Growth can bloom with rapid transit
By Jim Mulvihill, San Bernardino County Sun

Sunday, March 13, 2005 - Freeways, shopping malls, office parks and
sprawling subdivisions are inescapable facts of today's car-oriented society. The
notion of walkable main streets flanked by retail shops, with offices and
apartments on the upper floors, seems as dated as Mickey Rooney playing ``Andy
Hardy.''
But many problems closely associated with our auto-oriented lifestyle are
also unavoidable: traffic congestion, loss of open space, pollution, loss of
community, not to mention rising energy costs. If addressed at all, these
problems are typically treated in isolation by single-purpose policies.
Alternative land-use arrangements are being discussed to correct urban
problems in a comprehensive, integrated fashion. These new patterns come under
several names: Smart Growth, New Urbanism and transit-oriented development. Each
of these is fashioned around more compact, walkable, mixed-land use urban
settings.
Also emphasized are high-intensity transit corridors. These corridors will
become the setting for not only new land-use arrangements, but also will
feature modern, safe and comfortable alternatives to the automobile and the
typical public transit of today.
Omnitrans has taken the first step in planning a transit corridor from Cal
State San Bernardino to Loma Linda University, primarily along E Street. Bus
Rapid Transit, or BRT, has been chosen because it has been shown to provide an
excellent alternative to light-rail transit at a fraction of the cost.
Traditional bus systems possess several drawbacks, including lengthy travel
times due to frequent stops to pick up passengers and delays at traffics
signals. BRT vehicles will offer clean, safe and attractive transportation using
dedicated lanes, often along the street centers, with traffic signal
preemption, advanced fare payment and special platform boarding designs that together
will move riders at virtually the same overall speed as an automobile.
The newer technology will not only benefit transit users, but will also
serve as a strong magnet for future residential and commercial uses. Several
cities, including Denver, Houston and Minneapolis, provide operating examples of
this technology.
A great opportunity exists if San Bernardino would develop a specific plan
for land use along E Street to complement Omnitrans' corridor plan. ``Transit
villages'' containing a mix of commercial retail stores, offices and
high-intensity residential homes could be fostered at intervals of approximately one
mile along the new corridor.
Between these villages, more residential homes can be planned, but of
significantly higher density than today's typical single-family, detached
subdivisions. Riverside is projecting a population growth of 85,000 in the next few
years and is developing an innovative corridor-specific plan for the
redevelopment of Magnolia Avenue to accommodate much of this growth.
Much of E Street south of Highland Avenue is already part of a redevelopment
project area. This allows for special fiscal benefits for the city as
development occurs and can be quickly re-invested to support further development.
An opportunity for a transit village has been discussed at E Street and
Rialto Avenue to include a mix-use development associated with a new MetroLink
depot. North of Highland Avenue, a clear opportunity for the development of a
transit village exists at E Street and Marshall Avenue. Several large vacant
parcels, as well as a deteriorating shopping center, exist there now.
This ``nodal'' strategy, along with BRT, will reduce the need for commuting
and encourage greater use of public transportation. If successful, these new
developments will not only generate jobs and increase tax revenue, they will
also provide opportunities for community-building.
Careful planning will be required to set the stage for private development.
Retail development must be market-driven; access to transit can strengthen
the retail market, but the market must be viable without the transit component.
Market dynamics necessitate our thoughtfully integrating residential
opportunities into the mix.
Jim Mulvihill is a certified urban planner and professor of geography and
environmental studies at Cal State San Bernardino. This column appears the
second Sunday of the month. Send questions to On Strategy, Business Section, The
Sun, 399 N. D St., San Bernardino, CA 92401, or e-mail him.