ers have struck a deal with Comcast Spectacor to stay in South Philly and abandon plans for a Center City arena," PI).

Was this bait and switch to get a better deal from Comcast, the owner the complex where the 76ers play?

In any case, the city should negotiate for better transit connections for the Wells Fargo Center.

And given that Macy's has just announced they'll be closing their store in Downtown Philadelphia ("What we know about the Macy's closing in Center City," PI), it's clear that the City needs a new plan for energizing Downtown, Market Street East.

I was thinking that they could try to recruit Boscov's Department Store, which is based in Reading, Pennsylvania and still has stores in downtowns, but serves the Philadelphia area through suburban stores in PA and NJ, or Von Maur, which is based in Iowa, but recently opened a store in the Pittsburgh suburbs ("Pennsylvania's first Von Maur department store opens in South Hills Village," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).   Nordstrom's doesn't seem interested in new downtown locations.

It's a stretch, I know, but large center city downtowns can still be places where department stores focused on experiential marketing, can be successful.

Winter snow clearance in the Walking City

A bicycle path cleared of snow in Sweden.  Reddit photo.

I used to write yearly about this, focusing on how the sustainable mobility centric city needs snow removal policies that co-equally privilege walking, biking and transit users, not just the motor vehicle parts of roads.

Moving to Salt Lake City-one of Utah's marketing slogans is "the best snow on earth"--is that ironically it doesn't snow that much in the city.  Most of the city is flat, in the valley.  The northeast sections (I live in part there), do get more snow, but it truly varies--one mile east closer to the mountains gets 2x or 3x the amount of snow we do.  Often, within a couple days the snow melts off our driveway anyway.

Of course, the mountain canyons get much more snow than Salt Lake, have avalanche threats, etc.

The city stays on top of road snow clearance, most households shovel their sidewalks, and I don't know what the city does for separated bike lanes--which aren't close to my house, and these days I am unable to bike anyway.

An intrepid bicyclist riding on a snowy road towards Georgetown, DC.  Reddit photo.

A Reddit thread complains about the quality of snow removal in DC ("Has DC's snow removal gone downhill? "), and it covers some of the same issues that got me writing those posts starting in 2009 (also my experience then working as a bicycle and pedestrian planner for Baltimore County).  

Back then it was Mayor Fenty's Administration that failed.  Surprisingly or not so surprisingly, the Reddit thread focus is on the roads--but then even pedestrians use them, especially when sidewalks aren't cleared.

I did find that my yearly "complaints" about the issue led to year-by-year-improvements.  DDOT even swiped a photo I reprinted from the Boston Globe on the topic.  But I'm not there now... GGW focuses on "snecks" but not the overall problem of snow removal in the Walking-Biking-Transit City ("Snow reveals excess roadway").

The condition of State Line Road following the previous day’s snowstorm on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. The Missouri side on the right, Kansas side on the left. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com  

The Kansas City Star has an article, "Kansas City overhauled its approach to snow removal. Blizzard response shows some payoff," about how the Kansas City Missouri (the Kansas side isn't doing too well with the same snowstorm) has transformed its business processes for staying on top of snow clearance, and it's a good model for other jurisdictions.

-- "Snow, winter and the "Sustainable Mobility City"," (2019)

-- "A "maintenance of way" agenda for the walking and transit city," 2010
-- "Snow reminds us of the necessity of a "maintenance of way" agenda," 2013
-- "Testimony on the Winter Sidewalk Safety Amendment Act of 2011," 2011
-- "Level of service and maintenance requirements in planning #2: winter maintenance of bike paths," 2012
-- "Night-time safety: rethinking lighting in the context of a walking community," 2014
-- "Planning for Winter Weather," 2015
-- "Cataloging the various failures to remove snow in the walking/transit/bicycling city," 2015
-- "Who knew?: there is a Winter Cycling Federation and annual conference," 2015 -- the upcoming Congress is in Montreal, February 8th-10th, 2017
-- "Focusing on what's most important: snow on sidewalks or snow on cars?," 2016
-- "Winter preparedness, planning and the Walking/Biking/Transit City," 2019
-- "Walking City Wintertime: Snow and strollers in Toronto," 2019

MOW is a term used by railroads.   And "transit city" as an urban form encompasses sustainable modes of transportation--walking, biking, and transit--based on the concepts expressed in "Transportation and Urban Form: Stages in the Spatial Evolution of the American Metropolis" by Peter Muller.

