RESOLUTION NO. 2022-70
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GONZALES
ADOPTING VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED (VMT) AS THE METRIC FOR
CONDUCTING TRANSPORTATION IMPACT ANALYSES TO COMPLY WITH CALIFORNIA SENATE BILL 743, VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED POLICY WHEREAS, the State legislature of the State of California adopted the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA), as amended, and codified in Sections 21000 et seq. of the Public Resources Code; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature directed the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to prepare State guidelines for the implementation of said act by public agencies; and WHEREAS, Senate Bill 743, codified in Public Resources Code section 21099, required changes to the CEQA Guidelines for determining the significance of transportation impacts of projects; and
WHEREAS, CEQA Guidelines section 15064.3 went into effect on July 1, 2020, and it identifies vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as the most appropriate metric to evaluate a project’s transportation impacts; and
WHEREAS, vehicle delay, as measured by level of service (LOS), no longer constitutes a significant environmental effect under CEQA. Senate Bill 743 does not prevent a city or county from continuing to analyze delay or LOS as part of development standards, but it may no longer constitute the basis for CEQA impact and mitigation. (Public Resources Code section 21099(e)(4).); and
WHEREAS, CEQA Guidelines section 15064.7(a) defines a threshold of significance as “an identifiable quantitative, qualitative or performance level of a particular environmental effect, noncompliance with which means the effect will normally be determined to be significant by the agency and compliance with which means the effect normally will be determined to be less than significant;” and
WHEREAS, CEQA Guidelines section 15064.7(b) requires that thresholds of significance be adopted by ordinance, resolution, rule or regulations, developed through a public review process and be supported by substantial evidence; and WHEREAS, the City is adopting this policy to bring the City’s transportation analysis methodology in line with state goals pursuant to SB 743; and WHEREAS, in recognition of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR)’s recommendations, the recommendations in this report include VMT thresholds, screening criteria, and mitigation to ensure consistency with CEQA Guidelines. Additionally, the City partnered with Kimley-Horn to develop a VMT tool that uses the AMBAG model to determine whether a proposed project would create a significant impact. The tool evaluates a project’s anticipated VMT based on its land use type. This was done in compliance with SB 743 and OPR’s “Technical Advisory on Evaluating Transportation Impacts in CEQA”; and WHEREAS, at a regular meeting of the Planning Commission held on September 12, 2022, the matter was presented by staff, all testimony was received and considered, and the Planning Commission deliberated the matter; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission found and determined, based upon staff and consultant reports and research, that the revised CEQA thresholds of significance under consideration are consistent with State requirements as to how transportation impacts should be evaluated for purposes of CEQA review of projects. The revised thresholds are based upon the VMT metric that is specifically required in CEQA Guidelines section 15064.3. Additionally, the policy under consideration is consistent with and based upon review of OPR guidance; and WHEREAS, in Resolution PC 2022-06, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council adopt the Vehicle Miles Traveled Policy, designating Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as the metric for conducing transportation analyses pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), establishing CEQA thresholds of significance related to VMT, and identifying screening criteria to limit review for projects presumed to have less than significant VMT impact, and
WHEREAS, in Resolution PC 2022-06, the Planning Commission also recommended that the City Council adopt the VMT Calculator as prepared by Kimley-Horn on behalf of cities in the Monterey County Region and TAMC, to facilitate VMT computations and suggested mitigation measures and strategies for reducing VMT. (Such model may be adjusted, improved and refined over time, without need to return for legislative action by the City.); and WHEREAS, in the motion to approve Resolution PC 2022-06, the Planning Commission also requested that the City Council consider directing that an update to parking standards and ordinances citywide be undertaken; and
WHEREAS, the City of Gonzales Community Development Department determined that the addition of this VMT threshold policy to address transportation related impacts is consistent with CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.7 (Threshold of Significance) and is exempt from CEQA per the categorical exemption under CEQA Guidelines section 15308, Class 8 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment). Furthermore, the project does not qualify for any of the exceptions to the categorical exemptions found at CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GONZALES:
1. The above recitals are incorporated herein as findings for approval.
2. The Vehicle Miles Traveled Policy, attached hereto as Exhibit A, designating Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as the metric for conducing transportation analyses pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), establishing CEQA thresholds of significance related to VMT, and identifying screening criteria to limit review for projects presumed to have less than significant VMT impact, is hereby adopted.
3. The VMT Calculator as prepared by Kimley-Horn on behalf of cities in Monterey County is hereby incorporated in this adopted policy and is to be used to facilitate VMT computations and suggested mitigation measures and strategies for reducing VMT by 15%. (Such model may be adjusted, improved and refined over time, without need to return for legislative action by the City.)
