2020-06-03 City Council Item No. 12.1 Proposed TIA Guidelines Threshold of Significance for VMT - SB 743 & CEQA Compliance Presentation Regular MEETING - Additional Meeting MaterialsCity of Menifee
City Council
Proposed TIA Guidelines
Threshold of Significance for
VMT -SB 743 & CEQA
Compliance
Overview
•Why are we adopting new CEQA thresholds of
significance?
•What is SB 743?
•History of Menifee’s process
•Will Menifee continue to address Level-of-Service?
•Proposed Approach
•Thresholds
•Screening
•Recommendation
SB 743 Overview
CEQA Guidelines Adoption w/ SB 743 Implementation
September 2013 –Governor Signed SB 743
December 2018 –OPR Finalized State CEQA Guidelines
December 2018 –Natural Resources Agency Updated CEQA Guidelines
Agencies have until July 2020 to implement VMT thresholds
WRCOG spearheaded an effort to complete an SB 743
Implementation Study to assist local agencies with
implementation, including:
•Threshold considerations
•Methodology comparisons
•Feasible mitigation measures
•Screening tool development
SB 743 OVERVIEW
Changes the discussion in CEQA on the analysis of
transportation impacts on the environment
Eliminates using auto delay,level of service (LOS),and other
similar measures of vehicular capacity or traffic congestion as a
basis for determining significant impacts on the environment
Currently use LOS as a
threshold in CEQA to
determine the widening of
roadways and
intersections addressing
impacts to drivers
SB 743 OVERVIEW
Changes the discussion in CEQA on the analysis oftransportationimpactsontheenvironment
•Requires Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) per capita to be the new analysis metric for determining impacts on the environment from transportation
•Measures the impact of driving on the environment
•Changes where significant impacts occur
•Changes mitigation
How to Conduct VMT Assessment?
•Estimating VMT for a project sums the total number of project trips and trip lengths
•To compare to the regional average, normalize by service population (sum residents and employees)
•2 types of assessments:
•Project-level VMT
•Project Effect on VMT
•Regional Average for Riverside County at General Plan Buildout is:
35.68 VMT/SP
How will Menifee Comply with SB 743?
Adopt new thresholds and guidance for development
projects
Analyze VMT for all projects
•Step 1) Calculate VMT generated by project•Step 2) Compare project VMT to adopted threshold•Step 3) Document impact•Step 4) Mitigate impact
Menifee will continue to use Level Of Service (LOS) for
General Plan compliance
Approach
•Build from WRCOG’s SB 743 Implementation Pathway
Project
•Tested recommended options for methodologies and significance thresholds against real Menifee projects
•Utilized WRCOG’s screening tool
•Selected final methodology and significance thresholds
•Updated impact study guidelines
Proposed Thresholds
A project would result in a significant project-generated
VMT impact in either of the following conditions:
1.The baseline project-generated VMT per service population
exceeds the County of Riverside General Plan Buildout VMT per
service population; or
2.The cumulative project-generated VMT per service population
exceeds the County of Riverside General Plan Buildout VMT per
service population
Proposed Thresholds
The project’s effect on VMT would be considered significant if it
resulted in either of the following conditions:
1.The baseline link-level Citywide boundary VMT per service
population to increase under the plus project condition
compared to the no project condition, or
2.The cumulative link-level Citywide boundary VMT per service
population to increase under the plus project condition
compared to the no project condition
Note: Cumulative no project shall reflect the adopted RTP/SCS. If
consistent with the RTP/SCS, then the cumulative impacts shall be less
than significant
VMT Analysis Screening Criteria
OPR Technical Advisory Recommends that certain projects can
be screened from VMT Assessment:
Projects that generate less than 110 daily trips
Local-serving retail less than 50,000 sq. ft
Local serving schools, affordable housing, senior housing, public
institutions, parks, other local-serving uses
Development in a Transit Priority Area (TPA)& consistent with the
RTP/SCS
Development in a low VMT generating area, consistent with the
RTP/SCS, and consistent with development currently in that zone
WRCOG’s VMT Screening Tool
•Use RIVTAM (or RIVCOM when available) to estimate the project-generated VMT and the project-effect on VMT
•Compare to the County General Plan Buildout average VMT per service population
•Impact would occur if development VMT per service population was not more efficient than existing development in the County
•Mitigate impacts
Transportation demand management
Modifying the project
Mitigation Bank/Exchange
Non-Screened Projects
•The Planning Commission recommended City Council
adoption/approval of the TIA Guidelines Threshold of
Significance for VMT by a unanimous vote (5-0)
•No Public Comment was received on this item
Planning Commission –May 13, 2020
This project has been determined to be Categorically
Exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) and CEQA Guidelines Section 15308, Actions by
Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment,
and Section 15061(b)(3)) Common Sense exemption as
it can be seen with certainty that there is no
possibility that the activity in question may have a
significant effect on the environment
Environmental Review
Adopt a Resolution approving City of Menifee TIA
Guidelines Threshold of Significance for VMT
Recommendation
Questions?Thank You.
WRCOG’s VMT Screening Tool
Evolution of CEQA Guidelines
Updates
Legislation requiring updates to the CEQA Guidelines AB 32
SB 97
SB 375
AB 1358SB 226
AB 2245
AB 417
SB 743
WRCOG’s VMT Screening Approach