Reston Spring

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Reston Spring

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Reston TOD Redux: The Reston Transit Charette--2002

You never know what Google will turn up as it churns through the worldwide web.  Today, it grabbed the presentation below entitled, "Reston Charette:  Transit," from July 2002. 

As it describes in the opening viewgraphs, it is the product of a multi-day citizens' symposium (charette) to garner citizen support for Metrorail and to look at what Reston citizens thought would be desirable for transit and transit station areas around Wiehle and Reston Parkway.  It's an interesting read now as we go through the Reston Task Force effort to look at the transit-oriented development (TOD) around Reston's (still) prospective Metrorail stations. 

A couple of observations:
  • It highlights "common ground" facilities at Reston Parkway Station, including air rights, a 700-seat performance hall, county and community facilities, and some other amenities at a cost between $105-119 million.  (See p. 7.)  Wow!  What a bargain!  Why now are these facilities considered too expensive?  (Also, see p. 24, which graphically displays "common ground" at Reston Parkway station.  The concept, including redevelopment south of the station, is similar to that presented by Reston 2020 to the Reston Task Force within the last month.)
  • It encourages more residential development in the TOD areas, noting "out of balance in massing more and more office volumes."  (p. 10)
  • As the Task Force has just recommended, the Metro stations should have the word "Reston" in their title.  They should also include public art, good bike facilities, rideshare coordinator, and other features recommended by Reston 2020 in its working papers.  (p. 32)
  • There is no discussion of Town Center North as being part of or linked to the Reston Parkway Station TOD area.
  • In general, the development proposed for the two TOD areas is MUCH less than that now on the table for either station area.  Why?
 Reston Charette Transit 07 2002                                                                   
Plus ca change, plus le meme chose!

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