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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAppendix K - Transportation Impact Study Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration APPENDIX K TRANSPORTATION IMPACT STUDY DRAFT Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study Prepared for: City of Fontana March 11, 2022 OC22-0866 Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 1 Table of Contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 2 Findings ................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 2. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 3 Project Description .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 3. ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................... 5 VMT Criteria ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5 4. EXISTING YEAR (2021) CONDITIONS............................................................................................ 7 Existing Roadway Facilities ............................................................................................................................................... 7 Bicycle Facilities .................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Class I Bikeways (Bike Paths) ................................................................................................................................... 8 Class II Bikeways (Bike Lanes) ................................................................................................................................. 8 Class III Bikeways (Bike Routes) ............................................................................................................................. 9 Class IV Bikeways (Cycle Tracks) ............................................................................................................................ 9 Pedestrian Facilities .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 Transit Facilities ................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Metrolink ...................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Bus Transit ................................................................................................................................................................... 11 5. PROJECT TRAFFIC VOLUMES ....................................................................................................... 12 Project Trip Generation .......................................................................................................................................... 12 6. ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC TRANSIT ANALYSIS ................................................ 13 7. VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED (VMT) ANALYSIS ............................................................................. 14 Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 2 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Fehr & Peers has completed the transportation impact assessment for the Alta Fontana development (Project) in Fontana, California. This Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) was developed based on coordination with the City of Fontana and the recently updated City of Fontana Traffic Impact Analysis Guidelines. The Project site is located at the intersection of Live Oak Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. The Project consists of 344 multi-family residential units, including four live-work units, 1,500 square feet of commercial space, 529 surface parking spaces, including 9 commercial parking spaces. Driveway access will be provided to the Project site from Live Oak Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. As part of the TIA, impacts under CEQA related to active transportation and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) were evaluated. Intersection deficiencies related to Level of Service were also evaluated per the City’s guidelines but have been documented under separate cover submitted to the City for review. FINDINGS The Project was found to be screened from VMT and presumed to have a less-than-significant transportation impact. No significant impacts have been determined for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit modes. Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 3 2. INTRODUCTION Fehr & Peers is assisting with the transportation impact assessment for the Alta Fontana development in Fontana, California (City). This assessment is consistent with the requirements as outlined in the City’s recently adopted Traffic Impact Analysis Guidelines. As part of the Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA), impacts under CEQA related to active transportation and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) were evaluated. Intersection deficiencies related to Level of Service were also evaluated per the City’s guidelines but have been documented under separate cover for City review. