Comments on: AATA Special Meeting: 5-Year Transit Plan

By: Vivienne Armentrout

Vivienne Armentrout — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:18:10 +0000

Actually, it is seen as a benefit of the plan that it will enable TOD (creates development opportunities). (This is from the Transit Master Plan implementation chapter, not the new 5-year service plan.)

By: David Cahill

David Cahill — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:52:31 +0000

It’s refreshing to see that the AATA admits that its plan depends on fomenting development.

Big ugly buildings – coming soon to your neighborhood!

By: Lawrence Baird

Lawrence Baird — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:45:50 +0000

The AATA does not have to worry about funding the 20% grant match for the Fuller study though, because the city has already spent and/or budgeted over $700,000 to qualify for the local match.

At the same time, the AATA’s Master Plan (page 84) states:

the long-term implementation of the Transit Master Plan Vision will (be) dependent on two land use planning objectives:

Encouraging increased housing and employment density in appropriate locations along transit corridors; and

Promoting a development character that incorporates new transit facilities and mixed use development in urbanized areas.

So how does the Fuller Park site, meet the objectives of increased housing and mixed use development opportunities when the site is completely surrounded by public lands? The site selection study will identify this major shortcoming and many others associated with moving the current Amtrak station to Fuller Park.

By: Vivienne Armentrout

Vivienne Armentrout — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:50:42 +0000

Congratulations to Eli Cooper for pointing out the disconnect on the exclusion for the high-cost, intensively capital projects that are not accounted for in the 0.5 mill estimate. Most Federal projects require a 20% matching fund contribution from local sources. As Cooper says, even the planning and grant submission activities associated with such projects costs money (staff time is not actually free).

The exclusion of these projects has introduced a major smoke-and-mirrors element to the exercise.