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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAppendix I- Traffic AssessmentAPPENDIX I Traffic Assesment kimley-horn.com 1100 Town and Country Road,Suite 700,Orange,CA 92868 714 939 1030 MEMORANDUM To: Mahmoud Khodr Senior Traffic Engineer City of Fontana From: Trevor Briggs, P.E. Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Date: October 12, 2021 Subject: Trip Generation and VMT Screening Memorandum for the Proposed Citrus West Residential Project in the City of Fontana Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. has prepared a trip generation and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) screening memorandum to evaluate the trip generation potential and VMT screening of the proposed Citrus West Residential project. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The project site consists of approximately 9.4 acres of land located on the northwest corner of Citrus Avenue and Summit Avenue in the City of Fontana. The project site is within the boundaries of the Citrus Heights North Specific Plan. Based on the Citrus Heights North Specific Plan, the project site is currently zoned as Neighborhood Commercial (PA 12). The Applicant proposes to amend the CHNSP Project site from Neighborhood Commercial to Residential-Medium Density. The project site is currently vacant. The project applicant proposes to develop 86 multi-family dwelling units. A copy of the project site plan is provided in Figure 1. TRIP GENERATION COMPARISON A trip generation analysis has been prepared to evaluate the consistency of the trip generating characteristics for the proposed project, compared to the assumed land use in the Citrus Heights North Specific Plan. Potential Citrus Heights Specific Plan Trips – Project Site The Citrus Heights North Specific Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) (dated: March 2004), provides trip generation estimates, based on the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual (6th Edition) in Section 3.13 of the report. Mr.Khodr,October 12, 2021,Page 2 kimley-horn.com 1100 Town and Country Road,Suite 700,Orange,CA 92868 714 939 1030 The Specific Plan trip generation estimates assume the following proposed land use quantities: ·Single Family Residential (210) = 803 DUs ·Condominiums/Townhomes (230) = 425 DUs ·Shopping Center (820) = 107,000 square feet (SF) Based on the proposed land use quantities, the Citrus Heights North Specific Plan would generate approximately 14,939 daily trips, with 908 trips (250 inbound and 658 outbound) in the morning peak hour, and 1,480 trips (888 inbound and 592 outbound) in the evening peak hour. As noted earlier, the project site is currently zoned as Neighborhood Commercial. Therefore, assuming 107,000 SF of shopping center use for the project site, the project site is estimated to generate approximately 4,628 net new trips on a daily basis, with 108 net new trips during the morning peak hour and 427 net new trips in the evening peak hour. Trip generation estimates are shown on Table 1. Trip Generation – Proposed Project Trip generation estimates for the proposed project were based on the current ITE Trip Generation Manual (10th Edition) trip rates for Multifamily Housing (Low-Rise) (ITE Code – 220). Trip generation rates and the resulting trip generation estimates for the proposed project are summarized on Table 1 (previously mentioned). Based on Table 1, the project is estimated to generate 630 daily trips, with 39 trips (9 inbound and 30 outbound) in the morning peak hour and 48 trips (30 inbound and 18 outbound) in the evening peak hour. Compared to the Shopping Center land use in the Specific Plan DEIR, the proposed project would generate 3,998 fewer trips on a daily basis, with 69 fewer trips in the morning peak hour, and 379 fewer trips in the evening peak hour. Based on the trip generation comparison, the proposed project trip generation estimates are materially less than the estimated trips for the proposed site in the Citrus Heights North Specific Plan DEIR. ITE AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Code Unit Daily In Out Total In Out Total 220 DU 7.320 0.106 0.354 0.460 0.353 0.207 0.560 AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Quantity Unit Daily In Out Total In Out Total 107.000 SF 4,628 66 42 108 205 222 427 AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Quantity Unit Daily In Out Total In Out Total 86 DU 630 9 30 39 30 18 48 630 9 30 39 30 18 48 -3,998 -57 -12 -69 -175 -204 -379 PCE = Passenger Car Equivalent Trip Differential (Proposed - Current Zoning) Multifamily Housing (Low-Rise) Project Land Use Proposed Project TRIP GENERATION ESTIMATES TRIP GENERATION ESTIMATES Citrus Heights North Specific Plan Trips - Project Site Shopping Center (ITE 6th Edition)2 1 Source: Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual, 10th Edition 2 See attached exhibit (Attachment A) from the Citrus Heights North Specific Plan (March 2004) KSF = Thousand Square Feet Total Proposed Project Trips Land Use TABLE 1 SUMMARY OF PROJECT TRIP GENERATION FONTANA - LENNAR CITRUS WEST TRIP GENERATION RATES 1 ITE Land Use Multifamily Housing (Low-Rise) Citrus West Residential Project Traffic Memorandum - 4 -Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. October 2021 kimley-horn.com 1100 Town and Country Road,Suite 700,Orange,CA 92868 714 939 1030 Mr.Khodr,October 12, 2021,Page 5 JURISDICTIONAL REQUIREMENTS The City of Fontana Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) Guidelines for Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and Level of Service Assessment (October 2020) provides guidance on when a Traffic Impact Study is required for a