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Semantics or Antics: Is New Development Really 'Transit Oriented'?
Rendering from Metro - Los Angeles/Flickr
Rendering from Metro - Los Angeles/Flickr
Streetsblog takes a close look at the MacArthur Park Metro Apartments, for which Mayor Villaraigosa and others held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday. The project is "located one block east of the Westlake/MacArthur Park Metro Rail Station entrance," and is backed with stimulus funds, according to The Source.The project is categorized as a TOD, or Transit Oriented Development, which means one of its core functions is, in theory, to "encourage use of the transit facilities that are right under its nose."
But the TOD has what Streetsblog calls an "evil twin," in the form of a TAD, or Transit Adjacent Development, where, no matter how nifty the whole package is, it's really just a new facility located next to transit.
So is this new project TOD or TAD? Streetsblog uses a set of criteria to come up with a verdict:
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does the design take advantage of the transit node, does it create an attractive and safe pedestrian network, how are the bike amenities, does it create a mix of housing options and uses, and is their a restriction of automobile parking?
And? They find some "troubling aspects" to the project, including a "de-emphasis of the bus, the lack of bike parking in an area which (anecdotally, because the city doesn't do bike counts) has a large number of cyclists and the levels of car-parking make it difficult to to declare it an example of Transit Oriented Development." Potential bright spot: Free transit passes offered to residents. Of course, it remains to be seen if those residents use the passes.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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