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Pace Development Guidelines |
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Pace Development Guidelines |
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Office and industrial buildings should be located within 50 feet from transit service to provide employees with more effective and convenient access to public transit.*Lobbies equipped with seating are recommended in buildings with floor areas greater than 25,000 square feet to provide a comfortable, climate-controlled waiting area for transit users. The lobby should face the major arterial street or transit stop and provide visibility for waiting persons. A viewing distance of 1000 feet will generally allow transit users to view an approaching bus and gain access to the bus stop area.
*Pedestrian walkways should be located around the perimeter of the development and should be linked to the building lobby for increased pedestrian access. A direct walkway located between the lobby and the transit stop will provide employees with more convenient and effective access to transit.
All walkways should be designed for individuals with mobility limitations. To provide accessibility, walkways should be constructed with a minimum 3 foot width and should have a running slope no greater than 1:20.(1)
*Bus turnouts can be provided on streets in front of buildings over 25,000 square feet, if those buildings are at mid-block locations. Turnouts provide an effective off-street bus stop area that does not restrict traffic flow. These transit facilities are desirable in locations where high ridership volumes are anticipated and stops may produce traffic backups.
*Priority parking spaces for carpool and vanpool vehicles can be located adjacent to the primary building entrance from the parking lot to encourage shared-ride programs. The designation of 5 percent of a building's parking spaces is recommended for vanpool and carpool vehicles. The number of priority spaces should be expanded as participation increases.
*Parking spaces for individuals with mobility limitations should conform in dimension and number to the Illinois Accessibility Code.(2) These spaces should be located adjacent to the primary building entrance from the parking lot and should be the shortest route to the building entrance. All main entrances to the building should be accessible to persons with mobility limitations and conform to ANSI code.(3)
*Bicycle routes can be constructed on development grounds and designated on adjacent perimeter streets to encourage bicycle use for commuting purposes. Bicycle routes should be linked to building entrances and transit stops to provide more effective and direct access for bicyclists. These paths should be coordinated with municipal bicycle routes in an effort to establish major bicycle corridors. Bicycle path dimensions can be found in the Residential Land Use, Bicycle Routes section of this document. To encourage use of bicycle routes, bicycle storage facilities should be available to employees and located near a building entrance in a secure or monitored area.
*Transportation centers and transfer facilities can be coordinated with park-n-ride lots and offer various transportation alternatives such as express and subscription bus, fixed route, dial-a-ride, feeder bus, vanpool and private sector services. Facility development is dependent on passenger volume, the number of buses or transit modes and intersecting routes, transfer activity, schedule characteristics, space availability, traffic patterns and site access.
Transportation centers and transfer facilities also can be coordinated with office, industrial, retail or mixed-use developments that generate high-volume transit use and in areas where transit routes intersect and bus layovers are needed. Pace will work closely with developers or municipalities wishing to incorporate transit facilities in their endeavors. These ventures can support economic growth while promoting transit use and offer other numerous benefits to Pace as well as to private or other public sector entities. For example, the presence of transit service can increase the value and lease rates of adjacent and integrated properties, enabling private owners to obtain increased revenues and an improved return on investment.
Public agencies like the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, Regional Transportation Authority, Metra and Chicago Transit Authority can become partners with Pace and private sector investors in joint development projects to make more efficient use of public properties. Additionally, joint ventures offer Pace the opportunity for direct involvement in the design and construction of projects that are compatible with transit service and facilities. These developments also increase access to the labor force and can provide a greater overall vehicle occupancy rate.
Pace's Joint Development Policy has been included in Appendix D for those who are interested in establishing real estate partnerships with the agency. This policy establishes Pace's priorities and objectives for joint development ventures as well as its approach to evaluating potential projects. For further information, contact Pace's Capital Planning and Construction Department Manager at (847)228-4262.
Site design techniques alone will not encourage transit use if individuals are accustomed to using the automobile; additional measures are needed. Businesses may find it necessary to offer incentives or programs to promote transit use and other forms of shared transportation. This is particularly important with the passage of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA). Based on the CAAA, northeastern Illinois is classified as a severe non-attainment area for ozone. In order to reach attainment standards, hydrocarbon emissions in the Chicago metropolitan area must be reduced by approximately 50 percent over the next 15 years. These reductions will be achieved, in part, through the use of transportation control strategies implemented by businesses in the region.
Demand management techniques, such as those listed below, can be used to promote alternative transportation options to the single occupant vehicle and achieve necessary reductions in employee vehicle trips. With these techniques, pollution, peak period traffic congestion, parking demand and facilities can be decreased.
1. American National Standards Institute, Inc., American National Standard for Buildings and Facilities (New York: February 1986), pp. 21-30.
2. State of Illinois Capital Development Board, Illinois Accessibility Code (Springfield, IL: May 1988), pg. 28.
3. American National Standards Institute, Inc., American National Standard for Buildings and Facilities (New York: February 1986), pp. 39-43.
Revised: November, 1999.