4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately following passage and adoption thereof.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Gonzales at a meeting held on this 3rd day of October 2022 by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Jose L. Rios, The Honorable Mayor
ATTEST:
Mary Villegas, Deputy City Clerk
1 SB 743 Implementation – City of Gonzales VMT Policy
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Vehicle Miles Traveled Implementation Policy - City of Gonzales Proposed for Adoption - October 3, 2022
1.0 Background
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) has documented recommended analysis guidelines for SB 743 in its Technical Advisory on Evaluating Transportation Impacts in CEQA (2018) which provides for Vehicle Miles Traveled In 2013, SB 743 was signed into law by California Governor Jerry Brown with a goal of reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, promoting the development of infill land use projects and multimodal transportation networks, and to promote a diversity of land uses within developments. One significant outcome resulting from this statue is the removal of automobile delay and congestion, commonly known as level of service (LOS), as a basis for determining significant transportation impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). (VMT) as the principal measure to replace LOS for determining significant transportation impacts. VMT is a measure of total vehicular travel that accounts for the number of vehicle trips and the length of those trips. OPR selected VMT, in part, because jurisdictions are already familiar with this metric. VMT is already used in CEQA to study other potential impacts such as GHG, air quality, and energy impacts and is used in planning for regional Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCS).
VMT also allows for an analysis of a project’s impact throughout the jurisdiction rather than only in the vicinity of the proposed project allowing for a better understanding of the full extent of a project’s transportation-related impact. It should be noted that SB 743 does not disallow the City of Gonzales to use LOS for other planning purposes outside the scope of CEQA.
2.0 Use of This Document
Note that although this document includes footnotes and references to other documents, this document has been developed to serve both as the basis of SB 743 implementation and VMT analysis within the City. Accordingly, the document does not require the reader to reference the footnotes unless they are interested in understanding the technical basis of elements of this document’s preparation. Analysis guidelines are separated into two distinct approaches, those that relate to land use projects (Section 3.0) and those that relate to transportation improvement projects (Section 4.0). If a project includes both land use and transportation improvement elements, analysis would be required to be carried out for both. Projects not subject to CEQA are not required to follow these guidelines.
3.0 Land Use Projects
An approach to identify transportation impacts under CEQA for land-use that closely align with guidance provided within the OPR Technical Advisory on Evaluating Transportation Impacts in CEQA (2018). While the OPR guidance related to SB 743 has been a helpful introduction to using VMT to evaluate projects, it does not provide a complete solution. There are a multitude of complex practical issues that are not addressed by the OPR guidance. OPR Guidance does not specifically address land uses beyond residential, office and retail, and it provides latitude on some elements of implementation. In response to this, a specific series of analysis steps for SB 743 project evaluation have been developed to clarify requirements and reduce potential confusion. Exhibit 1 provides a graphical representation of this analysis process.
EXHIBIT A
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Exhibit 1 – Process for CEQA VMT Analysis for Land Use Projects
EXHIBIT A
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Step 1: Determine ITE Land Use Type
If it is determined that this policy applies to a land use project, the second step will be to evaluate the project for the following considerations:
Land use type. For the purposes of analysis, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) land use codes serve as the basis of land use definitions. Although it is recognized that VMT evaluation tools and methodologies are typically not fully sensitive to some of the distinctions between some ITE categories, the use of ITE land use codes is useful for maintaining consistency across analyses, determining trip generation for other planning level tools, and maintaining a common understanding of trip making characteristics amongst transportation professionals. The ITE land use code is also used as an input into the VMT Analysis Tool described in Step 4 of this Section
Mixed Use. If there are multiple distinct land uses within the project (residential, office, retail, etc.), they will be required to be analyzed separately unless they are determined to be insignificant to the total VMT. Mixed use projects are permitted to account for internal capture which depending on the methodology may require a distinct approach not covered in this documentation. This analysis would be the responsibility of the applicant and will need to be prepared by a qualified transportation professional and approved by the City of Gonzales. Redevelopment projects. As described under the Non-Significant Screening Criteria section, redevelopment projects which have lower VMT than the existing on-site use can be determined to have a non-significant impact.
Once the land use type(s) are determined, the next step is to screen the project to determine if further CEQA transportation analysis is necessary.
Step 2: Screen for Non-Significant Transportation Impact The purpose of this step is to determine if a presumption of a non-significant transportation impact can be made on the facts of the project. The guidance in this section is primarily intended to avoid unnecessary analysis and findings that would be inconsistent with the intent of SB 743. A detailed CEQA transportation analysis will not be required for land use elements of a project that meet the screening criteria shown in Exhibit 2. If a project has multiple distinct uses (residential, office, retail, etc.), only those elements of the project that are not screened out would require further evaluation to determine transportation significance for CEQA purposes.
EXHIBIT A
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Exhibit 2 – Screening Criteria
Screening Criteria OPR Guidance
Small Projects1
This applies to projects
with low trip
generation per existing
CEQA exemptions.
Note that this includes
any land use type
(residential, office,
open space,
neighborhood parks,
etc.)
