Fairfax Metro: How Greater Density Can Reduce Traffic Counts
Foes of Business-As-Usual transportation policy argue that developers should be allowed to build at greater densities in areas served by existing transportation infrastructure as an alternative to building at low densities in areas that require expensive road improvements. Skeptics respond that higher density -- packing more houses, offices and stores into a smaller space -- means more localized congestion.
The arguments of both sides are on display at the Vienna/Fairfax Metro station, where Pulte Homes wants to develop 2,250 residences, 100,000 square feet of retail space and 300,000 square feet of office space. Fairfax supervisors approved the request subject to Pulte being able to demonstrate that it could reduce the number of expected "trips" generated by the development by 47 percent.
A Pulte study contends that it is possible to meet that goal, with a little to spare. Local foes of the project question the methodology. See The Connection newspaper's account of the controversy here.
What the Not-In-My-Back-Yard types overlook, of course, is that people have to live, work and shop somewhere. If they don't do it in a compact space connected to Metro rail and designed to encourage foot traffic, they will most likely do it in scattered, disconnected, low-density places that will generate far more trips and create greater congestion on someone else's roads.