Edmonton: Winter City Strategy, Winter City Design Guidelines.  Given how much of its climate is during winter, Edmonton, Alberta has developed plans to address this.  

The strategy has four elements– Winter Life, Winter Design, Winter Economy, and Our Winter Story.

• webpage
• FOR THE LOVE OF WINTER: Winter City Strategy Implementation Plan
• Winter Design Strategy
• Winter City Design Guidelines: Transforming Edmonton into a Great Winter City

And it's worth rementioning the Winter Cycling Federation.

Different smaller housing types other than large apartments

Micro-apartments.   The Boston Globe ("Micro-apartments will become a cost-effective solution for renters — eventually"), reports on the provision of small apartments in the city, 450 s.f. or less, with kitchens and community amenities.  They are a form of what used to be called SRO, or Single Room Occupancy housing, but flashier.  (Also see this BG article from 2015, "Developers, city hope tiny apartments will keep families in Boston").

From the current article:

The idea of living in a micro-unit, or an apartment roughly less than 400 square feet, might send some renters heading for the wide-open spaces of the suburbs. But for others, a small, manageable, and ideally affordable living space would make living closer to downtown feel more approachable. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s the affordability piece that Bostonians are still seeking.

In 2016, the city’s Housing Innovation Lab rolled out a traveling model apartment called the Urban Housing Unit, or UHU. At 385 square feet, this micro-apartment traveled to eight neighborhoods across the city, showing Bostonians what life in such a small space could look like. During its tour, the Housing iLab gathered feedback from roughly 2,000 residents to help draft guidelines for a compact living program.

... “We worked with the city of Boston to create these compact-living regulations that changed the [square footage] downward and basically made it so that it was more like an open-ended thing,” Roy said. “You had to just show it to the Boston Planning Department, go through the design, and make sure that you fulfilled certain requirements — there’s some storage, there’s a decent kitchen, there’s a place to put your bed, and there’s a certain amount of light and air.”

... Six years later, micro-units have proliferated throughout Boston — like the ones for rent at Micropolis in Beacon Hill and the studios at Troy Boston in the South End — but they aren’t quite nailing the goal of UHU yet. That’s because many of the micro-apartments for rent today aren’t exactly affordable. A 250-square-foot unit at Micropolis, for example, fetches more than $2,000 per month.

 ... Smaller homes can present advantages, too. Though there’s a shortage of space, there’s also less cleaning and maintenance to be done, Salpoglou said. Utility bills will be smaller, and you’ll likely be buying less “stuff,” like furniture, accessories, and things that might constitute clutter. “There’s no question there’s an added benefit to them,” he said.

... It’s the kind of project Roy thinks could benefit Boston, along with more cohousing models. Both would serve demographics like workforce singles and couples, graduate students, single parents, divorcées, the elderly, artists, and recent immigrants, which make up many of the groups currently priced out of Boston’s housing stock. 

“There has to be a way for the city and the state to subsidize nonprofit development to do this,” Roy said. “It’s necessary for the workforce — for people who don’t make $100,000 a year and just need a place to live.”

What I think's interesting about the initiative is the prototyping they did.  There definitely is a need to extend the range of housing choices available to people, especially singles.  Cost of new housing is an issue, so subsidy might be required.   And it is a way to add "gentle density" to a community, especially if such buildings are built in areas with good transit and other amenities.

