TCSP Accomplishments

Creating Partnerships

Creating new public and private partnerships - especially with non-traditional partners - is a key focus of the TCSP program. The process of developing project proposals has set TCSP grantees well on their way to developing these new relationships. "Non-traditional" partners involved in FY 1999 TCSP project proposals include non-profit organizations, private land development organizations, community groups, environmental organizations, and universities.

Partnerships can help link transportation and community preservation in many ways. The formation of partnerships can help build consensus by bringing together groups with different viewpoints to discuss common visions and solutions. For communities discussing alternative transportation investment and land development scenarios, outreach to developers, financial institutions, and real estate professionals is critical. Partnerships with these groups will help educate all parties about the impacts of various development patterns and about potential alternatives to existing patterns. At the same time, partnerships help planners and communities understand issues from the viewpoint of those who are directly responsible for land development. Philadelphia, for example, is undertaking a transit corridor, real-estate market study. This study will provide an improved understanding of the potential market for transit-oriented development, thereby reducing the perceived risk to developers.

Lee Vining Community Planning Project:
Consensus-Driven Vision for a Small Town

Lee Vining is a small town on the eastern side of California that serves as a main gateway to Yosemite National Park. The town’s many challenges include balancing tourism with preservation of community character, and accommodating a major State highway that also serves as the town’s Main Street. TCSP funds will assist the Lee Vining community, through a collaborative and consensus-driven planning process, in developing transportation and land-use plans that meet these challenges. The project is expected to result in a comprehensive vision for growth and preservation as well as a more connected, compact, and walkable town.

Outreach to non-traditional partners helps broaden the range and depth of issues considered in transportation planning. Inclusion of public health agencies, for example, is bringing a greater awareness of how local transportation and community design can affect opportunities for physical activity and recreation.

Non-traditional partnerships also can occur across geographic boundaries. Neighboring jurisdictions may cooperate in developing a shared vision for transportation investments and development scenarios. Similarly, State and regional agencies may come together with local communities to discuss regional issues and solutions. The Willamette Valley region of Oregon - an area of 11,500 square miles - is undertaking long-term transportation and land-use planning at a new regional level. In the historic Bluegrass Region of Kentucky, communities along major transportation corridors are developing partnerships to link local planning questions with regional concerns.

Finally, partnerships can help integrate the needs of business and industry with transportation and community concerns. The results can lead to strategies that promote economic development and access to jobs while reducing infrastructure costs and environmental impacts. Tool Town is a concept created in Dayton, Ohio, to establish a precision metalworking park located in the downtown area. This project was initiated by the private sector during the development of a comprehensive plan for the city and will help increase the strength of the machine-tooling industry in Dayton. At the same time, through its downtown location, Tool Town will make extensive use of existing and currently underutilized transportation infrastructure and will create jobs with a high level of transit accessibility.

Tool Town:
Growing Industry in Downtown Dayton

Tool Town is a private-sector led initiative to establish a precision metalworking park on underutilized industrial property in downtown Dayton, Ohio. TCSP funds will be used to develop a schematic campus master plan, including an implementation schedule and funding strategies. Tool Town will provide an alternative to greenfield development by reusing land, buildings, transportation facilities, and other infrastructure. The effort will also create jobs that can be filled by Dayton residents and will support the long-term viability of tooling and machining in the region.