Exhibit K
952 Pollasky Avenue ♦ Clovis, California 93612 ♦ (559) 299-1544 ♦ www.peters-engineering.com
Mr. Harmanjit Dhaliwal, PE November 19, 2019
City of Fresno
2600 Fresno Street, 4th Floor
Fresno, California 93721-3623
Subject: Scope of Traffic Impact Study
Proposed Azorro Senior Housing Complex
Northwest of the Intersection of Tulare and Helm Avenues Fresno, California
Dear Mr. Dhaliwal:
Peters Engineering Group has been retained to perform a traffic impact study for the subject project. The purpose of this letter is to provide the City of Fresno and other affected ag encies with an opportuni ty to comment on t he scope of the traffic impact study . The traffic impact study will be prepared in conformance with the City of Fresno Traffic I mpact Study R eport Guidelines updated February 2, 2009 and will be submitted with a co mpleted version of the attached City of Fresno Public Works Department Traffic Study Checklist.
We are requesting that the City provide any comments related to the scope of the study to Peters Engineering Group, including approval of the trip generation calculations and determination of the intersections to be studied.
Project Description
The Project consists of a 112-unit multifamily development on approximately 5.5 acres located northwest of the intersection of Tulare and Helm A venues. The site plan suggests tha t the project will be a senior housing complex. Site access is proposed via two driveways connecting to Helm A venue. The proposed project includes an amend ment to the Fresno General Plan. Kings Canyon Middle School is located across Helm Avenue from the proposed project site.
A vicinity map is presented in the attached Figure 1, S ite Vicinity Map , and a site plan depicting the existing conditions is attached as Figure 2.
Currently the site is planned f or medium low density residential uses (3.5 to 6 dwelling units per acre) and is zoned RS -4. Based on the medium low density lan d use the site would yi eld no more than 33 single-family residences.
Trip Generation
Data provided in the Institute of Transp ortation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual, 10th Edition, are typically used to estimate the number of trips anticipated to be gen erated by proposed projects. Table 1 presents trip generation estimates.
Scope of Traffic Impact Study - Proposed Azorro Senior Housing Complex November 19, 2019 Northwest of the Intersection of Tulare and Helm Avenues, Fresno, California Page 2
Table 1
Project Trip Generation
Land Use Units Daily A.M. Peak Hour P.M. Peak Hour
Rate Total Rate In:Out In Out Total Rate In:Out In Out Total Multifamily
Housing (Low
Rise), ITE 220
112 7.32 820 0.46 23:77 12 40 52 0.56 63:37 40 23 63
Reference: Trip Generation Manual, 10th Edition, Institute of Transportation Engineers 2017 Rates are reported in trips per dwelling unit.
The Project includes a proposed GPA. An estimate of t he number of trips that could be generated at the site based on the current medium low density land use is presented in Table 2.
Table 2
Trip Generation Estimate – Medium Low Density Residential Land Use Units Daily A.M. Peak Hour P.M. Peak Hour
Rate Total Rate In:Out In Out Total Rate In:Out In Out Total Single Family
Detached
Housing (210)
33 9.44 312 0.74 25:75 6 19 25 0.99 63:37 21 12 33
Reference: Trip Generation Manual, 10th Edition, Institute of Transportation Engineers 2017 Rates are reported in trips per dwelling unit.
Project Trip Distribution and Assignment
The regional dist ribution of Project tr ips was estimated based on engineering ju dgment, available routes, and complementary land uses. The estimated percentage distribution of Project trips is presented in Figure 3, Project Trip Distribution Percentages. The Project traffic volumes presented in Table 1 were assigned to the adjacent road network in accordance with the trip distribution percentages described above. The peak-hour Project traffic volumes are presented in Figure 4, Project Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes.
Study Area
It is anticipated that the traffic imp act study would include analysis of the following intersection:
1. Tulare Avenue / Helm Avenue (signalized)
Peters Engineering Group is req uesting that the City of Fresno and othe r affected agencies identify other intersections that are to be included in the study, if any.
Since intersection operations typically govern with respect to the req uired number of through lanes on roadway, road segment analyses are not proposed.
Study Scenarios
The following time periods will be studied:
• Weekday a.m. peak hour between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m.;
• Weekday p.m. peak hour between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.
Scope of Traffic Impact Study - Proposed Azorro Senior Housing Complex November 19, 2019 Northwest of the Intersection of Tulare and Helm Avenues, Fresno, California Page 3
Traffic counts and analyses for afternoon conditions (end of school day) are not proposed.
The peak hours will be analyzed for the following conditions:
• Existing Conditions;
• Existing-Plus-Project Conditions;
• Near-Term With-Project Conditions (includes pending and approved projects) • Cumulative (Year 2040) No-Project Conditions (assumes site is developed in accordance with the current zoning); and
• Cumulative (Year 2040) Conditions With Project.
Pending and Approved Projects
The analyses for the near-term and long-term conditions consider the effects of traffic expected to be generated by pending and appr oved projects in the study area. Peters Engineering Group is requesting that the City of Fresno provide information related to pending and a pproved projects in the vicinity of the study intersections that should be included in the traffic analysis.