Two adjacent rowhouses on Chapin Street NW were combined and renovated to form the first Cohabs building in D.C. There is no signage to suggest that the building is different from the other houses on the block. (Aaron Wiener/The Washington Post)

Co-living.  In "Can 35 roommates cure loneliness? This co-living housing firm thinks so," the Washington Post discusses a firm opening a more expensive of group housing that they call co-housing.  From the article:

Brussels-based Cohabs is buying up properties in D.C. with the aim of converting them into “co-living” spaces, where as many as 36 housemates will share common areas, events and — according to the firm’s marketing — a cure for urban loneliness.

The company opened its first D.C. house last month. The property, formerly two adjacent rowhouses in Columbia Heights, has been turned into a warren of 36 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, two full kitchens, six kitchenettes and two roof decks.

Cohabs has purchased five other properties in D.C. and is aiming for more. In 2025, the company plans to buy a building a month, according to U.S. managing director Daniel Clark. “We could go pretty quickly to 500 beds, and I think 1,000 beds is possible,” Clark said.

... Those rents include cleaning services, utilities, periodic group breakfasts and events, a full-size bed and other furnishings, and basic communal supplies such as toilet paper, soap and olive oil. 

According to the article, other firms offer a similar kind of experiential housing elsewhere in the city, while the WeLive spin off from WeWork failed. 

It does seem like a good way to add housing density without new construction or teardowns of existing historic building stock.  It extends the range of housing types available--not everyone wants their own apartment.  The programming is a nice touch for people more interested in experiences.

The New York Times article refers to co-living as "dorms for adults," ("As Housing Costs Soar, Co-Living Makes a Comeback").

Co-housing.  I was confused at first, thinking they were calling it co-housing.  I've visited the co-housing development in Takoma DC.  The building is U shaped, with separate attached buildings, like rowhouses, with a commonspace in the middle including kitchen, dining, and other facilities.  But each housing unit has its own facilities: kitchen, washer and dryer ("There’s Community and Consensus. But It’s No Commune," New York Times).  

But the intent, like the Cohabs version, is to promote interaction, which isn't necessarily the case with group housing, unless people already know each other.  From the NYT article, "Modern Housing With Village Virtues":

Louise Dunlap, 78, has rented a studio apartment in a nine-unit cohousing community for the last six years. “Interdependence,” she says, “goes beyond turning the compost and fixing the washing machine. I get a chance to share meals and deep conversations. There’s a kind of love that grows out of these connections — not romantic love, not family love, but something about our common humanity. I wish everyone could experience this.”

The problem with co-housing is that the first wave of residents are fully committed, while tenants are replaced individually as units go up for sale, and new residents don't necessarily have the same commitment.  Another problem is financing the building in the first place ("They Took a Chance on Collaborative Living. They Lost Everything," NYT).

Co-operatives.  There are two types of co-operative housing.  One is more communal, the other has separate apartments or buildings, with zero focus on co-living.   For example, in Ann Arbor, there are a large number of communal co-ops serving as a form of student housing.  They prepare common meals, at least for dinner, using an in-building commercial kitchen, and have joint spaces for living, with individual small rooms and shared bathrooms.  Rather than jobbing out cleaning etc. like the co-living spaces, the residents do this collectively.

Single Room Occupancy ("Single-room rentals in America's housing ecosystem," Niskanen Center, Single Room Occupancy Task Force Report, Hennepin County).  Units were significantly smaller than co-living options, with a size of 80 to 140 s.f. on average, with shared restrooms and a living room.  Rooms often had a small kitchenette with a hot plate, not a full stove.  

Many cities have seen a small rebirth of the SRO type as a way to address homelessness.

Boarding houses.  A variant of SROs was boarding houses, which included dinner for sure and maybe breakfast.

The most momentous transportation story of 2025 has already occurred: imposition of NYC's congestion zone

We know about congestion zones from cities like London and Stockholm, where motor vehicle operators pay a toll charge for entering the city core.  London has an additional ultra low emissions zone too.

