TRANSPORTATION IMPACT ANALYSIS GUIDELINES

Transcription

1 TRANSPORTATION IMPACT ANALYSIS GUIDELINES SANTA CLARA COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY CONGESTION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ADOPTED MARCH 2009

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3 TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I - STATUTE AND AUTHORITY...1 CHAPTER 1. CMP LEGISLATION AND ROLE OF CMA Background Definition of Transportation Impact Analysis Legislative Requirement CMP Transportation Impact Analysis Requirements Benefits of CMP Transportation Impact Analysis Guidelines Exemption Process CMP Technical Standards and Procedures Amendment Process Local Transportation Model Consistency Document Conventions...5 CHAPTER 2. TIA SCOPING When Should a TIA be Completed? Which Facilities Should be Included in a TIA? Intersections Freeway Segments Rural Highway Segments...10 DIRECTIONAL SPLIT Determining Other Transportation Issues to Address...11 PART II - NOTIFICATION AND REVIEW...12 CHAPTER 3. AGENCY NOTIFICATION PROCESS Proactive CMP Process Lead Agency Responsibilities...14 CHAPTER 4. AGENCY REVIEW PROCESS VTA Review for Conformance Project Approval and Conformance...16 PART III TIA CONTENTS AND METHODOLOGY...17 CHAPTER 5. TYPICAL TIA TABLE OF CONTENTS...17 CHAPTER 6. ANALYSIS PERIODS AND LOS METHODOLGIES Analysis Period LOS Methodologies Urban Arterials Rural Highways High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes Bicycle Pedestrian Transit Freeway Segments Methodology For Future Scenarios Use of Transportation Models CHAPTER 7. EXISTING CONDITIONS Existing Counts and Data Collection Description of Existing Roadways Description of Existing Transit Facilities Description of Existing Bicycle, Pedestrian, and TDM Facilities...28 CHAPTER 8. PROJECT CONDITIONS Trip Generation Sources Documentation of Trip Rates i

4 8.1.3 Mode Split Trip Reduction Strategies and Assumptions Use of Trip Reduction Values Mixed-Use Developments Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program Proximity to Transit (Rail or Major Bus Line) Trip Reduction Strategy Combinations Trip Distribution Pass-by Trips and Diverted Linked Trips Allowable Reductions for Pass-by Trips and Diverted Linked Trips Application of Pass-by Trip and Diverted Linked Trip Reductions CHAPTER 9 PROJECT IMPACTS Traffic Level of Service Analysis Queuing Analysis Transit Bicycle and Pedestrian Project Access and Circulation Site Circulation and Access Parking CHAPTER 10 MITIGATION MEASURES...45 CHAPTER 11. FUTURE YEAR SCENARIOS (CUMULATIVE CONDITIONS) Short-Term Cumulative Conditions Short-Term Development Project Long-Term Cumulative (Rezoning and General Plan Amendments) Long-Term Plan or Development Project Long-Term General Planning Efforts PART IV. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS...49 CHAPTER 12. SPECIAL PROJECT TYPES Large or Unique Projects Projects on the Jurisdiction Border Multi Agency Projects Pedestrian and Transit Analysis...49 GLOSSARY...50 INDEX...52 APPENDICES: Appendix A: TIA Notification Form and TIA Submittal Form Appendix B: Sample Freeway Analysis Tables Appendix C: ITE Methodology for Applying Pass-by and Diverted Linked Trip Reductions Appendix D: Bicycle Parking Supply Recommendations Appendix E: CMP Deficiency Plan Guidelines, Immediate Implementation Action List Appendix F: TIA Guidelines Checklist LIST OF TABLES: Table 1: Two-lane Rural Highway Capacities Table 2: Signalized Intersection LOS Criteria Table 3: Freeway LOS Criteria Table 4: Maximum Vehicle Trip Reduction Values ii

5 LIST OF FIGURES: Figure 1: Proactive CMP Process iii

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7 PART I - STATUTE AND AUTHORITY Chapter 1. CMP Legislation and Role of CMA On January 1, 1995, the (VTA) was designated as the County's Congestion Management Agency. The Congestion Management Program (CMP) legislation requires that uniform methods be used for evaluating transportation impacts of land use decisions on the CMP System. Furthermore, the legislation allows the agency responsible for the CMP to choose the analysis methods. This document presents the VTA's guidelines for preparing Transportation Impact Analyses (TIAs). TIAs are prepared to assess the transportation impacts of land development projects and to assist in the design of development projects. TIAs are prepared by local jurisdictions as part of environmental assessments completed for development proposals. These guidelines are intended to be used by Member Agencies as part of their regular process of evaluating land use decisions and may be viewed as a minimum scope for assessing transportation impacts. Therefore, a TIA may not be required by the CMP but may be required by Member Agencies. It is not intended that the TIAs following the VTA CMP TIA Guidelines will provide all information required for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) purposes. VTA encourages Member Agencies to include any other pertinent information not outlined in the guidelines to identify environmental impacts. Finally, VTA encourages the development of transit-friendly, pedestrian-friendly, and bicyclistfriendly land use projects. In particular, projects in core, corridor or station areas as defined in VTA s Community Design and Transportation (CDT) Program s Manual of Best Practices for Integrating Transportation and Land Use are encouraged to follow CDT Program best practices and actions. 1.1 Background TIA guidelines were originally included in Santa Clara County's 1991 Congestion Management Program (CMP). In 1993, the CMP technical documents, including TIA guidelines, were published in a document titled Technical Standards and Procedures for the Santa Clara County Congestion Management Program. Since then, the VTA CMP Guidelines has been subsequently updated. This document supersedes the 2004 TIA Guidelines and includes the following sections: Part I: Statute and Authority Chapter 1: CMP Legislation and Role of the CMA Chapter 2: TIA Scoping Part II: Notification and Review Chapter 3: Agency Notification Process 1

