The rosslyn ballston corridor is a famous example of early transit oriented development because of the orange line, but the area was home to an innovative transit experiment long before metro. On a recent frigid morning, mobility lab led a walking tour of arlingtons famous orange line tod corridor from clarendon to rosslyn. Transitoriented development land use transportation urban. After further public discussion, the county board adopted major land use changes for the richmond metro corridor 2974 and the rosslyn ballston metro corridor 12774.
The corridor is literally a textbook case of transit oriented development, with the thriving neighborhoods of courthouse, clarendon, virginia square, and ballston clustered around their eponymous orangesilver line metrorail stations. Spotlight on rosslynballston corridor, virginia greysteel. Transit corridors and tod transitoriented development. At the center is the shopping and restaurant district of clarendon, which was arlingtons downtown until the. Comstock acquires the hartford building in arlington, va. Some of these urban village communities include rosslyn, ballston. The jury chairmans test of time award is given to the rosslyn ballston corridor, a highly successful integration of transit oriented development and neighborhood preservation along the metrorail corridor serving the heart of arlington county, va. Traffic, parking, and transit oriented development chapter 7. As arlington booms, traffic drops greater greater washington.
Wilson boulevard, the main street through the rosslyn ballston corridor, saw the steepest reduction, 23%. Its part streetcar, part bus, and it ran in arlington and. The next steepest drops were on route 1 through crystal city, and on lee highway in rosslyn, which each fell 15. Rosslynballston corridor, arlington, virginia long island index. Transitoriented development tod projects depend on good urban design to co. Purpose of the multimodal system design guidelines. The development will serve as a gateway to virginia and the rosslyn ballston corridor, considered one of the countrys preeminent transit oriented urban environments in which residential, retail, office and cultural uses. This was a declining lowdensity commercial corridor 30 years ago when the local government decided to focus development around. All of the changes adopted between 1966 and 1975 to the legend and the transit corridors were incorporated in the 1975 plan. Wmata has played a significant role in the redevelopment of the rail corridor through the transit agencys joint development program, particularly around the ballston station, where wmata. Planning for the rosslyn ballston corridor involved a 12year intensive effort by citizens, staff and county officials. Arlingtons highdensity transit corridor is considered a model example of transit oriented development, particularly because strong political will, community.
I66 transittransportation demand management study fact. The effect of transitoriented development in arlington. Located at the western end of the rosslyn ballston corridor, ballston is a major transportation hub and boasts one of the nations highest concentrations of scientific research agencies, including the office of naval research, the virginia tech advanced research institute and the air force office of scientific research. The ulls eye concept for the rosslyn ballston corridor was a visionary land use policy decision that relocated the planned metro orange line away. Transit along the rosslynballston corridor, for example, is used at. Rosslyn ballston and route 1 corridors support the countys commercial tax base. Figure 40 map of densities around metrorail stations in the rosslyn ballston corridor.
Examples of urban centers include the rosslyn ballston corridor outside washington d. Seeing ballston rosslyn grow like that in the 90s is part of the reason i love urban development, mass transit, etc. Rosslyn gateway is mixeduse development located at the virginia landing of the francis scott key bridge in rosslyn, va. Arlington countys experience with transit oriented development in the rosslyn ballston metro corridor, the graph shows that a high percentage of individuals walk to rb corridor stations compared to other orange line stations in virginia. Alexandriaarlington comprehensive economic development. Factors and elements of success sam zimbabwe, leed ap, technical assistance director, reconnecting america apa florida chapter, transit oriented development workshop, september 4, 2008. Arlington ountys rosslyn ballston corridor, approximately 2.
Rosslyn ballston orange line dc region san pablo rapid bus bay area, ca. The corridor is divided into five distinct neighborhoods. Early charter awards leaned heavily toward designed rather than built projects, reflecting the growing pains of a new movement. An analysis of the rosslynballston metro corridor report. Best practices in transit oriented development used metrorailas catalyst for redevelopment of commercial spine concentrated density and promoted mixeduse at five stations preserved and reinvested in. Theyve got the best transit, but thats only part of. Multimodal centers and transit oriented development. Arlington county is currently considering plans to develop the site. In arlington, virginia, transit oriented development tod principles were incorporated within proximity to five metro stations. The rosslyn ballston corridor rb corridor, spanning two square miles, is composed of the rosslyn, ballston, courthouse, clarendon, and virginia square neighborhoods of arlington, va. General an element of land use arlington county s plan.
