The Double-Edged Sword of New Transit Lines

Transit lines are often praised for their ability to revitalize a decaying neighborhood but the dark side of transit reveals that they also play a role in gentrification. The presence of new transit lines is a double-edged sword for the development surrounding the transit stations. Access to public transit lines has a tendency of raising the property value of surrounding residences and buildings. While this attracts new businesses and developers into the area it also leads to the displacement of low-income residents and business owners who can no longer afford the increased costs. This is an issue for transit planners because these same low-income residents are the ones who are most in need and most likely to use public transportation. If they move away from the transit lines, the incoming transit line loses riders. 

This is the issue facing Los Angeles's Metropolitan Transportation Authority who are seeking ways to prepare for gentrification around transit lines. Their overall goal is to mitigate the displacement of existing residents around transit lines by making sure that these low-income residents can still afford to live around the transit lines as property values go up. It is found that "Workers who earn less than $25,000 and live within half a mile of a transit station are three times more likely to take transit than those who earn more than $75,000 and live close to a station". Thus, it is in Metro's best interest to ensure that the people who need public transportation can afford to live near it (Cavanaugh). But where is the ideal balance? How do they preserve affordable housing in an area that will inevitable rise in property values? What have other cities done?

Read the article here: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/livable-city/la-ol-metro-gentrification-20151012-story.html