PPA 604 week3 Assignment
Realigning Transportation Policies to Foster Economic Revitalization
Author: Kothari, Amit M
Publication info: Institute of Transportation Engineers. ITE Journal ; Washington Vol. 75, Iss. 1, (Jan 2005): 34-38.
Abstract:
This paper discusses the ongoing redefinition of transportation and how transportation professionals can help put the economy back on track, using San Jose, CA, as a case study. The paper provides an overview both of San Jose's commitment to innovation and strong leadership, reforming city processes for the resurgence of a healthy economy, and of the key role of the city's transportation officials in making it happen. Last fall, the mayor and city council of San Jose held numerous study sessions with various local and regional stakeholders to discuss the city's policies, procedures and priorities, as well as possible revisions to support transportation, redevelopment and education and foster solid economic growth. Refinement among city executives and researchers resulted in 15 strategic initiatives, four of them related to enhanced transportation for all: 1. Build a world-class airport facility and air services. 2. Evolve and position the downtown as a unique creative and cultural center of Silicon Valley. 3. Revise key land use and transportation policies to reflect the new realities of the San Jose economy. 4. Encourage professional as well as amateur sporting teams, events and facilities.
Full text:
Headnote
TODAY, MOST OF THE WORLD IS IN UNPRECEDENTED ECONOMIC TURMOIL. THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY IS VIEWED AND VALUED IN A COMPLETELY NEW WAY. THIS FEATURE DISCUSSES THE REDEFINING OF TRANSPORTATION AND HOW TRANSPORTATION PROFESSIONALS CAN HELP PUT THE ECONOMY BACK ON TRACK, USING SAN JOSE, CA, USA, AS A CASE STUDY.
INTRODUCTION
Today, most of the world is in unprecedented economic turmoil. The relentless but unrealistic high-tech driven economic boom of 1990s reversed its course in 2000 and worsened over the following three years. In addition, the events of September 11, 2001 and the war with Iraq have not only impacted world economies but redefined how we plan, build and operate the transportation system and how we travel.
The transportation industry is viewed and valued in a completely new way. A paradigm shift has occurred. This feature discusses the redefining of transportation and how transportation professionals can help put the economy back on track.
Last fall, the mayor and city council of San Jose, CA, USA, held numerous study sessions with various local and regional stakeholders, including chief executive officers of large Silicon Valley companies, developers, retailers, business associations and event managers.
The discussions revolved around the City's policies, procedures and priorities as well as possible revisions to support transportation, redevelopment and education and foster solid economic growth. The goal was to identify strategies and implement them jointly with private partners, resulting in economic stimulus to the region.
This feature should be of interest transportation professionals, planning and redevelopment experts, elected officials, policy-makers and others engaged in visioning redevelopment projects, transit-oriented development, regulatory compliance and permitting processes. It will provide an overview both of San Jose's commitment to innovation and strong leadership, reforming city processes for the resurgence of a healthy economy, and of the key role of the City's transportation officials in making it happen.
THE BOOM AND THE BUST
About 50 years ago, San Jose, CA, USA, was an agricultural town of less than 100,000. It has transformed into the world's leading center of technology innovation. With more than 925,000 residents, more than 54,000 employers and 355,000 workers, San Jose is the third largest city in California and the 11th largest city in the United States.
The most recent wave of innovation in Silicon Valley, from the mid-1990s to 2000, resulted in a tremendous national and international economic expansion and brought a significant number of new jobs and revenue to San Jose and Silicon Valley.
However, as most pundits predicted, the Internet bubble did bust, bringing the red-hot economy to a screeching halt. Since the beginning of 2001, the San Jose metropolitan area has lost more than 200,000 jobs. Figures 1 and 2 clearly depict the glorious days of relentless economic expansion and the current state of the soft economy still trying to find a bottom.
Santa Clara County created more than 280,000 new jobs between January 1993 and December 2000, only to lose more dian 225,000 jobs during the following three years. The passenger traffic at Mineta San Jose International Airport, another barometer of the economy, continues to hover at the lowest levels in a decade, after peaking in August 2001. The impacts of September 11, 2001 together with the economic slowdown have kept airport traffic from showing any signs of improvement.
