How To Measure TOD Outcomes

A new report offers indicators to measure the outcomes of transit-oriented development.

1 minute read

May 15, 2005, 8:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


This research report by John L. Renne and Jan S. Wells offers a strategy to systematically evaluate the potential success of transit-oriented development. The digest identifies and evaluates various indicators of the impacts of transit-oriented development, provides the results of asurvey of transit-oriented developmentindicators, and identifies ten indicators that can be used to systematically monitor and measure impacts.

Based on this research, the most usefulindicators are transit ridership, density, quality of streetscape, quantity of mixed-use structures, pedestrian activity and safety, increase in property value and tax revenue, public perception, number of mode connections at the transit station, and parking. While data collection is relatively easy forsome of these indicators, it is more difficult for some of the others; a strategy suggested in the last sectionof this digest is setting aside government funds to monitor TOD progress. For virtually every indicator, with a few exceptions, data collection needs to occur only yearly or less frequently.

[Editor's note: The link below is to a 2MB PDF document.]

Thanks to John Renne

Friday, May 13, 2005 in Transportation Research Board

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