What qualifies as a “major transit stop”? Researchers at the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies are examining how varying definitions of the term can influence housing development across California.

Research program manager at the Institute of Transportation Studies Jacob Wasserman shared with KCRW that he defines a “major transit stop” as “a train stop, a ferry terminal, a bus rapid transit station, or where two bus routes that come every twenty minutes or better intersect. While the state maintains its own definition, Wasserman noted that cities and regional planning agencies often interpret the term differently.

The study finds that these inconsistencies can have significant implications for where housing is built. For instance, policies like SB 79, signed into law by Gavin Newsom, aim to encourage development near transit. However, the report suggests that such legislation may also create unintended incentives for some cities to limit transit expansion in order to avoid triggering additional housing requirements.

Moving forward, Wasserman suggests exploring alternative methods to determine where housing should be established, such as locations that do not rely as much on transit.