Foursquare ITP researched, analyzed, and developed a diverse range of design recommendations for integrating parking and multimodal connectivity into MDOT’s TOD projects. MDOT wanted consistent recommendations for determining the amount of parking at its TOD locations along with flexible design standards for providing said parking in a format that supports effective TOD.
In addition to seeking guidance on providing parking in a way that supports intermodal connectivity, MDOT sought design recommendations on accommodating and integrating transit circulation and layovers, storage and staging space for microtransit and shared vehicles, bike and scooter storage, and electric vehicle (EV) charging. The design matrix we developed for MDOT is unique to this project; instead of preparing a static list of design recommendations, the project team organized recommendations interactively so planners and designers can filter by categories and design priorities to avoid getting overwhelmed. For example, the design matrix allows users to filter recommendations for “Microtransit Pick-Ups and Drop-Offs” at “Metro Stations” in the “Urban Neighborhood” context, generating precise recommendations specific to those inputs. The design matrix is designed to be easily updated and expanded, ensuring its continued use in future MDOT TOD planning.
MDOT also appreciated the final report’s focus on policy reform. The project team understood that design recommendations can only become reality if there is a legal and policy framework allowing for their implementation, so the team made sure to propose explicit policy reforms that would support innovative multimodal parking accommodations.
To develop the recommendations and policy reforms, MDOT hosted a series of workshops in late 2023 with subsidiary stakeholders including MTA, SHA, and others. The December 2023 workshop focused on design recommendations, prepared and presented by Foursquare ITP, was particularly well-received by stakeholders. The design matrix was demonstrated and applied to multiple locations with TOD potential in the Baltimore metropolitan area, and the precise recommendations sorted by different classes and categories of design elements garnered many positive, enthusiastic reactions.
Solutions and Outcomes
- Provided thorough examination of TOD parking garage case studies and multimodal parking accommodations from across the US.
- Developed extensive interactive “design matrix” incorporating hundreds of design recommendations across six TOD environments and three transit service types, allowing users to filter by both categories to determine precise, contextual design recommendations.
- Created comprehensive report with recommendations, including concrete policy reforms to enable and accommodate the recommendations in the design matrix.
- Identified clear path forward for sizing and integrating multimodal parking facilities into MDOT TOD projects.