Using zoning codes to improve accessibility to public transit facilities is a new, but well overdue, idea.
The challenge of retrofitting contemporary standards of access for people with disabilities on a subway system well over a century old has long troubled New York City. Now there's a new tool in effort that's about as old as the subway: zoning.
"Mayor Bill de Blasio, the New York City Council and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) have announced the approval of Elevate Transit: Zoning for Accessibility, a collaboration between the MTA, City Council, the Department of City Planning (DCP) and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) to boost New York City’s push to make its transit system fully accessible," according to an article published by the Intelligent Transport website.
"The initiative will allow the MTA to leverage planned private development to achieve a fully accessible transit system faster, while saving taxpayer dollars as the MTA faces financial challenges caused by the ongoing pandemic."
Elevate Transit both creates new zoning tools and strengthens existing zoning tools to incorporate public transit accessibility into private real estate developments. The MTA committed to spending $600 million on accessibility in 2018, eventually raising that number to a total $5 billion investment for accessibility improvements on the subway, the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, and the Staten Island Railway as part of its 2020 – 2024 Capital Program.
As for more specifics, the article includes the following:
- "This provision requires developers of most mid- or high-density sites adjacent to subway, Staten Island Railway, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad stations within New York City to consult with the MTA first to determine whether the MTA needs an easement (permanent access to a small piece of property) for future accessibility projects at the adjacent station."
- "This provision expands the existing ‘transit improvement bonus’ from central business districts to other high-density areas in the city. This programme incentivises private developers to directly fund and build new transit station access improvements, such as elevators or other circulation improvements at already accessible stations, in exchange for a floor area bonus of up to 20 per cent."
FULL STORY: NEWS NYC’s Elevate Transit: Zoning for Accessibility initiative receives approval
New Zoning Incentives for Grocery Store Developments Proposed in New York City
Transit accessibility incentives are also included in a package of zoning reforms proposed this week that would provide incentives for grocery store developments in a wider swath of New York City.
New York MTA Releases Plan for Improved Accessibility
The MTA announced plans for new or improved elevators at almost two dozen stations as part of its pledge to make more of its stations fully accessible.
MTA Uses Density Bonuses to Improve Accessibility
Under a new zoning law, New York City developers can receive density bonuses for building elevators and other accessibility upgrades for the city’s subway system.
The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.
Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.
Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability
The increased demand for walkable urban spaces could make them more and more exclusionary if cities don’t pursue policies to limit displacement and boost affordability.
Tacoma Developing New Housing Policy
The city’s Home in Tacoma plan is designed to address the region’s growth and rising housing prices, but faces local backlash over density and affordability concerns.
Green Alleys: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management
Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.
Orange County Project Could Go Forward Under ‘Builder’s Remedy’
The nation’s largest home builder could receive approval for a 530-unit development under an obscure state law as the city of La Habra’s zoning laws hang in limbo after the state rejected its proposed housing plan.
Town of Palm Beach
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