8 Chapter 4: Agency Review Process Part III: TIA Contents and Methodology Chapter 5: Example Table of Contents Chapter 6: LOS Methodology and analysis Period Chapter 7: Existing Conditions Chapter 8: Project Trip Generation and Trip Distribution Chapter 9: Project Impacts Chapter 10: Mitigation Measures Chapter 11: Future Year Scenario/Cumulative Conditions Part IV: Other Considerations Chapter 12: Special Project Types 1.2 Definition of Transportation Impact Analysis Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) is the term used for the study of the expected effects of development projects on transportation facilities. The TIA s purpose is to determine whether the transportation system can accommodate the traffic generated by the proposed development project and if improvements are needed to the roadways, bike routes, sidewalks, and transit services affected by the project. This helps decision makers determine whether to approve the project and what conditions to impose on the project. 1.3 Legislative Requirement California's CMP legislation requires that all CMAs develop a uniform program for evaluating the transportation impacts of land-use decisions on the designated CMP System. Specifically, CMP Statute requires: A program to analyze the impacts of land use decisions made by local jurisdictions on the regional transportation systems, including an estimate of the costs associated with mitigating those impacts. [California Government Code: (b) (4).] The TIA guidelines described in this document are designed to meet the requirement for a uniform land use impact analysis program in the CMP Statute. In order to conform with the CMP, Member Agencies must follow the methodologies described in this document to evaluate the transportation impacts of development projects on the CMP System. In addition, as part of the CMP Land Use Impact Analysis Program, all Member Agencies are required to forward a summary of land use changes and their transportation impacts to VTA on an annual basis. The purpose of collecting land use data on an annual basis is to ensure that development projects that do not meet the threshold for preparing a TIA are evaluated in the CMP process. This land use data will be incorporated into the countywide transportation model 2

9 and will be used to monitor conformance with the CMP. Please see "Annual Monitoring and Conformance Requirements," produced each year to reflect the monitoring requirements for that year, for more information on land use monitoring. 1.4 CMP Transportation Impact Analysis Requirements Member Agencies must follow the methodologies presented in this document to prepare TIAs of land use decisions that impact the CMP System. In order to conform with the CMP, Member Agencies must do the following: 1. Use the CMP's TIA guidelines to evaluate the transportation impacts of all land use decisions within the Member Agency's jurisdiction that are projected to generate 100 or more AM or PM weekday or weekend peak-hour trips. 2. Submit a copy of the final TIA Report to the VTA at least 15 days before the development decision is scheduled by the Member Agency. Chapter 3.2 details the responsibilities of the Member Agency and VTA in meeting the TIA requirements. 1.5 Benefits of CMP Transportation Impact Analysis Guidelines The most significant benefit of these guidelines is that their use promotes the use of uniform procedures for performing TIAs and evaluating land use decisions on CMP facilities in Santa Clara County. Moreover, the use of a common set of guidelines allows each Member Agency to understand the impacts of development projects in other jurisdictions. Furthermore, it allows a Member Agency to request mitigation measures on its transportation facilities as a result of a project under development in another jurisdiction. The use of a standard set of TIA guidelines is the first step in developing stronger linkages between transportation and land use planning, which is a goal of VTA. 1.6 Exemption Process Portions of the TIA guidelines described in this document may need to be modified for use in analyzing the impacts of a specific situation. The following process should be used in order to obtain approval for modifying the requirements of the guidelines contained herein: 1. The Member Agency should contact VTA requesting modification of a specific TIA guidelines requirement. 1 The Member Agency should provide the reasons for the request(s). CMP staff will take action on the request if the request requires 1 Modifications to TIA guidelines regarding the following do not require CMP action: trip generation rates, trip distribution/assignment, and default values used in the level of service analysis. However, these modifications should be clearly documented in the TIA. Documentation should include source and comparison with values required by TIA guidelines. 3

10 immediate action and is of a nature to not require action by VTA Board s standing committees. 2. If action cannot be taken by CMP staff, the VTA Technical Advisory Committee's (TAC's) Systems Operations & Management (SOM) Working Group will review the request and make a recommendation to the TAC. 3. The TAC will review the request and the SOM Working Group recommendation and take action on the request. 4. The VTA Board will review the TAC's recommendation as a consent item (in other words, the TAC recommendation is adopted unless the VTA Board decides to overrule the TAC s recommendation). 1.7 CMP Technical Standards and Procedures Amendment Process The TIA guidelines are part of the Technical Standards and Procedures for the Santa Clara County Congestion Management Program (referred to throughout this document as the Technical Standards and Procedures). The intent is to update the Technical Standards and Procedures on a regular basis by providing revisions where appropriate. Technical Update Memos may be prepared periodically to address technical questions regarding standards and procedures as these questions are raised by Member Agencies. These memos are to be prepared by CMP staff, reviewed by the TAC and approved by the VTA Board. Once adopted, these technical update memos have precedence over previously adopted procedures. Technical update memos are to be posted on the VTA website and mailed to all registered holders of the Technical Standards and Procedures and to members of the TAC. The TIA guidelines must be reviewed and revised on a regular basis to incorporate all technical update memos adopted since the last revision and to address new policy direction adopted by the VTA Board. With VTA Board approval the revised procedures shall be distributed to Member Agencies for incorporation into the Technical Standards and Procedures. 1.8 Local Transportation Model Consistency All models used to evaluate transportation impacts of land use decisions must be consistent with the VTA Countywide Transportation Model. VTA has developed procedures for Member Agencies to use in developing consistent models. These procedures are described in the "Local Model Consistency Guidelines" of the Technical Standards and Procedures. 4