A few years ago, NYC had considered creating one, but the state stopped them.  They've been studying the issue for some time, a date was set ("A $15 toll to drive into part of New York has been approved, a first for a U.S. city," AP) and the Governor of New York stopped this iteration as well ("L.A. hoped to learn from NYC’s congestion pricing rollout. Now what?," Los Angeles Times) for fear it could swing votes to Republicans, only to go on to agree after the election.  From Bloomberg article "NYC Congestion Pricing Takes Effect After Years of Delays":

Then, a tolling structure had to be created. Rates needed to be high enough to discourage driving and shift motorists to public transit, but not so burdensome that they crippled local businesses and the broader economy. About three weeks before the plan was supposed to start last June, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said an initial $15 charge was too large and paused its launch.

Congestion pricing scanners above First Avenue at East 60th Street in Midtown Manhattan on Sunday morning. Drivers will be tolled via E-ZPass or license plate readers. Credit: Karsten Moran for The New York Times

The fees, which will support the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYC Subway and buses, LIRR and Metro-North trains), went into effect yesterday, January 6th ("What New York’s congestion charge could teach the rest of America," Economist).

The scheme is modelled partly on that of London, where since 2003 a daily charge (currently £15, or $19) has reduced the number of cars, improved air quality and funded transit upgrades. New York’s version costs $9 for most drivers (with different rates for lorries and low-income New Yorkers). The zone includes Manhattan’s central business district, south of 61st Street, and most of the roads, tunnels and bridges that connect surrounding areas (see map). The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the city’s transport system and some suburban lines, hopes that the scheme will reduce traffic in these areas by 10-20% (traffic in central London fell by 18% in the first year). Revenues from the congestion charge are earmarked for much-needed improvements to New York’s ageing subway and other public-transport systems.

Also see:

-- "New York first US city to have congestion charge," BBC
-- "New York City Welcomes Congestion Pricing With Fanfare and Complaints," New York Times
-- "Here’s why no one escapes NYC’s controversial congestion toll — not even locals without cars," New York Post
-- "First in nation zone toll designed to raise $1 billion per year in NYC," Clark County Today
-- "NYC congestion pricing program has launched, tolling drivers entering 60th Street and below in Manhattan," Newsday
-- "The Funniest and Most Notable Reactions to Congestion Pricing," New York Magazine

I'm surprised there is an overnight toll, since traffic then is significantly reduced.

Congestion pricing sign along the westbound Long Island Expressway approaching Van Dam Street in Queens on Sunday. Credit: Newsday/James Carbone

Effect on central business district, will businesses relocate to areas outside of the congestion zone? While I agree theoretically in this form of transportation demand management, and not only does it reduce congestion but has positive effects on the environment, I do worry that post-covid, where the office market has been so diminished, that a congestion toll could accentuate negative effects on the city's central business district.

When your CBD doesn't have much competition a congestion zone toll is less of a worry vis a vis competition for commercial activity.

New York Post graphic.

State of New Jersey against.  NJ fought the toll because they argued it would disproportionately affect their citizens ("Greenlight for congestion pricing as judge rules against New Jersey," Newsday).  Surburbanites don't like it either.  From the Toronto Star article:

Siemiatycki also acknowledged that road pricing is an unpopular idea in suburban areas while taking off road tolls, expanding highway networks and cutting bike lanes have “an effective political wedge.” “We do have to acknowledge that the approach that they’re following is popular. The problem is it hasn’t been effective. I mean congestion has gotten worse during their six years in office,” Siemiatycki said. “It might be good policy, but it’s not good politics,” he said.

Could a NYC congestion toll also support transit network improvements between NJ and NYC, not just NYC?  OTOH, I wish that the congestion toll would also be used to improve NJ-related transit such as: (1) extension of at least one NYC subway line into NJ; (2) building a subway on Bergenline Avenue; (3) creation of fixed rail transit from NJ to Staten Island; (4) working to merge NJ Transit trains with Metro North and LIRR trains to have through running trains, improving the system overall; (5) investments in PATH; etc.