DESIRED OUTCOMES
Although the prolonged economic downturn has raised mounting concerns, last year San Jose's leadership saw an opportunity to develop an economic strategy that could guide policies, projects and investments for the coming five years. With a clear understanding of the vital cycle of success, as shown in Figure 3, the City decided to focus on three outcomes: a growing economy; economic opportunity and prosperity for residents; and revenue growth to fund city services.
THE VISION
For San Jose, which has been designated "safest big city in America" and one of the most livable cities, the challenges are tougher due to higher expectations from various stakeholders. The City identified six unique attributes that define the vision of San Jose:
* A global gateway that attracts businesses and talents from around the world.
* A creative community that pioneers innovation around technology, business, culture and society.
* An entrepreneurial environment where small start-up firms get much needed support and encouragement to grow rapidly and achieve their goals.
* A tech-savvy city that invents, develops and uses technology to improve daily life.
* A place of opportunity where residents find ample rewarding employment opportunities and the best living conditions to raise a family.
* America's most livable big citywith opportunities, diversity and distinctive qualities of life.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
With clearly defined outcomes and a well-thought out vision, San Jose's leadership began discussions with various stakeholders on a series of strategic initiatives. The implementation of these initiatives would help in achieving the three desired outcomes.
In fall 2003, the mayor and city council convened five-day study sessions on the theme of "Getting Families Back to Work." In addition to the 60 business executives who testified at these sessions, more than 300 business leaders, residents and experts contributed through 14 focus groups (see Figure 4). Refinement among city executives and researchers resulted in 15 strategic initiatives:
Global Gateway
1. Build a world-class airport facility and air services.
2. Forge connections to the world's innovation regions for mutual economic benefits.
Creative Community
3. Drive innovation and economic impact through a strategic partnership with San Jose State and other universities.
4. Evolve and position the downtown as a unique creative and cultural center of Silicon Valley.
Entrepreneurial Environment
5. Support local businesses and startup companies in technology and non-technology sectors.
6. Improve the speed, consistency and predictability of the development review process and reduce the costs of operating in San Jose.
Tech-Savvy City
7. Make San Jose a tech-sawy city, leading the way in using technology to improve daily life.
Place of Opportunity
8. Diversify San Jose's economic base and create and preserve middle-income jobs.
9. Prepare residents to participate in the regions economic opportunities, from kindergarten through grade 12 to lifelong learning.
America's Most Livable Big City
10. Continue the emphasis on developing new housing in a variety of neighborhood settings.
11. Revise key land use and transportation policies to reflect the new realities of the San Jose economy.
12. Encourage professional as well as amateur sporting teams, events and facilities.
13. Develop retail to its full potential, maximizing revenue impact and neighborhood livability.
Capital of Silicon Valley
14. Communicate a compelling, consistent community identity for San Jose.
15. Engage private sector leadership for San Jose's economic strategy.
A clearer vision and thoughtfully identified strategic initiatives set a solid foundation for achieving the three desired outcomes. The transportationrelated initiatives are discussed below.
TRANSPORTATION-SPECIFIC POLICY DIRECTIVES
In the San Jose government, the Transportation, Public Works and Airport Departments take lead roles in developing and maintaining a world-class transportation infrastructure for the city's residents, commuters, businesses and visitors. These three departments, along with the Economic Development Department and regional transportation partners, will focus on four initiatives related to enhanced transportation for all.
1. Build a World-Class Airport Facility and Air Services
San Jose realizes that it competes with other technologically-savvy metropolitan areas within the United States and throughout the world. The city must address the growing need for nonstop air services to international business centers and must provide facilities for corporate aviation. This would be achieved through the following tactics:
* Develop direct international flights to Asian and European gateway cities, such as Taipei, Taiwan; Hong Kong; Shanghai, China; Singapore; Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, Vietnam; London, England; and Dublin, Ireland.
* Maintain a diverse base of air carriers.
* Accommodate corporate needs for owned, leased, or fractional shares of corporate jets.
* Continue implementation of the airport master plan, which provides expanded and improved facilities and infrastructure for air services.
* Continue construction projects that improve access into and out of the airport.