Although arlingtons intervention predates tod, the county is an. In urban planning, a transitoriented development tod is a type of urban development that. Development since 1980 25m square feet office 14,400 residential units station areas 25% county housing 37% county jobs transit access arlington. Arlington countys rosslynballston corridor, approximately 2.
Rosslynballston tod corridor tsu growth management. Figure 42 the process for designing multimodal corridors. The corridor is home to five metrorail stations, each neighborhood having its own station. Corridorlevel approaches to creating transitoriented. This material is the product of a partnership between america walks and sam schwartz engineering. In 1970, prior to the introduction of the metro, the rb corridor was home. Unless corridor wide transit oriented development strategies are implemented, sprawl and congestion will continue to. The coalition for smarter growth recognized arlington county with its capital region visionary award, hailing arlington as a leader in transit oriented development tod, affordable housing, bicyclepedestrian investments and green building, calling the rosslyn ballston corridor a national model for tod. Arlington countys experience with transit oriented development in the rosslyn ballston metro corridor by arlington county va. The second section is a discussion of station area planning principles, and includes tod plan checklists for each principle to help. From 1936 through 1939, a streetcarbus hybrid provided service from the city of fairfax to rosslyn and into dc.
The result was a highdensity, mixeduse, infill development linked by five metro stations that make up the rosslyn ballston corridor. Corridor level approaches to creating transitoriented districts. Curitiba was organized into transport corridors very early on in its history. The rosslyn ballston corridor has also emerged as one of northern virginias primary retail addresses. Rosslyn ballston transit corridor case study case study on arlington county tod case study published in the new transit town. Pdf on dec 27, 2018, kheir alkodmany and others published case studies. There were an estimated 205,300 jobs in the county in 2008. Transport transitoriented development in arlington, virginia. The areas history as a transit hub dates back to 1843, when present day arlington county and georgetown were connected via the aqueduct bridge over the. Economic development transit corridor will increase housing pressure on existing neighborhoods. Arlingtons orange line transit oriented development, in photos. The rosslyn ballston corridor in arlington, va, illustrates how tod can accommodate tremendous development in a livable community that provides bene.
Of the six stations on the orange line in arlington, east falls church has the least transit oriented development. Additionally, the number of housing units in metrorail corridors increased from 5,700 to more than 35,000 over the past 40 years. The rb corridor is recognized nationally as a best practice example for transit oriented development. The clarendon station is the smallest planned community comprising of 171. Transitoriented development handbook city of winnipeg. Transit corridors and tod center for transit oriented development connecting the dots. The area went into decline in the 1960s and early 70s until the metro station opened in 1979. The rosslyn ballston corridor illustrates smart growth planning and the type of transit oriented development that concentrates highdensity, mixeduse development along a major transit corridor, while preserving and enhancing existing residential neighborhoods.
The rosslyn ballston corridor has been cited in numerous studies on transit oriented development. The rosslyn ballston corridor in arlington, virginia, is one of. The rosslyn ballston corridor has been described as being one of the most successful transit oriented development project in the united states, in almost every article written about it. Arlington countys experience with transit oriented. Arlingtons highdensity transit corridor is considered a model example of transit oriented development, particularly because strong. The rbc has become a model for how proper joint development, should be conducted with tod, along metrorail stations. Usa transitoriented development in arlington, virginia. My new hometown of chicago, as lawfin said, could really use this model on the southside and west side along the green line. Since then, the area has gone through a tremendous redevelopment and continues to renew itself today. Rosslyn, court house, clarendon, virginia square, and ballston. Rosslyn ballston corridor transit corridor planning distinct places. Housing and development, planning division december 6, 2012 40 years of smart growth arlington countys experience with transit oriented development in the rosslyn ballston metro corridor photo credit. The rosslyn ballston corridor, which includes neighborhood namesake rosslyn and ballston plus courthouse, clarendon and virginia square, is evolving and leaning into its established place as a. Department of community planning, housing, and development.
Arlington countys experience with transit oriented development in the rosslyn ballston metro corridor. An atlanta case study a thesis presented to the academic faculty by. The effect of transitoriented development in arlington, virginia on. Volume 3 preface benchmarking transit oriented development. Eastwest development corridor noted for smart growth planning and transit oriented development.
Unlike the rosslyn ballston corridor, east falls church station is located in the median of interstate 66, posing pedestrian access issues. The rosslyn ballston corridor rb corridor is an eastwest corridor defined today by. The hartford building is situated in the heart of clarendons transit oriented and mixeduse, office and retail corridor that features whole foods, trader joes, apple, barnes. Spent a good portion of my childhood in dc and then nova, arlington. Antistreetcar resolution narrowly defeated in county.