11 1.9 Document Conventions 1. The acronym TIA is used throughout this document to indicate Transportation Impact Analysis. 2. Unless explicitly identified, all references to documents in these TIA guidelines shall mean the most recent version of the document published. 3. In this document, the word should is used to indicate a recommended action. The words 'shall' or 'must' are used to indicate required actions. 4. The word facility is used generally in this document to refer to CMP System intersections, freeways and/or rural highways. 5

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13 Chapter 2. TIA Scoping This section provides direction on the scoping of TIA studies. The Lead Agency is responsible for scoping the TIA. The description of TIA scoping focuses on three areas: 1. Determining when and if a TIA needs to be completed 2. Determining roadway facilities to be included in the analysis 3. Determining other transportation issues to assess. 2.1 When Should a TIA be Completed? The base situation for when a TIA needs to be completed is the following: A complete TIA shall be performed for any project in Santa Clara County expected to generate 100 or more new weekday (AM or PM peak hour) or weekend peak hour trips, including both inbound and outbound trips. For other unique situations, see Chapter 12 Special Project Types. The following are points that expand or provide detail on the above statement: 1. New Peak Hour Trip: New peak hour trips are defined as those proposed project trips not included in the most recent CMP monitoring program and not included in an approved project. 2. Pass-by and Diverted Linked Trips: The number of pass-by and diverted linked trips of the proposed project shall not be used to reduce the number of new peak hour trips for determining whether a TIA is to be completed except for the following uses: gas stations, fast food restaurants, and stand-alone mini-markets. For these uses, if the pass-by trip reduction results in less than 100 new weekday peak hour trips, a TIA is not required. However, an operational analysis of the adjacent CMP facilities should be conducted with input from CMP staff. This analysis should be submitted to VTA. 3. Trip Reductions: The application of trip reductions shall not be used to reduce the number of new peak hour trips for determining whether a TIA is to be completed. 4. Special Events: Special events that do not require issuance of a discretionary permit or environmental review do not require a TIA. For example, holding a one-day "Harvest Festival" in a downtown area would not require a TIA, while building a theater for use on an irregular basis would require a TIA. 6

14 5. Addition to Existing Development Project: A TIA must be completed for an addition to an existing development when the addition is projected to generate 100 or more AM or PM peak hour trips. Trip reductions shall not be used to reduce the number of peak hour trips for determining whether a TIA is to be completed. 6. Revision to Approved Unbuilt Development Project: A TIA must be completed for an approved but unbuilt development that originally was not projected to generate 100 or more weekday peak hour trips, if the development is revised so that it is projected to generate 100 or more peak hour trips. 7. Vacant or Underutilized Development: Generally, Member Agencies will not require a new TIA to be conducted for the re-occupancy of vacant or underutilized buildings or developments unless a discretionary permit is required from the jurisdiction. A vacant or underutilized building is understood to have development entitlement. Two situations are described below that note whether a TIA is required: a. Same Land Use: A new tenant on a site who is planning to use the site for the same use (i.e., the land use designation for trip generation calculation purposes would not change) may not need to conduct a new TIA. For example, if the tenant improvements necessary to re-occupy the site do not require discretionary permits, a TIA is not required by VTA (though the preparation of a TIA may be required by the Member Agency). However, if the tenant improvements require a discretionary permit and the project produces net new trips that meet or exceed 100 during the peak hour a TIA is required. b. Change of Land Use: A new tenant occupying a vacant development or building who is changing the original use (and, therefore, the site's trip generation characteristics) may need to conduct a new TIA. If the change of use requires a discretionary permit and the number of net new trips during a peak hour meets or exceeds 100, a TIA is required. See Section 6.3 for analysis approach to vacant and underutilized developments. 8. General Plan Amendment: General Plan Amendments (GPAs) may be of several types depending upon the jurisdiction and the specific situation. If the GPA approval grants an entitlement to build a specific project (or allows approval of a project in the future as a ministerial act) then a TIA must be completed for the GPA. Conversely, if the GPA does not grant an entitlement, then no TIA is required until a specific project application is considered by the Lead Agency. A TIA is required for a GPA when: a. The GPA is submitted with an entitlement for a project or program (one or more buildings or projects). b. The GPA zoning change allows development as a right 7