4. Evolve and Position the Downtown as a Unique Creative and Cultural Center of Silicon Valley
San Jose envisions transforming its downtown into a regional center for business, art, education, entertainment and sports. Creating much-needed transportation infrastructure, promoting public transit, installing bicycle lanes and providing clean and convenient parking options are critical to attracting thousands of daily visitors to the downtown and ensuring its vibrancy via around-the-clock activities. Specific strategies are proposed to achieve this outcome:
* Expand the convention center to accommodate larger events.
* Expand the museums to rival similar facilities in large metropolitan areas.
* Develop a wide variety of rental and owner-occupied housing units in the downtown.
* Streamline the permit process for special events and festivals.
11. Revise Key Land Use and Transportation Policies to Reflect the New Realities of the San Jose Economy
San Jose should align land use and transportation policies with the new realities of the economy to enable job and productivity growth while enhancing quality of life. Structural change in the San Jose economy creates the need and opportunity to use some land in more efficient, flexible and integrated ways. It calls for wise stewardship of remaining vacant land and focusing more aggressively on the re-use of already developed land. Key policy directives are recommended for achieving this outcome:
* Update the north San Jose area development policy to allow increased floor-to-area ratios; more supportive commercial development along and near the First Street rail corridor and the airport; and the introduction of housing in strategic locations.
* Modify the general plan land use designations and zoning districts to reflect the types of land uses and economic activities occurring in each of the active employment sub-areas and improve flexibility to accommodate continuous restructuring.
* Adopt clear policies about what land uses should mix in certain sub-areas and what uses should be protected from encroachment.
* Develop a range of tools and policies to encourage the re-use and recycling of vacant buildings that have become functionally obsolete, including a program to allow flexible, non-residential interim uses in these vacant buildings in the immediate term.
* Complete a proactive, strategic analysis of land conversion issues that focuses on the economic role of sub-areas rather than a reactive, caseby-case approach that focuses on individual parcels.
* Proactively initiate general plan amendments and rezoning proposals for specific parcels suitable for housing and retail.
* Increase residential densities around existing light rail stations to fully capture the potential of these lands for housing production.
* Revise the citywide level-of-service policy for assessing traffic impacts of new developments to allow higher density development and more pedestrian-friendly environments along transit corridors and in special mixed-use districts.
* Continue to focus on bringing Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to San Jose. For the Eastbay, BART is critical to reach talented employees and the less pricey housing market, enabling San Jose employers to be more competitive.
* Explore the development of Express Bus/Van Service linking CALTRAIN stops in Santa Clara and downtown to the North First Street employment corridor.
* Advocate the City's priorities at the regional level through the Valley Transportation Authority's (VTA) Year 2030 Transportation Plan.
* Develop an interconnected set of bicycle routes along city streets and trails that can become an attractive, viable and unique transportation mode as well as a significant enhancement to quality of life.
12. Encourage Professional As Well As Amateur Sporting Teams, Events and Facilities
As part of its strategy to encourage more visitors and offer big-city amenities, San Jose must retain and grow sports teams and major athletic events that are consistent with its position as the largest city in the Bay area and 11th largest city in the United States. The following strategies will enable San Jose to continue to be attractive to sports and entertainment events:
* Continue providing special-event traffic management through the state-of-the-art traffic management center, communication with the San Jose Police Department and downtown parking operators.
* Implement innovative parking strategies to assure clean and convenient parking options to visitors to special-event centers. Continue free parking at city garages after 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends.
* Explore a strategic partnership with San Jose State University for a multiuse sports venue on the south campus, which could serve students and residents and meet the needs of amateur and professional sports teams.
The above-mentioned outcomes, vision and strategic initiatives cover core services and programs that span the many departments and divisions of San Jose's government. Different departments have formed service delivery teams based on the core services they provide.
For example, transportation planning, traffic operations, traffic safety, traffic enforcement, infrastructure development and maintenance, parking services and related operations are managed by the Transportation Services City Services Area (CSA). The Transportation CSA is led by the Department of Transportation, with support from the Public Works, Aviation and Police Departments.
