Department of Transportation New Transportation Performance Measures for Transportation Analysis and Thresholds for CEQA Transportation Advisory Commission September 11, 2014
Transportation Performance Measures Department of Transportation • Overview of OPR’s Draft CEQA Guidelines Implementing SB 743 • Clarify the Revised Staff Recommendations on CEQA Thresholds • Summary of Planning Commission Actions • Review TAC Actions from June 12 th • TAC Recommendation on Modified Street Segment Analysis 2
Transportation Performance Measures Department of Transportation On August 6, 2014 the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) released a Preliminary Discussion Draft of Updates to CEQA Guidelines Implementing SB 743 The report recommends amendments to the CEQA Guidelines to replace the Level of Service (LOS), auto delay based standard with a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) in order to align CEQA analysis more closely with other state goals, most notably the greenhouse gas emission reduction goals contained in the state’s climate change law, AB 32. 3
Transportation Performance Measures Department of Transportation The OPR report proposes the following amendments to the CEQA Guidelines: • Eliminate Level of Service (LOS)/Delay as a CEQA Impact • Proposes use of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Metric for CEQA Transportation Analysis • Continued Analysis of Impacts Resulting from Transportation, such as Noise, Air Quality and Safety • Required assessment of growth inducing impacts of roadway expansion • Applies to CEQA Only and Does Not Preclude Addressing Traffic Congestion in Local General Plan Policies, Zoning Codes, Conditions of Approval, Thresholds, or Fee Programs • Addresses Phase-in of New Guidelines 4
Transportation Performance Measures Department of Transportation SB 743 did not authorize OPR to set thresholds, but did direct OPR to develop Guidelines for determining the significance of transportation impacts of projects. OPR recommends that a project that results in vehicle miles traveled that is greater than the regional average might be considered to have a significant impact. Average in this case could be measured using an efficiency metric such as per capita, per employee, etc. 5
Transportation Performance Measures Department of Transportation OPR has proposed the following phase-in of the New CEQA Guidelines: • The standards will not be retroactive: Approved projects will be subject to mitigations exacted under the old standard • The new standards will only apply to Transit Priority Areas • Local governments may apply the standard to other areas on an “opt-in” basis at first • The new standards will apply statewide as of January 1, 2016 6
Transportation Performance Measures Department of Transportation Transit Priority Areas • “Transit Priority Area” means an area within one-half mile of a major transit stop that is existing or planned • “Major transit stop” includes rail transit stations, or the intersection of two or more major bus routes with frequencies of service intervals of 15 minutes or less during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods • According to OPR, planned major transit stops contained in a Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) comply with the definition above for transit priority areas 7
SB 743 Transit Priority Areas Department of Transportation 8
Transportation Performance Measures Department of Transportation At the July 23 Planning Commission meeting Transportation Staff presented a modified staff recommendation for the Level of Service E threshold within the City’s adopted Transit Oriented Development (TOD) areas. This was a change from the original staff recommendation of not having a LOS standard as a CEQA Threshold. Given the guidance in the OPR Draft CEQA Guidelines of eliminating LOS as a CEQA Threshold in the first phase of implementing the new CEQA Guidelines staff is now recommending that LOS would be eliminated as a CEQA threshold within the Transit Priority Areas. 9
Transportation Performance Measures Department of Transportation Measure Description CEQA Threshold LOS as Auto A decrease beyond LOS D defined by Level of Citywide HCM 2010 . Service Uses No LOS Threshold in Transit intersection Priority Areas control delay to evaluate auto congestion. 10
Transportation Performance Measures Department of Transportation Originally Proposed High Pedestrian Activity Areas Signalized Intersections Subject to Policy Based No CEQA Threshold 224 (68% of All Signals) 11
SB 743 Transit Priority Areas Department of Transportation Signalized Intersections No CEQA Threshold 200 (60% of All Signals) 12
