From transit-adjacent to transit-oriented development

Downtown Berkeley, Hayward, and Fremont are three Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations with different surrounding built environments. Berkeley is located in a downtown setting, whereas Hayward and Fremont are located in the suburbs. Fremont is the most auto-dominated, whereas Hayward is a hybrid between being a transit-oriented and transit-adjacent development. Downtown Berkeley exemplifies the aims of many planners across the USA who are working to promote transit-oriented development (TOD). This study helps to confirm the importance of a quality built environment upon travel behaviour and vehicle ownership through an analysis of the three BART stations listed above. This article presents a transit-adjacent development – TOD spectrum that may help planners and policy makers better understand what is and what is not a TOD.