Development Advisory Services

As a residential, family-oriented town, Stratford, CT, benefits from a Metro North Commuter Rail Station located at the town center. TRA, in partnership with the Cecil Group and Malone and MacBroom, was hired to complete a feasibility study of a Transit-Centered Development (TCD) in the surrounding station area. TRA conducted a market assessment of the potential TCD and led the Town of Stratford Steering Committee on a tour of eight TCD sites in the Boston Metro area.

TRA, in conjunction with Jones Lang LaSalle and Kimley Horn, completed a Transit Friendly Development Guide and Typology Study for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). The guide identifies all the CTA's 144 station with common typologies across the rail system. The final report serves as an important reference tool for the City of Chicago, CTA and developers to identify TOD opportunities. In addition, the guide encourages transit friendly development near CTA stations relevant to their station area type.

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Transit Friendly Development Guide

Station Typology Map

TRA, working with Nelson Nygaard, developed Transit Oriented Development Guidelines and Best Practices Manuals and designed a TOD educational forum for over 100 community stakeholders held at Cleveland State University. TRA also advised the GCRTA on selected TOD transactions along Euclid BRT Corridor.

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Transit Oriented Development Best Practices Manual

Transit Oriented Development Guidelines

TRA completed a Parking Garage Feasibility Study for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The goal of the feasibility study was to add 5,000 additional commuter parking spaces in densely developed areas throughout the MBTA’s commuter rail and rapid transit system.

TRA analyzed twenty-three specific commuter rail and rapid transit sites that were at or above parking capacity and had excess parking demand. As part of the study, TRA developed the following set of criteria and ranked each site based on:

• Market and physical characteristics of each site
• Community and environmental concerns and impacts
• Financial feasibility, including parking rate analysis and suitability for joint development
• Accessibility and potential traffic impacts
• Permitting requirements
• Nature and cost of required site improvements

The feasibility study identified and recommended six initial sites for structured parking facilities totaling over 3,200 spaces, at no net cost to the MBTA. Three of these sites were also identified as having potential for Joint Development.