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2005 Progress Report: Transforming Office Parks into Transit Villages

EPA Grant Number: X3832210
Title: Transforming Office Parks into Transit Villages
Investigators: Raney, Steve , Paxson, James , Wornum, Chris
Institution: Cities21 , Cambridge Systematics, Inc. , Hacienda Business Park Owners Association
EPA Project Officer: Bauer, Diana
Project Period: January 1, 2005 through March 1, 2007
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 1, 2005 through March 1, 2006
Project Amount: $204,604
RFA: Collaborative Science & Technology Network for Sustainability (2004)
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development

Description:

Objective:

The objective of this research project is to develop a suite of approaches to reduce the environmental impacts of commuting and other travel. First, we are duplicating and enhancing the study methodology that was first developed at Stanford Research Park and applying it at Pleasanton’s Hacienda Business Park. We will compare outcomes and issues, create an inventory of similar Bay Area sites, and create a guidebook for similar analyses based on the two original studies. We are also exploring Walk to Work Housing and Low Mileage Communities.

San Francisco Bay Area office parks, like most around the country, are segregated from nearby residential communities and retail centers. They are single-use, automobile dominated, and isolated. The workers employed in them have poor commute mode splits (78% drive alone, 16% shared ride, 3% transit) and rely heavily on cars for midday trips as well. Community needs for in-fill housing, green space, and services cannot be accommodated in these areas because the nonoffice space is taken up by parking lots. A groundbreaking study of Palo Alto’s Stanford Research Park identified a new concept to significantly reduce driving, provide nonautomobile transportation to workers and the community, reclaim 50 acres of parking for critically needed housing, and connect the 20,000 workers with the surrounding community. The new concept includes elevated personal rapid transit and comprehensive new mobility.

Progress Summary:

Partnership and Outreach

Three new research collaborators were added to the project: Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Bay Area Council, and Santa Clara County Valley Transit Authority.

Geographic Information System (GIS) Journey to Work Analysis

Via a series of meetings and communications with U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) personnel and California State Labor Market Information Office, we secured access to Bay Area LEHD origination/destination data. For information on LEHD, see http://lehd.dsd.census.gov/led/index.html.

Create Automated Shuttle Alignment

To create the alignment (the route that Personal Rapid Transit tracks follow), we prepared first a people map of the Hacienda area showing concentrations of workers, residents, and shoppers, then we plotted shuttle stations to serve 1,000 or more people within a reasonable walking radius. We have cataloged per-parcel data on daytime population at Hacienda for the people map.

Refine the Methodology From the Previous “Palo Alto Silver Bullet” Study

Regarding the survey protocol and survey logistics, we’ve learned from top market researchers and now are enthusiastic about the potential to streamline the methodology and increase the consistency of each respondent’s survey experience.

Catalog Office Parks in Bay Area

Obtained updated GIS boundaries of Silicon Valley office parks from Santa Clara County Valley Transit Authority based on updates to their 1999 Commute Service Study.

Developed software tool for creating high resolution aerial maps, importing Google Maps and Microsoft Terraserver data. Both services rely extensively, but not exclusively, on U.S. Geological Survey data.

Policy Research - Walk to Work Housing and Upward Mobility

Hacienda Business Park (HBP) already has housing within the office park and plans to add more. There is interest in ensuring that this housing will serve HBP workers, resulting in minimized vehicle mileage. A policy to prioritize local housing for workers was explored first in the Palo Alto Silver Bullet study report’s Local Workforce Housing Preference Appendix. We relied on the stature of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to convene local and national housing experts in a series of roundtable discussions at EPA facilities. Thus, the EPA Collaborative Science and Technology Network for Sustainability program has been instrumental in furthering this policy concept. Additional interview research within specific local policy contexts has helped to “debug” this policy approach.

Policy Overview. Many cities have housing preferences for teachers and police. Walk to Work Housing is similar but favors residents with short commutes. A resident with a long commute produces negative traffic and pollution impacts on society. Walk to Work apartments, condos, and townhomes eliminate this impact, creating more efficient communities.