15 A TIA is not required for a GPA when: a. The GPA grants no specific project entitlement. b. The GPA is prepared for a citywide plan. c. Project is not expected to generate 100 or more new peak hour trips. 9. Conformance Exemptions: Some types of projects and situations are statutorily exempt from conforming with the CMP standards. If this is the case for the project under consideration, a TIA must still be completed, but the particular exemption should be identified in the TIA Report. The types of projects and situations exempted from level of service standards are described in California Government Code Section (b), which states: The local jurisdiction in which the deficiency occurs shall have lead responsibility for developing the deficiency plan and for coordinating with other impacting local jurisdictions. The analysis of the cause of the deficiency shall exclude the following: (1) Interregional travel. (2) Construction, rehabilitation, or maintenance of facilities that impact the system. (3) Freeway ramp metering. (4) Traffic signal coordination by the state or multi-jurisdictional agencies (5) Traffic generated by the provision of low-income and very low income housing (6) (A) Traffic generated by high-density residential development located within one-fourth of a mile of a fixed rail passenger station, and (B) Traffic generated by any mixed-use development located within onefourth of a mile of a fixed rail passenger station, if more than half of the land area, or floor area, of the mixed use development is used for high-density residential housing, as determined by the agency. (C) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (i) "High density" means residential density development which contains a minimum of 24 dwelling units per acre and a minimum density per acre which is equal to or greater than 120 percent of the maximum residential density allowed under the local general plan and zoning ordinance. A 8

16 project providing a minimum of 75 dwelling units per acre shall automatically be considered high density. (ii) "Mixed-use development" means development which integrates compatible commercial or retail uses, or both, with residential uses, and which, due to the proximity of job locations, shopping opportunities, and residences, will discourage new trip generation 2. For complete information on how each of these exemptions is to be addressed in a TIA, see "Traffic Level of Service Analysis Guidelines" of the Technical Standards and Procedures. Although these projects or situations are exempt from CMP standards, these exemptions do not apply to the CEQA process. For example, the effects of freeway ramp metering on level of service are exempt from the CMP standards; however, the effects of freeway ramp metering should be reflected in evaluating impacts under CEQA to properly address mitigation. 2.2 Which Facilities Should be Included in a TIA? The Lead Agency is responsible for determining which CMP facilities should be included in a TIA. The remainder of this section describes procedures for determining inclusion of intersections, freeway segments and rural highway segments on the CMP roadway network in a TIA Intersections A CMP intersection shall be included in a TIA if it meets any one of the following requirements: 1. The proposed development project is expected to add 10 or more peak hour vehicles per lane to any intersection movement. 2. The intersection is adjacent to the project. 3. Based on engineering judgment, Lead Agency staff determines that the intersection should be included in the analysis. The 10 or more vehicles per lane requirement applies to any intersection movement (left turn, through or right turn). If a movement uses a shared lane, the shared lane shall be considered a full lane for these calculation purposes. For example, 40 new left turns in two lanes (one left turn lane and one shared left-through lane) should be calculated as 20 vehicles per lane. It should be remembered that this calculation is only intended for determining inclusion of an 2 Number 6 was added as part of AB 3093 (Katz) that was passed in the 1992 legislative session (CGC: (C)(A)). 9

17 intersection in a TIA. The allocation of new trips to travel lanes for operational analysis purposes could be quite different from this equal allocation of trips to the travel lanes Freeway Segments A freeway segment shall be included in a TIA if it meets any one of the following requirements: 1. The proposed development project is expected to add traffic equal to at least one percent of the freeway segment's capacity. The TIA must provide tabulation as shown in Appendix B to show that freeway segments have been assessed to determine if freeway analysis is required, even in the case where it is determined that no freeway segments meet the one percent threshold, or include text indicating that this assessment has been conducted. 2. The proposed development project is adjacent to one of the freeway segment's access or egress points. 3. Based on engineering judgment, Lead Agency staff determines that the freeway segment should be included in the analysis. For calculating the amount of added traffic based on freeway segment capacity, the ideal capacities cited in Highway Capacity Manual 2000 (HCM 2000) shall be used (2,200 vphpl for four-lane freeway segments and 2,300 vphpl for six-lane or larger freeway segments). For fivelane freeway segments, 2,200 vphpl shall be used for the two-lane direction and 2,300 vphpl for the three-lane direction. Auxiliary lanes shall not be considered for the purpose of this calculation Rural Highway Segments A rural highway segment shall be included in a TIA if it meets any one of the following requirements: 1. The proposed development project is expected to add traffic equal to at least one percent of the rural highway segment s capacity. 2. The rural highway segment is adjacent to the project. 3. Based on engineering judgment, Lead Agency staff determines that the rural highway segment should be included in the analysis. For calculating the amount of added traffic based on rural highway segment capacity, the ideal capacities cited in HCM 2000 shall be used. For two-lane highways, the capacities shall be based on directional split as shown in Table 1. For four-lane highways, the capacity shall be 2,200 vphpl. 10

18 Table 1: Two-lane Rural Highway Capacities Directional Split Total Two-way Capacity (vph) 50/50 2,800 60/40 2,650 70/30 2,500 80/20 2,300 90/10 2, /0 2,000 Source: 1994 Highway Capacity Manual 2.3 Determining Other Transportation Issues to Address The TIA should also include an analysis of the following issues as determined by the Lead Agency: Parking Queuing Site circulation and access Effects to bicycle access, circulation and collision Effects to pedestrian access, circulation and collision Analysis of effects to transit. 11