Significance Criteria
Level of Service
The Transportation Research Board Highway Capacity Manual , 2010, (HCM2010) defines level of service (LOS) as, “A quantitative stratification of a performance measure or measures that represent quality of service, measured on an A -F scale, with LOS A repres enting the best operating conditions from the traveler’s perspective and LOS F the worst.” Automobile mo de LOS characteristics for both unsign alized and signalized intersections are presented in Tables 3 and 4.
Table 3
Level of Service Characteristics for Unsignalized Intersections Level of Service Average Vehicle Delay (seconds)
A 0-10
B >10-15
C >15-25
D >25-35
E >35-50
F >50
Reference: Highway Capacity Manual, Transportation Research Board, 2010 Scope of Traffic Impact Study - Proposed Azorro Senior Housing Complex November 19, 2019 Northwest of the Intersection of Tulare and Helm Avenues, Fresno, California Page 4
Table 4
Level of Service Characteristics for Signalized Intersections Level of
Service Description Average Vehicle Delay
(seconds)
A Volume-to-capacity ratio is low. Progression is exceptionally favorable or the cycle length is very short. <10
B Volume-to-capacity ratio is low. Progression is highly favorable or the cycle length is very short. >10-20
C Volume-to-capacity ratio is no greater than 1.0. Progression is favorable or cycle length is moderate. >20-35
D
Volume-to-capacity ratio is high but no greater than 1.0.
Progression is ineffective or cycle length is long. Many vehicles stop and individual cycle failures are noticeable.
>35-55
E
Volume-to-capacity ratio is high but no greater than 1.0.
Progression is unfavorable and cycle length is long. Individual cycle failures are frequent.
>55-80
F Volume-to-capacity ratio is greater than 1.0. Progression is very poor and cycle length is long. Most cycles fail to clear the queue. >80 Reference: Highway Capacity Manual, Transportation Research Board, 2010
City of Fresno Criteria
The proposed Proj ect site a nd the study intersections are located in TIZ -II. In TIZ-II, a significant traffic impact typically is identified if:
• the proposed Project will decrease the LOS below E at an intersection; or • the proposed P roject will exacerbate an existing d eficiency at an intersection already operating below LOS D by increasing the average delay per vehicle at the inter section by 5.0 seconds or more.
County of Fresno Criteria
The document Guidelines for the Preparation of Traffic Impact Studies Within Count y of Fresno dated August 2012 (County Guidelines) identifies LOS A, B, and C as acceptable at County locations and LOS D, E, and F as unacceptable. LOS D is considered acceptable within the sphere of influence (SOI) of the City of Fresno or the City of Cl ovis. The County Guidelines state:
A project is considered to have a significant impact if its traffic, when added to the traffic of the without-project condition, would cause any of the changes in traffic conditions described below.
1) On roadway segments:
a) Cause a roadway that is operating at an acceptable LO S to d eteriorate to an unacceptable LOS; OR
b) Cause the V/C ratio (on a directional peak hour basis) to increase by more than 0.05 on a roadway that is already operating at an unaccepta ble LOS. It should be noted that a decrease from an unacceptable LOS t o a le sser LOS (e.g. from LOS D to LOS E in Scope of Traffic Impact Study - Proposed Azorro Senior Housing Complex November 19, 2019 Northwest of the Intersection of Tulare and Helm Avenues, Fresno, California Page 5
County areas) is not considered an impact unless the corresponding V/C ratio increase is greater than 0.05.
2) At signalized intersections:
a) Cause an intersection that is o perating at an acceptable LOS to deter iorate to an unacceptable LOS; OR
b) Cause the average delay to increase by more than 5.0 seconds at a signalized intersection that is operating at an unacceptable LOS. It should be note d that a decrease from an unacceptable LOS to a lesser LOS (e.g. from LOS D to LOS E in County areas) is not considered an impact unless the corresponding delay increase is greater than 5.0 seconds.
3) At unsignalized intersections, including all -way stop, minor ap proach stop, and roundabouts:
a) Cause a movement or approach that is operating at an acceptable LOS to deteriorate to an unacceptable LOS; OR
b) Cause the average delay to increase by more than 5.0 seconds on a movement or approach that is operat ing at an unacceptable LOS. It s hould be noted that a decrease from an unacceptable LOS to a lesser LOS (e.g. from LOS D to LOS E in County areas) is not considered an impact unless the corresponding delay increase is greater than 5.0 seconds.
4) On roadways with t raveled way width of le ss than 18 feet (essentially one -lane roadways assuming a minimum of 8 feet per travel direction for vehicle width and edge -of-traveled- way clearance, plus 2 feet clearance between vehicles traveling in opposite directions.) a) Cause a roadway that already carries 100 vehicles per day (vpd) or less to carry more than 100 vpd; OR
b) Cause a roadway that already carries more than 100 vpd to carry any additional traffic.
