(A) General.
(1) The intent of this subdivision is to provide the information necessary to allow decision-makers to assess the transportation implications of site-generated traffic associated with a proposed development. The goal is to address the transportation-related issues associated with development proposals that may be of concern to neighboring residents, business owners and property owners, and to provide a basis for negotiation regarding improvements and funding participation in conjunction with an application for development.
(2) The isolated and cumulative impact of the proposed development needs to be understood in relation to the existing and proposed capacity of the street system, and to ensure that traffic congestion will be maintained at reasonable levels so as not to hinder the passage of public safety vehicles, degrade the quality of life or contribute to hazardous traffic conditions. This section establishes requirements for the analysis and evaluation of transportation impacts associated with proposed developments.
(B) Purpose and findings. The purpose of the traffic impact report is to identify the impacts on capacity, level of service (LOS) and safety, which are likely to be created by a proposed development. A traffic impact report should identify the improvements needed to:
(1) Ensure safe ingress to and egress from a site;
(2) Maintain adequate street capacity on adjacent public streets;
(3) Ensure safe and reasonable traffic operating conditions on streets and at intersections in the vicinity of a proposed development;
(4) Avoid creation of or mitigate existing hazardous traffic conditions;
(5) Minimize the impact of non-residential traffic on residential neighborhoods in the community; and
(6) Protect the substantial public investment in the existing street system.
(C) Types of studies. Traffic impact studies may be required at several stages in the development process. No application for development will be accepted without an appropriate traffic impact report. The types of traffic impact reports required under the chapter are as follows:
(1) A traffic impact report will be required for any application for a development order for any change in the comprehensive or specific plan, any change to the text of the UDC, any rezoning or any creation of a proposed development or floating zone. The purpose of such study will be to evaluate whether adequate transportation capacity exists or will be available within a reasonable time period to safely and conveniently accommodate proposed uses permitted under the requested land-use or zoning classification.
(2) A traffic impact report will also be required for certain permitted and conditional uses and major subdivisions exceeding specific trip generation thresholds. The purpose of a traffic impact report will be to:
(a) Evaluate traffic operations and impacts at site access points under projected traffic loads;
(b) Evaluate the impact of site-generated traffic on affected intersections in the vicinity of the development site;
(c) Evaluate the impact of site-generated traffic on the quality of traffic flow on public streets located in the vicinity of the site;
(d) Evaluate the impact of the proposed development on residential streets in the vicinity of the site;
(e) Ensure that site access and other improvements needed to mitigate the traffic impact of the development meet commonly accepted engineering design standards and access management criteria; and
(f) Ensure that adequate facilities for pedestrians, transit users and bicyclists have been provided.
(3) All land subdivisions that do not require a traffic impact report will be required to complete a traffic design analysis. The purpose of a traffic design analysis will be to:
(a) Ensure that the proposed street layout is consistent with the public roadway design standards;
(b) Ensure the proper design and spacing of site access points and identify where limitations on access should be established;
(c) Ensure that potential safety problems have been properly evaluated and addressed;
(d) Ensure that internal circulation patterns will not interfere with traffic flow on existing public streets; and
(e) Ensure that appropriate facilities for pedestrians, transit users and bicyclists have been provided in plans for the development.
(D) Applicability.
(1) A traffic impact report shall also be required for any major subdivision, CUP or site plan under the following described conditions:
(a) A proposed rezoning that could generate 150 or more directional trips during the peak hour or at least 1,000 more trips per day than the most intensive use that could be developed under existing zoning;
(b) A project on a site located along, or which has the potential to take access within 500 feet of, a corridor identified as a freeway or expressway on the thoroughfare plan; or
(c) A proposed development for a three and one-half-acre or larger site.
(2) Where a traffic impact report is required, the acceptance of the application for the purposes of beginning the mandatory 60-day time limit applicable to action shall not commence until the traffic impact report has been reviewed for completeness and has been accepted by the Code Enforcement Officer as meeting the content requirements of the UDC. The applicant shall be notified within ten days if the traffic impact report is found to be inadequate.
(3) Traffic design analysis shall be required for any subdivision or general development plan for which a traffic impact report is not required. Traffic design analyses completed at an early stage of development may need to be updated to include more detail as development plans become more specific or approval actions result in the reformulation of plans. As part of the review for determining whether a development application is complete, proposals for which an earlier traffic design analysis or traffic impact report has been completed will be reviewed to ensure consistency with previous approvals or to identify the need for revision or refinement of previously completed analyses or reports.
(E) Waiver. The requirements of this section for a traffic impact report may be waived by the city’s Code Enforcement Officer upon a determination that such report is not necessary to determine needed road improvements or that no unsafe or hazardous conditions will be created by the development as proposed. Developments in the Central Development Core District that are not required to provide on-site, off-street parking are exempt from the requirements of this section.
(F) Preparation. The applicant may choose to have a traffic impact report prepared by a qualified professional with experience in the preparation of such analysis, or may choose to have the Code Enforcement Officer prepare a report once the development application is submitted. Where the applicant chooses to have the Code Enforcement Officer prepare the report, the time frame for the Code Enforcement Officer to render a decision shall be extended by 45 days to permit time to prepare the report. The applicant shall be responsible for the costs of preparation of the traffic study incurred by the Code Enforcement Officer.
