1. Partnerships and Planning for Livable and Sustainable Communities and Corridors
American Public Transportation Association
August 2, 2011

2. Where do we start?
Region-wide miles of new rail
18 miles of bus transit
West Corridor: miles from Denver Union Station to Jefferson County – Golden, Colorado/ 4 stations in Denver

3. New Transit in the City This is not your grandma’s TOD! Value capture
CITY: Higher tax revenue
RTD: Joint development – transit authority
RTD: Increased farebox revenues
RTD: lower access costs
RTD: increased ridership
RESIDENTS: lowers transportation costs
RESIDENTS: added property value
BUSINESSES: enhanced foot traffic

4. NEEDS increasing demand for housing near transit in metro Denver
(40% of this demand low income HH)
NEEDS
improved housing stock
better access to transit and jobs
Projects requesting HUD support:
Brighton Blvd.
- Medici development at Evans Station
- Affordable Housing: 45,000 HH today to 155,000 in 2030
= 344% increase
“low income” = at or below 80% AMI ($60,720 for a family of four) from CHFA 2010 Rent and Income Limits
APTA notes:
Going into program,
We have a new transit corridor with locations already selected
Physical challenges-rail in the gulch, sometimes away from existing households
-Post station-location planning efforts difficult in and of themselves
With the DLP, hope to address specific needs identified in the West Corridor
opportunities for active lifestyles and access to healthy foods

5. LIVABILITY PRINCIPLES
provide more transportation choices.
promote equitable, affordable housing.
enhance economic competitiveness.
support existing communities.
coordinate policies and leverage investment.
value communities and neighborhoods.
LIVABILITY PRINCIPLES

7. housing jobs transportation Program focus:
Popular national phrases turned into local action for our program:
-Expand permanent affordable housing and mixed income housing near transit
Enhance multimodal connectivity
Fully capture value of transit
Use west side as a model
transportation

9. Greatest need and most imminent opportunity where activity was already starting to occur-Denver’s West Side

10. WEST SIDE STUDY AREA

11. What does Livability mean?
Being able to walk/bike to work
A traditional neighborhood development (TND): low to moderate density mixed income, age integrated, single family, walk able, sustainable, family friendly, kid friendly like the west Colfax neighborhood is now!
Let us take care of our families and our homes with the power of understanding of tolerance
Bioremediation- of soil – so planting/food can be grown
Artistic
Wellness services
Strong neighborhoods
Integrated single family homes that have gardens and energy efficient homes that are allowed to exist next to transit
Rehabilitation money for homeownership
Preserve parks and open space and create more of them
Pave alleys and development more sidewalks and lighting in neighborhoods
A place I can have a garden, buy my groceries, meet a friend for a cup of coffee or ice cream and catch public transit or ride my bike to fun activities
Mix of uses – 24 hour activity, a place where owning a car is optional
A place where I can afford a house with a yard where I can garden and raise chickens
Safe, enjoyable, walk along federal Blvd to new train station with art along the way, wide sidewalks to ride bikes on.

14. WEST SIDE STUDY AREA
HDAF: emphasizes/preserves affordable housing opportunities near transit (could be overinflated land values)
TOD Strategic Plan: emphasizing the corridor and its role/responsibility – through land use and transportation planning
Decatur-Federal: infuse housing and jobs and take advantage of location efficiency; proper, thoughtful assessment of the land use and transportation
WSTES: access to transit, housing, jobs! In an underserved neighborhood – housing and transportation costs map?
Westside Food Lab: healthy eating opportunities in the community – food desert!
Knox Court: Bike Blvd – accessto transit increased emphasis on multi-modes

15. Objective #1: Better connections to transit
Objective #2: Prioritize infrastructure projects for future investment
Enhanced Transit
Objective #1: Identify opportunities to improve transit access and service to neighborhoods on Denver’s Westside to better connect both choice riders and transit dependent populations with light rail, local and regional bus service, and other public transit services.
Objective #2: Identify infrastructure barriers to transit use and prioritize projects for future investment to improve connections and access for both choice riders and transit-dependent populations.

16. Bicycle boulevards are a new, innovative type of bicycle facility that optimizes low volume, residential streets for bicycle travel.
The Knox Court bicycle boulevard study complements other active transportation projects occurring in the west side.
Knox Court from Alameda to Lakewood Gulch would link the bicycle boulevard to the Knox Court LRT station.
The completion of these facilities will create a backbone for the active transportation network in the west side

17. HOUSING

18. JOBS

19. TRANSPORTATION

20. Outcomes &Benchmarks Program Outcome Benchmark
# of affordable units preserved or created within one-half mile of transit
Enable the preservation and/or development of 3,000 affordable west side units within one-half mile of transit by 2013.
Increase in mode share
identify opportunities for 5,000 new households to reduce vehicle miles traveled and increase transit/bike/ped trips
Reduction in Housing + Transportation costs
Enable west Denver residents to decrease their H+T costs as percentage of median household income by 2 % points by 2013
Linear feet of programmed bike/ped complete street improvements
Funding for 2 miles of west side bike/ped infrastructure projects on capital improvement program lists by 2013
Street miles improved to accommodate and/or prioritize bicycles
Designs in place for 2.5 miles of street to be equipped with new bicycle facilities
# households benefiting from access to new bicycle facilities
1,000 households will be able to access new bicycle facilities within 1/2 mile by 2013
Format as simple table

21. + + =

22. program schedule
-The majority of out activities will start this year, with the HDAF, capacity building and public outreach already underway and starting soon the Decatur Federal GDP and West Side Transit Enhancement Study.

23. Deirdre Oss (CPD): deirdre.oss@denvergov.org 720.865.2950
Caryn Wenzara (CPD):