Cross-posted from the DOT Fast Lane blog

Therese McMillan, Acting Federal Transit Administrator

One of the great benefits of public transit is how it spurs economic activity and improves neighborhoods. We see many positive spin-off effects when transit is built or extended into new areas.

Here in Washington, DC, for example, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) extended Metrorail’s Green Line into the Southeast Navy Yard neighborhood in 1999. A former industrial district filled with empty warehouses and little-used surface parking lots transformed into a thriving mixed-use community that includes the home of the Washington Nationals baseball team, federal and city agency offices --with our own U.S. Department of Transportation among them, corporate offices, thousands of new apartments and condos, a riverfront park, neighborhood retail shops, a large grocery store, and dozens of new restaurants. Where, once, old businesses were fading, now, new families are growing.

We call that transit-oriented development (TOD). The best kind of TOD results in compact, mixed-use communities that are desirable places to live, work, and visit. They include housing in varying income ranges, jobs, an improved environment for pedestrians and bicyclists, and amenities like entertainment venues, parks, and retail –all within a short walk from a transit stop.

TOD near Uptown Station in Normal, Illinois, recipient of a 2010 DOT TIGER grant

But while everyone can agree that TOD provides positive change, not all communities know how to implement it. That’s why the Federal Transit Administration has launched a National TOD Ladders of Opportunity Technical Assistance Initiative, which will provide support for transit-oriented development activities.

Development projects can be tricky. Fragmented land ownership, financing strategies, zoning and land use changes, and building public support can pose challenges to even the most savvy community leaders. Our TOD technical assistance initiative will help communities that may be less experienced in real estate market strategies and the latest development tools create stronger neighborhoods.

And we're not going it alone; FTA is teaming with Smart Growth America (SGA) to provide technical assistance to communities nationwide. SGA will develop best practices and profiles of communities that have successfully implemented TOD and share them widely, including through a new peer-to-peer network. In addition, SGA will work with leaders in selected communities to offer in-depth help.

Offered through a competitive process, the free on-site assistance will include identifying and implementing effective zoning and land uses, as well as expert advice on preserving affordable housing, securing advantageous commercial development, and more.