19 PART II - NOTIFICATION AND REVIEW Chapter 3. Agency Notification Process This chapter outlines VTA's development review of land use decisions affecting the CMP transportation system, known as the Proactive CMP Process. The agency responsible for preparing the TIA shall be referred to in this document as the "Lead Agency." This chapter also defines the roles of the Lead Agency and VTA by listing the responsibilities of each in preparing or reviewing TIAs. 3.1 Proactive CMP Process The Proactive CMP Process was approved by the VTA Board in May It involves two review processes illustrated in Figure 1. 1) Review of Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) as part of VTA's Development Review program; 2) Review of TIA reports of proposed projects meeting TIA guideline requirements (projects that generate 100 or more peak hour trips). VTA staff is responsible for reviewing EIRs which follows the standard CEQA public notification process and review requirements. TIA reviews are done by the Congestion Management Agency (CMA) division within VTA and requires a few additional steps in its review process: 1. Lead Agency Sends TIA Notification Form to VTA: Lead Agencies are required to send notification that a TIA is being started to VTA and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members of cities, towns, the County, and Caltrans as appropriate. A sample of the TIA Notification Form that includes the contact information of the TAC members is provided in Appendix A. The purpose of this notification is to inform interested parties of the study and to allow them to comment on the scope of the analysis. Comments from interested agencies on the TIA scoping must be received by the Lead Agency within 10 working days of notification mailing. 2. Lead Agency Submits TIA with Approval Date: Upon completion of the study and at least 15 calendar days before the project comes up for approval or is "recommended for approval" (e.g. Planning Commission), the Lead Agency is required to submit the TIA to VTA along with the expected hearing date for project approval or recommendation. The TIA Submittal Form (in Appendix A) should accompany the TIA. A draft version of the TIA is also acceptable to VTA. 12

20 Figure 1: Proactive CMP Process 13

21 VTA may grant exceptions to this submittal time frame. The Lead Agency must request the exemption to the submittal date at least 15 days prior to the appropriate hearing dates. 3. VTA Responds: Before the expected date of project approval, VTA will review the TIA for consistency with CMP standards and with VTA s CDT Manual. VTA will forward a response to the Lead Agency staff prior to approval by the Planning Commission and/or City Council with copies sent to the jurisdiction's members on the Technical Advisory Committee and Policy Advisory Committee and appropriate VTA Board member(s). 4. Planning Commission/City Council Decision and Project Conditions: If the decision-making body rejects the project, no further action by the Lead Agency is required. If the project is modified so that a new TIA is required, the Lead Agency must complete the TIA process again, beginning with TIA notification. When the project is approved, the Lead Agency is required to send text of the relevant adopted conditions relating to the CMP Transportation System and the promotion of alternative transportation modes to VTA. 5. CMP Quarterly Report: VTA will prepare quarterly reports summarizing adopted analyses and conditions of projects approved by Member Agencies that improve CMP facilities, promote alternative transportation modes, and/or meet other goals such as those related to VTA s CDT Program. The quarterly report is to be presented to the VTA Board, the Congestion Management Program and Planning (CMPP) Committee, and the Technical, Citizen, Bicycle and Pedestrian, and Policy Advisory Committees (TAC, CAC, BPAC and PAC). 3.2 Lead Agency Responsibilities 1. The agency that is responsible for certifying the project's CEQA environmental document shall be responsible for performing the TIA. 2. The Lead Agency is responsible for notifying all appropriate jurisdictions that a TIA is being prepared by submitting a TIA Notification Form to all appropriate jurisdictions. 3. The Lead Agency is responsible for providing direction on TIA study scope including: a. Determining facilities to be included in analysis (following the procedure set forth in Section 2.2 in these guidelines). b. Defining analysis scenarios (following the procedure as outlined in Chapter 5 of these guidelines). 14

22 c. Determining the proper analysis method to use in a study when more than one approach is possible. 4. The Lead Agency is responsible for preparing and submitting the TIA Report that meets all the requirements included in these guidelines to VTA within the time frame outlined in Section 1.4 CMP Transportation Impact Analysis Requirements of these guidelines. A completed TIA Submittal Form shall be submitted with the TIA Report. This form briefly describes the project location, the type and size of the project, CMP facilities analyzed, peak hours analyzed, exemptions from TIA methodology standard, TIA approval date and date of TIA submittal to VTA. 5. The Lead Agency is responsible for sending adopted conditions of approved projects that relate to improving CMP facilities and promote alternative transportation modes. 15

23 Chapter 4. Agency Review Process 4.1 VTA Review for Conformance VTA shall review TIA reports for consistency with these TIA guidelines. This review shall not constitute approval or disapproval of the project that is the subject of the report. VTA does not have the authority to approve or reject projects; that decision rests with the Lead Agency. However, VTA may provide comments to the Lead Agency on the TIA report based on staff review. When appropriate, Lead Agency staff should discuss these comments with the preparer of the TIA Report to insure that future TIAs comply with CMP requirements. VTA will prepare quarterly reports of projects that were approved through the TIA process. These reports will summarize adopted conditions that encourage alternative transportation modes and improve the CMP network, and be presented to the VTA Board and its committees as described in Chapter 3 of these guidelines. 4.2 Project Approval and Conformance The following points regarding project approval and conformance shall be considered in the preparation of a TIA: 1. The Lead Agency shall forward a copy of the draft TIA Report to VTA for review and comment as part of the Lead Agency's regular public participation process. 2. The Lead Agency shall follow the procedures outlined by the Proactive CMP process for submittal of the TIA Report. 3. The final project TIA Report shall include a list of mitigation measures required for the project (including cost, implementation responsibility, and timing of the mitigation measures as appropriate), and final traffic projections for the project. 4. The final project TIA Report shall include a description of how the project, as approved, meets all standards set forth in Santa Clara County's CMP. 5. If the project affects any CMP System facility that is included in a deficiency plan, the project's TIA Report shall identify what role the project will play in implementing the deficiency plan actions. 6. VTA will monitor the final project TIA Reports to ensure that they are consistent with CMP standards. 16

