Sustainable Infrastructure: An Action Blueprint

1. Sustainable Infrastructure: An Action Blueprint Transit Hubs: Improving Amenities at Mass Transit Stations to Attract Users

2. Information Needs • Is there support within your community for enhancing the overall use of transit stations? • Do you have a sense of what amenities might attract mass transit users in your community? • Does your community plan and transit plans include the potential use of amenities to attract mass transit users? (co-location with pubic libraries, restaurants, easy access to bicycle routes etc.) An example can be found at: • http://www.ville.sainte-marie.qc.ca/

3. Basic Information and Initial Decisions Continued What are the traffic volumes from each mass-transit station in your community, and why are people using mass transit? What are the traffic volumes associated with non-transit movements, and whether the purposes for these trips are the same as those for mass transit? Have you considered what additional amenities might attract potential transit users to a transit hub?

4. Implementation Have you surveyed your community for possible allies in making better use of transit stations? For example, is your local library board considering an expansion; if so, can that expansion be co-located at one of your transit stations? Have you considered leveraging space, either at or above transit stations, to subsidize amenities so as to attract transit users? Have you considered a pilot project to test whether amenity improvement could lead to enhanced use of transit facilities?

5. Implementation Continued • Have you identified possible sources of funding at the federal and provincial levels? At the federal level see Infrastructure Canada’s website at: • http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/index_e.shtml • List the key transit stations that could support hubbing, and create a working group, including, community associations and environmental groups to identify ways and means to plan for and implement hubbing. • If amenable to leveraging space, why not consider partnering with the private sector to provide food service amenities etc. These can be combined with public sector amenities to attract transit users.

6. Additional Resources • For further information and resources on transit-hubbing, see: • http://sustainableinfrastructure.crcresearch.org/resources.html • This project has been funded under a joint Infrastructure Canada/SSHRC program by the Government of Canada and with the support of Royal Roads University.