The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is pursuing a number of transit-oriented development (TOD) deals with local developers that the agency hopes will boost revenue, customers and increase the options for walkable communities, Crains Cleveland Business reported on April 17, 2006.
RTA owns 480 parcels of land, including land that carries the Rapid transit tracks. The land around or even the air rights above the tracks could be leased or sold for development. For example, the agency is currently considering a housing project around West Boulevard-Cudell, a day care center and school near West Park, and a medical building at the Stokes stations.
RTA should insist that any proposed development is mixed-use and that the residential portion achieves a certain density. In order to reach its transit-oriented development goals, RTA should establish a minimum residential density threshold, and partner with developers to insure that higher densities are achieved.
with the likes of KUDC and the Levin College
Susan Miller Says:We have the expertise to make this sort of planning a reality.
And another thought... what if you could ride the wind and know where, you're going?
RTA's trip planner could be hooked into searchable database kiosks in Transit Waiting Environments. You could go to the kiosk and find out how to get to where you want to go. A closed system that links an expanded network map of businesses and events via the convention and visitors bureau could help travelers and commuters decide what to do with their days and evenings in the region while providing the info on how to use transit to get there. This is one way to make transit the way to go.
And with all the real estate RTA owns, wouldn't it be great to ride the wind? Imagine powering much of what you ride (the rail part) with renewable energy! Now that's innovative! That’s on the grid and off the grid!
Now if we could just get the transit to be wifi accessible, we might really be able to use those massive surface parking lots around the beltway for infill riders rather than just sources of stormwater runoff.