A Mostly Reverent Reflection on Rail~Volution
Tom Miller
What is it?
Rail~Volution, the family reunion for transit geeks, stops at a new station somewhere in the USA each year to share notes and camaraderie. Founded and organized by some of the finest transit professionals in (where else?) Portland, Oregon, its success has spawned an 11-year history of spreading the good word of transit in the most automobile-centric of all nations: America.
No internationals?
The international community did make some appearance, including attendees from Vancouver, British Columbia.; Auckland, New Zealand; Brisbane, Australia; Los Angeles, California; and the ubiquitous former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, Enrique Peñalosa. Note: the second vowel in Colombia, a country in South America, is “o” not “u.” This mistake is made so commonly, including in the Rail-Volution guide, the nation may want to consider making the change for the benefit of the rest of us.
Rail~Volution… so buses are totally yesterday?
Buses and rail serve different community needs. Buses are more nimble and provide an important transportation option where rail (e.g. light rail, streetcar, commuter rail) and other transportation options aren’t viable. Buses probably have a role in our transportation systems until the Jetson vision becomes reality. The Rail-Volution crowd, however, is interested in an agenda broader than merely moving people from here to there. A well-developed rail system can do much more; it can spur entirely new development patterns that can help stimulate all sorts of goals most cities share today.
Imagine development right next to a rail stop that contains engaging public art, safe and attractive walkways in front of a string of great retail stores, attractive office space above that, and superb apartments, townhomes, and condominiums planned for both worker housing and the open market. You can live and/or work here and never need a car for your daily routine. The buzzword here is “place-making.”
Why will development follow rail but not bus routes, and what’s place-making?
Two good questions. First, the design of rail cars allow for higher concentrations of riders than buses. Second and more importantly, rail lines are fixed in the ground, so they provide certainty to the community that the line is going to stay there. That certainty, which doesn’t exist with bus routes, encourages development oriented towards the transit line. And it would be a mistake to ignore the reality that most riders consider a trip on rail to be more enjoyable than on bus. It’s usually quieter, faster, more reliable, more spacious, provides better sight lines, etc.
Place-making: If you’ve been to Europe, you’ve experienced it. It’s the combination of public and private space designed to provide value to the community, like great plazas and great transportation systems. In the U.S., two good examples where the transit stations provide value are Grand Central Station in NYC and Union Station in Washington D.C. When you’re there, you know you’re in happening spots.
Think about it this way: when Americans vacation in Europe, most go to enjoy the cities. When Europeans vacation in the USA, most come to enjoy the open space, like our national parks. Euros don’t have open space like Americans do. And Americans don’t have amazing cityscapes Europe has. Part of what makes those European cityscapes so special is how well the transportation systems integrate into the adjacent developments which together make for great places.
So this is social engineering?
Speaking of buzzwords, that’s one without much value, as everything is “social engineering” in some form. Try living without a car in Phoenix, Arizona; your quality of life could be significantly challenged because the transportation system is so heavily developed to accommodate the car in favor of other uses. If you’re financially unable to afford a car or choose to not have one, you might conclude that your ability to get around safely and easily has been engineered away. To Phoenicians’ credit, they recognize the need to diversify and are developing their first rail line right now.
What’s the coolest thing you learned at Rail~Volution?
That transit lines and transit-oriented development, which, when well-planned, can provide so many community benefits, are being built across the country and beyond. Government folks can sit in rooms and plan their visions of better communities forever, but the voters and their businesses need to own the visions, literally and figuratively. The cool thing is that this is happening all over the place. And perceived barriers like weather, partisanship, and financing are either irrelevant or increasingly less relevant. After all, it’s said that money flows towards good ideas. Consider the Denver, Colorado region, where in 2004 voters in 8 counties agreed to a 4/10 of 1% sales tax increase to raise $4.7 billion to build 119 miles of light and commuter rail lines to be completed by 2016. That’s much more aggressive and comprehensive than Portland - today’s perceived leader in contemporary transit development.
What needs more attention?
More involvement from elected officials at the conference. They’re the ones who face the ultimate responsibility of figuring out how to make these rail lines and developments happen. Politicos need to share notes on how to garner community support.
Also, the role the natural environment plays and can play in transit and transit-oriented development needs to broaden significantly. Today we hear basic recitals of why transit is better than cars and little about how to integrate natural process into transit and accompanying development. What role should bicycles play in the integration of transit and transportation options? How can we turn liabilities like energy needs and stormwater management into community assets, for example through creative and effective use of photovoltaic cells where appropriate and attractive water features that manage stormwater at the source? Ecological design needs to enter the conversation.
Posted by Tom Miller on September 28, 2005
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Amen, Tom!
Speaking of Rail-Volution, I used Salt Lake's light rail once for a ski trip to Alta, just south of the city. They had convenient transfer to a ski bus that carried us and our skis up the mountain. Connectivity, and fewer acres of parking for skiers!
I hope there was some talk at the conference of how to "sell" transit-oriented development (TOD). I think Metro, our regional government, is doing a great job with their "Get Centered!" program, by describing TODs as "centers" and getting away from wonky policy acronyms and connecting to our inherent desire to be part of a real place -- placemaking!
Thanks for the report from Salt Lake!
Posted by: Peter Ovington | Sep 29, 2005 10:14:48 AM