Live, Work, and be Healthy along the Green Line

Do you work at a Green Line institution? Looking to relocate? Whether you’re renting or buying, living and working close to transit, especially light rail, promises significant benefits for your wallet and health.

Many Twin Cities households spend more on transportation than housing.

Forgoing driving for transit can save one household thousands of dollars annually. The American Public Transportation Association found that the average household without a car saves $9,200 annually. In the Twin Cities, the average cost of living in the suburbs compared to living in the Central Corridor and using the Green Line for transportation is $10,000 greater.

There is a high demand for affordable multi-family housing in the Central Corridor, and Plymouth-based developer Dominium plans to help fulfill that need. During spring 2017, it will begin construction of a $60 million, 216-unit affordable apartment complex located a short walk from the Raymond Avenue Green Line station. The existing Carleton Artist Lofts are located adjacent to the Raymond Avenue station and rented at affordable rates. Both developments are part of the Big Picture Project, a public-private partnership which aims to increase the number of affordable housing units built and maintained along the Green Line.

The financial benefits of living and working along the Green Line are impressive, but the perks don’t end there: choosing transit over driving also has a number of health benefits. Adults who take transit are more likely to achieve daily physical activity goals and are less likely to experience health issues such as obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure, and enjoy better mental health.

Michael Huber, health consultant at the Center for Prevention of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, notes the strong inverse relationship between obesity and active transportation use. Transit users walk more throughout the day and meet or exceed the daily walking target for heart health of 22 minutes per day, which fewer than half of adults in the United States achieve.

Bassett, D. et al. (2008) Walking, Cycling, and Obesity Rates in Europe, North America, and Australia. Journal of Physical Activity and Health 5: 795-814.Research shows a high inverse correlation between “rates of active transportation”—namely, trips taken on foot, bike, bus, or train—and obesity. In a study tracking health indicators in the United States and Europe from 1994 to 2006, U.S. participants took transit the least—and were the most obese.

There are societal benefits to choosing public transit. Fewer cars on the road correlate to fewer traffic accidents and less air pollution. Making the choice to live and work near the Green Line can save you money, improve your health, and positively impact your overall well-being. 

Image courtesy of Corridors of Opportunity Team

CCAP College Pass Part of National Transit Trend

Photo courtesy of Alicia ValentiAs millennials around the country forgo car ownership in favor of saving money and environmental stewardship, colleges are partnering with regional transportation agencies to make public transit more attractive and accessible for this demographic.

Here in the Twin Cities, Metro Transit conducts the College Pass program, which provides discounted passes for unlimited rides to students at more than 40 local colleges. Metro Transit also offers the Go-To card, a reusable transit pass that can be automatically reloaded with value. In the fall of 2016, Metro Transit partnered with CCAP to promote the Go-To card program. Students at Central Corridor Partners St. Catherine’s University, St. Thomas University, Augsburg College, and Bethel University had the opportunity to obtain a bonus $10 for their Go-To cards, and more than 1800 cards were distributed among the four schools. CCAP partner University of Minnesota offers its own option, the U-Pass.

Other cities have launched similar efforts. Chicago’s successful U-Pass program includes over 40 participating institutions. Students receive unlimited rides through the  Chicago Transit Authority during the school year and can load the same Ventra card with value when not enrolled. This minimizes the hassle with switching between the U-Pass and city system.

Denver’s CollegePass system is similar with 11 colleges and universities providing discounted transit passes to over 100,000 students.  Students who live outside the service area or who are unable to use transit are not eligible for the program.

Seattle offers the greatest variety in student transit options. The University of Seattle offers a U-Pass to all eligible students, providing access to unlimited bus and light rail rides. Seattle University has a similar program, Orca Lift, which offers transit passes at a reduced transit fare. North Seattle College offers a $200 value Orca Card to students for $125, with the option to switch to the PugetPass for unlimited monthly rides.

Even cities not typically known for their focus on walkability are integrating transit into the lifestyle of their college students. Los Angeles rolled out a new discounted-pass program in fall 2016 with 13 universities and community colleges participating. In Las Vegas, the Regional Transportation Commission offers steeply discounted transit passes to students at three participating colleges.

These booming cities are not alone in offering great transit options to students. Sacramento Regional Transit offers a deeply discounted monthly pass to students at local colleges. Five Cleveland universities offer a U-Pass for only $25 per semester. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, all eligible students can obtain a free bus pass by showing a current photo ID.

Transit is growing in popularity and more millennials are choosing urban colleges. Colleges and universities are responding by fostering a culture of transit among their students by making transit use more accessible.

Live and Work on the Green Line

Do you work in the Central Corridor? Are you looking for a new home? Consider living along the Green Line!

Do you work at a Green Line institution? Are you looking to relocate? Whether you’re renting or buying, living and working close to transit – and especially light rail – can have huge benefits for your wallet and your health.

Many Twin Cities households spend more on transportation than housing, and by forgoing driving in order to take transit, households can save thousands of dollars each year. A study by the American Public Transportation Association found that the average household without a car saves $9,200 on transportation costs each year, and here in the Cities the savings may be even greater. According to a comparison done by the Corridors of Opportunity Affordable Housing/Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Team of the average cost of living in the suburbs with that of living in the Central Corridor, a household of four could save more than $10,000 on transportation by making the move to a home near the Green Line.

While these savings are remarkable, the cost of living within the city can be a major concern, particularly for lower-income families. Accordingly, there is a high demand for affordable multi-family housing in the Central Corridor, and Plymouth-based developer Dominium plans to help fulfill that need. During spring 2017, they will begin construction of a $60 million, 216-unit affordable apartment complex located a short walk from the Raymond Avenue Green Line station.

In addition to this new workforce housing project, the Carleton Artist Lofts are located adjacent to the Raymond Avenue station and rented at affordable rates. Both developments are part of the Big Picture Project, a public-private partnership which aims to increase the number of affordable housing units built and maintained along the Green Line.

The financial benefits of living and working along the Green Line are impressive, but the perks don’t end there: choosing transit over driving also has a number of health benefits. Adults who take transit are more likely to achieve daily physical activity goals, resulting in a number of health improvements. They are less likely to experience health issues such as obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure; enjoy better mental health; and are more likely to achieve the amount of daily activity recommended for obtaining these benefits.  

For these reasons and more, making the choice to live and work near the Green Line can save you money, improve your health, and positively impact your overall well-being.  

Image courtesy of Corridors of Opportunity Team.