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25 PART III TIA CONTENTS AND METHODOLOGY Chapter 5. Typical TIA Table of Contents This chapter presents a typical outline and organization of a TIA. For more detailed guidelines, the chapter is noted where the guidelines are further discussed. 1. Executive Summary 2. Project Description and Setting Size and Location of Proposed Project Study Periods Setting Roadways, Bikeways, Pedestrian Facilities 3. Existing Conditions: This study scenario shall evaluate existing conditions. - See Chapter 7. Roadway Network Existing Transit Service Existing Bikeways and Pedestrian Facilities Existing Volumes and Lane Configurations Level Service Methodology Existing Intersection Levels of Service Existing Freeway Segment Level of Service Observations 4. Background Conditions (Existing + Approved Projects): This study scenario shall evaluate background conditions that are based on the sum of existing trips and trips from approved developments in the area. The approved projects may be projects within the jurisdiction of the Lead Agency or others within neighboring jurisdiction. Approved Development Projects Secured Roadway/Intersection Improvements Background Intersection Analysis & LOS 5. Project Conditions (Existing + Approved Projects + Project): This study scenario shall evaluate the addition of estimated project generated trips to the background conditions. Mitigation measures shall be developed based on the results of this study scenario. If mitigation measures are proposed, then an analysis with the mitigations measures shall be conducted. - See Chapter 8 Trip Generation, Distribution and Assignment Trip Reductions Pass-by Trips and Diverted Linked Trips 17

26 6. Project Impacts - See Chapter 9 Intersection Analysis Queuing Analysis Transit, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Facilities Analysis Freeway Segment Analysis Project Access, Parking, & Intermodal Circulation Analysis 7. Mitigation Measures See Chapter Cumulative Conditions - See Chapter 11 Near-Term Cumulative Conditions (Existing + Approved Projects + Project + Expected Growth): This scenario is a near-term cumulative analysis scenario to be provided for each jurisdiction s planning and information purposes. The analysis shall include expected growth until the project is expected to be available for final occupancy. Alternate Cumulative Condition Analysis - The Lead Agency may substitute an alternate cumulative conditions analysis for the near-term cumulative conditions analysis described above. For example, the long-term cumulative conditions analysis conducted as part of an environmental analysis may be provided in place of the near-term cumulative conditions analysis. 18

27 Chapter 6. Analysis Periods and LOS Methodologies This section describes the typical analysis parameters to be included in the TIA. The Lead Agency shall be responsible for defining the study scenarios and the analysis periods. 6.1 Analysis Period The TIA shall include, at a minimum, an analysis of transportation conditions in the peak hours for which the project generates 100 new trips. In other words: If the project is expected to generate 100 new weekday or weekend trips during both the AM and PM peak hours, then both peak hours must be analyzed. If the project is expected to generate 100 new AM peak-hour trips but less than 100 new PM peak hour trips, then only the AM peak hour must be analyzed. If the project is expected to generate 100 new PM peak hour trips but less than 100 new AM peak hour trips, only the PM peak hour must be analyzed. The TIA Report must document the project's trip generation for both the AM and PM peak periods to justify the peak period(s) analyzed in the TIA. The Lead Agency may require that additional periods be analyzed, if this is deemed appropriate. For example, the Lead Agency could require analysis of midday peak hour or weekend peak hours. Based on engineering judgment, additional analysis of midday or weekend peak periods may be required. 6.2 LOS Methodologies This section describes analysis method requirements for the various types of CMP roadway facilities: arterials, intersections, freeways, and rural highways. This section also suggests analysis method for non-vehicular facilities if needed i.e. bicycle, pedestrian and transit facilities. Much of this information is also described in the VTA's "Traffic Level of Service Analysis Guidelines". This section also includes discussion about the use of the VTA travel demand forecast model and other local models. Thresholds for determination of an impact for theses facilities are also described in Chapter Urban Arterials The analysis of CMP urban arterials, including expressways, is accomplished by evaluating designated intersections along the arterials. The analysis of these intersections is to be conducted using TRAFFIX, VTA's designated standard software package 1. The use of TRAFFIX and the default values for CMP intersection analysis parameters are provided in Chapter 2 of the "Traffic Level of Service Analysis Guidelines". The LOS analysis procedure is based on the operational analysis of signalized intersections presented in the HCM2000. The LOS criteria shall be those 19

