WASHINGTON \u2013 A bipartisan bill filed in Washington seeks to incentivize the construction of housing along and near transportation hubs \u2014 a practice known as transit-oriented development (TOD). <\/p>\n
TOD is an urban planning practice that seeks to maximize the growth of residential, business, retail and leisure spaces near public transportation lines.<\/p>\n
The bill, known as the Build HUBS Act<\/a>, was introduced jointly by Sens. John Curtis (R-UT) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). It seeks to \u201cunlock TOD projects that boost local economies and housing supply,\u201d according to a news release from Curtis\u2019 office.<\/p>\n Companion legislation was filed in the House by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Laura Friedman (D-CA).<\/p>\n \u201cBy making it easier for communities to build more housing near transit and align housing and transportation investments, we can move projects forward more efficiently,\u201d Lawler said in a post to X, formerly Twitter.<\/p>\n What is in the bill?<\/p>\n The bill targets infrastructure loan programs, such as the Transportation Infrastructure and Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) and Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF). Both programs would be extended by five years, according to Curtis\u2019 release.<\/p>\n The programs were amended to include future TOD-focused projects. Administering responsibilities would be given to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. <\/p>\n Other aspects the legislation include:<\/p>\n Implementing a delegated lending model to retain federal oversight and promote private sector efficiency.<\/p>\n Speed up processing timeline for project review and funding<\/p>\n Provide relief on some\u00a0National Environmental Policy Act requirements, including for office-to-residential conversions and infill development.<\/p>\n Encourage TIFIA and RRIF to prioritize projects that promote \u201cattainable housing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBurdensome requirements\u201d within RRIF and TFIA have prevented developers from fully accessing the program\u2019s capabilities, according to a Smart Growth America (SGA) blog post. SGA is a nonprofit working in the development and transportation space.<\/p>\n Only one TIFIA project, in Washington State, has been financed due to the issues, according to SGA.<\/p>\n The bill seeks to clarify definitions of TOD projects to \u201cbetter capture\u201d the transportation assets that \u201canchor TOD across communities of all sizes.\u201d<\/p>\n It would also require projects to coordinate with applicable metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to ensure the project\u2019s plans align with existing MPO or state-developed plans. <\/p>\n MPOs, created under the Federal Highway Act of 1962, oversee transportation planning funding for metropolitan areas.<\/p>\n A summary of the bill\u2019s sections can be found here<\/a>. <\/p>\n The bill was referred to the House\u2019s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Jan. 14, according to Congress.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n TOD along San Pedro Avenue corridor<\/p>\n Perhaps the most recent example of TOD-style zoning put to practice in San Antonio lies around the VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority\u2019s planned Green Line<\/a>, a 10.35-mile advanced rapid transit (ART) corridor from the San Antonio International Airport to the Missions. <\/p>\n The Green Line will travel down much of San Pedro Avenue on the city\u2019s North Side, eventually moving onto St. Mary\u2019s Street as it nears downtown. See below for a map of the planned Green Line route.<\/p>\n Planned map for VIA Metropolitan Transit’s Rapid Green Line (VIA Metropolitan Transit)<\/p>\n The city updated its TOD zoning code in January 2025, incentivizing property owners near the Green Line to build more walkable, mixed-use communities. The code, according to the city, would support a range of housing types and flexible land uses with reduced parking requirements. <\/p>\n In late January, San Antonio city and housing leaders were on hand to open the city\u2019s final affordable housing project supported by a 2017-2022 Neighborhood Improvements Bond.<\/p>\n The property sits directly along San Pedro Avenue<\/a>, mere blocks from VIA\u2019s nearby transit center.<\/p>\n Such efforts include work by University of Texas at San Antonio researchers to identify vacant and underutilized land along VIA\u2019s rapid transit corridors, finding about 7,000 acres, the San Antonio Report said in a December 2025 report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Residents fear loss of neighborhood character <\/p>\n However, the TOD policy is not without its criticisms. <\/p>\n In San Antonio, for example, some residents in City Council District 1 voiced concerns about TOD policy related to projects such as VIA\u2019s Advanced Rapid Transit lines.<\/p>\n During a community forum in November 2024, some residents expressed worry<\/a> about the project\u2019s construction timeline and a potential loss of neighborhood character. <\/p>\n >> What is San Antonio\u2019s transit-oriented development and why is it unpopular among some residents?<\/a><\/p>\n The Green Line, as it travels down San Pedro Avenue past Hildebrand Avenue, bisects two historic San Antonio neighborhoods: Alta Vista and Monte Vista.<\/p>\n Before approving the TOD policy weeks later that same month, San Antonio\u2019s Planning Commission met residents and the city halfway, reducing parking requirements in mixed-use districts near rapid transit sites from 100% to 75% in San Antonio\u2019s Unified Development Code.<\/p>\n Then, in December 2024, San Antonio City Council approved the new zoning rules<\/a> within a new transit-oriented policy framework.<\/p>\n The importance of the \u2018half-mile radius\u2019<\/p>\n When looking at TOD\u2019s big picture, the phrase \u201chalf-mile radius\u201d often comes up. What does it mean?<\/p>\n The phrase points to the distance between a station and a development nearby within the radius, often high-density, mixed-use and pedestrian-friendly. <\/p>\n Such work addressing walkability near the Green Line\u2019s transit stations is already underway, largely spearheaded by San Antonio\u2019s Transportation Department. <\/p>\n San Antonio is currently mapping walk zones and identifying possible barriers as part of a walkshed analysis within the radius around four forthcoming Green Line stations:<\/p>\n North Star<\/p>\n Millard St<\/p>\n Cypress Avenue<\/p>\n McKinley Avenue<\/p>\n Thus far, the department has conducted a walkability study<\/a> and a survey<\/a> to explore how the ART corridor could affect existing neighborhood infrastructure near the stations listed above. The latter survey is open through the end of March. <\/p>\n \u201cTransportation\u2019s Transit-Oriented Policy Framework is designed to unlock the full potential of the Green Line by aligning land use, housing, mobility, and economic strategies along transit corridors with a focus on the half-mile radius of transit stations,\u201d said Joe Conger, a Transportation Department spokesperson.<\/p>\n Through-traffic concerns in neighborhoods near Green Line<\/p>\n While the Green Line is still years from completion, some work has already begun to address a potential concern for residents in neighborhoods along the corridor: traffic.<\/p>\n In a September report exploring pedestrian walkability and cycling within the Alta Vista and Beacon Hill neighborhoods, the Alamo Area MPO found that through-traffic pushed off San Pedro Avenue was a pertinent concern.<\/p>\n