Presumed to cause a less-than-significant impact:
Project generation is less than 110 trips per day per the ITE Manual or other acceptable source determined by the City of Gonzales Unless:
It is inconsistent with the Sustainable Communities Strategy as determined by the City of Gonzales
Projects Near High
Quality Transit2
High quality transit
provides a viable
option for many to
replace automobile
trips with transit trips
resulting in an overall
reduction in VMT.
Presumed to cause a less-than-significant impact:
Within a ½ mile of an existing major transit stop; and Maintains a service interval frequency of 15 minutes or less during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods).
Unless:
Has a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of less than 0.75; or
Includes more parking, excluding on-street parking, for use by residents, customers, or employees of the project than required by the City of Gonzales zoning code; or
It is inconsistent with the Sustainable Communities Strategy as determined by the City of Gonzales; or
Replaces affordable residential units with a smaller number of moderate- or high-income residential units
Local-Serving Retail3
The introduction of
new Local-serving
retail has been
determined to reduce
VMT by shortening
trips that will occur out
of necessity (groceries,
other essentials, etc.).
Presumed to cause a less-than-significant impact:
No single store on-site exceeds 50,000 square feet; and Project is local-serving as determined by the City of Gonzales Unless:
The nature of the service is regionally focused as determined by the City of Gonzales
1 2018 OPR Guidance, page 12 2 2018 OPR Guidance, page 13 3 2018 OPR Guidance, page 16
EXHIBIT A
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Exhibit 2 – Screening Criteria
Screening Criteria OPR Guidance
Affordable Housing4
Lower-income
residents make fewer
trips on average,
resulting in lower VMT
overall.
Presumed to cause a less-than-significant impact:
A high percentage of affordable housing is provided as determined by the City of Gonzales
Unless:
The percentage of affordable housing is determined by the City of Gonzales to not be high in relation to the residential element of a project
Local Essential
Service5
As with Local-Serving
Retail, the introduction
of new Local Essential
Services shortens nondiscretionary trips by
putting those goods
and services closer to
residents, resulting in
an overall reduction in
VMT.
Presumed to cause a less-than-significant impact:
Building is less than 50,000 square feet: and
Land Use is :
• Day care center; or
• Public K-12 School; or
• Police or Fire facility; or
• Medical/Dental office building; or
• Government offices (in-person services such as post office, library, and utilities)
Unless:
The nature of the service is regionally focused as determined by the City of Gonzales
Map-Based Screening
This method
eliminates the need for
complex analyses, by
allowing existing VMT
data to serve as a basis
for the screening
smaller developments.
Note that screening is
limited to residential
Presumed to cause a less-than-significant impact:
Area of development is under threshold as shown on screening map as allowed by the City of Gonzales
Unless:
Represent significant growth as to substantially change regional travel patterns as determined by the City of Gonzales
4 2018 OPR Guidance, page 14. As described, “Evidence supports a presumption of less than significant impact for a 100 percent affordable residential development (or the residential component of a mixed-use development) in infill locations. Lead agencies may develop their own presumption of less than significant impact for residential projects (or residential portions of mixed-use projects) containing a particular amount of affordable housing, based on local circumstances and evidence.” 5 Based on assumption that, like local-serving retail, the addition of necessary local in-person services will reduce VMT given that trips to these locations will be made irrespective of distance given their non-discretionary nature.
EXHIBIT A
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Exhibit 2 – Screening Criteria
Screening Criteria OPR Guidance
and office projects
utilizing the maps.
Redevelopment
Projects6
Projects with lower
VMT than existing onsite uses, can under
limited circumstances,
be presumed to have a
non-significant impact.
In the event this
screening does not
apply, projects should
be analyzed as though
there is no existing
uses on site (project
analysis cannot take
credit for existing
VMT).
Presumed to cause a less-than-significant impact:
Project replaces an existing VMT-generating land use and does not result in a net overall increase in VMT
Unless:
The project replaces an existing VMT-generating land use and results in a net overall increase in VMT
6 2018 OPR Guidance, Page 18
EXHIBIT A
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Step 3: Determine Significance Threshold and Methodology The purpose of this step is to determine the threshold of significance for application to a land use project if it is not screened out in Step 3, or if further analysis is necessary to determine VMT impacts.
Significance thresholds are based on land use type, broadly categorized as efficiency and net change metrics. Efficiency metrics include VMT/Capita and Work VMT/employee7 . As described in Exhibit 3,
“Net Change” refers to the net change in regional VMT. “Net Change” is used for elements that include a significant customer base, such as commercial uses, although it can extend to a variety of uses that have similar characteristics.
