Transit Briefs: NJ Transit, TTC, Denver RTD, WMATA, LA Metro

(NJ Transit photo)

NJ Transit cuts the ribbon on the fully renovated Elizabeth Station. Also, members of ATU Local 113 vote in favor of ratifying a new contract with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC); a Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) parking lot will soon transform into 62 affordable condominiums; the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) offers a new development opportunity in Washington, D.C.’s historic Deanwood neighborhood; and LA Metro joins Abode Communities to welcome families to new homes in Boyle Heights.

NJ Transit

NJ Transit on June 18 officially cut the ribbon on the fully renovated Elizabeth Station, which includes additional platform capacity and access with upgraded elevators and additional staircases, new station buildings and a renovated public plaza.

NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett was joined by New Jersey Congressman Rob Menendez, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Region 2 Administrator Michael Culotta, Acting DOT Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Fran O’Connor, state Senator Joseph Cryan and Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage to celebrate the completion of the work at this critical station along the busy Northeast Corridor rail line.

The re-opening of the westbound station building marks the completion of this major $74.5 million renovation. In September 2023, work on the eastbound station building was completed and reopened for customer use. Both sides of the station feature longer platforms for additional boarding capacity, accessibility improvements, including renovated elevators, as well as additional staircase access, security and communications system enhancements. In addition, the plaza surrounding the westbound station building was renovated to tie the new facility into the community.

“This project demonstrates our commitment to preserving our rail stations as valuable assets for the communities we serve,” said Acting DOT Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Fran O’Connor. “This beautiful new facility provides additional capacity on the platforms, improved accessibility and safety features and is a crown jewel that is fitting for the great city of Elizabeth.”

“With the fully upgraded and modernized Elizabeth Station, NJ Transit is delivering on its commitment to optimizing the customer experience and maximizing accessibility,” said Corbett. “We’re grateful to our partners at the USDOT, FTA and New Jersey’s congressional delegation for the federal funding that makes these important projects a reality.”

TTC

Members of ATU Local 113, which represents nearly 12,000 public transit workers in Toronto, have voted to ratify their new contract, according to report by The Canadian Press.

According to the report, the union says workers voted more than 80% in favor of the three-year deal with TTC, adding that the new contract includes “progress on key issues like wages, benefits and job security.”

Contract talks between ATU Local 113 and TTC “went down to the wire earlier this month, with the two sides announcing a tentative deal minutes before a midnight strike deadline,” according to the report.

A strike, The Canadian Press reports, “would have brought Canada’s most populous city to a grinding halt, idling the TTC’s fleet of subways, streetcars and buses, while clogging Toronto’s already congested roadways with extra traffic.”

The last TTC strike in 2008 ended after less than two days when the provincial government “legislated employees back to work on the mayor’s request,” according to the report.

Denver RTD

An RTD parking lot adjacent to the L light rail line in Five Points will soon transform into 62 affordable condominiums for households earning up to 80% of the area median income, according to the agency. Denver City Council on June 17 approved two loan agreements providing $4,965,000 toward the project.

Denver’s Department of Housing Stability (HOST) and RTD have worked cooperatively together for several years to spur the development of income-restricted condominiums at 2907-2915 Welton St. Shanahan Development and Elevation Community Land Trust (ECLT) won an RTD competitive solicitation to purchase the site and provide permanent affordability through a covenant.

HOST is providing $1,605,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to ECLT to assist with its purchase of the development site. HOST is also providing $3,360,000 from Denver’s Affordable Housing Fund to Shanahan Development to help support construction.

In a June 3 memo that updates the RTD Board of Directors about the project, General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson noted that affordable housing was first proposed a decade ago for the site, which has been in the agency’s possession for more than 30 years. State and Denver policy strongly support affordable housing and transit-oriented development. With the Board having approved disposition of the property in 2021, based on language that permits a discount in connection with the development of affordable housing, Johnson approved the sale of the property at a price of $1.5 million.

“The 29th and Welton project is a representative example of how working collaboratively and cooperatively with jurisdictions, associated entities and developers can bring about affordable housing projects,” Johnson wrote. “Moreover, it provides RTD the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to being part of the solution to the region’s affordable housing crisis.”

The six-story building, RTD says, will include condo units ranging from one to three bedrooms. All units will be income-restricted to households earning up to 80% of the area median income (up to $71,900 for a single-person household, or up to $92,400 for a three-person family). Plans call for the ECLT to lease the land and ground floor community space to the homeowner’s association on a renewable 99-year land lease.

