More transit agencies are recognizing that it's not enough to build transit infrastructure if the people who really need it don't live close enough to use it.

According to an article on the TransitCenter website, transit agencies in Los Angeles and Seattle are "testing strategies to encourage affordable development near transit."
In Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority "is providing $9 million to developers at a low interest rate to build affordable housing within a half mile of transit lines" through its MATCH Loan Program. The California Endowment and local Community Development Financial Institutions donated enough to that pot of money to bring the total to $75 million.
In Seattle, "Sound Transit has begun deeply discounting property sales to make affordable housing projects pencil out." According to the article, "Washington State passed a new statute in 2015 – tied to the 2016 passage of the transit ballot measure ST3 – stipulating that Sound Transit must begin considering affordable housing outcomes in its capital projects."
The article includes a lot more detail from each of these two case studies, which have fundamental differences and critical lessons for other transit agencies looking to better connect housing options to transit options.
FULL STORY: Affordable Housing: A Next Frontier for Transit?

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
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San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip
Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
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