(G) Traffic service standards. The standards for traffic service that shall be used to evaluate the findings of traffic impact reports or analyses are as follows:
(1) Capacity. A volume-to-capacity (V/C) ratio of 0.80 shall not be consistently exceeded on any freeway or expressway as designated on the thoroughfare plan, and a V/C ratio of 0.90 shall not be consistently exceeded on any arterial or collector street as designated on the thoroughfare plan. CONSISTENTLY means that the V/C ratios are exceeded based on average daily peak-hour traffic counts, projections or estimates.
(2) Level of service. For corridors, including mainline, merging areas and ramp junctions, an LOS C shall be maintained on any expressway, freeway or arterial, and an LOS D on any other designated non-local street on the thoroughfare plan. At all intersections, an LOS C shall be maintained on any arterial or higher-order street and an LOS D on any other non-residential street. Where the existing LOS is below these standards, the traffic impact report shall identify those improvements or transportation demand management techniques needed to maintain the existing LOS, and what additional improvements would be needed to raise the LOS to the standards indicated.
(3) Number of access points. The number of access points provided shall be the minimum needed to provide adequate access capacity for the site. Evidence of LOS D operations for individual public street movements at access locations is a primary indication of the need for additional access points. However, the spacing and geometric design of all access points shall be consistent with the access management criteria of the UDC.
(4) Residential street impact. Average daily traffic on residential streets shall be within the ranges spelled out in the thoroughfare plan for the class of street involved. No non-residential development shall increase the traffic on a residential street with at least 300 average daily trips by more than 25%, and shall contribute no more than 20% of the traffic on any street segment providing residential access.
(5) Traffic flow and progression. The location of new traffic signals or proposed changes to cycle lengths or timing patterns of existing signals to meet LOS standards shall not interfere with the goal of achieving adequate traffic progression on major public streets in the vicinity of the development.
(6) Vehicle storage. The capacity of storage bays and auxiliary lanes for turning traffic shall be adequate to ensure that turning traffic will not interfere with through traffic flows on any public street.
(7) Internal circulation. On-site vehicle circulation and parking patterns shall be designed so as not to interfere with the flow of traffic on any public street and shall accommodate all anticipated types of site traffic.
(8) Safety. Access points shall be designed to provide for adequate sight distance and appropriate facilities to accommodate acceleration and deceleration of site traffic. Where traffic from the proposed development will impact any location with an incidence of high accident frequency (defined as one of the five to ten highest accident locations in the area), the accident history should be evaluated and a determination made that the proposed site access or additional site traffic will not further aggravate the situation. It is understood that the correction of an existing off-site safety deficiency is not typically the responsibility of the developer.
(H) Contents. A traffic impact report shall contain information addressing the factors listed in subsections (H)(1) through (H)(9) below.
(1) Site description. The traffic impact report shall contain illustrations and narratives that describe the characteristics of the site and adjacent land uses as well as expected development in the vicinity that will influence future traffic conditions. A description of potential uses and traffic generation to be evaluated shall be provided. A description of the proposed development, including access plans, staging plans and an indication of land use and intensity, shall be provided.
(2) Study area. The traffic impact report shall identify the geographic area under study and identify the roadway segments, critical intersections and access points to be analyzed. The focus shall be on intersections and access points adjacent to the site. Roadways or intersections within one-half mile of the site, where at least 5% of the existing peak-hour capacity will be composed of trips generated by the proposed development, shall be included in the analysis.
(3) Existing traffic conditions. The traffic impact report shall contain a summary of the data utilized in the study and an analysis of existing traffic conditions, including:
(a) Traffic count and turning movement information, including the source of and date when traffic count information was collected;
(b) Correction factors that were used to convert collected traffic data into representative design-hour traffic volumes;
(c) Roadway characteristics, including the design configuration of existing or proposed roadways, existing traffic control measures (e.g., speed limits and traffic signals), and existing driveways and turning movement conflicts in the vicinity of the site; and
(d) Identification of the existing LOS for roadways and intersections without project development traffic using methods documented in the Highway Capacity Manual 20001 or comparable accepted methods of evaluation. LOS should be calculated for the weekday peak hour and, in the case of uses generating high levels of weekend traffic, the Saturday peak hour.
(4) Horizon year(s) and background traffic growth. The traffic impact report shall identify the horizon year(s) that were analyzed in the study, the background traffic growth factors for each horizon year, and the method and assumptions used to develop the background traffic growth. Unless otherwise approved by the Code Enforcement Officer, the impact of development shall be analyzed for the year after the development is completed and ten years after the development is completed.
(5) Time periods to be analyzed. For each defined horizon year, specific time periods are to be analyzed. For most land uses, this time period will be the weekday peak hours. However, certain uses (e.g., major retail centers, schools or recreational uses) will have characteristic peak hours different than that found for adjacent streets, and these unique peak hours may need to be analyzed to determine factors, such as proper site access and turn lane storage requirements. The Code Enforcement Officer shall be consulted for determination of the peak hours to be studied.
