Making the Most of Your Transportation Options—And Getting Your Neighbors Onboard
What happens when your land use decisions result in so much traffic that you face calls to freeze all new development investment? This is a common issue in our current development pattern, and the default reaction is to double down on the problem by building bigger intersections and adding more lanes. But what happens when there is no additional land to acquire to widen streets, or not enough money to enlarge intersections?
In 2006, I had the opportunity to work on a sector plan for White Flint in Montgomery County, Maryland. At the time, the development community wanted to change the land use pattern and redevelop White Flint with a more traditional development pattern, and a greater mix of uses. Citizens mobilized in opposition and pressured local officials to block these plans because of the potential for exacerbating the traffic woes.
These were valid concerns based on the bad experience residents had with White Flint’s previous low-density, auto-dependent development pattern. Traffic was a symptom of a bigger issue. The conversation in the community needed to change and a new question needed to be asked: How can we make our transportation system more productive?
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Through several public processes and community engagement, a plan began to emerge that would result in a more complete and connected street network. The plan’s major recommendation was to remove the traffic “confluences” by creating a connected network of streets. A confluence is a fancy transportation engineering term for a bottle neck. This occurs when a street grid is interrupted and two or more streets merge into one street or through a single intersection. This network of narrower, more walkable streets formed urban blocks that allowed for the conversion of parking lots into vibrant mixed-use blocks. The transportation system supported new development and investment.
Advance forward 17 years, and take a look at White Flint today. The conversation shifted from halting development or doubling down on highway solutions toward a focus on making the streets of White Flint more productive. Over time, marker lines on a page developed into streets. Vast parking lots have been redeveloped into mixed-use buildings. Old streets were enhanced and new streets were added with wide sidewalks and on-street parking. The transportation system supported more productive development and a community where people want to not only be, but call home.
Shifting the conversation takes a lot of work and may take even more time to come to fruition. White Flint is an example, where a different approach was applied that resulted in a familiar development pattern. The community has completely transformed from where it was in 2006 and has grown into an extremely productive place positively contributing to the region.
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