Exhibit 3 - Significance Threshold and Methodology
Example Details
Threshold Basis
Efficiency Net Change
Example Land Use Residential, Professional Office,
Industrial
Retail, Medical Office, Sports
Venue
Example VMT Thresholds Per capita, per employee Region VMT change Customer Component No Yes
Allowable Methods
Non-Significant Screening Criteria,
The City of Gonzales VMT Analysis
Tool, Travel Demand Model
Non-Significant Screening
Criteria, Travel Demand Model
For projects with a significant customer base (retail, medical offices, sports venue, etc.) it is typically appropriate to separate employee trip characteristics from the customer base unless the customer base is minimal in nature. Under these circumstances, it is most appropriate to evaluate the total of the delta in regional VMT resultant from the customer base plus the delta of VMT resultant from employees based on the following formula:
(number of employees) x (estimated VMT/employee – threshold VMT/employee) The threshold of significance will accordingly correspond to the “Net Change” threshold as described in Exhibit 3. Under these circumstances, it is most appropriate to evaluate this total Net Change as the basis for evaluating the outcome of mitigations in terms of determining transportation significance although each element of the project should be tallied separately for the purposes of clarity. 7 Work VMT specifically applies to commute trips as represented by the attractions in the Travel Demand Model. Refer to Appendix A for additional information
EXHIBIT A
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VMT Thresholds of Significance
OPR suggests a 15 percent VMT reduction relative to existing local or regional average VMT levels. The thresholds of significance recommended by OPR, as they relate to the City of Gonzales, are summarized in Exhibit 4.
Exhibit 4 - OPR suggested VMT Thresholds of Significance Land Use OPR Guidance8
Residential 15% below existing city-wide average VMT per capita Office 15% below existing county-wide average VMT per employee Retail Net increase in regional VMT
Based on these criteria the VMT thresholds of significance shown in Exhibit 5 have been established.
Exhibit 5 - VMT Thresholds of Significance
Land Use VMT Threshold Basis
Residential 14.4 VMT/capita9 15% below existing city-wide average VMT per capita.
Office 6.6 Work VMT/Employee10 15% below existing county-wide average Work VMT per employee
Retail Net regional change Using the county geographical area as the basis Other
Employment Work VMT/Employee11 15% below existing county-wide average Work VMT per employee for similar land uses Other
Customer Net regional change Using the county or another geography deemed appropriate by the City of Gonzales as the basis Note that the inclusion of “Other Employment” and “Other Customer” refers to all other service and goods providers that are not included in the office/retail categories. As shown they follow a similar approach to the office/retail categories with the principal difference being that the average/basis for of the threshold would the aggregation of the specific “other” land use across the county (i.e. an industrial project would use industrial uses, etc.).
Based on improvements to methods and data as well as other modeling modifications there will be periodic updates to the numerical threshold values shown, however the relative approach for calculating them should remain the same. The values in the current VMT Analysis Tool, discussed below, 8 2018 OPR Guidance, Pages 15-16 9 Residential VMT specifically applies to all Home-Based trips residential trips as represented in the Travel Demand Model. Refer to Appendix A for additional information. 10 Work VMT specifically applies to commute trips as represented in the Travel Demand Model. Refer to Appendix A for additional information 11 Work VMT specifically applies to commute trips as represented in the Travel Demand Model. Refer to Appendix A for additional information
EXHIBIT A
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will supersede the information provided in the table above. Additional thresholds for various employment types are also provide in the VMT Analysis Tool.
VMT Analysis Tool
The City of Gonzales has developed a VMT Analysis Tool for use in SB 743 land use project analysis. The purpose of the tool is to calculate VMT for a land use project. As with any VMT Analysis Tool, there are distinct limitations in terms of its application including limits on the type and size of development that can be applied to. Note that it is anticipated that the tool will continue to evolve in response to data or methodological changes and as such it is important that the most current version of the tool be utilized.
Broadly, the VMT Analysis Tool provides the following information:
Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation VMT Threshold Analysis
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Estimation
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Evaluation
The VMT Analysis methodology is summarized in Appendix A.
Step 4: Develop Scope Agreement and Complete VMT Analysis Prior to undertaking VMT analysis, a scope compliant with the City of Gonzales’s requirements must be prepared by the project applicant and submitted to the City for approval. Given the potential complexities of some uses, particularly those not identified as residential, retail, or office, an agreement regarding the threshold and methodology is important to avoid analysis that is not compliant with the City of Gonzales’s requirements.
Step 5: Identify Mitigation Measures
During this step, the analysis agreed to under Step 5 should be complete and approved by the City of Gonzales. Relevant documentation providing enough detail that assumptions are clearly understandable, and methods that can be replicated should be provided along with the results of the VMT analysis for the proposed project.
If a significant transportation impact is identified, feasible mitigation measures to avoid or reduce the impact must be identified. CEQA requires that mitigation measures are included in the project’s environmental assessment. OPR provides a list of potential measures to reduce VMT but gives the lead agency (the City of Gonzales in this case) full discretion in the selection of mitigation measures.
