Transit-oriented Development

Although urban development around transit stations doesn’t lead to a direct financial contribution for the Transit Agency (or other infrastructure or planning body) it is “absolutely essential” to the long term viability of the transit investment (SKMG 1996, p. 4). The transit accessible area around the stations is generally far larger than the Transit Company’s real estate can reach. Many studies have been undertaken to define the influence zone of transit stations, i.e. the probability that at a certain distance from the station an employee or resident is ready to use transit as a transportation alternative for commuting or other travel purposes. “Walking distance” is the general qualification, that means five to fifteen minutes walking time, depending on the travel purpose, the travel alternatives and the system performance. It is obvious that the attraction is more important at stations of highly performing transit systems. Frequent Rapid Transit service has potentially more impact then Light Rail Service, especially when the Light Rail line is short and/or when the station is less frequented.