A congestion zone for DC?  People suggest a congestion zone for DC and it has been mentioned in documents by the City's' DOT.  But especially since covid, and transit usage is less than half of what it was before, that there are too many other competitive districts: Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, Tysons, the I-70 corridor; etc., for the city to go it alone.  Especially since the Republican federal government will aim to further reduce the number of agencies and workers in DC.

Maybe if the fee also supported other transportational improvements, not just serving DC, it could work.  E.g., merging VRE and MARC, having MARC service in Montgomery County be bi-directional, etc.

World class cities as examples for others: will NYC's congestion charge lead to such an adoption elsewhere.  I suppose there are many such articles, but I found three, about the possibility of their cities imposing congestion fees, emboldened by the action in NYC.

-- "Jammed and polluted Mumbai needs congestion fee, a la NYC: Experts," Times of India
-- "New York City has imposed a congestion charge on drivers entering Manhattan. Should Toronto follow suit?," Toronto Star

I have a line that "world class cities don't just take, they give," in that when they adopt best practice it empowers other places to do something similar.  This goes with London with the congestion charge, even though it was preceded by Stockholm in Europe and Singapore.  Similarly, Paris wasn't the first city to adopt bicycle sharing, but it was the first study to introduce it on a huge scale, which empowered other cities to adopt bicycle sharing as well.

Toronto the Better series: Toronto Star

 (It will take a few months, but I am working on a piece about social infrastructure and community cohesion that goes beyond the library as a hub.)

The Toronto Star has introduced the Toronto the Better initiative ("It’s time to make Toronto better. For the sake of the city — and for all of us").  Under Mayor John Tory, his approach was one of austerity, not taxing enough to keep up with inflation, let alone new needs, or investment in declining public assets.

Laughingly, last election he said he was the solution to people's complaints about a declining city ("Brutal performance art criticism of Toronto's Mayor, John Tory, and his "austerity" agenda").  He did get reelected, but stepped down soon after when it was disclosed he had an affair.  

Mayor-elect Olivia Chow cycles with a peloton of supporters down Bay Street to Nathan Phillips Square ahead of her swearing in. Steve Russell / Toronto Star 

Olivia Chow won the special election ("Most Torontonians say life in the city is getting worse. Here’s how Olivia Chow can help change that," Star). She's a transportational cyclist ("Olivia Chow rides her bike to her first day as Toronto's mayor").

According to the article launching the Better initiative:

That’s why I’m excited to announce the Star’s major initiative for 2025: Toronto the Better — an ambitious, optimistic and constructive series exploring how we can improve the quality of life in this city, both collectively and individually. Our problems are well known; it’s time we start talking about solutions.

... Many readers have told me they want more uplifting, solutions-focused journalism. That’s exactly what Toronto the Better will deliver. Over the next year, we’ll draw from psychology and sociology research, best practices in urban planning and the lived experiences of Torontonians to find ways to make our city — and our lives — better. I’m hopeful we’ll not only inform, but also inspire. 

We’re kicking off the series today by focusing on purpose and meaning, starting with the benefits of giving back. As you make your New Year’s resolutions, I urge you to consider adding volunteering to your list. It’s not just an opportunity to help the community — it’s also one of the most impactful ways to improve your own well-being. Throughout the year, we’ll highlight the people and organizations making a difference in Toronto and share volunteering opportunities that can inspire real change. Even if just a handful of readers take up this challenge, it will be worth it — but imagine the impact if thousands did.

Interestingly, this series seems to be the flip side of an earlier campaign, "Can't We Do Better," spearheaded by City Hall columnist Edward Keenan ("Trashy litter bins, decrepit transit, cancelled swimming lessons: Toronto, can’t we do better? The stories in the Star series").

