VMT Methodology & Low VMT Area
Screening Maps
The City of Lancaster utilizes the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) travel demand model to calculate VMT. In 2024, SCAG released the new RTP/SCS activity-based model (ABM). This model was used to determine the Baseline VMT which is defined as Los Angeles County’s Antelope Valley Planning Area (AVPA). In addition, model data was utilized to determine the Low VMT Areas in the City for use in screening a project from further VMT analysis. A project that is located in a traffic analysis zone (TAZ) that is already 15% below the AVPA Baseline VMT meets the screening criteria.
The SCAG 2024/RTP/SCS model has a base year of 2019 and future year of 2050. The modeling platform is an activity-based travel demand simulation tool which can simulate individual travel choice with high behavioral realism. The model addresses both household- level and person-level travel choices including intra-household interactions between household members across a wide range of activity and travel dimensions. It predicts travel as emerging from activity participation, using various innovative sub-models, such as a combinatorial mode choice model that predicts tour mode and trip mode simultaneously.
TOTAL VMT PER SERVICE POPULATION
Total VMT per Service Population is the VMT generated by all vehicles and all trip purposes.
Service population is defined as the total residential population plus the total number of employees or jobs within a specific geographic area or project boundary. The total VMT to and from all zones in the geographic area is divided by the total service population to calculate the efficiency metric of VMT per service population.
HOME-BASED VMT PER CAPITA
Home-based VMT is the VMT for all tours embarked upon by residents, encompassing both Single Occupancy Vehicle (SOV) and High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) drivers (drivers only).
The total tour of the home-based VMT is then divided by the population within the geographic area. Figure 1 presents the Low VMT Areas for residential uses.
HOME-BASED WORK VMT PER EMPLOYEE
Home-based work VMT is the VMT for all work-related tours, encompassing both work and work-related business. The VMT is then divided by the employees within the geographic area. Figure 2 presents the Low VMT Areas for employment (commercial or industrial) uses.
Crest
Palmdale
Regional
Airport
C:\fpbox\Box\-Projects\LA-Projects\3600s\3651_Lancaster VMT Updates\Graphics\GIS\MXD\LA25-3651_Lancaster VMT Update\LA25-3651_Lancaster VMT Update.aprx Figure 1 - Low VMT Areas for Residential Projects
Home-Based VMT per Capita
0 1 2
Miles
>15% below the AVPA Average
0-15% below the AVPA Average
Higher than the AVPA Average
Area requires additional analysis
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Lancaster
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C:\fpbox\Box\-Projects\LA-Projects\3600s\3651_Lancaster VMT Updates\Graphics\GIS\MXD\LA25-3651_Lancaster VMT Update\LA25-3651_Lancaster VMT Update.aprx Figure 2 - Low VMT Areas for Employment Projects
Home-Based Work VMT per Employee
0 1 2
Miles
>15% below the AVPA Average
0-15% below the AVPA Average
Higher than the AVPA Average
Area requires additional analysis
due to very low employees
Lancaster
teertS noisiviD
West Avenue I
tse
W teertS ht02
Sierra Highway
West Avenue N
tse
W teertS ht03
West Avenue L
tse
W teertS ht01
tse
W teertS ht05
East Avenue I
West Avenue G
West Avenue J
West Avenue H
West Avenue P East Avenue P
tse
W teertS ht06
East Avenue H
East Avenue K
East Avenue J
tsaE
teertS
ht05tsaE teertS ht02
Sierra Highway
Godde
Hi
aoRll
d
tsaE teertS ht04
East Avenue MWest Avenue M
West Avenue K
West Avenue D
East Lancaster Boulevard
RanchoVistaBouleva
rd
ya
W
regnellahC
tse
W teertS ht09
Technology Drive
tse
W teertS ht04
West Avenue K tsaE teertS ht03
East Avenue J
Qua
rtz Hill Road
101
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WteertS
h
est
West Avenue O
Joh nso
nRoad
14 138
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