More Homes Needed Near Train Stations In New Jersey, New York: Study

NEW JERSEY — It’s no big secret that affordable housing is one of New Jersey’s most urgent needs. But there could be a solution to the region’s ongoing crisis, advocates say: building more homes near public transportation.

A recent report from the nonprofit Regional Plan Association (RPA) makes a pitch for more “transit-oriented development” in New Jersey and New York – particularly around train stations. Read the full study and see its methodology here.

According to the report, there are 74,000 acres of “underutilized” land surrounding commuter rail stations in the two states. That’s equivalent to the surface area of Manhattan and Brooklyn –combined.

The irony? The Tri-State region has one of the most robust commuter rail networks in the nation, with more than 390 stations and a combined annual ridership of 170 million, the RPA said.

That rail system in the area is only going to grow, with a huge project – the “Gateway Tunnel” across the Hudson River – recently kicking off construction after years of planning. See Related: Work On Long-Awaited Gateway Tunnel Finally Begins In New Jersey

If New Jersey and New York could beef up their affordable housing numbers near transit hubs, it could have two big benefits for people living in the area, researchers claim: reducing transportation costs for cash-strapped households, and improving access to jobs and amenities.

So what’s holding up the train? Bureaucratic red tape, researchers said:

“The report found that restrictive zoning is predominant in both states; only 39% of all stations have zoning that facilitates multifamily development. The remaining 61% has zoning that severely limits or does not allow multi-family buildings around station areas. Furthermore, over 39% of all stations (139 out of 355) are classified as having restrictive zoning, are majority-white, and are generally affluent neighborhoods. Most of these stations are located in New York City’s inner suburbs. Recent related analysis shows that Long Island and the Mid Hudson Valley have experienced a decline in the rate of housing permits due to zoning restrictions, while the NJ Metro Core has been increasingly driving housing growth in the region due largely to pro-housing policies and programs.”

It's worth noting that the New Jersey metro core – which includes Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Union, Middlesex, Somerset, Morris and Passaic counties – is bucking the trend, the RPA reported.

“Per capita housing units permitted across the Tri-State region have decreased following the 2008 recession, except in the New Jersey metro core, which saw a 24 percent increase,” researchers said.

“Suburbs in New Jersey with good transit access to jobs and into Manhattan have greater and more diverse housing stock options than their counterparts in New York, particularly in Long Island,” the RPA added.

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The Garden State has its own problems, though. And one of them is its oversaturation of parking lots, researchers said.

“New Jersey suffers from countless fields of surface parking lots adjacent to mass transit,” said Deb Tantleff, chair of the NJ Builders Association and founder of TANTUM Real Estate.

“Redevelopment of these underutilized lots into thoughtful mixed-use communities offers a tremendous opportunity to place a critical mass of much needed housing in already high-traffic areas while actually reducing traffic and creating a more efficient lifestyle for the commuter and resident,” Tantleff continued.

There’s another benefit of placing more housing near public transportation, Tantleff added – reducing the soaring demand for parking spaces.

“The ability to deliver new housing without the need for onerous parking requirements will also reduce overall development costs, which will translate into overall housing affordability for all,” Tantleff said.

ADVOCATES: THINGS CAN CHANGE

There’s some good news, however, researchers said: New Jersey and New York have “incredible potential to enable strategic planning and development near public transportation.”

Here’s how it could happen, researchers suggested:

States should take a leadership role in advancing transit-oriented development (TOD) –“Many states and cities across the country have passed legislation or enacted policies to encourage TOD. New York has a tremendous opportunity to help municipalities advance transit-oriented districts around stations while New Jersey can build on its existing TOD programs.”

Localities should streamline zoning and land use regulations to allow for TOD – “Outdated zoning rules are impeding land uses of some of the most valuable real estate on the planet. 67 stations in NY and NJ have appropriate physical and mobility attributes and significant underutilized land for successful TOD but are regulated by restrictive zoning that limits or fully prohibits multifamily buildings.”

States must better connect land use and transportation investments and leverage data in planning – “Limited coordination between transportation agencies and localities with land use authority – largely due to the lack of coordinated planning – often results in missed opportunities and infrastructure investments that do not create more housing opportunities near transit. Furthermore, state agencies in NY/NJ should develop a data-driven classification system to identify places where more flexible land use regulations and/or streamlining procedures would enable more housing near transit.”

TOD is the key to solving our region’s affordable housing crisis – “Failure to act on an ambitious TOD policy will only exacerbate the region’s housing crisis, add further strains to the transportation network, and lead to more missed opportunities from major investments, such as the recent connection of Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal.”

“A more affordable and balanced regional housing market is essential to a healthy economy with connections between all parts of the region,” RPA president and CEO Tom Wright said.

“The severe shortage of affordable homes is widely recognized as one of our region’s greatest economic, social and humanitarian challenges,” Wright said. “This report underscores the immense potential to deliver abundant homes, improved affordability, thriving economies and a sustainable environment.”

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