Space Reimagined: Transit & The No Car Zone (Leadership APTA 2021)

This project will provide a set of guiding principles for consideration to leverage existing assets to attract customers and rebrand transit as a more resilient system and an attractive mode of transportation for everyone. 

• The COVID pandemic has also seen a vast majority of the white-collar workforce leaving the cities to begin a new work life at home.  These essential employees rode trains and buses to keep grocery stores stocked and hospitals open.  Coming out of the pandemic transit authorities and elected leadership should strive for a better future, and not one that takes them back to overly congested streets, increased pollution, high commute times, and higher costs to maintain an aging and failing transportation infrastructure (e.g., roads and bridges).
• What if we never return to the inner cities with our cars? What if cities proactively and intentionally form ‘no car zones’ where the urban centers are reimagined as gathering spots free of busy roadways and high-priced concrete parking structures? Could cities envision taking back the streets and turning them into parks, restaurants, entertainment venues, or retail?  COVID may just be the catalyst cities and transit agencies are looking for to transform and craft a better tomorrow.

Project Team:

• Dan Phu (OCTA)
• Marie Olson (Sound Transit)
• Richard Rauceo (Hatch LTK)
• Sean Cronin (Metra)
• Scott Patterson (C-TRAN)