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Livable Communities Initiative

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LIVABLE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE


This brochure describes the Federal Transit Administration's Livable Communities Initiative
including its background, objectives, eligible recipients and activities, sources of funding, statutory
basis, and criteria for selection.

BACKGROUND
The technology advances of the 20th century have brought instant communication and increased
ability to traverse short and long distances. These advances, together with the increase in
automobile ownership and the construction of extensive roadway networks, have created urban
sprawl, adverse environmental effects and the isolation of many individuals from their
communities. As this century closes, transportation options have become increasingly limited for
many in our communities who are unable to drive, prefer not to drive or lack an automobile.
Together, urban sprawl that forces increasingly longer trips and traffic congestion are diminishing
the quality of life and reducing the effectiveness of the automobile as a transportation mode.
These negative factors have created renewed interest in compact communities with user-friendly
transit linked to related development.
The three primary functions of transit are to provide an alternative means of personal mobility,
increase capacity when needed and contribute to the quality of life in communities. In the context
of these functions, the Federal Transit Administration initiated the Livable Communities Initiative
to strengthen the link between transit and communities. Transit facilities and services that promote
more livable communities are ones which are customer-friendly, community-oriented and well
designed resulting from a planning and design process with active community involvement.

OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Initiative are to improve mobility and the quality of services available to
residents of neighborhoods by: 
strengthening the link between transit planning and community planning, including land use
policies and urban design supporting the use of transit and ultimately providing physical assets
that better meet community needs
 stimulating increased participation by community organizations and residents, minority and
low-income residents, small and minority businesses, persons with disabilities and the elderly in
the planning and design process
 increasing access to employment, education facilities and other community destinations through
high quality, community-oriented, technologically innovative transit services and facilities
 leveraging resources available through other Federal, State and local programs
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
 
Characteristics of Livable Communities include:
 full community participation in the decision-making process by residents, neighborhood
organizations and the business community including small and minority businesses
 well planned and designed neighborhoods where housing, schools and parks are within easy
walking distance of user-friendly transit and link residents to job opportunities and social services
 transit, pedestrian and bicycle access that is compatible with land use, zoning and urban design
to reduce dependence on the automobile
 mixed-use neighborhoods that complement residential areas with commercial, recreational,
educational, health and other social services
 transit services and facilities which provide safety, security and accessibility for all passengers,
including disabled persons and elderly members of the community
 sound environmental practices including careful parking and traffic management techniques to
reduce auto trips, conserve space, encourage green areas, avoid gridlock and improve air quality.

ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Eligible recipients are transit operators, metropolitan planning organizations, city and county
governments, states, planning agencies and other public bodies with the authority to plan or
construct transit projects. Non-profit, community and civic organizations are encouraged to
participate in project planning and development as partners with eligible recipients.  Eligible
project planning activities include:
 
 the preparation of implementation plans and designs
incorporating Livable Communities elements,
 
 the assessment of environmental, social,
economic, land use and urban design impacts of projects, 
 feasibility studies, 4) technical
assistance, 
 participation by community organizations, and the business community, including
small and minority owned businesses, and persons with disabilities, 
 the evaluation of best
practices, and 
 the development of innovative urban design, land use and zoning practices.
Metropolitan and other planning organizations that receive FTA planning funds are expected to
incorporate Livable Communities elements into their regular planning work programs. Eligible
capital activities or capital project enhancements of demonstration projects include:
 
 property
acquisition, restoration or demolition of existing structures, site preparation, utilities, building
foundations, walkways, and open space that are physically and functionally related to mass
transportation facilities,
 
 the purchase of buses, enhancements to transit stations, park-and-ride
lots and transfer facilities incorporating community services such as day care, health care and
public safety, 
 safety elements such as lighting, surveillance and community police and security
services, 
 site design improvements including sidewalks, aerial walkways and bus access and
kiss-and-ride facilities, 
 operational enhancements such as transit marketing and pass programs,
customer information services, and advanced vehicle locating, dispatch and information systems.

STATUTORY BASIS AND FUNDING
 The statutory basis for the Initiative is found at 49
U.S.C. Section 5309(a)(5) and (7) (formerly Sections 3(a)(1)(D) and (F) of the Federal Transit
Act). These provisions authorize projects that:
 
 enhance the effectiveness of mass transportation
projects to which they are physically or functionally related, and 
 provide non-vehicular, capital
improvements in fixed-guideway corridors.
 The flexible funding provisions of the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) strengthens the funding opportunities for
transit investments that meet the needs of communities. The FTA Livable Communities Initiative
is thus firmly grounded in law. The essential purpose of the Federal transit laws is not simply to
fund the capital and operating costs of transit systems; more generally, the purpose is to improve
the quality of life in urban and rural communities through the use of transit systems, recognizing
them as the lifeblood of livable communities.
 The sources of Federal funds for projects reflecting
the Livable Communities Initiative principles are: the transit capital Discretionary Grant or Loan
Program, the transit formula assistance Block Grants, the Planning and Research Program, the
Planning and Design of Mass Transportation Facilities to Meet Special Needs of Elderly Persons
and Persons with Disabilities, the rural transit assistance Formula Grant Program for Areas Other
Than Urbanized Areas, the Surface Transportation Program (STP) and Congestion Mitigation
and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds. In addition, limited funding will be available for technical
assistance and demonstration project implementation, planning, capital projects, model planning,
urban design and community involvement techniques. 


