Multimodal Transportation District

In April of 2009, the Tallahassee/Leon County Multimodal Transportation District became effective for the central area of the City. The goal is to facilitate the use of multiple modes of transportation, leading to a reduction in automobile use and vehicle miles traveled. But a Multimodal District addresses more than just transportation - by adopting such a district, the community recognizes that mixed uses and well-designed buildings & public places are just as important as providing transit, bike paths, and sidewalks. According to the Florida Department of Transportation, "a multimodal transportation district is an area where primary priority is placed on assuring a safe, comfortable, and attractive pedestrian environment, with convenient interconnection to transit...Common elements include the presence of mixed-use activity centers, connectivity of streets and land uses, transit-friendly design features, and accessibility to alternative modes of transportation." A Multimodal District is created through adoption of an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan, and allows mitigation fees from development to go toward transit, bicycle, and pedestrian projects rather than road widening. This is important in the core of Tallahassee because there isn't room to widen many roads, if any, without destroying parts of the community. MMTD Code - Implementing the Multimodal Transportation District The MMTD Code covers all areas within the MMTD, including our downtown. The code seeks to improve the urban fabric of the Capital City through an increased emphasis on urban design and the public realm, thereby creating a pedestrian-friendly and transit-supportive district. The standards will: improve urban design, as is expected along Gaines Street, increase bicycle and pedestrian mobility, improve pedestrian comfort with more street trees, promote in-town amenities and destinations, ease restrictions to urban infill, and support the efforts of StarMetro. The new development standards in the MMTD Code reflect public comments voiced in the past several years, namely in various sector and neighborhood plans, calling for increased attention to urban design and bicycle and pedestrian mobility.