project. The City document specifies that: ·If a project generates less than 50 peak hour trips, a traffic analysis shall not be required, and a trip generation memo will be considered sufficient unless the City has specific concerns related to project access and interaction with adjacent intersections. Since the proposed project is expected to generate less than 50 peak hour trips, a traffic analysis is not required. CEQA VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED (VMT) ASSESSMENT Senate Bill 743 (SB 743) was approved by California legislature in September 2013. SB 743 requires changes to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), specifically directing the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to develop alternative metrics to the use of vehicular “Level of Service” (LOS) for evaluating transportation projects. OPR has prepared a technical advisory (“OPR Technical Advisory”) for evaluating transportation impacts in CEQA and has recommended that Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) replace LOS as the primary measure of transportation impacts. The Natural Resources Agency has adopted updates to CEQA Guidelines to incorporate SB 743 that requires VMT for the purposes of determining a significant transportation impact under CEQA. The City of Fontana’s Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) Guidelines for Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and Level of Service Assessment (October 2020) provides details on appropriate screening thresholds that can be used to identify when a proposed land use project is anticipated to result in a less than significant impact without conducting a more detailed level analysis. Screening thresholds are broken down into the following four steps: 1. Projects in a Transit Priority Area (TPA) 2. Low VMT Area 3. Low Project Type 4. Project Net Daily Trip Less Than 500 ADT kimley-horn.com 1100 Town and Country Road,Suite 700,Orange,CA 92868 714 939 1030 Mr.Khodr,October 12, 2021,Page 6 Land development projects that meet one or more of the above screening thresholds may be presumed to create a less than significant impact on transportation and circulation. Projects in a Transit Priority Area (TPA) In accordance the City of Fontana’s Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) Guidelines for Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and Level of Service Assessment (October 2020), projects located within half mile from an existing major transit stop or within half of a mile from an existing stop along a high-quality transit corridor can be screened out. Based on San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) VMT Screening Tool, the project is not located in a Transit Priority Area (TPA). The TPA screening criteria is not met. Low VMT Area Residential and office projects located within a low VMT generating area may be presumed to have a less than significant impact absent substantial evidence to the contrary. In addition, other employment related, and mixed-use land use projects may qualify for the use of screening if the project can reasonably be expected to generate VMT per resident, per worker, or per service population that is similar to the existing land uses in the low VMT area. Based on the traffic analysis zone (“TAZ”) that the project is in and the San Bernardino County Traffic Analysis Model (SBTAM) travel forecast model, the low VMT area screening criteria is not met. Low Project Type The City presumes various usages, assumed to be local serving in nature, as having less than significant impact absent of substantial evidence to the contrary. The low VMT project type screening is not met for this project. Project Net Daily Trips Less Than 500 ADT: The City presumes that projects that generate fewer than 500 average daily trips (ADT) would not cause a substantial increase in the total citywide or regional VMT and would therefore have a less than significant impact on VMT. Based on the trip generation noted earlier, the project is expected to generate more than 500 average net new daily trips. Therefore, the less than 500 ADT screening criteria is not met for the project. kimley-horn.com 1100 Town and Country Road,Suite 700,Orange,CA 92868 714 939 1030 Mr.Khodr,October 12, 2021,Page 7 VMT Analysis In March 2004, UltraSystems Environmental analyzed trip generations and traffic impacts associated with the Citrus Heights North Specific Plan DEIR. As noted previously in this traffic memorandum, compared to the current zoning (Neighborhood Commercial) for the project site, the proposed project would generate 3,998 fewer trips on a daily basis, with 69 fewer trips in the morning peak hour, and 379 fewer trips in the evening peak hour. The proposed project would generate significantly less trips than the land use assumptions noted in the Citrus Heights North Specific Plan DEIR for the project site. The proposed project would not change the Specific Plan DEIR determination regarding impacts associated with increased traffic volumes. Therefore, the proposed project would create a less-than-significant VMT impact, and no further analysis is required. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS Based on review of the City’s guidelines, the project is expected to generate less than 50 peak hour trips; therefore, a Level of Service analysis is not required. Based on the VMT assessment noted in this traffic memorandum, the proposed project would create a less-than-significant VMT impact, compared to the assumed land uses for the project site in the Citrus Heights North Specific Plan; therefore, no further analysis is required ATTACHMENT A PROJECT TRIP GENERATION CITRUS HEIGHTS NORTH SPECIFIC PLAN DEIR (MARCH 2004)