(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to ensure that applicants for new construction, additions and/or expansions to existing structures, and/or changes of use consider and mitigate the impact of the development on the existing and/or proposed roadway system. While the city and the State of North Carolina recognize their responsibility to build and maintain a public transportation system, the project applicants may need to assist in improving transportation facilities in order to maintain the existing level of service by accommodating additional traffic generated by the development. These transportation facilities involve pedestrian, non-motorized vehicular traffic and motorized vehicular traffic. The city's traffic engineering division will provide any necessary assistance in the preliminary review of these requirements.
(b) Traffic impact analysis required. All proposals for new construction, additions and/or expansions to existing structures, and/or changes of use which will result in total peak hour trips equal to or greater than 100 peak hour trips using trip generation rates from the most recent edition of the Trip Generation Manual published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers shall include an analysis of the traffic to be generated. The traffic impact analysis shall be submitted with the project application and shall include the following information:
(1) Introduction and summary.
a. Purpose of report and study objectives.
b. Executive summary.
1. Site location and study area.
2. Development description.
3. Principal findings.
4. Conclusions.
5. Recommendations.
(2) Proposed development (site and nearby)
a. Off-site development - provide map (the city's traffic engineer will identify).
b. Description of on-site development.
1. Land use and intensity.
2. Location - provide vicinity map.
3. Site plan.
4. Zoning.
5. Phasing and timing.
(3) Area conditions.
a. Study area (includes the project area and extends to any intersection where the volume of peak hour traffic on any approach leg will be increased by ten percent or more as a result of the additional traffic generated by the proposed use).
1. Area of influence - provide map.
2. Area of significant traffic impact - provide map. (signalized/unsignalized intersections and driveways)
b. Study area land use.
1. Existing land uses.
2. Existing zoning.
3. Anticipated future development.
c. Site accessibility.
1. Area roadway system.
a. Existing.
b. Planned completion by horizon year (shall be the year in which the project is to be completed).
c. Future (the city's traffic engineer will identify) proposed roadway improvements must be under construction and proposed for completion at the time of the issuance of the initial certificate of occupancy for the development in order for the improvement to be considered in the impact analysis.
2. Traffic volumes and conditions.
a. Provide a figure showing existing daily traffic volumes and peak hour turning movements for identified study intersections.
b. Provide all documentation in an appendix to the report.
3. Transit service.
a. Review existing transit routes serving the proposed site.
b. Review proposed transit routes serving the proposed site.
c. Provide adequate transit facilities for the proposed site.
4. Pedestrian access and circulation.
a. Review proposed pedestrian access and circulation amenities.
b. Provide adequate pedestrian facilities.
5. Other modes as applicable.
(4) Projected traffic.
a. Site traffic - existing and proposed zoning.
1. Trip generation* - provide tables.
a. Daily.
b. Peak hour - in/out and total - a.m./p.m.
2. Pass-by trips - to be determined by traffic engineer.
3. Trip distribution - provide figures.
4. Modal split - if applicable.
5. Trip assignment - provide figures.
b. Background traffic (horizon year shall be the year in which the project is to be completed).
1. Method of projection (the city's traffic engineer will provide factor).
2. Non-site traffic for anticipated development in study area.
a. Trip generation.
b. Trip distribution.
c. Modal split - if applicable.
d. Trip assignment.
3. Background traffic.
c. Total traffic (horizon year - provide two figures).
1. Background + (non-site) + (site-existing zoning) = total for each traffic movement.
2. Background + (non-site) + (site-proposed zoning) = total for each traffic movement.
(5) Traffic analysis - highway capacity manual/software.
a. Site access (review all access points).
b. Capacity and level of service - provide summary/worksheets in Appendix - include a copy on diskette.
1. Driveways (site).
2. Internal street intersections - if applicable.
3. External signalized/unsignalized intersections and driveways in study area as identified by the city's traffic engineer.
Provide comparative table for existing conditions, horizon year with existing zoning/non- site development, and horizon year with proposed zoning/development.
c. Review impact of cut-through traffic.
d. Traffic safety.
Analyze accident history including adjacent roadway system at signalized and unsignalized intersections as per city traffic engineer.
e. Traffic signals.
The City of Asheville reserves the right to install traffic signals at the time the development is completed. The developer may be desirous of placement and operation of a traffic signal to promote easier and safer ingress and egress to the development both on-site and off-site at an earlier date than the city would normally schedule and fund installation. The developer can purchase and install the traffic control signal hardware, meeting the specifications of the City of Asheville, including pre-emption hardware to expedite emergency vehicle response. The developer shall release, give or donate the traffic signal to the City of Asheville and shall retain no rights or ownership of personal property therein. Warrants (MUTCD) for any proposed traffic signals are to be provided in the appendix to the report.
NCDOT may require developer to fund any warranted traffic signal modifications on state system streets in Asheville.
f. Other traffic impact reviews. Review to include, but not limited to, parking analysis, internal circulation analysis, traffic calming measures and techniques, and traffic demand management requirements.
(6) Improvements analysis.
a. Improvements to accommodate site traffic.
b. Alternative improvements.
c. Status of improvements already funded, programmed or planned.
d. Evaluation.
* Institute of Transportation Engineers (I.T.E.) Trip Generation Handbook, latest edition.
(c) Improvements required. In those cases where the City of Asheville or the North Carolina Department of Transportation requires certain improvements to be constructed in order to accommodate additional traffic generated by the proposed developments, the improvements shall be funded and/or constructed by the project developer in accordance with the standards and direction provided by the City of Asheville or by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The improvements shall be in place or under construction prior to issuance of any certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion required for any phase or portion of the project.
(Ord. No. 2369, § 1, 5-27-97; Ord. No. 2428, § 15, 11-11-97; Ord. No. 2446, § 1, 1-13-98; Ord. No. 3417, § 1(d), 11- 28-06)