I. Purpose
The primary objectives of a Traffic Impact Study (TIS) are the following:
• Provide a basis for assessing the transportation impacts of a new development or expansion of an existing development and the need for any improvements to the adjacent road system to provide satisfactory levels of service and address safety issues.
• Address relevant transportation issues associated with development proposals that may be of concern to neighboring residents, businesses, and property owners.
• Determine the appropriate location, spacing, and design of the access system for the proposed development in compliance with City standards
• Evaluate the internal circulation and connectivity of the proposed development to provide safe and efficient internal traffic flow and access(es) to and from the adjacent and nearby roadway system
• Provide a basis for improvement and funding discussions in conjunction with zoning, special permit, and subdivision plat approvals
II. Traffic Impact Study Warrants
A Traffic Impact Study (TIS) shall be submitted when a new development or expansion of an existing development generates at least 100 trip ends during the peak hour of the land use or the peak hour of the roadway. These trip ends are to be calculated using the latest Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE) trip generation methodology and definitions. If the proposed development is to be implemented in phases, each major phase along with the total development trips shall be calculated for warrant purposes.
The City of Canfield retains the right to request a TIS or other traffic study for a non-major development (less than 100 trip ends during the peak hour of the land use or roadway). Such a request shall be made within 30 days of the receipt by the City of the developer's application for rezoning, zoning variance, special permit, or preliminary subdivision plat.
For any development that generates less than 100 peak hour trip ends and requests a new access point on a collector or arterial roadway (refer to ODOT TIMS website for functional classifications), a Traffic Access Study will be required. See Section VII for Traffic Access Study requirements.
The City shall be consulted to determine if a revised or new traffic impact study is required where development plans change significantly between the time that one rezoning, zoning variance, special permit, or preliminary subdivision plat approval is granted and another is sought.
III. TIS Preparer Qualifications
Engineers with specific training in traffic and transportation engineering shall prepare traffic impact studies under the supervision of a professional engineer registered in the State of Ohio. The registered professional engineer shall have experience in traffic engineering and shall sign and seal the report.
IV. Pre-Meeting
Prior to commencing the TIS, the preparer shall schedule a meeting with appropriate city or county staff. Other participants in this pre-meeting shall be county or township officials, or ODOT staff, where deemed appropriate by the City of Canfield personnel. The participants at the pre-meeting shall identify and agree upon the following issues and needs prior to the preparation of the traffic impact study:
• Study Area
• Opening and Design Year
• Field data collection requirements
• Acceptable volume, crash, signal and other traffic data
• Development phasing, if applicable
• Peak traffic hours (analysis hours)
• Trip generation, trip distribution and assignment methods
• Applicable planning documents
• Other traffic impact studies prepared for developments in the study area
• Utilization of Eastgate COG Regional Transportation Model
• Background traffic and growth factors
• Acceptable Level-of-Service (LOS) Analyses - i.e., capacity, signal warrant
• Right turn on red discount factors
• Safety issues - i.e., sight distance and crash data
• Committed and planned roadway improvements and schedule
• TIS submittal date
The preparer shall submit a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which details the assumptions and methodologies agreed upon in the pre-meeting and request City staff concurrence with its contents. The MOU should be submitted to the City within one week after the meeting and approved within one additional week.
V. Requirements
A. Study Area
The minimum geographical area to be analyzed in a TIS shall be defined as an area which includes all site access drives and the major roadway intersections nearest to the subject development site. The City of Canfield retain the right to modify the minimum study area based on local or site-specific issues or development size. Any changes shall be clearly defined at the pre-meeting and in the MOU.
B. Access Management
Unless otherwise justified, the recommendations made in the TIS shall comply with the driveway spacing shown in Table 1:
Table 1: Driveway Spacing Standards
Posted Speed | Minimum Driveway Spacing |
25 mph | 155' |
30 mph | 200' |
35 mph | 250' |
40 mph | 305' |
45 mph | 360' |
50 mph | 425' |
C. Analysis Years
Traffic impact studies are to address traffic conditions ten years beyond the anticipated completion year of the proposed development assuming full build-out and occupancy (Design Year). If the proposed development is to be implemented in phases, it may be appropriate also to analyze each major phase (i.e. an initial phase, one intermediate phase, and full project build-out). An Opening Year analysis may be requested at the discretion of the City.
