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Pace Development Guidelines |
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Pace Development Guidelines |
A. BACKGROUND
Development has been tied to available means of transportation throughout history. Cities consisted of small compact centers when walking was the principal form of transportation. As transportation systems advanced, urban centers grew. These centers began relying on mass transportation. Residential development expanded out of urban centers as public transit progressed into suburban areas.
However, over the past 70 years mass produced automobiles have become the major form of transportation and have increased pressure for roadway construction. Since that time, the automobile has shaped our environment. Housing expanded even farther from urban centers into the suburbs, soon followed by commercial and industrial development. To satisfy travel demand and continued growth, roadway construction advanced. Population and employment shifted from dense, compact centers to dispersed, low density developments that were and still are automobile oriented.
Traditionally, public transportation has had a difficult time servicing these sprawling, low density areas. In an effort to reach suburban development, transit agencies have expanded services. This has led to rising operating costs and, at times, reduced revenues due to the nature of the dispersed development patterns and low population and employment densities.
Revised: November, 1999.