Government Code section 65912.156
(a)
“Adjacent” means within 200 feet of any pedestrian access point to a transit-oriented development stop.(b)
“Commuter rail” means a public rail transit service not meeting the standards for heavy rail or light rail, excluding California High-Speed Rail and Amtrak Long Distance Service.(c)
“Department” means the Department of Housing and Community Development.(d)
“Heavy rail transit” means a public electric railway line with the capacity for a heavy volume of traffic using high-speed and rapid acceleration passenger rail cars operating singly or in multicar trains on fixed rails, separate rights-of-way from which all other vehicular and foot traffic are excluded, and high platform loading. “Heavy rail transit” does not include California High-Speed Rail.(e)
“High-frequency commuter rail” means a commuter rail service operating a total of at least 48 trains per day across both directions, not including temporary service changes of less than one month or unplanned disruptions, and not meeting the standard for very high frequency commuter rail, at any point in the past three years.(f)
“High-resource area” means an area designated as highest resource or high resource on the most recently adopted version of the opportunity area maps published by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee and the department.(g)
“Housing development project” has the same meaning as defined in Section 65589.5, but does not include a project of which any portion is designated for use as a hotel, motel, bed and breakfast inn, or other transient lodging. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term “other transient lodging” does not include either of the following:(1)
A residential hotel, as defined in Section 50519 of the Health and Safety Code.(2)
After the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, a resident’s use or marketing of a unit as short-term lodging, as defined in Section 17568.8 of the Business and Professions Code, in a manner consistent with local law.(h)
“Light rail transit” includes streetcar, trolley, and tramway service. “Light rail transit” does not include airport people movers.(i)
“Net habitable square footage” means the finished and heated floor area fully enclosed by the inside surface of walls, windows, doors, and partitions, and having a headroom of at least six and one-half feet, including working, living, eating, cooking, sleeping, stair, hall, service, and storage areas, but excluding garages, carports, parking spaces, cellars, half-stories, and unfinished attics and basements.(j)
“Low-resource area” means an area designated as low resource on the most recently adopted version of the opportunity area maps published by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee and the department.(k)
“Rail transit” has the same meaning as defined in Section 99602 of the Public Utilities Code.(l)
“Residential floor area ratio” means the ratio of net habitable square footage dedicated to residential use to the area of the lot.(m)
“Transit-oriented development zone” means the area within one-half mile of a transit-oriented development stop.(n)
“Tier 1 transit-oriented development stop” means a transit-oriented development stop within an urban transit county served by heavy rail transit or very high frequency commuter rail.(o)
“Tier 2 transit-oriented development stop” means a transit-oriented development stop within an urban transit county, excluding a Tier 1 transit-oriented development stop, served by light rail transit, by high-frequency commuter rail, or by bus service meeting the standards of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 21060.2 of the Public Resources Code.(p)
“Transit-oriented development stop” means a major transit stop, as defined by Section 21064.3 of the Public Resources Code, and also including stops on a route for which a preferred alternative has been selected or which are identified in a regional transportation improvement program, that is served by heavy rail transit, very high frequency commuter rail, high frequency commuter rail, light rail transit, or bus service within an urban transit county meeting the standards of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 21060.2 of the Public Resources Code. When a new transit route or extension is planned that was not identified in the applicable regional transportation plan on or before January 1, 2026, those stops shall not be eligible as transit-oriented development stops unless they would be eligible as Tier 1 transit-oriented development stops. If a county becomes an urban transit county subsequent to July 1, 2026, then bus service in that county shall remain ineligible for designation of a transit-oriented development stop.(q)
“Urban transit county” means a county with more than 15 passenger rail stations.(r)
“Very high frequency commuter rail” means a commuter rail service with a total of at least 72 trains per day across both directions, not including temporary service changes of less than one month or unplanned disruptions, at any point in the past three years.
Source:
Section 65912.156, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65912.156. (updated Jan. 1, 2026; accessed Dec. 15, 2025).
