Last week, the National Center of Transit Research (www.nctr.usf.edu) released a 17 minute streaming presentation on the project, Incorporating TDM into the Land Development Process at http://streaming.cutr.usf.edu/ramgen/streamingfiles/NCTR/576-11.rm (RealPlayer required). It provides a good overview of the opportunities and challenges of including trip reduction strategies as part of the land development process. Senior researcher Sara Hendricks talks about the need to take a long term view, including staffing and funding, if TDM requirements as part of the land development process are to have the best chance of fulfilling its promise to reduce vehicle trips.
Even when communities do extract vehicle trip reduction commitments from developers doesn't mean implementation is guaranteed without follow-up and enforcement. It was recently driven home (pun intended) with a recent Washington Post article. The article notes that "when the owners of Tycon Tower, the high-rise office complex adjacent to Tysons Corner Center mall, sought Fairfax's permission to expand in 1998, they agreed to give a 50 percent discount on the building's parking garage to car- and vanpools to help limit traffic around Tysons. But eight years later, garage parking at the tower costs the same across the board. The building's property manager, Mikele Torgler, with Quadrangle Management Corp., said she was aware of the requirement but is unsure why it is being ignored. 'I wasn't here in 1998,' she said. 'I need to check into it.' "
We'd suggest the localities need to "check into it", too. Where did they fail?
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