A bill proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener would exempt transit agencies from zoning rules near ‘high-quality’ transit stops and allow denser transit-oriented development.
California Senator Scott Wiener has introduced a bill that would exempt transit agencies from local zoning laws within half a mile of transit stations, which would open the door to denser transit-oriented development.
As Damien Newton explains in Streetsblog California, Senate Bill 79 would “allow buildings up to seven stories high within a quarter mile from major transit stops and up to four stories high within a half-mile,” let transit agencies set their own zoning rules for properties they own, and speed up permitting for TOD projects.
“In making the case for the bill, Wiener argued that even in the current chaotic federal context, California should do more to expedite housing construction.” Wiener stressed that his bill focuses on areas with the “highest quality transit,” unlike prior bills that included bus stops and ‘job rich’ areas without robust transit.
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