m e m o r a n d u m
DATE: May 8, 2023
TO: Lillyanna Diaz, Public Works
FROM: Sandipan Bhattacharjee, PE, TE, AICP, ENV-SP
SUBJECT: TTM 38443 Residential – VMT Analysis
Translutions, Inc. (Translutions) is pleased to provide this memorandum discussing the Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) evaluation for the proposed residential projects to be located east of Nason Street between Cottonwood Avenue Alessandro Boulevard in the City of Moreno Valley. This report is intended to satisfy the requirements for a VMT analysis established by the City as well as the requirements for the disclosure of potential impacts and mitigation measures per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The projects include approximately 133 single-family dwelling unit s in TTM 38443. The VMT analysis has been conducted using the RivTAM with Moreno Valley General Plan a nd includes both TTM’s. Primary access to the project will be via Cottonwood Avenue to the north and Nason Street to the west via a new connection with Bay Avenue.
BACKGROUND AND GUIDANCE
Senate Bill 743 (SB-743), which was codified in Public Resource s Code section 21099, was signed by the Governor in 2013 and directed the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to identify alternative metrics for evaluating transportation imp acts under CEQA. Pursuant to Section 21099, the criteria for determini ng the significance of transportation impacts must “promote th e reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the development of multimodal transportation networks, and a diversity of land uses.” Recently adopted changes to the CEQA Guidelines in response to Section 21099 include a new section (15064.3) that specifies that Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) is the most appropriate measure of transportation impacts. A separate Technical Advisory issued by OPR provides additional technical details on calculating VMT and assessing transportation impacts for various types of projects.
The City of Moreno Valley has prepared and adopted the City of Moreno Valley Transportation Impact Analysis Preparation Guide for Vehicle Miles Traveled and Level of Service Assessment ) in June 2020 to address changes to CEQA pursuant to SB-743 to include VMT analysis methodology, screening tools, and VMT thresholds.
For projects that require a VMT analysis and do not screen out, the guidelines recommend using home-based VMT/Capita (HB- VMT/Capita) for residential projects. The VMT analysis has been conducted using the RivTAM with Moreno Valley General Plan. Based on the City guidelines, this report analyzes the project generated VMT and project effect on VMT for the following scenarios:
1. Notice of Preparation (NOP) Baseline conditions.
2. NOP Baseline plus project conditions.
3. Year 2040 without project conditions; and
4. Year 2040 plus project conditions.
CEQA VMT Impact Thresholds
The City guidelines have established thresholds of significance for project generated VMT for use as part of the environmental review process under CEQA. The following would result in a significant project generated VMT:
1. A project would have a significant VMT impact if, in the NOP baseline plus project scenario, its net VMT per capita exceeds the per capita VMT for Moreno Valley.
tran slutions
the transportatio n solut ions company. ..
Memorandum: TTM 38443 Residential VMT Analysis
May 8, 2023
P:\MBI - MORENO VALLEY RESIDENTIAL\ANALYSIS APR 2023\VMT\VMT MEMO_137 UNITS V2.DOCX 2
the transportation solutions company...
a. If a project is consistent with regional RTP/SCS, then the cumulative impacts shall be considered less than significant subject to consideration of other substantial evidence. If is not consistent with the RTP/SCS, then it would have a significant VMT impact if it’s net VMT per capita exceeds the average VMT per capita for Moreno Valley for residential projects.
The base year and future year without project model runs were conducted using the RivTAM Moreno Valley General Plan. Based on data extracted from the without project model, the City’s VMT are the following – Base Year Model:
o VMT/Capita: 13.2
Future Year Model:
o VMT/Capita: 13.6
Analysis Methodology. The Per Capita VMT was calculated from the RivTAM with Moreno Valley General Plan. The base year RivTAM was modified to include the Project socio-economic data 1 (SED). The Project is located in traffic analysis zone 404190799.
The project was coded into empty zones borrowed from the area. The project was coded into two empty borrowed zone 404191815.
PROJECT GENERATED VMT ANALYSIS
As stated earlier, the VMT analysis was conducted using the Ri vTAM. Table A shows the calculation details for the Project gener ated VMT extracted from the model.
Table A - Project Generated VMT Summary
2012 2040 (NOP) 2022
Project City Project City Project City
Population 530 530 530
Homebased (HB) VMT 7,586 6,146 7,071
HB VMT per capita 14.3 13.2 11.6 13.6 13.3 13.4
NOP Year (2022) Conditions. The City of Moreno Valley Guidelines requires that Notice of Preparation (NOP) year VMT be calculated by interpolating between the base year and future year VMT. As s een in Table A, the NOP Year VMT/Capita for the project is 13.3 miles while the City average is 13.4 miles. The project generated VMT does not exceed the City’s VMT per capita. Therefore, the project does not have a significant VMT impact based on the City’s thresholds.
Year 2040 Conditions. As seen in Table A, the Year 2040 VMT/Capita for the project is 11.6 miles while the City average is 13.6 miles.
The project generated VMT does not exceed the City’s VMT per capita. Therefore, the project does not have a significant VMT impact based on the City’s thresholds.
CONCLUSION
The project generated VMT under NOP Year and Year 2040 with pr oject conditions does not exceed the City’s VMT per capita.
Therefore, the project does not have a significant VMT impact based on the City’s thresholds.
1 Socio-economic data are model inputs that include population, number of households, and types of employment that are used in the trip generation component.