The new campaign takes on a more positive spin.

DC Circulator service shuts down

The service shut down with the new year ("Round and round one last time: The final day of the D.C. Circulator," Washington Post).

I was a fan of the original, a comfortable more sporty red and silver Van Hool bus.  And the service from Downtown to Georgetown/Rosslyn and eventually around the National Mall ("New DC Circulator route serving National Mall reminds us that we are neglecting connections from west to east and fail to adequately connect Georgetown to the National Mall") made theoretical sense.

Later, because people wanted the sporty red and silver buses to serve their neighborhoods, various additional lines were added.

But ridership, in reality was abysmal.

-- "Lies, damn lies, and misleading data: bus service (DC Circulator)," (2023)
-- "Throwing up my hands and the "Anacostia" "Circulator"," (2010)

For years they hadn't been reporting data by bus line--there are six.  Obviously it's because most of the lines have minimal ridership.   This is from a blog entry, "Semi-reprint: Methodology for determining transit expansion" from 2014:

DC Circulator ridership per day
High and low service months (2013 data)

Route	Ridership Peak	Month	Ridership Low	Month
Georgetown-Union Station	6,600	June	5,500	February
Woodley Park-McPherson	5,060	February	4,000	November
Union Station-Navy Yard	1,700	July	900	November
Rosslyn-Dupont Circle	2,750	July	2,550	October
Potomac Ave.-Skyland	1,650	September	1,150	November

I had no idea that the ridership of these various bus lines was so pathetic. I knew they were bad mostly, but I had no idea how low the ridership is--other than the fact that I look at every Circulator bus that I pass and judge the amount of ridership on that particular bus, and most cases, except Downtown-Georgetown and sometimes on 14th Street, the number of riders appears to be minimal.

Flickr photo by Elvert Barnes.

This year the city decided to cancel the Circulator overall out of budget concerns.  I don't remember the exact number, but it cost a fair amount, needed many millions for new equipment and had a maximum farebox revenue of about $2 million.

The benefit-cost relationship was way out of wack.

Of course, most transit advocates wanted to keep the service ("The Circulator’s death doesn’t have to leave riders, workers stranded. Transfer services to WMATA," GGW).  By comparison, high ridership Metrobus lines in DC, at least before the pandemic, was 12,000 to 30,000 riders per day.

An economic development "transformational projects action plan" for Greater Wichita

While preparing a set of entries celebrating next month's 20th anniversary of the blog, I came across this entry from 2020, which I didn't quite finish.

Note that while the entry mentions the failure of the Boeing 737MAX as an issue in their aerospace sector, it's gotten worse ("Boeing’s woes mean rising anxiety in Wichita, Kansas, the 'Air Capital of the World'," NPR, "Troubled Boeing is absorbing Spirit with the Wichita economy in the balance," Wichita Beacon, "New Boeing CEO wants to keep defense work in Wichita after touring facility, Moran says," Wichita Eagle).

=========

Transformational Projects Action Planning as an approach. Based on a slew of previous writings, over the past few years I've codified an approach that I call "transformational projects action planning" as an element of planning at three scales: (1) for master plans; (2) functional plans (elements, such as transportation); and (3) for specific projects, aiming for innovative approaches.

The basic idea in master and functional plans is to create a list of high profile projects that are transformational and further drive innovation in quantum and scalar ways across a community.

Some examples of the concept are written about here:

-- "Why can't the "Bilbao Effect" be reproduced? | Bilbao as an example of Transformational Projects Action Planning," 2017
-- "Downtown Edmonton cultural facilities development as an example of "Transformational Projects Action Planning"," 2018
-- "A "Transformational Projects Action Plan" for a statewide passenger railroad program in Maryland," 2019
-- "A "Transformational Projects Action Plan" for the Metrorail Blue Line," 2020
-- "Revisiting the Purple Line (series) and a more complete program of complementary improvements to the transit network," 2019
-- "Minneapolis Super Bowl: Urban Revitalization and Transformational Projects Action Planning," 2018

So the fact that multiple economic development agencies in Greater Wichita have come together to create a joint approach to economic development and have listed a master set/prioritized list of transformational projects is not derived from the TPAP approach. But it's a good example nonetheless.

