TRAFFIC AND COHOUSING
Cohousing has several features which help contribute to its low traffic impact, including:
● Pedestrian-friendly design: The neighborhood design, with pedestrian paths, encourages walking and makes frequent “convenience” trips using a vehicle less desirable.
● Common areas such as a Common House, a pool, and large open space type yard provide more opportunities for residents to stay on site and enjoy some social interaction with neighbors.
● Strong connection: Neighbors “know” each other before moving in, and a social link is established early on, encouraging local onsite social events for families and children. Sycamore Village is within walking distance of three schools, and parents in cohousing communities have a history of arranging carpools for getting students to school, if cars are needed.
● Remote parking lot: By virtue of the homeowner’s automobile being parked up to 400 feet from the front door, trips to and from a store, for instance, will be much less convenient, and groceries must be carried this distance upon returning (Note: the community will have carts for this purpose). It would seem logical that this distance would encourage residents to shop less frequently, or make some other optional trip less frequently, and trips become more planned and less spontaneous.
● Cooperative atmosphere: An atmosphere of sharing and cooperation will be set in place from the outset, as all residents in this project “sign up” to the agreement before the homes are constructed. The people in the project have helped over a period of years to codesign the development, and they are friends on opening day. This creates a unique family-like social atmosphere on site that will encourage fewer off-site social activities.
Calculation of traffic: The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual is used to calculate projected traffic. According to Section 230 (Residential Condominium or Townhouse), each dwelling unit is expected to generate 5.86 trip ends per day, including peak trips. In contrast, the existing zoning (RD-4), each dwelling unit would be expected to generate 9.57 trip ends per day. A "trip end" is a one-way trip.
Cohousing Traffic Generation: The ITE Trip Generation manual does not have data for cohousing, but typical cohousing communities produce less traffic than the ITE numbers predict. Cohousing encourages social interaction between neighbors in the small community, versus a condominium or town house, which is more privately or individually oriented. The cohousing project encourages walking, strolling, and social interaction that would take place as a more natural result in a slower paced, relaxed, and neighborly setting. Homes have wood deck porches, and the common areas are close by (such as pool, Common House and terrace, and toddler play area) because the development is small in size. This is one of the main attractions of this type of development: that most neighbors are going to get to know each other very well, because they are sharing so many things such as the yard, the common house, and the pool.
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