The R-3 SEPTA rail line station at West Trenton had been identified in the New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan as a potential Village Center. The station area already features a mix of uses and a character that is suggestive of a village center and the presence of the rail station offered the requisite support for a transit-oriented Village Center to be established here. The project is sponsored by regional, state, county and local agencies, with the goal of exploring Sponsored by regional, state, county and local agencies. The goal is to explore transit-oriented development, referring to the combining of residential, office and retail land uses in a neighborhood surrounding a transit station, at a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) rail station located in Ewing Township, NJ.
The Approach
The project began with McCormick Taylor's analysis of the physical characteristics of the area and the two large formerly industrial redevelopment sites. Concurrently, a team member explored the economic potential and market opportunities of the area. Following these analyses, the team investigated alternate concepts, which will combine the transit-oriented development (TOD) opportunities present in the vicinity of rail station with realistic expectations about the type and intensity of new development the market can support.
Key considerations for the project included community walkability, easy access to the rail station by foot and bike, links with a variety of transportation options, the creation of a new marketable community and improving the existing rail station. McCormick Taylor also took into account the possibilities of developing a new mix of land uses including higher density residential and retail in the vicinity of the rail station, creating an appropriate street hierarchy and circulation network and analyzing the potential relocation of the rail station to better support the redevelopment of the two substantial brownfields sites.
The Result
West Trenton Station Transit-Oriented Development Neighborhood Planning Study focused on feasible opportunities to develop TOD land uses in the vicinity of the station that could take advantage of the commuter rail service provided by SEPTA's R-3 line. The study provided Ewing Township and Mercer County with a practical guide for evaluating potential redevelopment projects by assessing the feasibility of alternative land uses for specific sites in the study area. Our work program calls for consultations with the Project Managers and the Study Advisory Committee, as well as community leaders, residents, business owners and service providers early in the planning process to determine the goals of the redevelopment plan.