28 used with the HCM2000 operational analysis method as shown on Table 2. Thresholds for determination of an impact are described in Chapter 9 of these guidelines. Table 2: Signalized Intersection LOS Criteria Level of Service Average Control Delay (seconds/vehicle) A delay 10.0 B < delay 12.0 B 12.0 < delay 18.0 B < delay 20.0 C < delay 23.0 C 23.0 < delay 32.0 C < delay 35.0 D < delay 39.0 D 39.0 < delay 51.0 D < delay 55.0 E < delay 60.0 E 60.0 < delay 75.0 E < delay 80.0 F delay > For certain situations where more details analysis is necessary, such as analysis related to the State highway system, the use of other analysis tools, like Synchro, may be appropriate. The CMP Manager and Caltrans staff should be consulted prior to conducting the analysis. The Lead Agency may also conduct additional analysis of coordinated signalized intersections, using other software programs when appropriate, to review the effects of signal coordination Rural Highways The analysis of rural highways shall be based on the methodology described in Chapter 20 of HCM2000. The LOS on a two-lane rural highway is determined by computing percent time spent following (PTSF) and average travel speed from the average flow rate and assumptions for directional distribution of traffic, percentage of heavy vehicles, lane widths, shoulder widths, type of terrain, percentage of no passing zones, free flow speed, highway classification, segment length and the number of access points per mile. In some cases, it may be appropriate to evaluate adjacent rural highway intersections using other methods from HCM

29 6.2.3 High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes In cases where roadways with high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes are analyzed and project trips are assigned to the HOV facility, HOV lane usage and impacts must be evaluated. The following applies to the evaluation of an HOV lane: Assignment of trips to an HOV lane shall be described and justified in the TIA Report. Operational analysis of an HOV lane (including analysis of impacts) shall be documented in the TIA Report. Traffic LOS analysis for an HOV lane should use the following saturation flow rates: - Freeway HOV Lane Capacity = 1,650 vehicles per hour per lane (vphpl) Caltrans typically uses capacities of 1,650 vphpl for freeway HOV lanes, with the value varying according to the roadway grade and amount of scheduled transit service. As for the Expressway HOV Lane Capacity, the Lead Agency should consult with the County Roads & Airports Department staff to determine the saturation flow rate as it varies depending on the expressway segment. The annual CMP monitoring report includes densities and traffic volumes for freeway HOV lane segments. Expressway intersection turning movement volumes in the annual CMP monitoring report do not include HOV lane volumes. The County deducts these HOV lane volumes from the intersection using an estimated percentage of HOV lane usage Bicycle Chapter 19 of the Highway Capacity Manual 2000 or a similar methodology can be used for analysis of bicycle facilities. The TIA should include a description of the methodology being used as part of the analysis Pedestrian Chapter 18 of the Highway Capacity Manual 2000 or a similar methodology can be used for analysis of pedestrian facilities. The Lead Agency should indicate and describe the methodology being used as part of this analysis. 21

30 6.2.6 Transit Chapter 27 of the Highway Capacity Manual 2000 describes methodologies to evaluate bus and light rail operations within highway rights-of-way: service frequency; hours of service; passenger loads and reliability Freeway Segments The analysis procedure for freeway segments is described in Chapter 1 of the "Traffic Level of Service Analysis Guidelines". One criterion for assessing the impact of a development project on freeways is LOS. As in the CMP monitoring program, density is the parameter for determining LOS for freeway segments in TIAs in Santa Clara County. The relationship between density, speed and flow rate (or traffic volume) is described as follows: where: d = V (Eqn. 1) N S d = density (vehicles per mile per lane, vpmpl) V = peak hour volume (vehicles per hour, vph) N = number of travel lanes (lanes) S = average travel speed (miles per hour, mph) The density values for the LOS A/B, B/C and C/D thresholds (shown in Table 3) are based on values from HCM2000. The LOS D/E and E/F thresholds are modified from the values in HCM2000 to reflect Santa Clara County conditions. Table 3: Freeway LOS Criteria Density (passenger cars/mile/lane) Level of Service Speed (miles/hour) A density speed B 11.0 < density speed < 67.0 C 18.0 < density speed < 66.5 D 26.0 < density speed < 66.0 E 46.0 < density speed < 46.0 F 58.0 < density speed < 35.0 For existing conditions, the densities for freeway segments in Santa Clara County are included in the most recent annual monitoring report produced by VTA. The annual monitoring report includes the existing density (d), peak hour volume (V o ), number of lanes (N), and average travel speed (S) for each directional freeway segment. 22

31 For the analysis of project conditions, the volume (V) used in the density calculation (Equation 1) is: V = V o + V p (Eqn. 2) where: V o = existing peak hour volume (vph) V p = peak hour project trips distributed on the freeway segment (vph) The freeway segments do not need to be analyzed under background conditions. The TIA shall include freeway analysis table(s) identifying whether the project would have an impact on the freeway system. Tables for the freeway analysis determination and impact analysis should include detailed data such as density and speed. Sample tables are shown in Appendix B. The TIA Guidelines are intended for traffic analysis related to land development projects. Although the TIA guidelines could be used for transportation improvement projects, the level of detail and analysis needed for a transportation improvement project may include in the use of HCM 2000 LOS thresholds. 6.3 Methodology For Future Scenarios The following are points that expand or provide detail on the future year study scenarios: Transportation Facility Improvements to Include: The transportation network for background conditions and project conditions shall include all funded transportation facility improvements expected to be completed within one year of the proposed development project's completion. With VTA approval, a Lead Agency may request inclusion of other funded improvements or other developer conditioned improvements. Approved Projects: Approved projects include "not yet" constructed /occupied projects that have undergone an approval process. Approved projects may be projects within the Lead Agency's jurisdiction or a neighboring jurisdiction. Vacant or Underutilized Development: If the proposed project involves a vacant or underutilized site with development rights, the number of trips originally associated with that development may be included in the background conditions. The background trips associated with the vacant or underutilized development should be estimated from trip generation rates, size, and land use type of the existing site. The "project trips" would be the additional trips generated by the reoccupancy of the site, i.e., the total number of trips generated by the proposed project minus the estimated background trips of the vacant or underutilized development. If the proposed project involves a vacant or underutilized site without development rights, all trips generated by the proposed project would be "project trips." 23