D. Data Collection/Existing Conditions
The TIS shall use traffic count data less than two years old unless otherwise agreed upon during the pre-meeting. Weekday peak hour counts shall be taken for two hours in the AM peak period and two hours in the PM peak period. If a previous study in the area has already identified the peak one-hour intervals of traffic, then the City may allow for only one hour of count data to be collected for each peak period. Traffic counts should not:
• be conducted on a regular weekday (non-holiday, or day before/after holiday)
• be conducted during adverse weather that would affect volumes and/or traffic patterns, and
• be conducted during a regular school day, if during the school year
Crash patterns shall be summarized in the traffic impact study. Crash analysis should be performed using crash data from at least the most recent three full years. ODOT's TIMS - GCAT tool should be utilized to pull crash data within the study area.
E. No-Build/Build
The TIS shall examine "before and after", or No-Build and Build, conditions in order to evaluate traffic impacts associated with the proposed development. The No-Build condition will include committed/planned developments in the area (see Section H, Non-site Traffic)
The No-Build condition No-Build and Build conditions shall be calculated for the design year using the latest version of Highway Capacity Software (HCS) or Synchro. If the proposed development is to be implemented in phases, each major phase shall be analyzed and the conditions noted in the MOU.
F. Analysis Time Period
All analyses shall examine the weekday peak traffic hours of the adjacent roadway. However, land use classifications which experience their highest trip generation levels during periods other than weekday street peak hours shall require analyses of off-peak conditions to determine proper site access and turn lane storage requirements. Examples of such land uses include but are not limited to shopping centers, recreational uses, and special events. The peak traffic hours to be analyzed shall be decided at the pre-meeting and be clearly stated in the MOU.
G. Site Traffic
Trips generated by the proposed site development shall be calculated using the most current edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers Trip Generation manual and the methodologies contained therein including those relating to pass-by, internal and diverted trips.
Distribution and assignment of the site traffic shall be based on the method agreed upon at the pre-meeting and on engineering judgement and take into account the following:
• type of proposed development and the area from which it will attract traffic
• size of the proposed development
• surrounding land uses, employment centers, residential centers and population during both opening and design years
• conditions on the surrounding street system
• logical routings
• projected roadway capacities
• travel times
H. Non-site Traffic
All significant developments within the study area that have approved or TIS studies should be identified and incorporated into the study. The land use type and magnitude of probable future developments should be identified during the pre-meeting and enumerated in the MOU.
The method of projecting non-site traffic shall depend upon the area of study. Use of the traffic volumes from the transportation model, historic growth rates, or the build-up method shall be agreed upon during the pre-meeting and documented in the MOU.
The non-site peak hour volumes should be increased by a 1.20 factor to reflect design hourly volume (DHV) conditions.
I. Level-of-Service (LOS) Criteria
The goal of the City of Canfield for the operation of its roadways is LOS D or better during peak traffic hours. In any area where the current level of service is D or worse, this baseline level of service must be maintained or improved after development.
Improvements necessary to accommodate the non-site traffic in the design year at LOS D shall be determined even though the developer may not be required to undertake these improvements.
Signalized intersection capacity analyses must be "balanced". A "balanced" intersection is one where the worst delay on the north/south approach is within 3 seconds of the worst delay on the east/west approach. If individual movements are operating at much higher delays than the approaches, the timing shall be rebalanced, or modifications to the signal phasing will be needed.
Capacity analyses shall use a minimum green time of 7 seconds for left turn phases, 10 seconds for minor-street through movements, and 20 seconds for major-street through movements. The sum of yellow and all-red times shall be at least 5 seconds per phase. Cycle lengths and clearance interval timings shall be at consistent between No-Build and Build conditions.
J. Mitigation
Recommendations shall be made in the TIS for site access points, external roadway improvements such as additional through lanes and turn lanes, and traffic control devices necessitated as a result of the proposed development. The developer will be required to mitigate the impacts of traffic generated by the project. The time period for the recommended improvements shall be identified, particularly if improvements are associated with various phases of the development. Identified improvements to the roadway system, unrelated to the proposed development, shall also be reported.
K. Traffic Signal Warrant
Traffic signal warrant analyses shall be conducted at unsignalized intersections in the study area, as well as all access points to the proposed development expected to have more than 50 exiting left turns in the peak hour. A full signal warrant analysis and an estimation of the year the warrant is met shall be done. Traffic signal warrant analyses should be performed using the procedure outlined in the ODOT Traffic Engineering Manual. However, it is not required to use the software PC Warrants.