Unchecked, Walk to Work Housing could improve technology workers’ lives, leaving the rest of society behind. Thus, social justice issues must be considered when creating such preferences. Housing developments should provide a high percentage of affordable housing units. In addition, for large projects, an Upward Mobility Program should be implemented to provide low-income households with a boost up the success ladder: a home, job(s), job training/mentoring, improved schools for kids (with after school programs), and more family time.

A Walk to Work plan has been explored for the 25,000 home/50,000 job smart growth new town called Coyote Valley in San Jose. Compared to typical Silicon Valley settlement patterns, 25,000 Coyote Walk to Work residents will produce 100 million less annual vehicle miles traveled and 100 million less annual pounds of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas. On average, Walk to Work residents save $2,800 per year in automobile expenses and avoid an hour stuck in traffic each workday. Walk to Work Housing is a large-scale traffic reduction technique that does not require general taxpayer subsidy. Walk to Work makes smart growth smarter, keeping commute trips internal to Coyote Valley. Further details on this research in progress may be found at http://www.cities21.org/workerHsng.htm exit EPA.

Social Research - Low Mileage Communities

Cities21 has undertaken an informal collaboration with the University of South Florida’s Center for Urban Transportation Research online community of 870 commute reduction professionals. The collaboration has centered around augmenting a traffic reducing social change concept. The concept was broached first in the Palo Alto Silver Bullet study report’s New Mobility Chapter in the section entitled “Commute Community.” An extended online brainstorming discussion has led to the creation of a Low Mileage Community (LMC) concept Web page (http://www.cities21.org/lowVMTcommunity.htm exit EPA).

Concept Overview. The LMC concept centers around creating and sustaining low-mileage, green communities in residential developments. The residents of these communities will pledge to reduce vehicle trips and miles by using alternative modes of transportation, such as carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, walking, telecommuting, or taking transit. The residents’ efforts should be monitored electronically to measure the impact of behavioral changes related to transportation. LMCs will use online technology, as well as social marketing, to facilitate the evolution of a dual physical/cyber culture within these communities. This culture formed in online chat rooms using groupware technology, and offline neighborhood gatherings will provide positive social reinforcement and place a high value on a green lifestyle not centered on the private automobile. The dual culture also will exist within a social network that serves as a clearinghouse for the knowledge and practices necessary to sustain a low-mileage, green community. LMC provides individuals with sufficient support to achieve positive behavioral change and to help other LMC members make a difference.

“On their own, each ant’s behavior is relatively useless, but when swarms of ants come together, the patterns optimize naturally and allow them to accomplish tasks that should be far beyond their reach. The networks we have built allow us to profitably take a page from the playbook of the ants, with each taking a small chunk of the responsibility. These anthill communities are springing up all over the place, and they are creating a whole new concept of what people are capable of.” – From “Lessons from the Anthill” Blog.

Real-Time Office Park Car Counts/Smart Parking

We took advantage of a grant proposal program for parking policy research that arose.

Based on the research from the Palo Alto Silver Bullet Study Report’s Smart Parking Appendix, we submitted a grant proposal with the City of Pleasanton to the Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission to create the world’s first “real-time office park car counting system,” based on the existing Pleasanton traffic loop system.

The project concept covers measuring parking counts (roughly 14,000 cars at 10 a.m. every week day) every day in 15 minute intervals via automated means. The benefits of such real-time car counts are as follows:

Our outside-of-the-box proposal was rejected, but now we have a detailed work scope for such a project should funding opportunities arise in the future.

Future Activities:

Survey design and related logistical items will continue through the summer, with surveys expected to commence in early fall.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 12 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

smart growth, transit-oriented development, transit-dependent, sustainable development, clean technologies, innovative technology, air, conservation, psychological preferences, public good,
Relevant Websites:

http://www.cities21.org/workerHsng.htm exit EPA
http://www.cities21.org/lowVMTcommunity.htm exit EPA

Progress and Final Reports:
Original Abstract

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.

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