32 Addition to Existing Development Project: If the proposed project involves the addition of a new use or expansion of an existing use at the site of an existing development, the number of trips originally associated with that site would be included in the background conditions. The background trips associated with the existing development should be estimated from driveway counts or trip generation rates. The "project trips" would be the additional trips generated by the addition or expansion project. Expected Growth: The near-term cumulative conditions scenario shall consist of an analysis of growth expected until the project is available for final occupancy. The Lead Agency shall be responsible for determining the approach for calculating expected growth. Expected growth can be estimated in three ways: a. Applying an annual growth rate to background conditions. b. Estimating trips due to other proposed development projects in the area; or c. Applying an annual growth rate and estimating trips due to other proposed development projects in the area. Data from the annual CMP monitoring program can be used to estimate an annual traffic growth rate for short-term developments. For long-term or phased developments expected to be completed in more than five years, an annual growth could be estimated from a travel demand forecasting model. If other proposed development projects are expected to generate more trips in the area than the estimated trips using a growth rate, then the expected growth should be based on: a. trips generated by the other proposed developments; or b. the growth rate and trips projected to be generated by the other proposed developments. Mitigation Analysis: In scenarios that include the project, transportation conditions shall be analyzed with and without transportation mitigation measures. Mitigation measures should be developed to ensure that CMP standards are not violated by approval of the project. If mitigations cannot be identified, then the Lead Agency would be required to develop a Deficiency Plan according to the Technical Standards and Procedures. Please see Chapter 10 on identification of mitigation measures. Additional Scenarios: The Lead Agency may require that additional scenarios be analyzed in the TIA. For example, unfunded transportation facility improvements may be evaluated as part of an additional scenario. Phased projects may also require additional scenarios. 24

33 6.3.1 Use of Transportation Models Transportation models may be used for long-term analysis of transportation facilities. The use of a forecasting model for a buildout scenario should only be used for a period of at least five years out. If the project were to be built entirely within five years, the "short-term" development approach discussed in Section 10.1 shall be used. The long-term analysis may include the use of either the countywide transportation model or local transportation models as described below: 1. Countywide Transportation Model: The countywide transportation model developed and maintained by VTA may be used for transportation impact analyses. Use of this model may be appropriate for the long-term analyses of large projects and general planning efforts. The cost for this modeling may be borne by the Lead Agency on the work effort. 2. Local Transportation Models: Under the CMA statutes, VTA must approve any local sub-area transportation models used for TIAs. VTA has adopted guidelines for developing local land use transportation impact models that are designed to ensure that local models are consistent with the countywide model. These guidelines are documented in "Local Transportation Model Consistency Guidelines" in the Technical Standards and Procedures. 25

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35 Chapter 7. Existing Conditions The TIA Report shall include a description of the existing transportation system in the area impacted by the project. The project area transportation system shall include all CMP system facilities affected by the project (See Section 2.2). The following section details the items that should be included in the description of roadways, transit, and other transportation elements. 7.1 Existing Counts and Data Collection Field data will be needed in order to accurately assess existing conditions. The following are the key points regarding data collection for TIA completion: 1. Data for Existing Study Scenario Analysis: Annual monitoring data collected by or provided to VTA will typically be sufficient to meet the requirements for the PM analysis of the study scenarios. However, in some cases, data will need to be collected for a different time period, e.g., AM peak hour, the weekend peak hour, or collected to more accurately reflect existing travel that differs from the most recent monitoring data. The study should not use traffic volume data more than two years old. The use of growth factors should be considered, if the traffic volume data is older than one year. 2. Data from VTA: Data provided by Member Agencies as part of VTA's annual CMP monitoring program are available for use in all TIAs. When possible, these data from VTA shall be used in the TIA. VTA maintains a database of PM peak hour analysis for all CMP intersections. 3. Additional Data: Other data collected as required by the Lead Agency shall be provided to VTA (as part of the TIA Report) so that VTA s database may be updated. 4. Field Data Collection: Field data should be collected using procedures outlined in the Institute of Transportation Engineers' (ITE's) Manual of Traffic Engineering Studies, or in the most recent version of the Transportation Research Board s Highway Capacity Manual. Field observations should be noted and may be used to refine or revise level of service calculations when there are discrepancies in the observed and calculated level of service. 5. Field Observations: Field observations of traffic conditions, access points, intersection geometrics, traffic signal operations, and adjacent land uses should be conducted in the study area for the proposed project. The Lead Agency may also request additional information from the field. 26