Evaluating the TOD potential of LRT stations in Malaysia using the TOD index

Abstract

The fundamental principle of railway development is that rail stations are not merely nodes where people change from one mode of transport to another but also places where spatial concentrations of high-value activity are recognised as positively impacting cities. This can be a similar definition of transit-oriented development: integrating land uses (mixed-use activities) and transportation systems to improve urban issues, especially traffic congestion. This paper aims to quantitatively assess the current transit nodes using the TOD index by evaluating the standard criteria of the 5Ds that determine TOD levels. The TOD index was calculated for areas of 69 stations on the LRT Ampang/Sri Petaling and LRT Kelana Jaya Lines. Some stations are indicated as having a potential TOD but a poor built environment and accessibility, depending on the TOD index's value. With these results, the recommendations to improve TOD planning and implementation can become effective for each station, depending on its built environment factors and typologies. Therefore, using the TOD index, the study offers insights into the station's potential for TOD implementation at rail station development. It put forward recommendations for enhancing TOD planning and implementation towards a better passenger experience, optimising each station's potential, and achieving the objective of TOD implementation in the first place.