The County Guidelines also contain the following statement : “ Although queuing is not included as a significance criterion, the TIS shall include a queuing analysis when appropriate, particularly (but not limited to) left -turn pockets at signalized intersections. The TIS shall include recommendations to correct excessive queuing, blocking, ope rational problems, or storage deficiencies related to queuing.”
Caltrans Criteria
The Ca ltrans Guide for the Prepar ation of Traffic Impact Studies dated December 2002 (Caltrans Guide) states the following: “ Caltrans endeavors to mainta in a targe t LOS at the transition between LOS “C” and LOS “D” (see Appendix “C-3”) on State hig hway facilities, however, Caltrans acknowledges that this may not always be feasible and recommends that the lead agency consult with Caltrans to determine the a ppropriate target LOS. If an exi sting State highway facility is operating at less than the app ropriate target LOS, the existing MOE should be maintained.”
Scope of Traffic Impact Study - Proposed Azorro Senior Housing Complex November 19, 2019 Northwest of the Intersection of Tulare and Helm Avenues, Fresno, California Page 6
Therefore, a significant traffic impact typically is identified at State locations if:
• the proposed Project will decrease the LOS below C at an intersection; or • the proposed P roject will exacerbate an existing d eficiency at an intersection already operating below LOS C by increasing the average delay per vehicle at the intersection by 5.0 seconds or more.
Deviations from Traffic Study Checklist
We are requesting that analyses using Synchro 9 software be allowed. In add ition, we are requesting that collis ion analyses and traffic signal warrant s analyses be e xcluded from the required scope of work.
Closing
Peters Engineering Group is requesting written comments and/or confirmation of the content of this letter. Specifically, we are requ esting discussion and confirmation of the following items discussed above from all affected agencies before continuing with the analyses:
• Trip generation assumptions and calculations
• Project trip distribution (no select zone analysis proposed) • Study area intersections to be counted and analyzed
• The time periods requiring intersection turning movement counts • The study scenarios
• Significance criteria
• Pending and approved projects
• 24-hour counts for traffic signal warrants not proposed • Collision analyses not proposed.
Thank you for the opportunity to work with you on this project. Please feel free to contact our office or email me at [email protected] if you have any questions.
PETERS ENGINEERING GROUP
John Rowland, PE, TE
Attachments: Figures 1 through 4
City of Fresno Public Works Department Traffic Study Checklist
cc: Ms. Jill Gormley, City of Fresno
Mr. Brian Spaunhurst, County of Fresno
Mr. David Padilla, Caltrans
CITY OF FRESNO
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
TRAFFIC STUDY CHECKLIST
APPLICANT:
ASSIGNED PLANNER:
ACCELA/FAASTER REFERENCE NUMBER:
Traffic Study Submittal:
Was prepared based on a scope of work approved by the City Traffic Engineer Used the most recent version of Synchro for intersection analysis Used the most recent version of the ITE Trip Generation Was prepared and reviewed under the supervision and direction of a qualified engineer or authorized owner/principal of firm
Was prepared using count data collected within one year of the submittal date Includes an electronic copy, assembled as a complete document Includes One (1) hard copy
Conforms to the most recent version of the City’s Traffic Study Guidelines Includes operational analysis files (Synchro)
Traffic Study includes:
Entitlement/Accela (FAASTER) No./ Tract or Parcel Map No. Assigned Planner’s name
Stamp and/or signature of qualified engineer or authorized owner/principal of firm stating the study was prepared and reviewed under their supervision and direction Project description
Methodology description
Project Trip Generation
Trip Generation Comparison (if a General Plan Amendment) Delay analysis
Queuing analysis for all movements at all study intersections Discussion of existing and planned bicycle, pedestrian and transit facilities Collision analysis
On-site circulation analysis
Mitigations and Recommendations
CITY OF FRESNO
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
TRAFFIC STUDY CHECKLIST
APPLICANT:
ASSIGNED PLANNER:
ACCELA/FAASTER REFERENCE NUMBER:
Included Figures:
Vicinity Map
Site Plan
Trip distribution at intersections/along roadways
Trip distribution at proposed access points
Volumes for all scenarios analyzed
Lane configurations for all scenarios analyzed
Locations of approved projects
Included Appendices:
Approved Scope of Work
Model request
Model data
Count data
Level of Service analysis worksheets
Collision data
Warrants
CERTIFICATION OF APPLICANT: Read each of the statements below. After you have read the statements and understand them, please sign and date in the space provided at the end of this section:
1) I certify that I have read the Traffic Study Check list thoroughly, followed any and all instruction, and have supplied the necessary information to allow staff to review my study or application and that the supplied information is true and correct information herein to the best of my knowledge and belief. 2) I understand that falsification or misrepresentation on my part of any of the information that I have supplied above constitutes sufficient grounds for return of my submittal, or should any of my responses be determined false, misleading and/or incomplete will subject my application/plans to review delays and may result in the requirement for the applicant to pay additional review fees.
Applicant’s signature: Date: _________________