Economic Impacts of Transitways, Part 1: The Hiawatha Light Rail Line
Principal Investigator:
Edward Goetz, Professor/Ph.D., Urban & Regional Affairs
Project Summary:
The goal of this research is to select or develop a methodology for determining the impacts of transitways in the Twin Cities. The Twin Cities' 2030 Transportation Plan, developed by the Metropolitan Council, identifies eight transitways; the development of these transitways, including large-scale physical redevelopment and land use changes, will cost local governments millions of dollars. A critical public concern is whether these transitways produce community benefits beyond improving the region's transportation system, specifically whether and how such physical redevelopment will affect property values, housing patterns, businesses and employment opportunities, and adjacent land uses in surrounding neighborhoods. These potential economic impacts are distinct from (and can be analyzed separately from) the impacts such transitways will have on transportation behavior, mode choice, and traffic patterns. The recent completion of the Hiawatha light-rail transit (LRT) line provides an opportunity to investigate these questions. Such research can be used to inform the planning and policy decisions faced by local governments as the regional transportation plan is implemented over the next 25 years. In order to manage the complexities surrounding the identification of important research questions and the availability and comparability of data, this research involves numerous local stakeholders. The methodology selected or developed through this research will be one which either has been proven in previous use, or which will be suitable for use elsewhere in the United States. As researchers select or develop best practices for evaluating the impacts of transitways, it is essential that the focus not just be on the Hiawatha LRT but include suggestions about how the same methodology can be used on other transitways. Identifying potential problems that will occur if/when the same methodology is applied to other transitways and suggested solutions to these problems will be a necessary component of the final research product.
Sponsors:
- Anoka County
- Hennepin County
- Itasca Group
- Metropolitan Council
- Ramsey County
- University Metropolitan Consortium
- Washington County
Project Details:
- Start date: 07/2007
- Project Status: Active
- Research Area: Transportation and the Economy
- Topics: Economics, Transit