Any proposed access or intersection which meets signal warrant thresholds but does not otherwise meet the spacing requirements and standards noted in Table 1 may be required to be redesigned, reconstructed, and/or relocated.
All existing traffic signals located within the Study Area shall have their signal timing evaluated. Recommendations shall be made in the TIS to mitigate any changes, such as timing changes, required for the existing traffic signal that are generated by the project. Please refer to Section J, Mitigation for further information.
L. Turn Lane Criteria
A left turn lane at driveways or unsignalized movements at intersections should be provided per Graph 1, 2, or 3, which are the left turn lane warrant charts contained in the ODOT State Highway Access Management Manual. Graphs 1, 2 and 3 are contained in the Appendix.
The size of left turn lanes shall be based the criteria contained in the ODOT Location and Design Manual.
Right turn lanes should be provided per Graphs 4, 5, 6 or 7, which are the right turn lane warrant charts contained in the ODOT State Highway Access Management Manual with the following exceptions:
• right turn lanes are not required for right turn volumes less than 10 vehicles during the peak hour for full build out of the development
• right turn lanes are not required for less than 200 vehicles in the peak hour in the approach lane or curb lane for roadways with greater than 1 approach lane for full build out of the development.
Graphs 4, 5, 6 and 7 are contained in the Appendix.
The size of right turn lanes shall be based the criteria contained in the ODOT Location and Design Manual.
Left or right turn lanes shall also be provided when deemed necessary for safety purposes by the City.
VI. Report Contents
Each TIS shall have, along with the body of the report, the following unless a letter report is agreed upon at the pre-meeting:
• Cover - noting the name and location of the development, the applicant's name, preparer's name, preparer's engineering registration seal and report date.
• Table of Contents
• List of Exhibits and Tables
• Executive Summary
• Summary of Revisions/Response to Comments (for revised reports)
• Body of Report
Proposed Site Development
Area Conditions
Existing Traffic
Trip Generation and Distribution
Site Traffic
Total Traffic - Opening Year and Design Year
Traffic Analyses
Capacity Analyses
Signal Warrant Analyses
Turn Lane Warrant Analyses
Sight Distance
Crash Analyses
Conclusions
Recommendations - include identification of responsibility for recommended improvements
• Appendix
The following illustrations or tables shall be included in the body of the report:
• Location Map
• Site Layout Map
• Site Trip Generation Factors and Volumes Table
• Site Traffic Distribution by Percent Map
• Existing Traffic Volumes Map
• Design Year Traffic Volumes Map - use A+B+C+D=Total diagram where A is design year background traffic, B is other site traffic (if applicable), C is site pass by traffic, D is site traffic
• Existing and Projected LOS Table
• Preliminary Site Plan Map - showing recommended improvements, both sides of streets and extending 1,000 feet beyond the site.
VII. Traffic Access Study (TAS)
A Traffic Access Study (TAS) is required for developments generating less than 100 peak hour trip ends and requesting new access on a collector or arterial roadway. The purpose of the TAS is to determine whether turn lanes are needed at the proposed site access. The TAS shall include the following components:
• Proposed Site Development
• Site Layout Map
• Design Year Traffic Volumes Map
• Turn Lane Warrant Analyses
• Sight Distance Analysis
The components of the TAS shall be developed in accordance with the guidelines provided in Part V, Sections B-H and Section L.
VIII. Submittal
The TIS or TAS shall be submitted to the Zoning Department at the time of filing an application for zoning or rezoning. If zoning is already in place, the TIS shall be submitted at the time of application for plat approval or at the time of application for a site access permit, whichever occurs first. The TIS/TAS shall be submitted to the address below:
City of Canfield
Zoning Department
104 Lisbon Street
Canfield, OH 44406
IX. City Review
It is the goal of the City to review and respond within 30 working days of the submittal date of a TIS/TAS acceptable to the City. If the document is deemed inadequate, the applicant shall be notified in writing and shall have an opportunity to correct the deficiencies and resubmit the report.
The City of Canfield will impose a fee to review any traffic impact study. The fee is based on the number of intersections analyzed. The fee is only imposed during the first submittal. Subsequent reviews of the project, provided there are no major changes, will be reviewed without additional fee. Fee for other agencies may be imposed at any time.
(Ord. 2018-37. Passed 11-21-18.)