Bus-Related Transit-Oriented Development

Transit-oriented development (TOD) has long been a priority for transit agencies seeking to support ridership, enhance community development, and strengthen connections to jobs and services. Historically, TOD guidance and investment have centered on rail stations and on joint development opportunities located on transit-agency–owned land. However, in recent years, the growth of bus rapid transit (BRT) and other high-capacity bus corridors has far outpaced new rail development, and agencies are increasingly interested in how TOD principles can be adapted to bus-based systems. Around the country, TOD is a strong focus of transit agencies, but most policies, zoning guidance, and real estate tools continue to be rail-centric. Bus-oriented TOD presents a distinct set of challenges. Unlike rail corridors—where agencies often own key parcels—bus investments typically occur in environments where transit agencies own little or no adjacent land, requiring deeper collaboration with local governments, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), state partners, and private developers. Zoning flexibility, development incentives, and coordinated planning are crucial, yet these practices vary widely. While agencies are beginning to develop bus-oriented TOD guidelines and corridor plans, this work remains under-documented, unevenly shared, and not well integrated across the industry. Moreover, questions persist about developer interest in bus-related TOD, how bus and rail TOD objectives overlap, and what unique opportunities or barriers exist for bus-specific contexts. Given the rapid expansion of high-capacity bus networks, and the growing interest in TOD beyond rail, there is a clear need for research that clarifies how TOD can be effectively advanced around bus corridors. This includes addressing real estate questions raised by agencies, documenting the similarities and differences between rail- and bus-oriented TOD, and providing guidance specific enough that agencies can actually implement it—rather than broad, generalized TOD principles.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=6000
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $350,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project A-58

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Transit Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Garcia-Colberg, Mariela

• Start Date: 20251208
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transit; Implementation; Transit oriented development
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01973734
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project A-58
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Dec 8 2025 8:02PM