A program under consideration by the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District could be the envy of central business district's all over the country.
"More than 40,000 Downtown workers could receive free bus service under a plan to free up thousands of parking spaces and increase the renting of office space," reports Kimball Perry.
The free bus service would cost $5 million for about 2.5 years of free rides. The funds necessary for the program would come from "550 owners of properties in the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, who would pay 3 cents per square foot of space per year," reports Perry.
An earlier test program found that free transit passes doubled the number of bus commuters in the district. The program is designed to benefit property owners in the district, who are facing office vacancy rates of 19 percent and falling rents. If the free bus pass program is opened to all 41,165 people who work in the district, according to Perry, "Capital Crossroads estimates that it would free up 2,400 parking spaces — about four parking garages — and allow for 2,900 more people to work in the district."
Hat tip to Angie Schmitt for sharing the article.
FULL STORY: Building owners might subsidize free bus passes for 40,000 Downtown workers
Downtown Columbus Workers to Get Free Transit Passes
Downtown businesses are helping fund an innovative program to get more downtown workers out of their cars and onto public transit.
Free Transit Pass Program Extended in Columbus
According to Columbus officials, transit ridership to and from downtown doubled in the years since the city implemented a free transit pass program.
Boston to Pilot Free Transit Passes for Workers in Commercial Districts
The city of Boston will undertake an experiment about how to center public transit as an economic recovery tool.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association