It's been spurred by the pandemic-related economic downturn as well as fallout from the failure of the Boeing 737MAX airplane--Wichita is home to a large aerospace manufacturing sector.

There are plenty of business organizations that come together to work together on economic development matters across jurisdictions, that's part and parcel of the "Growth Machine."  But rarely do I see these efforts accompanied by a master list of projects.

From the Wichita Business Journal article "Wichita's economic development leaders outline plan to go after stimulus money":

Creating a blueprint Part of economic development's role in aiding in recovery is assessing where the Wichita area stands. Identify its assets, Greater Wichita Partnership president Jeff Fluhr said, understand the impact that the 737 MAX and Covid-19 have had on the workforce and economy, and see where the group can help.

"These things are all knit together now," Fluhr said.

Partners in the effort are quick to point out the the 13 identified projects are a starting point. Other projects exist, but these are the most attainable.

Lawing said the document gives the Workforce Alliance and others a starting point for competitively applying for federal grants.

"I can demonstrate we have a plan in place," he said. "This is a way we can be proactive."

Here are the projects:

Aerospace Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul
• Infrastructure for the city's airports — Dwight D. Eisenhower National and Col. James Jabara — would give Wichita an opportunity to focus on a recession-proof sector of aviation, the maintenance, repair and overhaul industry.

Aerospace defense manufacturing
• Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification would improve training and support for Wichita-area companies. Estimated amount needed: $1-$2 million.

• A defense manufacturing technology center aligned with WSU's National Institute of Aviation Research. Estimated amount needed; $25-$50 million.

Accelerating the pivot to innovation
Four identified projects, outside aerospace, are associated with technology and innovation.

• A Business Digital Transformation and Convergence Sciences project would be similar to the startup of WSU's National Institute for Aviation Research, instead going beyond aerospace to convert all business sectors digitally. Estimated amount needed: $25-$50 million.

• Andy Schlapp, WSU's executive director of government relations and strategy, said it would include transforming Kansas economic staples agriculture and oil and gas.

• A Smart Manufacturing project combining digital, physical and experimental technologies to advance manufacturing capabilities. Estimated amount needed: $25 million.

• A Cybersecurity "Cyber" Range that would create a Wichita Cyber Range Center to stimulate jobs and companies providing "world-class" cybersecurity. Estimated amount needed: $20-$25 million.

• Dark Fiber Corridors to support the other technology projects and install dark fiber in critical business corridors. Estimated amount needed: $3-$5 million.

Moving people and goods

• The North Junction project, the three-phase effort to unclog bottlenecks and improve safety for the north Wichita convergence of I-135, I-235, K-96 and K-254.

• A transload shipping center has long been discussed, giving south-central Kansas a facility similar to the BNSF intermodal park near Edgerton in Johnson County. Estimated amount needed: $15-$20 million.

Closer to being shovel-ready
• Continued work on the Amtrak Heartland Flyer infrastructure, as Wichita tries to bring an Amtrak stop back to the city, connecting Oklahoma City and the Southwest Chief route in Newton, for the first time in more than 40 years. Estimated amount needed: $32 million.

• Infrastructure for the former oil refinery site west of I-135 at 21st Street, an 120-acre area that's nearly cleaned up by the EPA, according to Nave. The area would be used for industrial development. Estimated amount needed: $5-$10 million.

• An 800-acre "megasite" for catalytic projects adjacent to I-35 and near the El Dorado industrial park. Estimated amount needed: $30-$35 million.

Conclusion.   It's best to be forward focused, also in terms of setting and agenda, and aiming for its realization.