PROGRAM GUIDANCE
PROJECT SELECTION FACTORS 
Threshold Factors.
 Threshold factors will include evidence that the project:
 resulted from a
community planning process and contains community endorsement,
 increases access to jobs,
educational opportunities, or social services, 
 incorporates community services or other transit
and pedestrian-oriented mixed use developments, and 
 provides opportunities for small or
disadvantaged business participation in the planning, design, and implementation phases of the
project. 
Rating Factors.
 In addition to the threshold factors, there are a number of specific
measures worthy of consideration in developing projects. They are as follows:
 evidence of
community involvement in the planning, design and implementation of the project, 
 evidence
that the transit project is a product of coordinated transit and community planning, 
 degree to
which transit ridership is increased and single occupant automobile trips are reduced, 
 degree to
which the project responds to community needs through the inclusion of community services and
customer conveniences,
 level of funding pledged by local and State agencies and other Federal
programs,
 degree to which the enhancements improve the physical environment of the
community, including safety and security, 
 degree to which the project stimulates commercial
and housing development around the subject transit facility,
 degree to which the project
generates jobs for unemployed community residents, 
 evidence of local ordinances reflecting
supportive land use policies and business development initiatives, 
 market feasibility of the
relevant project elements, and 
 reasonableness of the financial plan to cover the local share of
the capital costs and long term operations and maintenance costs of the relevant project elements.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT ELEMENTS 
The project development elements to be considered when developing a Livable Communities
project are:

 physical or functional relationship to transit must be evident 
 community participation in the planning and design of the project
 coordination of the site functional plans, particularly in relationship to transit facility operation
and maintenance procedures
 integrated design of transit with community service and customer convenience components
 environmental and other Federal cross-cutting requirements including American Disabilities Act,
Davis Bacon, Buy America, third party contracting and 13(c) must be addressed
 the market and financial feasibility of the community services and customer conveniences should
be evident
 applicable zoning and land use policies such as higher density considerations, mixed-use
guidelines, parking management, and pedestrian/bicycle transit oriented design standards 
 property leasing arrangements
 disposition of project real property 
 inclusion in an approved Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) Transportation Improvement
Program (TIP), and State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

LIVABLE COMMUNITIES EXAMPLES

GREATER CLEVELAND PASSENGER ACCESSWAY
The Cleveland Passenger Accessway is a vital element of the redevelopment of downtown
Cleveland. The 1,050 foot accessway links the Tower City Center rapid transit station with the
Gateway Sports Complex which contains a 42,000 seat stadium and a 21,000 seat arena. The
passenger accessway includes a number of customer conveniences.

Pedestrian walkway overlooks scenic Cuyahoga River, is climate controlled and contains
closed circuit television cameras.
The heavy utilization of the Passenger Accessway has resulted in minimal traffic congestion on
event days.
Due to the high volume of rapid transit ridership resulting from the use of this facility, RTA has
added a large amount of additional service to accommodate event crowds. 
Over 60% of Gateway Stadium attendees utilized the accessway for events, over 25% of the
event crowds utilized the public transit system and a majority of the transit trips use the RTA's
rapid transit system.
The community participated in planning and designing the facilities.
The facility is totally grade-separated so that users do not have to cross downtown arterials to
gain access to the facility.
The project qualified for a Categorical Exclusion from Environmental Assessment.
Market and financial feasibility studies were conducted by RTA and its consultants to estimate
passenger utilization, flow-rates and to determine the size of the accessway.
Project financing occurred in the form of an 80% grant from CMAQ funds under ISTEA
flexible funding. Private sector financed 100% of conceptual design, 50% of preliminary
engineering and provided in-kind contributions valued at nearly $2.0 million toward the
accessway.

CEDAR RAPIDS GROUND TRANSPORTATION CENTER
The Ground Transportation Center at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is a multi-use facility located in the
downtown CBD. The Center was designed to centralize local and intercity bus transportation
modes, as well as to provide convenient access for taxis and special services for the elderly and
disabled. 
 The Center incorporates a split bus terminal with separate facilities for city buses and intercity
buses.
 Approximately 3,000 to 4,000 bus passengers use the Center daily.
 Incorporated and integrated the designs of the bus terminals with other joint-development
components. 
 Emphasizes strong relationships between the bus transit and pedestrian activities.
 Pedestrian circulation design includes both internal and external walkways with multiple access
points to transit terminals, office towers, and other buildings in the area.
 Project conceptualization and planning involved developers, downtown businesses and city
officials.
 Numerous public hearings were held due to the project's proximity to a 100-year Flood Plain.
 
 Iowa's Department of Natural Resources participated in the approval process.
 An Environmental Assessment was conducted and found no significant impact.
 Market and financial feasibility studies were conducted.
 The Federal share of the total project cost was 80 % and included land acquisition.
 