(6) Trip generation, reduction and distribution. The traffic impact report shall summarize the projected peak hour and average daily trip generation for the proposed development and illustrate the projected trip distribution of trips to and from the site, and should identify the basis of the trip generation, reduction and distribution factors used in the study.
(7) Traffic assignment. The traffic impact report shall identify projected design-hour traffic volumes for roadway segments, intersections or driveways in the study area, with and without the proposed development, for the horizon year(s) of the study.
(8) Impact analysis. The traffic impact report shall address the impact of traffic volumes of the projected horizon year(s) relative to each of the applicable traffic service standards and shall identify the methodology utilized to evaluate the impact. The weekday peak-hour impact shall be evaluated as well as the Saturday peak hour for those uses exhibiting high levels of weekend traffic generation.
(9) Mitigation/alternatives. In situations where the traffic LOS standards are exceeded, the traffic impact report shall evaluate each of the following alternatives for achieving the traffic service standards by:
(a) Identifying where additional rights-of-way are needed to implement mitigation strategies;
(b) Identifying suggested phasing of improvements where needed to maintain compliance with traffic service standards; and
(c) Identifying the anticipated cost of recommended improvements.
(I) Process for the review and preparation of a traffic impact report. This section provides an outline of the steps to be included in the preparation and review of a traffic impact report.
(1) The Code Enforcement Officer and/or the City Manager shall be consulted for assistance in determining whether a traffic impact report needs to be prepared for a proposed development application.
(2) The Code Enforcement Officer and/or the City Manager shall meet with applicants to identify study issues, assumptions, horizon years and time periods to be analyzed; analysis procedures; available sources of data; past and related studies; report requirements; and other topics relevant to study requirements.
(3) Following initial completion of a traffic impact report, it shall be submitted to the Code Enforcement Officer for distribution to the staff of all roadway jurisdictions involved in the construction and maintenance of public roadways serving the development.
(4) Within ten working days, staff shall complete an initial review to determine the completeness of the study and shall provide a written summary to the applicant outlining the need for any supplemental analysis to adequately address the traffic service standards. A meeting to discuss the contents and findings of the traffic impact report and the need for additional analyses may be requested by the applicant.
(5) Following a determination that the technical analysis is complete, staff shall prepare a report outlining recommendations that have been developed to address the findings and conclusions included in the study regarding the proposed development’s access needs and impacts on the transportation system. Depending on the type of traffic study, presentation of recommendations to the Planning Commission and/or City Council may proceed as follows:
(a) For a traffic rezoning analysis, staff recommendations will be presented as part of the staff report to the Planning Commission and City Council as part of the proceedings on a rezoning or land-use plan application;
(b) For a traffic impact report, a separate report will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration of the recommendations; and
(c) For a traffic design analysis, staff recommendations will be presented as part of the staff report to the Planning Commission or City Council for any land subdivision or general development plan.
(6) Negotiations based on the conclusions and findings resulting from the traffic impact report or analysis shall be held with the City Council. A development agreement, detailing the applicant’s responsibilities and the city’s responsibilities for implementing identified mitigation measures, shall be prepared following the negotiations for action by both parties.
(J) Report findings.
(1) If staff finds that the proposed development will not meet applicable service-level standards, staff shall recommend one or more of the following actions by the public or the applicant:
(a) Reduce the size, scale, scope or density of the development to reduce traffic generation;
(b) Divide the project into phases and authorize only one phase at a time until traffic capacity is adequate for the next phase of development;
(c) Dedicate a right-of-way for street improvements;
(d) Construct new streets;
(e) Expand the capacity of existing streets;
(f) Redesign ingress and egress to the project to reduce traffic conflicts;
(g) Alter the use and type of development to reduce peak-hour traffic;
(h) Reduce background (existing) traffic;
(i) Eliminate the potential for additional traffic generation from undeveloped properties in the vicinity of the proposed development;
(j) Integrate design components (e.g., pedestrian and bicycle paths or transit improvements) to reduce vehicular trip generation;
(k) Implement traffic demand management strategies (e.g., carpool or vanpool programs, flex time, staggered work hours and telecommuting) to reduce vehicular trip generation; and
(l) Recommend denial of the application for development for which the traffic study is submitted.
(2) The Planning Commission may recommend, and the governing board may adopt, a statement of principle partially or fully exempting a project from meeting the traffic service standards where it finds that the social and/or economic benefits of the project outweigh the adverse impacts of the project. The City Council may temporarily exempt certain street locations from some or all of the traffic service standards, owing to special circumstances that make it undesirable or unfeasible to provide further capacity improvements at these locations.
(3) These special circumstances may include a finding that there would be significant negative fiscal, economic, social or environmental impact from further construction, or that a significant portion of the traffic is generated by development outside the control of the city. However, where these conditions exist, the governing board will make every effort to design alternate improvements, and development projects affecting these areas may be required to implement traffic demand management programs and other measures to reduce the impact on these locations as much as possible.
(Ord. 3020, passed 9-10-2013, § 4.3.9)