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Project is an 8.8-acre multi-family residential development in Fontana, California. As shown in Figure 1, the Project site is located on a vacant parcel at 14817 Foothill Boulevard at the southwestern corner of the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Live Oak Avenue. The proposed Project consists of 344 multi-family residential units, including four live-work units, and approximately 1,500 square feet of commercial space. Additionally, the Project proposes 529 residential surface parking spaces, which includes 9 commercial parking spaces. Vehicle access is proposed with a gated right-in/right-out driveway on Foothill Boulevard and a gated full access driveway on Live Oak Avenue. Two additional driveways would be provided on Live Oak Avenue for emergency vehicle access only. In addition to the new driveways on Live Oak Avenue, the Project would install new curb, gutter, and sidewalk on the southbound approach of Live Oak Avenue along the Project frontage. The new proposed sidewalk would connect to the existing sidewalk provided on Foothill Boulevard along the Project frontage. Figure 1 shows the Project Site Plan. Site Plan Figure 1 Source: Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh, AIA Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 5 3. ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY This chapter discusses the analysis methodology and assumptions as approved by the City of Fontana. VMT CRITERIA The recently adopted City of Fontana Transportation Impact Analysis Guidelines1 specifies that VMT should be assessed on all projects. In order to determine what level of VMT analysis is required, the project should be evaluated to determine if it meets any of the three screening criteria outlined in the guidelines. These criteria are:  Transit Priority Area (TPA) Screening – projects located within one-half mile of a major transit stop or an existing stop along a high-quality transit corridor.2 Projects located within a TPA may be presumed to have a less than significant impact absent substantial evidence to the contrary. This presumption may NOT be appropriate if the project:  Has a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of less than 0.75;  Includes more parking for use by residents, customers, or employees of the project than required by the City (if the City requires the project to supply parking);  Is inconsistent with the applicable Sustainable Communities Strategy (as determined by the lead agency, with input from the Metropolitan Planning Organization); or  Replaces affordable residential units with a smaller number of moderate- or high-income residential units.  Low VMT Area Screening – projects located within individual traffic analysis zones (TAZ) where total daily Origin/Destination VMT per service population is lower than the City average total daily Origin/Destination VMT per service population.3 1 City of Fontana, Department of Engineering, Traffic Engineering Division, 2020, Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) Guidelines for Vehilce Miles Traveled (VMT) and Level of Service Assessment, available at: https://www.fontana.org/DocumentCenter/View/35928/TIA-Guidelines---VMT-Assessment. 2 Pub. Resources Code, § 21064.3 - ‘Major transit stop’ means a site containing an existing rail transit station, a ferry terminal served by either a bus or rail transit service, or the intersection of two or more major bus routes with a frequency of service interval of 15 minutes or less during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods. Pub. Resources Code, § 21155 - For purposes of this section, a ‘high-quality transit corridor’ means a corridor with fixed route bus service with service intervals no longer than 15 minutes during peak commute hours. 3 TAZs are geographic polygons similar to Census block groups used to represent areas of homogenous travel behavior. Service population is population plus employment. Used with VMT, it provides a normalized standard unit for comparison purposes while accounting for the population and/or employment in a given area. Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 6 Projects located within a Low VMT zone may be presumed to have a less than significant impact if they are consistent with the existing land use within that TAZ and use professional judgement to determine that there is nothing unique about the project that would otherwise be mis-represented utilizing the data from the travel demand model.  Project Type Screening – projects that are identified as local-serving per the City’s TIA Guidelines, and projects generating fewer than 250 daily trips. Projects which are not eligible for any of the screening criteria are required to complete a VMT analysis and forecasting through the San Bernardino Transportation Analysis Model to determine if they have a significant VMT impact. This analysis is to include ‘project generated VMT’ and ‘project effect on VMT’ estimates. A project would result in a significant project-generated VMT impact if either of the following conditions would occur: 1. The baseline project-generated VMT per service population exceeds the 15% below the Countywide baseline VMT per service population, or 2. The cumulative project-generated VMT per service population exceeds the 15% below the Countywide baseline VMT per service population. The project’s effect on VMT would be considered significant if it resulted in either of the following conditions: 1. The cumulative link-level boundary VMT per service population within City of Fontana increases under the plus project condition compared to the no project condition.4 4 Please note that for most projects establishing a boundary of the City limits should be sufficient. However, for larger projects or projects located near the City limit, a larger boundary should be applied to ensure that the true project effect is not truncated. Typically, doubling the average trip length to/from the site could establish an appropriate boundary if the City limit is not appropriate. Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 7 4. EXISTING YEAR (2021) CONDITIONS This chapter evaluates the Existing Year (2021) Conditions in the Project study area including the roadway, transit, and pedestrian networks in order to document the baseline conditions against which the Project will be assessed. EXISTING ROADWAY FACILITIES  Foothill Boulevard: Foothill Boulevard is classified as a six lane, east-west road along the Project frontage, and narrows to a four-lane road near Hemlock Avenue. Foothill Boulevard is designated as a Modified Major Highway by the City of Fontana General Plan, which provides service to between 23,000 and 25,000 vehicles per day.  Live Oak Avenue: Live Oak Avenue provides north-south access to the Project site. It is a two-lane roadway and provides local access to the residential and industrial uses south of the Project site. Live Oak Avenue terminates at Whittram Avenue, south of Arrow Route and does not continue north of Foothill Boulevard. Live Oak Avenue is designated as a Collector by the City of Fontana General Plan.  Cherry Avenue: Cherry Avenue is a six-lane, north-south road that provides users with access to Foothill Boulevard. Cherry Avenue is designated as a Modified Major Highway and provides service to between 20,000 to 22,000 vehicles per day.  Redwood Avenue: Redwood Avenue is a two-lane north-south roadway west of the Project site and provides local access to the residential and industrial uses south of the Project site. Redwood Avenue terminates at Whittram Avenue, south of Arrow Route and at Meyer Canyon Drive, north of Foothill Boulevard. Redwood Avenue is designated as a Collector by the City of Fontana General Plan.  Hemlock Avenue: Hemlock Avenue is a two-lane north-south roadway east of the Project site and provides local access to the residential and industrial uses south of the Project site. Hemlock Avenue terminates at Whittram Avenue, south of Arrow Route and does not continue north of Foothill Boulevard. Hemlock Avenue is designated as a Collector by the City of Fontana General Plan.  Beech Avenue: Beech Avenue is a two-lane north-south roadway east of the Project site and provides local access to the residential and industrial uses south of the Project site. Beech Avenue does not continue north of Foothill Boulevard. Beech Avenue is designated as a Primary Highway by the City of Fontana General Plan.  Arrow Route: Arrow Route is a two-lane east-west roadway south of the Project site. Arrow Route is designated as a Primary Highway by the City of Fontana General Plan, which provides service to between 11,000 and 16,000 vehicles per day. Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 8 BICYCLE FACILITIES Bicycle facilities in the City of Fontana are classified as follows: CLASS I BIKEWAYS (BIKE PATHS) Class I bicycle facilities are bicycle trails or paths that are off-street and separated from automobiles. They are a minimum of eight feet in width for two-way travel and include bike lane signage and designated street crossings where needed. A Class I Bike Path may parallel a roadway (within the parkway) or may be a completely separate right-of-way that meanders through a neighborhood or along a flood control channel or utility right-of-way. CLASS II BIKEWAYS (BIKE LANES) Class II bicycle facilities are striped lanes that provide bike travel and can be either located next to a curb or parking lane. If located next to a curb, a minimum width of five feet is recommended. However, a bike lane adjacent to a parking lane can be four feet in width. Bike lanes are exclusively for the use of bicycles and include bike lane signage, special lane lines, and pavement markings. Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 9 CLASS III BIKEWAYS (BIKE ROUTES) Class III Bikeways are streets providing for shared use by motor vehicles and bicyclists. While bicyclists have no exclusive use or priority, signage both by the side of the street and stenciled on the roadway surface alerts motorists to bicyclists sharing the roadway space and denotes that the street is an official bike route. CLASS IV BIKEWAYS (CYCLE TRACKS) Class IV bicycle facilities, sometimes called cycle tracks or separated bikeways, provide a right-of-way designated exclusively for bicycle travel adjacent to a roadway and are protected from vehicular traffic via separations (e.g. grade separation, flexible posts, inflexible physical barriers, on-street parking). California Assembly Bill 1193 (AB 1193) legalized and established design standards for Class IV bikeways in 2015. Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 10 Foothill Boulevard has a striped Class II bike lane along the Project frontage and throughout the Project vicinity. The City of Fontana Active Transportation Plan1 designates that the existing Class II bike lanes on Foothill Boulevard be extended east of Beech Avenue, and no bike facilities are identified on Live Oak Avenue. PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES The major street that provides access to the Project site, Foothill Boulevard, has well connected and maintained sidewalks along both sides of the corridor in the Project vicinity. Crosswalks are provided at the nearby signalized intersections with Foothill Boulevard at Hemlock Avenue and Redwood Avenue, and along Foothill Boulevard across Live Oak Avenue. These facilities currently provide access for pedestrians to the Project site from bus stops nearby, as well as several grocery stores, restaurants and retail uses near the Project site. The Project site frontage along Live Oak Avenue is currently undeveloped and does not provide sidewalk. Sidewalk is provided on the opposite side of Live Oak Avenue from the Project site. Please note, sidewalks end on both sides of Live Oak Avenue south of the Project site on both sides of the street. 1 City of Fontana, 2017, Active Transportation Plan, available at: https://www.fontana.org/DocumentCenter/View/27009/ATP-Final-Report. Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 11 TRANSIT FACILITIES The following transit facilities are provided in the City of Fontana: METROLINK Commuter train service in the City of Fontana is provided by Metrolink, which operates six commuter rail lines throughout Southern California. The Fontana Metrolink Station is located approximately three miles from the Project site, where passenger trains run daily from downtown Los Angeles to downtown San Bernardino. Fontana is served by the San Bernardino Line, which links San Bernardino to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. The Metrolink railroad runs east-west through the southern section of the city. This same rail line is occasionally used by freight trains when the Union Pacific Railroad line (running east-west south of the I-10 freeway) is closed or restricted for limited periods. BUS TRANSIT Omnitrans Transit Agency provides local transit service throughout San Bernardino County, including the City of Fontana. Bus transit services are available in the city through fixed-route and demand-response services. Bus routes that run through the city connect to the neighboring cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Ontario, Rialto, and unincorporated San Bernardino County. The routes serve major destinations in the region, including the Fontana Metrolink Station, the Ontario Mills Mall, and the Ontario Airport. Within Fontana, bus routes run on major roadways, including Foothill Boulevard, San Bernardino Avenue, Baseline Road, Jurupa Avenue, Citrus Avenue, and Sierra Avenue. The transit route that operates within the study area is Route 66 on Foothill Boulevard. Route 66 has bus stops on both sides of Foothill Boulevard within 650 feet of the Project site This route runs from the Montclair Transit Center and Fontana Metrolink Station, with stops along Foothill Boulevard in Montclair, Fontana, and Rancho Cucamonga. The route operates Monday through Friday and on weekends. As of November 2021, typical headways are every 20 minutes during weekday commute hours. Please note, prior to COVID-19, Route 66 operated on 15 minute headways. At this time, Omnitrans has not identified if transit route frequency will be restored on this route after the pandemic. Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 12 5. PROJECT TRAFFIC VOLUMES PROJECT TRIP GENERATION Fehr & Peers used the Trip Generation Manual, 11th Edition (Institute of Transportation Engineers [ITE], 2021) to obtain the trip rates for calculating the approximate number of trips that the Project would generate. Table 5-1 summarizes the anticipated daily, AM, and PM peak hour of adjacent street traffic trips generated by the proposed Project. TABLE 5-1 PROJECT TRIP GENERATION ESTIMATES Proposed Use ITE Land Use Quantity Units Daily Total AM Peak Hour Trips PM Peak Hour Trips In Out Total In Out Total Apartments (221) – Multifamily Housing (Mid-Rise)1 344 DUs 1,562 29 98 127 82 52 134 Net External Trips 1,544 29 98 127 82 52 134 Retail (822) – Strip Retail Plaza (<40 KSF)2 1.5 KSF 82 2 2 4 5 5 10 Pass-by Reduction3 0 0 0 0 (2) (2) (4) Net External Trips 82 2 2 4 3 3 6 Net External Project Trips 1,644 31 100 131 85 55 140 Notes: 1. ITE Code 221 Daily Rate = 4.54, AM Rate = 0.37, and PM Rate 0.39 2. ITE Code 822 Daily Rate 54.45, AM Rate = 2.36, and PM Rate = 6.59 3. Retail PM Pass-by Reduction Percentage = 34% 4. DUs = Dwelling Units 5. KSF = 1,000 square feet Source: 1. Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Trip Generation, 11th Edition, 2021; Fehr & Peers, 2022 As noted above, intersection Level of Service was evaluated for the Project in a separate report. As part of the LOS analysis, the project trips documented above were assigned to local intersections to evaluate the effect of the Project on intersection delay. Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 13 6. ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC TRANSIT ANALYSIS Per the recently adopted City of Fontana Transportation Impact Analysis Guidelines, a significant impact would occur if the Project conflicts with adopted policies, plans, or programs regarding public transit, bicycle, or pedestrian facilities, or otherwise decreases the performance or safety of such facilities. As noted in Chapter 3, Foothill Boulevard currently has Class II facilities within the Project vicinity. Similarly, sidewalk is present on Foothill Boulevard along the project frontage. As shown in Figure 1 above, the Project’s frontage on Live Oak Avenue would be designed to accommodate new sidewalks. The Project would not conflict with existing facilities and would construct frontage improvements consistent with planned facilities and the City’s design standards. Omnitrans Route 66 runs along Foothill Boulevard, with bus stops on both sides of Foothill Boulevard within 650 feet of the Project site. The Project is not expected to conflict with the existing bus stops or bus route operations. The proposed Project is not expected to conflict with adopted policies, plans, or programs regarding public transit, bicycle, or pedestrian facilities, or otherwise decreases the performance or safety of such facilities, and therefore is considered to have a less-than-significant impact of active transportation and public transit. Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 14 7. VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED (VMT) ANALYSIS Fehr & Peers has reviewed the Project for eligibility for screening from VMT assessment based on the City of Fontana Traffic Impact Study Guidelines (2020). Based on those guidelines, a VMT analysis would be required for a proposed project that does not meet any of the following criteria:  Located in a Transit Priority Area (TPA);  Located in a Low VMT-generating area;  Project type is presumed to have a less than significant impact. If a project meets any of the screening criteria, no further analysis for VMT is needed. The Project is located within a Low VMT-generating zone, which is defined in Fontana as a TAZ which generates 15% less VMT than the County of San Bernardino average. TAZs are geographic areas containing socioeconomic data used in the SBTAM to evaluate regional travel patterns. As specified in the City’s guidelines, projects located in a low VMT-generating zone should have land uses that are a similar type, density and character of land uses coded in the TAZ in the base year model of SBTAM. To confirm this, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority VMT Calculator tool was reviewed, and 159 multifamily units and 51 retail employees are currently coded into TAZ 53714102, where the Project is located. As these uses are similar to the proposed Project, the Project is projected to generate VMT at a similar rate to the TAZ, which would be 15% below the County average. The screening tool output is documented in Appendix A. This Project meets all of requirements of screening under a low VMT area and can be presumed to have a less-than-significant transportation impact. Alta Fontana Mixed Use Project Transportation Impact Study March 2022 APPENDIX A: VMT SCREENING RESULTS San Bernardino County Transportation Authority VMT Tool Project Information Project Trips, VMT, and TAZ SED Information Project VMT Thresholds Comparison Project Name Project Location Select the VMT Thresholds for comparison to project VMT Parcel Number ( SBTAM TAZ#53714102 ) Analysis Year X Below Existing X Better than General Plan Buildout X OPR Guidance (15% Below Existing) Screening Criteria for Fontana X County Threshold (4% Below Existing) Use the online SBCTA VMT Tool to determine the following Is the Project screened by Transit Priority Area or located in a low VMT generating zone? X Is the Project one of these land use types? (show land use types) Does the project generate fewer than 500 daily trips? (enter project land use in the section below) The Project can be considered for screening from additional analysis.Select VMT Methodology Please refer to the ‘secondary screening checks’ table in the User Guide. ### Unit Residential : Single Family Homes Dwelling Units Land Use Unit Land Use Unit # # # Residential : MultiFamily Homes Dwelling Units SFDU DU TRANS EMP # # # Office 1,000 Square Feet MFDU DU INFOR EMP # # # Retail 1,000 Square Feet K12 STU FIRE EMP # # # Industrial 1,000 Square Feet COLLEGE STU PROF EMP Private School Students AG EMP EDUC EMP University Students CONST EMP ARTENT EMP Hotel Rooms MANU EMP OTHSER EMP Optional Additional Land Use 1 land use unit WHOLE EMP PUBADMN EMP Optional Additional Land Use 2 land use unit RET EMP 0 Alta Fontana 23007103 2023 Yes No No Origin Destination (OD) Analysis Year Daily Trips: 2786 Average Trip Length: 9.3 Service Population: 865 Project VMT per Service Population: 30.1 Project Land Use Information Project Location TAZ Socioeconomic Data Baseline Year 2016 SBCTA Model 344 297 0 0 159 0 1.5 0 93 0 0 43 0 14 4 0 6 24 0 51 0 18 8 0 1 1 30.1 33.4 35.3 28.4 32.1 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 Project VMT per Service Population Below Existing General Plan Buildout Average OPR Guidance County Threshold ?