The type and size of the project will determine the most appropriate mitigation strategies for VMT impacts. For large projects such as general plans or specific plans, VMT mitigations should concentrate on the project’s density and land use mix, site design, regional policies, and availability of transit, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities. For smaller projects such as an individual development project, VMT mitigations will typically require the preparation of a transportation demand management (TDM) program. A TDM program is a combination of strategies to reduce VMT. The program is created by an applicant for their land use project based on a list of strategies agreed to with the City of Gonzales.
The City of Gonzales has developed a list of potential TDM strategies appropriate for their jurisdiction and what magnitude of VMT reduction could be achieved. The selection process was guided by the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) recommendations found in the 2010
EXHIBIT A
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publication Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Measures. The area context of the City of Gonzales also influenced the type of TDM strategies that were selected. CAPCOA has found strategies with the largest VMT reduction in rural areas include vanpools, telecommute or alternative work schedules, and master planned communities with design and land-use diversity to encourage intra-community travel.
Based on empirical evidence, CAPCOA found the cross-category maximum for all transportation-related mitigation measures is 15% for suburban settings.
Appendix B summarizes available TDM strategies along with the maximum VMT reduction, applicable land use application, and complementary strategies. The City of Gonzales’s VMT Analysis Tool includes the TDMs summarized in Appendix B.
Step 6: Mitigation Monitoring
As required by CEQA, the City of Gonzales will require ongoing mitigation monitoring and reporting. The specifics of this will be developed on a project basis.
4.0 Transportation Projects
Depending on the specific nature of a transportation project; it can alter trip patterns, trip lengths, and even trip generation. Research has determined that capacity-enhancing projects can and often do increase VMT. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as “induced demand”. The result of these increases in VMT can often both be measured in congestion increases and negative impacts to air quality including GHG emissions. While methods are generally less developed for the analysis of induced demand compared to other areas of transportation analysis, there is still the need to quantify and understand its impact to the transportation system considering the requirements of SB 743.
Similarly, to land use projects, the approach to transportation project analysis closely align with the 2018 OPR Guidance. In terms of analysis, the analyst should first determine whether the transportation project has been prescreened and determined to have a non-significant impact as described in the following section.
Screen for Non-Significant Transportation Impact
At the discretion of the City of Gonzales, the following improvements maybe presumed to result in a non-significant impact12:
1. Rehabilitation, maintenance, replacement, safety, and repair projects designed to improve the condition of existing transportation assets (e.g., highways; roadways; bridges; culverts;
2. Transportation Management System field elements such as cameras, message signs, detection, or signals; tunnels; transit systems; and assets that serve bicycle and pedestrian facilities) and that do not add additional motor vehicle capacity
3. Roadside safety devices or hardware installation such as median barriers and guardrails
4. Roadway shoulder enhancements to provide “breakdown space,” dedicated space for use only by transit vehicles, to provide bicycle access, or to otherwise improve safety, but which will not be used as automobile vehicle travel lanes
12 2018 OPR Guidance, Page 20
EXHIBIT A
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5. Addition of an auxiliary lane of less than one mile in length designed to improve roadway safety
6. Installation, removal, or reconfiguration of traffic lanes that are not for through traffic, such as left, right, and U-turn pockets, two-way left turn lanes, or emergency breakdown lanes that are not utilized as through lanes
7. Addition of roadway capacity on local or collector streets, based on the City’s functional classification, provided the project also substantially improves conditions for pedestrians, cyclists, and, if applicable, transit
8. Conversion of existing general-purpose lanes (including ramps) to managed lanes or transit lanes, or changing lane management in a manner that would not substantially increase vehicle travel
9. Addition of a new lane that is permanently restricted to use only by transit vehicles
10. Reduction in number of through lanes
11. Grade separation to separate vehicles from rail, transit, pedestrians or bicycles, or to replace a lane in order to separate preferential vehicles (e.g., HOV, HOT, or trucks) from general vehicles
12. Installation, removal, or reconfiguration of traffic control devices, including Transit Signal Priority (TSP) features
13. Installation of traffic metering systems, detection systems, cameras, changeable message signs and other electronics designed to optimize vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian flow
14. Timing of signals to optimize vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian flow
15. Installation of roundabouts or traffic circles
16. Installation or reconfiguration of traffic calming devices
17. Adoption of or increase in tolls
18. Addition of tolled lanes, where tolls are sufficient to mitigate VMT increase
19. Initiation of new transit service
20. Conversion of streets from one-way to two-way operation with no net increase in number of traffic lanes
21. Removal or relocation of off-street or on-street parking spaces
22. Adoption or modification of on-street parking or loading restrictions (including meters, time limits, accessible spaces, and preferential/reserved parking permit programs)
