Lessons from Denver: Doubling Transit Ridership

Denver has nearly doubled its public transit ridership, despite the fact that planned light rail track additions have yet to be built.  How?

Warren Karlenzig’s article notes these factors:

·      “First, the city created a regional mandate for public transit, combined with tangible, measureable goals.” In a bold move, “Denver metro area voters in 31 communities committed $4.7 billion in sales tax funding for its FasTracks initiative.”

·      Explicit decisions were made in transit planning not to add extra freeway lanes or widen city streets as a panacea for traffic congestion (which usually only create more congestion in the long term).

·      Leaders took the radical approach of “not projecting how many vehicles would be needed to get people around the growing city, but instead projected the number of "person trips": driving, transit, walking and riding bikes.”  Strategies such as the Living Streets program placed emphasis on the people trip carrying capacity, attractiveness and accessibility of corridors. 

·      A “creative approach to transportation, health and the green economy” was taken (and has now gained attention at the federal level).

Denver still intends to move ahead with expanding its rail systems, and do so in a way that builds neighborhoods and lifestyles that integrate transportation. Peter Park, Denver's chief city planner, says "Each station will create a portal into new neighborhoods, breathing life into the streets and the economic vitality of businesses".

See the article.

  

There are no comments for this entry.

Post a Comment

Name:* E-mail Address: URL:

Comment*

Please type the word below*

Please leave the following field blank:

*Required fields (your email address will not be published)