Buy a house, get a streetcar

In Edgewater, Florida, the first new town in the US is planned with a streetcar, that we are aware of, in modern times. Better! Cities & Towns reports in detail on the development called Restoration in the October-November 2012 issue. The master-planned, mixed-use traditional neighborhood with 8,500 housing units was approved in late September by city officials. The plan includes a 3- to 4-mile streetcar line estimated to cost $10 million per mile. Because the development is compact — leaving nearly three quarters of the site in a natural state — the plan allows $199 million in infrastructure savings compared to a pre-housing crash development plan. The streetcar is viewed as an amenity for residents, but it would save the developer impact fees because of an estimated 41 percent reduction in vehicle miles traveled with 50 percent of trips captured internally.

For more in-depth coverage on this topic: 

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• Get the October-November 2012 issue. Topics: Guiding investment to urban centers, Florida next gen project with streetcar, Town centers, Upstate NY downtowns, Transformation of a small town, New Moscow district, Community engagement, Walkable City, Human Transit, Freeways Without Futures, Beruit

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