Imagining Upstate transit-oriented development

Transit-oriented development (TOD) – typically defined as compact development with a mix of uses such as housing, stores, schools, and offices located within easy walking distance of transit – is an incredibly powerful tool that can combat sprawl and congestion while increasing access to employment; spurring additional development, revitalization and increased property tax revenue; and improving community health, facilitating aging in place, and even decreasing crime.

That is a tall order! But research is backing up these claims as more communities place greater emphasis on the link between land use planning and transportation, recognizing that we must rethink transportation in terms of moving people – not cars.

The Upstate is widely recognized as one of the most sprawling regions in the country – characterized by disconnected suburbs, minimal pedestrian infrastructure and separation of land uses. We need a car for everything, and those of us who don’t have a car run the risk of unemployment, limited access to health care and other services, and social isolation. The elderly, young and disabled are particularly disadvantaged, which ends up costing all of us.

Add to that the fact that an increasing number of Americans simply prefer not to drive: A widely cited University of Michigan study released last month found that the percentage of people ages 20-24 who have a driver’s license has dropped from 91.8 percent in 1983 to 76.7 percent in 2014. These members of the millennial generation will choose to live in areas with strong transit and active transportation networks. So if our region is to be both successful and competitive, we must encourage TOD and other walkable places and reliable transit service to support them.

Working together

TOD is achieved successfully when elected leaders, transportation planners, land use planners and developers work together to address the needs and potential of a community. Historically, these groups have made policies and investments in relative isolation, resulting in haphazard improvements. There are strong signals, however, that this paradigm is changing in Greenville County, where TOD guidelines are being advanced in the City of Greenville, the Piedmont Health Foundation is working to better integrate transit and land use planning, and citizens and community groups – including Upstate Forever – are advocating for new and smarter ways for people to get to the places they need to go.

What could TOD look like in Greenville? Picture the downtown central business district – with its trolley routes, B-cycle stations, bike lanes, buffered sidewalks, businesses, restaurants and residences – replicated in strategic pockets across the county. This combination of elements allows people to move about conveniently and safely without needing cars. As a byproduct, they get exercise, make social connections, spend money locally and even deter crime by serving as “eyes on the street.”

But TOD without high quality, frequent transit service cannot reach its fullest potential. So imagine a connected, fully integrated public transportation network servicing these TOD nodes. The network might include buses that run every 20 or 30 minutes on dedicated lanes, personal rapid transit in strategic locations, sidewalks and bike paths.

What if?

Between Greenville and Spartanburg, Wade Hampton Boulevard connects the communities of Taylors, Greer, Lyman, Duncan and Wellford. What if the citizens of these communities – none of which has a downtown more than a mile from Highway 29 – could hop on conveniently scheduled public transit along an improved corridor and arrive in downtown Greenville, Greer or Spartanburg in a matter of minutes? What if the residential communities along the Laurens Road corridor – including the Verdae development, where more than 10,000 residents will one day live – and the downtowns of Simpsonville, Mauldin and Fountain Inn were connected to downtown Greenville and CU-ICAR by similar high-quality transit service?

What if the communities along these corridors developed parks, grocery stores and schools in close proximity to homes and connected by sidewalks and bike paths – making it possible for citizens of all ages and ability levels to reach those destinations easily and safely? Upstate Forever has been encouraging this type of development for years, and many of these communities are making great progress.

While the benefits of TOD are significant, substantial challenges remain, such as the cost of retrofitting corridors and improving transit service. However, just as we describe interstate widening and other transportation projects as investments, these expenditures should also be viewed through the lens of investment: An investment in TOD, corridor retrofits coupled with better, more frequent transit service can reduce unemployment, road wear, health care costs and crime. Considering these avoided costs as well as the positive impacts to our quality of life and economy, the case for taking action is compelling.

The alternative is to continue developing as we have been for the past 60 years – designing for cars, not people – effectively creating an auto-dependent community that will cost us far more in the long run.

[break]