ORLANDO PARK AND PLAY GARAGE CHILD CARE CENTER
The Orlando Park and Play Garage is a 515 parking space facility that incorporates a child care
center, restaurant and branch offices of the City's Parking System.
 The City provides free shuttle bus service to downtown employment centers.
 The shuttle buses serve approximately 1,000 people daily from two parking garages which
have a combined total of 1,127 parking spaces.
 The project site was designated for community service development. Public hearings
considered options and recommended a multi-use facility.
 The City incorporated a child care center component into the project.
 The child care center design was integrated with the design of the parking garage.
 Covered walkways connect the child care center, the Performing Arts Center and the parking
garages.
 For the purposes of environmental requirements, a categorical exclusion was issued.
 The child care center was financed with funds from the city's parking revenues.
 The City leased the child care center to a private operator. Fees are returned to the City's
parking fund.
 FTA funded 80 % of the parking garage costs and the costs of the land for the child care
center. 

HEALTH STATION AT ROXBURY CROSSING
The Whittier Street Neighborhood Health Center opened the Health Station at Roxbury Crossing 
at a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) station. It is the first known health
center to be located at a public transit terminal. The Health Station, located in the Roxbury
section of Boston, provides very accessible health care, health promotion and health education
services to an area with heavy pedestrian traffic.
 Roxbury Crossing Station has approximately 3,000 passenger boardings daily and also serves
as a bus stop for 10 bus lines.
 The Health Station is located at street level adjacent to the entrance of the MBTA station.
 An extensive community participation program was carried out in the planning and designs of
all Orange Line stations. 
 The community recommended projects incorporating minimum parking, retail businesses, and
community based services. 
 The Health Station leases 4,670 sq. feet of space from MBTA through a master leaser
contracted by MBTA. The master leaser put in electrical services as part of the lease agreement.
 
 As a notable spin-off, the master leaser is negotiating a lease at another Orange Line station for
a "challenged adult" center.
 The Health Station offers a range of health care services including maternal and child health
care services.
 FTA participated in the funding of the station.

LIVABLE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE ACTIVITIES

PROGRAM GUIDANCE
    Livable Communities Initiative Program Description
    Livable Communities Initiative Brochure
    Planning Emphasis Area
    Community Involvement Guidance
    FTA Grant Program Circulars
    Regional Conferences/ Workshops

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND 
PROGRAM SUPPORT
    Best Practice Guidelines
    National Seminars
    Town Meetings
    On-Site Assistance
    Local Implementation Demonstrations
    Model Urban Design Standards
    Best Practices in Community Outreach
    Local Service Innovations

CAPITAL PROJECT DEMONSTRATIONS
    Selection of Projects
    Project Management
    Project Evaluation

CORE PROGRAM INSINUATION
    Planning Assistance Including Coordination with FHWA
    Discretionary Bus Program
    Formula Assistance Program
    New Starts Criteria
    Rail Modernization Program

RELATED DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
    Advanced Public Transit Systems
    Clean Air
    Job Links
    Innovative Financing
    Safety and Security
    Transit Accessibility
    Transit Ambassadors
    Turnkey (Design/Build) Delivery

PROGRAM EVALUATION
    Development of Evaluation Methodology
    Assessment of Baseline Conditions
    Assessment of Post-operational Results


FTA REGIONAL OFFICES
Potential applicants are encouraged to initially contact the FTA Regional Offices. The Regional
Offices will work with potential applicants in developing project proposals and will seek
Headquarters technical assistance and procedural guidance as needed. Information on the FTA
Regional Offices is listed below:

Federal Transit Administration     (617) 494-2055
Region I 
Transportation Systems Center
55 Broadway, Suite 920
Cambridge, MA 02142-1093


Federal Transit Administration     (212) 264-8162
Region II 
26 Federal Plaza, Suite 2940
New York, NY 10278-0194


Federal Transit Administration     (215) 656-6900
Region III
1760 Market Street, Suite 500  
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4124


Federal Transit Administration     (404) 347-3948
Region IV
1720 Peachtree Road, NW, Suite 400
Atlanta, GA 30309-2439


Federal Transit Administration     (312) 353-2789
Region V 
55 E. Monroe Street, Suite 1415
Chicago, IL 60603-5704


Federal Transit Administration     (817) 860-9663
Region VI
524 East Lamar Boulevard, Suite 175
Arlington, TX 76011-3900
Region/Address Telephone No.

Federal Transit Administration     (816) 523-0204
Region VII
6301 Rockhill Road, Suite 303
Kansas, City, MO 64131-1117


Federal Transit Administration     (303) 844-3242
Region VIII
216 Sixteenth Street, Suite 650  
Denver, CO 80202-5120


Federal Transit Administration     (415) 744-3133
Region IX
201 Mission Street, Suite 2210
San Francisco, CA 94105-1800


Federal Transit Administration     (206) 220-7954
Region X
Jackson Federal Building
915 Second Avenue, Suite 3142
Seattle, WA 98174-1002


"We are leading America with high-quality public transportation that ensures personal mobility
and livable communities."
Gordon J. Linton
Administrator
Federal Transit Administration

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