Metrolinx Green Paper 2: Mobility Hubs

Mobility Hubs

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

January 2008


Ingredients of a successful mobility hub

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Types of Mobility HubsPrimary Hubs – significant regional city centres

•Significant regional city centres withpotential for the highest levels of population and employment densities

•Highest levels of travel demand

•Includes subway stations and some urban growth centres depending on scale, character, transit service and function.

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Secondary Hubs – major activity centres

•Major regional destinations and/or functionally important gateways that have inter-regional connections

•Includes airports, universities/colleges, major parks and stadiums, and regional shopping centres

Tertiary Hubs - major transit station areas

All stations located on a higher-order transit line not included in previous definitions


Mobility hubs: Transformational agendaOld NewLow density

Single uses

Separated uses

Low population

Low employment

Wide arterial roads

Medium and high density

Mixed-use

Integrated Uses

High population

High employment

Network of streets

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Large parking lots

Little weather protection

Mall-oriented shopping

Not accommodating to people with disabilities

Discourages walking

Discourages biking

No adjacent services/ institutions

No information

Single mode

Strategic parking structures

Weather moderation

Street-oriented shopping

Accessible

Pedestrian friendly

Biking friendly

Adjacent shops and services

Real time information

Multi-modal


Transit modal splits at urban growth centres

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Mobility hubs challenges

Transit service leveland integration

Infrequent, uni-directional, peak hour only; lack of fare integration and schedule coordination

ParkingExtensive, free or very inexpensive, single-use, market-essential for development

Awkward land patterns

Small, separated sites; industrial patterns of land use

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Lack of alignment between transit facilities and development

Transit facilities not in or central to developed centre

Large infrastructure

Conflicts with place-making; frustrates active transportation; lack of pedestrian-scaled urban connectivity; ugliness; barriers to connecting urban fabric

Lack of market Low employment space demand; exclusive focus on residential

Difficulty of development

Fractured ownership; ”not in my backyard” local opposition; non-proven market


The design of a mobility hub�At the station

• Clear, easy convenient access• Good signage• Good lighting• Weather protected, heated waiting areas• Washrooms/change rooms

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• Washrooms/change rooms• Bicycle stations• Real-time service information• Service kiosks with refreshments, papers, etc.• Local maps & info• Web link• Place making and public art• Travellers’ aid/ telephones• Virtual workplace• Safe environmental design• Car share program


The design of a mobility hub

�Around the station• Transit plaza• Transit links to nearby destinations• Convenience shopping• Day-care• Pleasant open spaces

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• Pleasant open spaces• Cultural, educational, entertainment, institutional uses• Convenient connections between modes (weather

protected)• Cafés, restaurants• Grocery store• Personal services• HOV preferred parking• Plug-ins for electric vehicles• Facility for delivery of goods


Incremental BoldPolicy framework

� UGC policies in Places to Grow

� Official plan revision� Employment and residential

distribution

� UGC hierarchy and differentiation� ‘Mobility hub’ designation with associated policies� Concentrate employment and residential in hubs� Disincentive development outside of mobility hubs� Metrolinx formal planning role in areas around hubs

Financing mobility hubs

� Current processes plus Metrolinx investments

� Community Improvement Plan areas to use DCs and expropriation powers

Implementation

mobility hubs Metrolinx investments� Use of planning tools such

as Section 37

expropriation powers� TIF districts� Value-capture strategies� Application of Metrolinx revenue tools� Support of local transit services in catchment areas� Explore opportunities for PPPs

Parking strategy

� Max parking� Payments in lieu of parking� Parking consolidation� Park-and-ride lots relocated

and/or structured� Creation of parking

authorities

� Radical reduction in parking demand through catchment area transit, active transportation, Transit Management Associations, mixed-use development

� Separate pricing of transit fares and parking charges (eliminate free parking)

� Provincial tax and assessment policy to restructure parking market and eliminate ‘free’ parking

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ImplementationIncremental Bold

Sustainable development

� Promote area and regional ‘green’ policies

� Require LEED® Gold for all transit-related development� Radically reduce surface parking areas� Promote pervious paving and enhanced storm water

management� Promote ambitious tree planting and other greening

programs around stations� Utilize renewable energy sources where possible�

Leadership � Municipally led mobility hub implementation

� Creation of ‘expertise centre’ at Metrolinx� Establishment of Transit-oriented-development agencies

at municipal/regional/Metrolinx level� Protocols for private sector engagement as enabling

developer� Support for strategic site assembly

Demonstration hubs

� All mobility hubs advanced in parallel

� Identification of four to six key accelerated mobility hubs� Provision of start-up costs and expertise resource by Metrolinx� Inter-governmental facilitation by Metrolinx� Site acquisition and infrastructure funding strategies

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MOBILITY HUBS: CHARACTERISTICS, TARGET METRICS AND PROGRAMS

Group Characteristics Target metrics Program

Prim

ary

Central Toronto Regional centresIntermodal capability Many stations Significant place

400+ ppl.jobs/h60% TMS30% active

Full program of improvements

Subway centres Major centresIntermodal capability Several stations Sense of place

400 ppl.jobs/h50% TMS30% active

Public spaces, retail, bike station, car-share, day-care

Urban growth centres with critical mass

City centresIntermodal capability One or more stationsSeveral destinations

200-400 ppl.jobs/h30% TMS25% active


Secondary

Emerging Smaller city centresIntermodal capability

200 ppl.jobs/h30% TMS


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Secondary

Emerging centres:first tier

Intermodal capability One or more stationsSeveral destinations

30% TMS20% active

day-care

Emergingcentres: second tier

Smaller city centresOne or more stationsSome destinations

200 ppl.jobs/h30% TMS15% active

Retail presence, bike station

Unique destinations

Universities, colleges, airports, other…

As appropriate Customized program

Tertiary

Gateways/ inter-modal stations

Inter-regional interchangestation

--- Full bicycle station, car-share

Higher order stations

Stations on higher-order line --- *Signage, lighting, weather-protection, service & area info boards, kiosks where possible, pedestrian access, bike lanes, specialized parking standards, station area supportive development zoning (*Program for all stations)

Metrolinx Green Paper 2: Mobility Hubs

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