Transit Oriented Development, Cheltenham Racecourse Essay

Transit Oriented Development, Cheltenham Racecourse - Essay Example A new station will replace the old one and the location will be 200 meters from the present location moving south east. The new station will cater to the racecourse land which at present is not in use. The empty racecourse will be converted into a residential area of medium to high density population. The new station will be catering to a bigger area thus making the unused piece of land more alive. The proposal would include a children's playground and a pedestrian access to the train. Green space. with benches. that are arranged, would serve as the waiting area for the train commuters. A bicycle parking is also considered. Convenient stores are to be installed for a 24 hour services. A bus interchange coming from the Boulevards must be taken into consideration. Restrooms must be present in the area to encourage more commuters to use the station. Retail and commercial area would have a clear access from the Port road via Cheltenham Point and the residential area thereby, making it a friendly route thru a series of trees, landscape, walkable space with lushed trees that would serve as shade for walkers, thus bringing the site more closer and reachable making the area a site a more delightful place to live in. To meet the needs of the residents means providing them a safe and easily approachable setup thereby reducing their need to travel by cars. Creating a safe environment, is separating the rail line from the commercial and residential area with a screen of lined trees which will also reduce the noise that is generated by the traffic. There must be sufficient car parking and cycle parking near the retail area for the customers. In its zoning, the north side will be of mixed use and the south side is for retail, industrial and commercial purposes. There are major features of a Transit Oriented Development. These include the goals, and the mixed use of moderate to high density residential or commercial area, with close .proximity to public transport. It must be located with in 400 - 800 meter radius from the transit stop, and incorporates a design feature that encourages transit ridership, pedestrians and cyclists. In return, it would reduce car dependency, urban sprawl and traffic congestion that will assist in resolving global issues such as global warming and world oil depletion. Since Adelaide is one of the highest car dependent city in the world, transit oriented development will reduce the car dependency of the city. The reasons for car dependency is the lack efficient public transport and urban sprawl. Recent research had also shown that there is a strong link between the ease of use of public transport and the reduction of car dependency. Therefore, the low density suburbs and greater dispersion between employment reta il and service facilities make pedestrian accessibility and public transport less feasible. The key elements of TOD would be the mixed land use, pedestrian and cycling friendly design elements, and the convenience and efficiency of public transport system. These elements will contribute to the reduction of car usage. The methodology to be adopted in the implementation of TOD will be the reviewed literature on transit oriented development and the discussion of existing knowledge of the site. In the discussion of existing knowledge of the site, a review of current plans for site is necessary. Also included in the discussion is the examination of location of station with