The 12th Annual ULI Carolinas conference was held March 6-7, 2025, centering around land use, real estate development, and – of course – transportation. Drawing nearly 750 attendees, the meeting addressed ways in which both public and private sectors can cooperate to create new ways for growing populations to make connections between where they live, where they work, and where they play.
In one session, Tim Keane, Senior Chief for Planning, Permitting, and Engineering for the City of Charleston, stated: “There’s no solution to traffic.” The increase in traffic in places like Charleston, Charlotte, and other areas of the Southeast booming with development causes frustration and public concern and takes years or even decades for municipalities to tackle. We have found that our work as traffic consultants in collaboration with the development community and local municipalities can play a key role in bringing stakeholders together to deliver creative solutions that connect people with options faster.
As larger employers move in to the region while people need to live farther out from the city, and with additional housing being built farther away from offices, transportation will become an even greater challenge.
Another statement by Tim Keane brought to mind our article, 9 Steps to Establish a TDM Policy in Your Community. Keane asked: “What are we seeking to be in 10 or 20 years and through our regulatory processes, how can we make that as easy to do as we can?” As larger employers move in to the region while people need to live farther out from the city, and with additional housing being built farther away from offices, transportation will become an even greater challenge.
The transportation challenges that Charleston faces are similar to ones we’ve been working on in large metropolitan areas with many developers, property owners, and businesses. In this context, it’s important to keep in mind that:
- TDM has been proven to be a cost-effective solution that can make good use of low funding for transit infrastructure by helping connect people with existing options and mix marketing and behavioral science to normalize the use of alternatives to driving, and
- When paired with the development community, TDM can provide connections and solutions. For examples, consider the linkRTC Shuttle in Reston, Virginia; bikeshare and scooter solutions for first/last mile connectivity, and and microtransit pilots like SouthPark’s skipper.
We have found that our work as traffic consultants in collaboration with the development community and local municipalities can play a key role in bringing stakeholders together to deliver creative solutions that connect people with options faster.