Transit-oriented communities a positive move for environment

Editorial published in Seattle P.I. on Jan. 26, 2009

By Dan Cantrell and Rachael Myers

Our state may face no challenge greater than the threat of global warming and the lack of sufficient affordable housing -- and we can't solve either unless we solve both. Unrelated issues, you say? Think again.
The lack of affordable housing pushes people to live farther from jobs and community services, creating longer commutes. More time spent in cars increases vehicle miles traveled, which leads to greater greenhouse gas emissions. Development at the urban fringe converts working farms and forests to urban uses, resulting in less carbon-sequestering open space and tree canopy.
If that isn't enough for you, the loss of rural and resource land threatens local food security, eliminates wildlife habitat and has been linked to the degradation of Puget Sound. Lack of housing affordable to low- and moderate-income earners exacerbates poverty issues, adding pricey transportation costs to household expenses.
To top it off, the increased infrastructure costs to expand roads and build sewer lines to urban fringe development is an enormous economic burden on all taxpayers. So, what to do?
Countless recent planning processes and reports, including efforts by the state's Climate Action Team and Land Use and Climate Change committees, Puget Sound Regional Council, Puget Sound Partnership, Seattle Planning Commission and the Urban Land Institute, have come to the same conclusion: Walkable, mixed-use communities offering good transit and biking opportunities, as well as housing affordable to a range of incomes, is key to keeping our state environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
Fortunately, these "transit-oriented communities" are exactly what more people are seeking. "Walkability" has become a top real estate amenity as people look for vibrant neighborhoods where they can live, work, shop and play without relying on a car.
How do we get more neighborhoods like that? And how do we make them affordable to a full range of incomes?
State House Bill 1490 strives to do just that. The Creating Transit-Oriented Communities legislation, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Nelson, has been selected as a priority for the Washington environmental community. Central components of the bill include:

Requiring jurisdictions to consider climate impacts of land use and transportation. Meeting state greenhouse gas and vehicle miles traveled reduction requirements will necessitate more compact and walkable development in our cities, and more preservation of our rural and resource lands. Local jurisdictions will decide, through their comprehensive plans, how to best meet those goals.

Maximizing land-use potential near high-capacity transit stations. What better way to leverage the multibillion-dollar transit investments made by the region's taxpayers than to provide more opportunities for people to live and work near transit? Local neighborhoods will decide the shape and character of compact and walkable communities.

Strengthening affordability requirements in cities. New guidelines will require cities to protect existing affordable housing stock and direct more affordability programs to new development in transit station areas. Local jurisdictions can decide what best mix of programs and incentives will meet the requirements.

The bill will support and strengthen the good work already being done by many cities. To name a few, Tacoma, Spokane and Lynnwood are leaders on looking at climate impacts of land use and transportation. Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond already have "transit-oriented community"-supportive zoning in most of their transit station areas. Kirkland and Seattle are making progress on providing housing to low- and moderate-income earners.
For those and other jurisdictions, the bill will provide the framework to address climate change and housing affordability in their local policymaking.
This legislation will be a win for communities and a win for the environment. And with the challenges of global warming and housing affordability growing larger by the day, we need to act now if we want to leave future generations with a state that is environmentally, socially and economically sound.

Dan Cantrell is executive director of Futurewise; futurewise.org. Rachael Myers is executive director of Washington Low Income Housing Alliance; wliha.org. Also contributing to this essay was Rob Johnson, executive director of Transportation Choices Coalition; transportationchoices.org.

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