Title
Community Development Agency, Long Range Planning Division, recommending the Board receive and file the updated Transportation Impact Studies Guidelines.
FUNDING: Road Fund. (No Federal Funds)
Body
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost
There is no change to Net County Cost associated with this item.
Background
Transportation Impact Studies (TIS) are one of the tools used to provide information for implementation of the Transportation and Circulation Element of the County’s General Plan. A TIS helps the County evaluate the potential effects of proposed projects on transportation infrastructure and services and determine how identified impacts can be mitigated. A TIS should be a stand-alone document that can be reproduced by a peer consultant or County staff based on information provided in the document. It is not a persuasive document; it is a factual document utilizing state of the practice and industry technical analyses.
TIS guidelines are routinely established by jurisdictions to assist applicants with assessing potential traffic impacts of proposed projects in accordance with the jurisdiction’s adopted policies and plans. In 2008, the El Dorado County Department of Transportation (DOT) produced the Traffic Impact Study Protocols and Procedures (2008 TIS Protocols) (Attachment B). DOT created the 2008 TIS Protocols to try to standardize the format and methodology used in traffic impact studies submitted with new development projects. The 2008 TIS Protocols were considered a technical internal document created and maintained by DOT to implement adopted Board policy.
The 2008 TIS Protocols are out of date and need to be updated. For example, the 2008 TIS Protocols reference the use of the County’s old Transportation Model and the 2000 Highway Capacity Manual, whereas the County now has a new Travel Demand Model and the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual must be used per General Plan policy. The forecast year has also now changed to 2035 instead of 2025 as...
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