23. Addition of traffic wayfinding signage
24. Rehabilitation and maintenance projects that do not add motor vehicle capacity
25. Addition of new or enhanced bike or pedestrian facilities on existing streets/highways or within existing public rights-of-way
EXHIBIT A
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26. Addition of Class I bike paths, trails, multi-use paths, or other off-road facilities that serve nonmotorized travel
27. Installation of publicly available alternative fuel/charging infrastructure
28. Addition of passing lanes, truck climbing lanes, or truck brake-check lanes in rural areas that do not increase overall vehicle capacity along the corridor Significance Threshold and Methodology
For projects that increase roadway capacity and are not identified under the Non-Significant Screening Criteria in the prior section, the significance criterion should be change in regional VMT. A finding of a significant impact would be determined if a transportation project results in a net increase in regional VMT. As a practical matter, any roadway with more than a quarter mile in new roadway travel lane (through lanes) should be evaluated for induced demand. A competent transportation professional will be required to provide a basis for this evaluation that considers available data, roadway context, and tools. Depending on the location and nature of the roadway this may be best accomplished using a the AMBAG Travel Demand Model. CEQA requires mitigation monitoring. If a project is required to implement VMT mitigation measures, the City of Gonzales is required to monitor whether the project is implementing the mitigation measures. Mitigation monitoring will be determined and implemented on a case-by-case basis by the City of Gonzales staff
EXHIBIT A
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Appendix A
VMT Analysis Methodology
Travel Demand Models (TDMs) are broadly considered to be amongst the most accurate of available tools to assess regional and sub-area VMT. The Association of Monterey Bay Area governments (AMBAG) maintains the regional travel demand model as a part of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy program (MTP/SCS) that includes Monterey County and the City of Gonzales. The latest available version of the AMBAG TDM was developed in 2018.
The 2018 Base Year model scenario was used for the baseline conditions and 2040 Future Year model scenario was used for the cumulative conditions in the City. The incorporated cities included in the model are major contributors of the trips throughout Monterey County during a typical weekday.
As many of AMBAG Region’s daily trips originate from or are destined for areas outside of the County such as the Bay area and Santa Clara County (external trips), their total length could not be computed solely using the AMBAG TDM, additional analysis was required. The length of these trips was determined using two main processes, using Big Data and AMBAG TDM output files. Data was obtained from Teralytics that summarized the number of trips to and from the AMBAG Region to the surrounding Counties at the Census Tract level for the entire month of October 2019. The distance between each Census Tract was determined by using the TransCAD software, the modeling platform the AMBAG TDM runs on. The multipath analysis function within the TransCAD software was used to determine the point to point distance between the centroid of each Census Tract using the internal pathing algorithm that determines the shortest path along the roadway network between the centroid of each Census Tract pair. The shortest path between each AMBAG Region Census Tract and each non-AMBAG Region Census Tract that contained at least one trip was multiplied by the share of the total trips to and from each Census Tract within the AMBAG Region to determine the average trip length to and from Census Tracts.
The average trip length was applied to each TAZ based on the TAZ to Census Tract association and multiplied by the number of external trips to and from that TAZ to determine the total external VMT by TAZ.
Model Zone Structure
VMT was computed at Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ) level to determine the thresholds as well as to allow for comparisons among different areas throughout the County.
Socio-Economic Data
Socioeconomic data (SED) and other model inputs are associated with each TAZ. Out of several different variables in the model SED, the VMT analysis mainly focused on population, the number of households, the number of students, and types of employment that are used in the trip generation component. VMT computation was focused on the number of households in each TAZ and employment variables by 6 industries to determine rest of the trips. Employment variables used in the model are listed below.
Employment by Industry type:
1. Agriculture
2. Construction
3. Industrial and Manufacturing
EXHIBIT A
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4. Retail and Food
5. Service (White Collar, non-government jobs)
6. Public Administration (Government jobs)
Trip Generation
The AMBAG TDM runs a series of complex steps to estimate daily trip productions and attractions by various trip purposes for each TAZ. The trip purposes are listed below.
Model Trip Purpose:
1. Home-Based Work (HBW)
2. Home-Based Shopping (HBShop)
3. Home-Based School, K-12 (HBSchool)
4. Home-Based University (HBUniv)
5. Home-Based Other (HBOther)
6. Non-Home-Based Work (NHBW)
7. Non-Home-Based Other (NHBO)
8. Visitor Shop
9. Visitor Tourist
The production model uses several variables such as number of workers, household income, age, household size and car availability depending on the trip purpose. Trip productions for every TAZ in the model were compiled separately by each trip purpose. The attraction model uses employment categories for the HW trip purpose, whereas it uses the employment categories and number of students (K-12 and University) for all non-HW trip purposes. The attraction model estimates trip attractions to each TAZ by regression coefficients that vary by employment type. Trip attractions for every TAZ were compiled by each purpose and by each employment type based on these regression coefficients.
