- 2009 Award of Merit for a Planning Project from the American Planning Association's California Chapter
In 2008, the North County Transit District engaged a team led by KTU+A to assess the redevelopment potential of the areas around three major transit hubs: the Oceanside Transit Center, the Carlsbad Village Station, and the Escondido Transit Center.
The resulting plan and its research appendix address three main goals. First, the plan identifies the potential for infill development that could support transit and that could in turn be supported by transit around the three stations. Second, the plan identifies financially-feasible ways to generate many types of new housing near the stations, including affordable, workforce, senior, and market-rate housing.
Finally, the project’s research appendix provides a strategy for using Community Facilities Districts (a financing mechanism established by California state law) to provide a stable, ongoing funding stream for transit. The research identifies a wide range of transit improvements that could be funded by Community Facilities Districts, from ongoing transit operations to improving station access.
Patrick Siegman directed the parking and transportation demand management components of the project, while a principal at Nelson\Nygaard. Mr. Siegman’s work included developing an extensive menu of parking and transportation demand management strategies. They offer cost-effective ways to increase ridership and decrease vehicle trips, pollution, and parking costs. The work also included analyzing the development cost savings that could be realized by removing or reducing minimum parking regulations.
The plan and its research were honored with the 2009 Award of Merit for a Planning Project from the California Chapter of the American Planning Association. With help from Mr. Siegman, the City of San Marcos became the first in California to use the transit-oriented CFD strategy, adopting its CFD in 2011.
Image courtesy of KTU+A and the North County Transit District