Brief

Expanding access to public transit

The expansion of fixed-route public transit can help to advance important environmental and livability objectives. In many regions, however, the expansion of light rail lines and other forms of transit leads to increases in land and housing prices around new stations, making it difficult for low- and moderate-income households to afford to live there, and in some cases displacing existing residents. This brief describes housing policies that can be used in conjunction with investment in public transit to ensure affordable housing is part of the development that takes place around new or planned transit stations.