Free New Year’s Eve rides

Many transit systems offer this.  It can be a good marketing touchpoint.  Chicago's subway and bus system, CTA, and the Metra commuter rail system are two such agencies.

Transit oriented development station typology revisited

The Washington Post ("Welcome to the loneliest Metro stop ") discusses how the Loudoun Gateway Metrorail station is pretty desolate.  There's a decent discussion on Reddit about it.  The main issue is the station is exurban compared to the core of the region and that much of the Silver Line is more like a commuter railroad than a subway line--ridership on the Silver Line is pretty pathetic, when all is said and done.  It reminds me of the UMN Center for Transportation Studies study of the Hiawatha Light Rail Line there, which found that the best ROI is within the first 10 miles of the system.  From the article:

But at Loudoun Gateway, the second-to-last stop on the Silver Line extension, there is never any bustle. This year, an average of 317 people have entered the Loudoun station each day, according to Metro’s rail ridership survey. That’s about 0.08 percent of the system’s daily riders.

What's frustrating to me is the failure to recognize there is a station typology that makes it easier to understand why stations can be successful with TOD and others are much less likely to be so.  You'd think after almost 50 years of experience with Metrorail, this would be better understood.

And it's not like Metrorail hasn't already created a station typology, although it was focused more on bicycle and pedestrian access, it's applicable to TOD questions.

I wrote a summary piece about this a few years ago, "The ability to develop around transit stations is conditional on land use and mobility context" (2021).  From the entry:

Categorizing transit stations in terms of access (and indirectly, the opportunity for development.  Perhaps the best way to think about the opportunity for "transit oriented development" is to consider  how WMATA categorizes its Metrorail stations, as laid out in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Improvements Study (2010), in Appendix D.  There are nine categories, based on land use context, from dense/connected/compact to undense/disconnected.

• High Density Urban Mixed-Use in a Grid Network (21 stations)
• Urban/Suburban Residential Center -- (12 stations) [opportunity for multiunit buildings close to the station, even if the area is otherwise single family residential)
• Urban Residential Area with a Bus/Automobile Orientation (5 stations)
• Campus and Institutional (3 stations)
• Mixed use in a "pod" layout (13 stations) [isolated, disconnected locations]
• Long-Term Potential for High Density Transit Oriented Development (TOD) or Planned Unit Development (PUD) (4 stations)
  
• Suburban Residential Area (9 stations)
• Auto Collector/Suburban Freeway -- (5 stations) 
• Employment Center/Downtown/Urban Core -- (12 stations)

Note that to make this typology work more universally, two more categories need to be added:

• Smaller Town Center (Suburban/Exurban)
• Exurban Station (Residential primarily)

Update:  Although with Loudoun Gateway the typology needs to be tweaked to include light industrial.

• High Density Urban/Suburban* Mixed-Use in a Grid Network (21 stations)
• Urban/Suburban Residential Center -- (12 stations) [opportunity for multiunit buildings close to the station, even if the area is otherwise single family residential)
• Urban Residential Area with a Bus/Automobile Orientation (5 stations)
• Campus and Institutional (3 stations)
• Mixed use in a "pod" layout (13 stations) [isolated, disconnected locations]
• Long-Term Potential for High Density Transit Oriented Development (TOD) or Planned Unit Development (PUD) (4 stations)
  
• Suburban Residential Area (9 stations)
• Auto Collector/Suburban Freeway -- (5 stations) 
• Employment Center/Downtown/Urban Core -- (12 stations)
• Smaller Town Center (Suburban/Exurban)
• Exurban Station (Residential primarily)
• Exurban Station (light industrial)

The area around Loudoun Gateway is mostly home to data centers, which take up a lot of space, but have very few employees.

* I added Suburban to the first category "High Density Urban/Suburban* Mixed-Use in a Grid Network" because it better captures large scale Suburban business districts like Silver Spring or Bethesda.

-- Ten Principles for Reinventing America's Suburban Business Districts, Urban Land Institute