Person Trips, Vehicle Occupancy, Trip Distance
Trip productions and attractions were compiled after the mode choice step, and only auto trips were used for the analysis. After the vehicle trip productions and attractions were computed for each trip purpose, trip lengths were applied for each zone pair from the skim matrices in the model to compute the production and attraction VMT by purpose.
VMT by Land Use Type
The residential VMT was computed by combining the production VMT for all the Home-Based trip purposes. VMT for non-residential land uses was computed from the attraction VMT by appropriate trip purposes and regression coefficients used in the attraction model.
Residential and non-residential VMT by each TAZ were computed and average VMT were determined by City, County and Region levels to determine the City’s thresholds.
EXHIBIT A
15 SB 743 Implementation – City of Gonzales VMT Policy
October 2022
Appendix B
City of Gonzales
TDM
Measure
#
Transportatio
n Demand
Management
Measure
Description TDM Type
Max
VMT
Reducti
on
VMT
Reduction
Type
Parking Strategies
1 Parking CashOut
Provide employees a choice of
forgoing current parking for a
cash payment to be determined
by the employer. The higher the
cash payment, the higher the
reduction.
Incentive 3% Commute
Transit Strategies
2 Reduce Transit
Headways
Makes transit service more
appealing by reducing headways,
reducing overall transit trip time,
and encouraging riders to switch
from auto to transit use.
Incentive /
Infrastructur
e
2%
All
3 Transit
Rerouting
Coordinate with local transit
agency to provide or reroute
existing transit services near the
site
Infrastructur
e 2%
All
4 Transit Stops
Coordinate with local transit
agency to provide bus stop near
the site. Real time transportation
information displays support onthe-go decision maSand to support sustainable trip maSand.
Only get a reduction on a nonHQT line, cannot get both.
Infrastructure 2% All
5 Safe and WellLit Access to
Transit
Enhance the route for people
walking or bicycling to nearby
transit (typically off-site). Provide
Emergency 911 phones along
these routes to enhance safety.
Infrastructure 1% All
6 Implement
Neighborhood
Shuttle
Implement project-operated or
project-sponsored neighborhood
shuttle serving residents,
employees, and visitors of the
project site
Incentive 2% All
7 Transit
Subsidies
Involves the subsidization of
transit fare for residents and
employees of the project site.
This strategy assumes transit
service is already present in the
project area.
Incentive 2% All
EXHIBIT A
16 SB 743 Implementation – City of Gonzales VMT Policy
October 2022
City of Gonzales
TDM
Measure
#
Transportatio
n Demand
Management
Measure
Description TDM Type
Max
VMT
Reducti
on
VMT
Reduction
Type
Communication & Information Strategies
8 Voluntary
Travel
Behavior
Change
Program
Involves the development of a
travel behavior change program
that targets individuals’ attitudes,
goals, and travel behaviors,
educating participants on the
impacts of their travel choices
and the opportunities to alter
their habits. Provide a web site
that allows employees to
research other modes of
transportation for commuting.
Employee-focused travel
behavior change program that
targets individuals attitudes,
goals, and travel behaviors,
educating participants on the
impacts of their travel choices
and the opportunities to alter
their habits.
Incentive
4%
All
9 Promotions &
Marketing
Involves the use of marketing
and promotional tools to educate
and inform travelers about sitespecific transportation options and the effects of their travel
choices with passive educational
and promotional materials.
Marketing and public information
campaign to promote awareness
of TDM program with an on-site
coordinator to monitor program.
Incentive All
10 On-site TDM
Program
Manager and
TDM
Marketing
Materials
Marketing and public information
campaign to promote awareness
of TDM program with an on-site
coordinator to monitor program.
Infrastructure All
11 Required
Commute Trip
Reduction
Program
Employee-focused travel
behavior change program that
targets individuals attitudes,
goals, and travel behaviors,
educating participants on the
impacts of their travel choices
and the opportunities to alter
their habits.
Incentive Commute
EXHIBIT A
17 SB 743 Implementation – City of Gonzales VMT Policy
October 2022
City of Gonzales
TDM
Measure
#
Transportatio
n Demand
Management
Measure
Description TDM Type
Max
VMT
Reducti
on
VMT
Reduction
Type
Commuting Strategies
12 Employer
Sponsored
Vanpool or
Shuttle
Implementation of employersponsored employee vanpool or shuttle providing new
opportunities for access to
connect employees to the project
site.
Incentive /
Infrastructure 4%
Commute
13 Preferential
Carpool /
Vanpool Per
City of
Gonzales
Spaces
Reserved carpool / vanpool
spaces closer to the building
entrance.
Infrastructure 1% All
14 Passenger
Loading Zones
for Carpool /
Vanpool
Provide easy access for carpools
or vanpools. Infrastructure 1% All
15 Emergency
Ride Home
(ERH)
Program
Provides an occasional
subsidized ride to commuters
who use alternative modes.
Guaranteed ride home for people
if they need to go home in the
middle of the day due to an
emergency or stay late and need
a ride at a time when transit
service is not available. This
supplemental to the other trip
reduction strategies.
