How was the Preferred Future Determined?

How was the Preferred Future Identified?

HOW WAS THE PREFERRED FUTURE IDENTIFIED?

In April of 2000 an Alternatives Evaluation Working Paper was produced that included an assessment of the three future scenarios described in the Alternatives Futures Working Paper (March, 2000). The three future alternatives were based on the Base, Intermediate and Stimulated growth scenarios which assumed varying degree of growth in the Corridor.
The scenarios were evaluated in three broad categories: Land Use/Urban Design/ Environmental, Transportation, and Quality of Life/Socio-Economic. Each category had a list of sub-criteria that included a definition, methodology, and findings.

Concurrently, a newsletter and more detailed web site were published along with a short survey querying residents, business owners, employees, and land owners for their reactions to the improvements developed under the Stimulated Scenario. The survey returned 677 responses indicating an overwhelmingly positive response to the detail study photosimulations and example improvements.

"The newsletter presents one vision of how Route 5 could look and develop. Is this a vision that you think the communities along the Route 5 Corridor should work to achieve?"

"Would you be willing to accept traffic levels and congestion roughly as they are on Route 5 now if we could improve transit, walking, biking, landscaping, attractiveness and safety?"

After completing the evaluation process, examining the regional economy, land use patterns and policies, and reviewing the response from the surveys, it was determined that regardless of regional growth, the planning and design strategies illustrated in the Stimulated Scenario are critical (and desirable) to achieving a land use pattern which is conducive to multi-modal accessibility within the Corridor communities. Additionally, these changes result in desired improvements in the quality of life in the Corridor. In particular, strategies emphasizing intensive mixed-use development are best suited for a "high end" transit system such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Moreover, the land use designs proposed in the Stimulated Scenario were more likely to yield real progress toward rejoining and revitalizing the Corridor communities. Such development patterns coupled with urban design recommendations can create a safe, attractive environment for all modes of transport and achieve the goals established for the Study. Hence, the land use strategies of the Stimulated Scenario have been combined with the high-quality, cost-effective service of Bus Rapid Transit to form the Preferred Future Scenario.

HOW WAS THE PREFERRED FUTURE IDENTIFIED?
In April of 2000 an Alternatives Evaluation Working Paper was produced that included an assessment of the three future scenarios described in the Alternatives Futures Working Paper (March, 2000). The three future alternatives were based on the Base, Intermediate and Stimulated growth scenarios which assumed varying degree of growth in the Corridor. The scenarios were evaluated in three broad categories: Land Use/Urban Design/ Environmental, Transportation, and Quality of Life/Socio-Economic. Each category had a list of sub-criteria that included a definition, methodology, and findings. Concurrently, a newsletter and more detailed web site were published along with a short survey querying residents, business owners, employees, and land owners for their reactions to the improvements developed under the Stimulated Scenario. The survey returned 677 responses indicating an overwhelmingly positive response to the detail study photosimulations and example improvements.	"The newsletter presents one vision of how Route 5 could look and develop. Is this a vision that you think the communities along the Route 5 Corridor should work to achieve?"

	"Would you be willing to accept traffic levels and congestion roughly as they are on Route 5 now if we could improve transit, walking, biking, landscaping, attractiveness and safety?"
After completing the evaluation process, examining the regional economy, land use patterns and policies, and reviewing the response from the surveys, it was determined that regardless of regional growth, the planning and design strategies illustrated in the Stimulated Scenario are critical (and desirable) to achieving a land use pattern which is conducive to multi-modal accessibility within the Corridor communities. Additionally, these changes result in desired improvements in the quality of life in the Corridor. In particular, strategies emphasizing intensive mixed-use development are best suited for a "high end" transit system such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).	Moreover, the land use designs proposed in the Stimulated Scenario were more likely to yield real progress toward rejoining and revitalizing the Corridor communities. Such development patterns coupled with urban design recommendations can create a safe, attractive environment for all modes of transport and achieve the goals established for the Study. Hence, the land use strategies of the Stimulated Scenario have been combined with the high-quality, cost-effective service of Bus Rapid Transit to form the Preferred Future Scenario.