The following services and policy directives will continue to be supportive of business retention and economic revitalization:
* One Start Center will continue to provide expedited development review services by various city departments. San Jose recognizes that it is critical to minimize barriers to innovations, efficiency and investment by employers. City departments should speak with one voice in an effort to improve speed, predictability, consistency and customer satisfaction with the development review process. The cost of such a review process and for operating business in the city should be manageable to the entrepreneur.
* The City will continue to make revisions to the zoning ordinance, reflecting a shift toward high-density office and transit-oriented mix-use developments. The City, in partnership with regional agencies such as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Santa Clara VTA, will continue to pursue expedited construction of BART to San Jose.
* The downtown will continue to be an attractive place for visitors, who attend more than 170 sports and entertainment events annually at the Hewlett Packard Pavilion and other destinations. The management of event traffic and parking operations will continue to improve as additional intelligent transportation systems strategies are developed and implemented.
* The City will continue to implement its multi-year, multi-million-dollar parking management plan, which calls for creating an additional 4,000 spaces in the downtown core over the next eight years and implementing a parking guidance system to guide motorists to available parking spaces in city garages as they navigate through downtown streets.
* Free parking will continue to be available at city-owned parking facilities after 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. This helps boost revenues for retail and restaurant businesses throughout the downtown core.
* The City is exploring smart card technologies to enhance convenience for visitors by providing a cashless mode of payment at parking meters, garages, restaurants and other attractive service points.
* The City will continue to encourage the purchase of hybrid fuel vehicles by providing free parking at all City-owned parking facilities and parking meters. This successful program has attracted more visitors to downtown businesses and helped clean the air.
CONCLUSION
San Jose recognizes that it cannot continue to be a great community without a strong, resilient economy. Although Silicon Valley has an exceptional rate of productivity and a highly educated workforce, it faces aggressive competition from other innovation centers globally. To sustain a competitive edge, San Jose will need to compete through innovation and quality of life and to differentiate itself from other advanced regions.
These strategies and policy decisions will serve as a framework for decision-making for the coming years in the areas of land use; transportation; permitting; business promotion and retention; new business incubation; infrastructure investment; service delivery; and downtown revitalization.
Working in tandem with its regional partners, private companies and organizations, the City expects to reverse the course of economy, promising a brighter future for its residents, businesses owners and employers.
Note: This feature originally was presented by the author at the ITE 2004 Annual Meeting and Exhibit, held August 1-4, 2004 in Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA.
Sidebar
ALTHOUGH THE PROLONGED ECONOMIC DOWNTURN HAS RAISED MOUNTING CONCERNS, LAST YEAR SAN JOSE'S LEADERSHIP SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP AN ECONOMIC STRATEGY THAT COULD GUIDE POLICES, PROJECTS AND INVESTMENTS FOR THE COMING FIVE YEARS.
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AuthorAffiliation
BY AMIT M. KOTHARI, P.E.
AuthorAffiliation
AMIT M. KOTHARI, P.E., is a deputy director with the Department of Transportation for the City of San Jose, CA, USA. He is responsible for managing traffic/ transportation operations, parking enforcement, downtown operations and city-owned parking garages and lots. He holds a B.S. and an M.S. in civil engineering and a certificate in transportation planningfor air quality. He is a member of ITE.
Subject: Cities; Urban planning; Transportation planning; Economic recovery; Initiatives; Airports; Public policy
Location: United States US San Jose California
Classification: 9190: United States; 1200: Social policy; 1110: Economic conditions & forecasts
Publication title: Institute of Transportation Engineers. ITE Journal; Washington
Volume: 75
Issue: 1
Pages: 34-38
Number of pages: 5
Publication year: 2005
Publication date: Jan 2005
Publisher: Institute of Transportation Engineers
Place of publication: Washington
Country of publication: United States, Washington
Publication subject: Housing And Urban Planning, Transportation--Roads And Traffic
ISSN: 01628178
CODEN: ITEJDZ
Source type: Scholarly Journals
Language of publication: English
Document type: Cover Story
Document feature: graphs diagrams
ProQuest document ID: 224878971
Document URL: https://search.proquest.com/docview/224878971?accountid=32521
Copyright: Copyright Institute of Transportation Engineers Jan 2005
Last updated: 2016-08-20
Database: ProQuest Central