Future fantastic

Revitalizing city centers, boosting the economy, saving the environment – it makes sense that transit is playing a key role in the future of North America.

For the past 30 years, North American cities of all sizes have been focused on building regional transit networks that connect city centers to outlying suburbs. This reliance on the long-distance transportation market has resulted in well-functioning commuter rail and light rail transit systems with high ridership, but with little thought to how those systems fit into the urban streetscape or how they promote development.

But now both the US and Canada are focusing more on revitalizing inner cities. For the first time in decades, major US cities are increasing in population instead of losing people to the suburbs. Part of this is due to changing demographics with the trend toward empty-nesters and young urban professionals who rely more on public transportation and less on the auto and who want to live in or near vibrant city centers.

And while the news is full of doom and gloom about the North American economy, one bright spot is funding for transportation. For example, Canada is increasing its spending on transit to help promote urban redevelopment and to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets. In the US, the Obama administration sees investments in infrastructure projects such as transit to be a major economic boost, both short term and long term, providing thousands of jobs, helping reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and promoting development and redevelopment of our urban areas. Some highlights of the North American market in the next few years include:

• The Denver area, which has completed most of the planning work for its FasTracks program, a $6 billion investment in 122 miles of light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit. While this major project moves forward, many cities in the Denver area will be looking at more transit-oriented development (TOD) planning and streetcar projects to supplement the larger program.  
• In Seattle, voters recently approved a major ongoing expansion of its transit program, with additional streetcars, light rail lines and commuter rail lines being planned, supplemented by more station area/TOD planning.  
• The Dallas-Fort Worth area (now the fourth-largest metro area in the US after New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago) continues its expansion of light rail and commuter rail – it has another 250 miles of commuter rail in its long-range plan. Again, streetcars and TOD will supplement the larger regional program. In addition, Austin is proposing a major ‘urban rail’ project to connect its downtown area with its airport, as well as expansion of its commuter rail system.  
• St. Louis voters recently approved additional funding for its light rail system and new streetcar lines, and new streetcar, light rail, and TOD projects continue to move forward in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Portland, Salt Lake City, Tampa, and Virginia Beach.  
• In Canada, the province of Alberta allocated $2 billion for transit improvements in Calgary, Edmonton, and other cities. Edmonton in particular is focusing on a change from high-floor light rail to low-floor urban scale light rail systems (see ‘The shape of cities to come’ on pages 12-13).  
• Vancouver continues to develop plans looking at BRT, LRT, and SkyTrain, with Steer Davies Gleave developing TransLink’s Rapid Transit Strategic Network Review and UBC Line Alternatives Analysis.  

The way we live and the world around us are changing – we can no longer afford (literally and otherwise) for our cities to continue to spread outwards. Urban-style transportation and the integration of transit into the fabric of local neighborhoods is the key to a future that is sustainable, livable, and connected.