According to the agency, the project adds to Denver’s inventory of income-restricted housing, which encompasses approximately 7.5% of all housing units in the city. This inventory includes more than 2,400 homeownership units and nearly 25,000 income-restricted rental units. More information is available here.

WMATA

A Joint Development Solicitation (JDS) announced June 18 seeks a Request for Proposal (RFP) to redevelop a piece of real estate on the market in Deanwood into a mixed-use residential development.

The community’s resurgence, driven in large part by the proximity to the Orange Line station at Deanwood, includes convenient access to downtown DC and employment centers. New housing, restaurants, shops, and offices have opened. Nearby you’ll find multiple historic landmarks, including Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, the District’s 60,000-square0foot recreation center, and a future 20,000-square-feet District of Columbia Public Library branch.

WMATA’s joint development will complement the 86-unit residential redevelopment of the historic Strand theater, Addison Row, a 321-unit residential development in neighboring Capitol Heights, and Northeast Heights Town Center, a $650 million mixed-use development housing the new headquarters of the DC Department of General Services and 200,000 square feet of retail space, located just south of Deanwood in Benning Ridge.

The Deanwood JDS is the second of five joint development solicitations expected to be released this year. A half-acre site near Eisenhower Avenue Metro was released in March and proposals are due in June.

In addition to the Deanwood Metro property, WMATA expects to issue development solicitations this summer for sites at North Bethesda, Brookland, and Capitol Heights Metro stations with a goal of 20 new agreements by 2032.

Since issuing its 10-year Strategic Plan for Joint Development in April 2022, WMATA and its joint development partners have broken ground on six residential buildings throughout the Washington Metropolitan Region, totaling approximately 1,900 units including 1,100 affordable units. Several projects recently completed include:

• New Metro office buildings at L’Enfant Plaza in the District, New Carrollton in Prince George’s County, and Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria.
• CODA on Half Street, a 161-unit residential building at Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro.
• Atworth a 451-unit affordable apartment community in College Park.
• Margaux, a 291-unit affordable development at New Carrollton Station.
• Aventon Huntington Station, a 366-unit apartment development.
• Three solar energy installations at the Anacostia, Southern Avenue, and Naylor Road stations.

WMATA’s joint development projects are private developments “creating vibrant, mixed-use communities on transit-owned property in support of Metro’s Strategic Transformation Plan.” Leveraging the agency’s real estate holdings, WMATA says, “helps to foster regional partnerships to generate revenue, build ridership, connect people to more jobs and create new tax revenues for local and state partners.”

Interested developers may view the Deanwood Joint Development Solicitation for additional information. A pre-proposal conference will be held on June 28 and proposals are due Sept 10, 2024.

LA Metro

LA Metro on June 18 joined Abode Communities in a dedication ceremony to mark the completion of construction on a mixed-use affordable housing development on Metro-owned property near the corner of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Soto Street in Boyle Heights.

Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Chair Karen Bass joined representatives from Abode Communities in celebrating the ribbon-cutting and praising the project as an example of “Metro’s commitment to bringing more affordable housing to Metro’s station areas.” 

In 2021, the LA Metro Board established a goal of expanding Metro’s housing portfolio through the Joint Development program to 10,000 units by 2031, with 5,000 of the units to be restricted at affordable rents for lower and moderate-income households. To meet the goal, the agency has partnered with developers, such as Abode Communities, to increase the supply of high-quality housing on Metro properties, especially affordable income-restricted units.  In addition to providing much needed housing, these new projects, the agency says, “can advance many community development goals and serve as a gateway to the Metro transit system.”

La Veranda includes 76 income-restricted affordable apartments with one unrestricted property manager’s apartment a quarter mile south of the Metro E Line Soto station. The apartments serve families and people experiencing homelessness through a range of one- to three-bedroom units, including 38 apartments that will be offered to individuals and families who were previously unhoused. The project also includes approximately 8,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and associated parking. Two retail leases have been executed to date totaling more than 5,300 square feet.  

According to the agency, LA Metro’s approach to Transit Oriented Communities and Joint Development starts with a basic principle: “Communities are stronger when people have a diverse range of housing options, jobs, and services located near quality transit. Metro has a strong interest in ensuring the people who ride public transportation can afford to live near it. And by directly linking Metro’s network to additional housing, employment, retail, and commercial opportunities Metro expects to continue to grow transit ridership.”

LA Metro’s Vision 2028 Strategic Plan encourages the development of affordable housing near transit to give more people, especially in low-income communities, better access to transit. More information is available here.