TOD in the suburbs?

In the past month or so I heard news about some plans for new transit-oriented development approved at one or more of the commuter rail stations, but I can't remember which ones. Has anyone heard about this who can provide a little more info on where?

I'm curious to know whether it's something the EOT and the governor's office were really involved with, and whether the T is really taking an active role in this stuff in any way. This is what the consolidation of transportation, development, and environment policy was supposed to bring about. If the T knows what's good for it, it'll actively pursue ridership generators like this to lessen the high subsidy demand of CR lines.

Of couse, one of the biggest impediments to TODs at CR stations will be the massive adjacent parking lots at many of them. I doubt anyone will want to build over them, but they're a bit at-odds with the whole concept of TODs.

MBTA has nothing to do with it. It's developers and the cities and towns that spark the TODs. The MBTA would probably be encouraged to increse service but that's about it.

they are proposing to do this in Attleboro, right near the train station

Transit villages keep coming up along NJT railways.

http://www.ashlandmass.com/TownHall/Pla ... ansit.html

The initial purposal is for some appartments. This has been held up due to standard planning problem and issue of land transfer between the developers JCI and the current owner. JCI is one of the companies that has done large transit villages on NJT.

Eventually, its apartments, condos, retails space, and a golf course, if it were all to be built near the train station. So far, the only development near the new station is a Dunkin Donuts.

efin98 Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2004 5:33 pm Post subject:

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MBTA has nothing to do with it. It's developers and the cities and towns that spark the TODs. The MBTA would probably be encouraged to increse service but that's about it.

That is not always true. The T has proposed to redevelop the Mishawum parking lot into a hotel and apartment complex. They would not do the actual work, but the idea is theirs.
As part of the proposal, they would re-open the stop.
- Stephen

The T also quite often owns all or part of the land in these projects and solicits development proposals.

It also may not actively be pursuing these things but it's supposed to be, or rather, the state is supposed to be using the T in part to accomplish these kinds of things, ergo Doug Foy. But the T has displayed reluctance in the past, which seems to be yet another example of institutional intransigence on its part.

Herald article from Monday's paper

http://business.bostonherald.com/busine ... leid=59660