(Sorry, this was supposed to be a reply to a complaint that people should be allowed to have “nice things” like suburban-style housing.) > The bill only applie

(Sorry, this was supposed to be a reply to a complaint that people should be allowed to have “nice things” like suburban-style housing.) > The bill only applies in urban transit counties. These are counties with 15 or more passenger rail stations. This includes the counties of Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara. That already excludes most of the rural land in California. Some of those counties are still pretty big, however, so the next bit is also important: > Within these counties, areas within a half-mile of most of the following stations are now designated as transit-oriented development (TOD) zones: > Areas within a half-mile of all heavy rail (e.g., BART) and/or very high-frequency commuter rail stations—defined as stations that run 72 or more trains per day—are designated as Tier 1 TOD zones. > Areas within a half-mile of all light rail (e.g., the San Diego Trolley), BRT, and/or high-frequency commuter rail stations—defined as stations that run 48 or more trains per day—are designated as Tier 2 TOD zones. > In smaller cities, defined as cities with a population of less than 35,000 residents, only the quarter-mile area of the TOD zone is covered. And if a county becomes an urban transit county after January 1, 2026, only heavy rail, light rail, and eligible commuter rail will be covered—not BRT. It is bad planning to build this kind of transportation and expect the area within 1/2 mile of the stations to stay “suburban,” (which really means single-family; there’s plenty of apartment buildings in suburbs around the world) much less “rural.”