New Performance Measures Department of Transportation Modified Pasadena Street Segment Analysis for Neighborhood Protection • Response to Planning Commission and TACs support for a modified Street Segment Analysis to provide neighborhood protection • Single family and multifamily residential projects are exempt Trips from residential projects on residential streets are not “traffic intrusion” • Analysis would be limited to “Access” and “Neighborhood Connector” street types within a residential context • Project approval conditions would be imposed on developments based on a “Percentage net increase of project Average Daily Traffic (ADT) over Existing ADT”. 13
New Performance Measures Department of Transportation Modified Pasadena Street Segment Analysis for Neighborhood Protection Project approval conditions would be Existing ADT Project-Related imposed on developments based on Vehicular Increase a “Percentage net increase of project In ADT Average Daily Traffic (ADT) over 0 to 1500 150 or more Existing ADT” 1,501 to 2,499 10 percent or more 2,500 or 3,499 10 percent or more Not included as a CEQA threshold because vehicular-based thresholds 3,500 or more 8 percent or more of significance cannot be mitigated with non-vehicular types of improvements . 14
New Performance Measures Department of Transportation Comparison of Existing and Modified Street Segment Analysis Existing St. Seg. Analysis Modified St. Seg. Analysis CEQA Threshold at >4.9% increase 8% to 10% above 1500 ADT with a in ADT minimum of 150 for ADT <=1500 Applied to Commercial and Applied only to Commercial Projects Residential Projects Applied on All Street Types Applied on “Access” and “Neigh. Con.” with Residential Context No Minimum ADT Increase Minimum of 150 ADT Increase Required Measures No Longer Traffic Intrusion into residential areas Adequate as CEQA Mitigations address with NTMP Traffic Calming Measures 15
Pasadena Street Types Plan Department of Transportation 16
New Performance Measures Department of Transportation Modified Pasadena Street Segment Analysis for Neighborhood Protection Conditions of Approval - If project-related trips exceed caps the applicant must develop and implement a targeted complete streets plan with input from the affected residents, council districts and DOT Implement measures to discourage use of residential streets to-and-from the project site consistent with established Neighborhood Traffic Management Program 17
New Performance Measures Department of Transportation Modified Pasadena Street Segment Analysis for Neighborhood Protection Possible measures that the applicant must study and implement if feasible. Project specific measures : • Establish a more aggressive AVO target than TRO • Project turn-restrictions • Revised project access and circulation Complete Streets measures • Curb Extensions • Pedestrian and Bike Traffic signal upgrades/enhancements • Turn-restrictions • Neighborhood Gateways (raised medians) • Traffic circles • Speed humps 18 • Signal metering
New Performance Measures Department of Transportation Comparison of Existing and Modified Street Segment Analysis Existing ADT Project-Related Vehicular Increase In ADT 0 to 1500 150 or more 1,501 to 2,499 10 percent or more 2,500 or 3,499 10 percent or more 3,500 or more 8 percent or more 19
Transportation Performance Measures Department of Transportation Street Project Increase Segment to Trigger Impact ADT Current Modified 100 5 150 500 25 150 1,000 49 150 1,500 74 150 2,000 98 200 2,500 123 250 3,000 147 300 3,500 172 350 4,000 196 320 4,500 221 360 5,000 245 400 5,500 270 440 6,000 294 480 6,500 319 520 7,000 343 560 7,500 368 600 8,000 392 640 8,500 417 680 9,000 441 720 20
New Performance Measures Department of Transportation Planning Commission Actions July 25 th Motion Passed Supporting the Three Proximity Bases Performance Measures: • Any decrease in the percentage of units or employment within a ¼ mile of a Level 1 or 1 Bike Facility • Any decrease in the percentage of units or employment within a ¼ mile of a Level 1 or 1 Transit Facility • Any decrease in the Citywide Pedestrian Accessibility Score 21
New Performance Measures Department of Transportation Planning Commission Actions September 10 th Motion Passed Supporting the staff recommended Modified Street Segment Analysis with the following amendments: • Retain Street Segment Analysis as a CEQA Threshold • Residential Projects would be subject to the Modified Street Segment Analysis Motion Passed Opposing the VMT and VT Per Capita Performance Measures and CEQA Thresholds. 22
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