Incentive 2% Commute
16 Alternative
Work
Schedule
Flextime, Compressed Work
Week (CWW), and staggered
shifts
Incentive
20%
All
17 Telework
(Telecommutin
g, DistanceLearning, etc.)
Use of telecommunications as a
substitute for physical travel. Incentive All
18 On-site
Childcare
Provides on-site childcare to
remove the need to drive a child
to daycare at a separate location.
Infrastructure 2% All
EXHIBIT A
18 SB 743 Implementation – City of Gonzales VMT Policy
October 2022
City of Gonzales
TDM
Measure
#
Transportatio
n Demand
Management
Measure
Description TDM Type
Max
VMT
Reducti
on
VMT
Reduction
Type
Shared Mobility Strategies
19 Ride-Share
Program
Increases vehicle occupancy by
providing ride-share matching
services, designating preferred
per City of Gonzales for rideshare participants, designing adequate passenger
loading/unloading and waiting
areas for ride-share vehicles, and
providing a website or message
board to connect riders and
coordinate rides. Need a point
person form the business on-site
Incentive 5% Commute
20 Scooters
Share
Program
Implement scooter share to allow
people to have on-demand
access to a scooter, as-needed.
Incentive /
Infrastructure 1% All
Bicycle Infrastructure Strategies
21 Implement/Imp
rove On-street
Bicycle Facility
Implements or provides funding
for improvements to corridors
and crossings for bike networks
identified within a one-half mile
buffer area of the project
boundary, to support safe and
comfortable bicycle travel.
Infrastructure 1% 3%
22 Include Bike
Per City of
Gonzales in
excess of City
Code
Implements long-term bicycle
parSand to support safe and
comfortable bicycle travel by
providing parSand facilities at
destinations
Infrastructure
23 1.5%
Include
Secure Bike
Per City of
Gonzales and
Showers in
excess of City
Code
Implements additional end-of-trip
bicycle facilities to support safe
and comfortable bicycle travel.
Infrastructure
All
24 Bicycle Repair
Station /
Services
On-site bicycle repair tools and
space to use them supports ongoing use of bicycles for transportation.
Infrastructure
Neighborhood Enhancement Strategies
25 Traffic
Calming
Improvements
Implements traffic calming
measures throughout and around
the perimeter of the project site
Infrastructure 3% All
EXHIBIT A
19 SB 743 Implementation – City of Gonzales VMT Policy
October 2022
City of Gonzales
TDM
Measure
#
Transportatio
n Demand
Management
Measure
Description TDM Type
Max
VMT
Reducti
on
VMT
Reduction
Type
that encourage people to walk,
bike, or take transit within the
development and to the
development from other
locations.
26 Pedestrian
Network
Improvements
Implements pedestrian network
improvements throughout and
around the project site that
encourages people to walk.
Infrastructure 2% All
Miscellaneous Strategies
27 Virtual Care
Strategies for
Hospitals
Resources to allow patients to
access healthcare services or
communicate with healthcare
staff through online or off-site
programs.
Infrastructure 6% Hospital
Visitors
28 On-site
Affordable
Housing
Provides on-site affordable
housing close to TOD or work
place/business
Land Use 30% All
EXHIBIT A
VMT CALCULATOR
Version 1.1 Build Date 5_4_21
VMT/Capita 0.0 0.0 0.0
Daily Trips 00 0
PRESUMPTIONS OF LESS THAN
SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
Affordable HousingWithin a 1/2 mile of Major Transit StopLocal Retail (<50,000 Sq Ft)Less than 110 Trips per Day Trip Gen less than 110, consider checking the above box
TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT (TDM) STRATEGIES
VMT Land Use Type
Dwelling Unit(s)
#VALUE!
LAND USE INFORMATION #VALUE!
Residential210 | Single-Family Detached Housing00%
This tool is only intended for projects of 2,000 trips or less.
PROJ. WITH
PROJECT REDUCTIONS MITIGATION
Analysis Year
Mixed-Use Adjustment
Enter valid address or TAZ#
ITE Trip Gen Land Use
Threshold (15% below Average)
Significant Impact?
Average (VMT/Capita) #VALUE!
ANALYSIS YEAR
2015
Project Name
VMT OUTPUT
Address
TAZ
Project Context/Setting
PROJECT INFORMATION
Low Density Suburb
SEARCH LOCATION RESET
0 0.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.9
1 VMT/Capita
Project Project with Mitigation Threshold
PARKING STRATEGIES
TRANSIT STRATEGIES
COMMUNICATIONS& INFORMATION STRATEGIES
COMMUTING STRATEGIES
SHARED MOBILITY STRATEGIES
BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGIES
NEIGHBORHOOD ENHANCEMENT STRATEGIES
MISCELLANEOUS STRATEGIES
EXHIBIT B