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Local Guidelines for Implementing the <br />California Environmental Quality Act (2023) INITIAL STUDY <br /> <br /> <br />2023 City of Santa Ana Local Guidelines 5-6 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP <br />impact. When using a threshold of significance, the City should briefly explain how compliance <br />with the threshold means that the project’s impacts are less than significant. Compliance with the <br />threshold, however, does not relieve the City of the obligation to consider substantial evidence <br />indicating that a project’s environmental effects may still be significant. <br />(Reference: State CEQA Guidelines, § 15064(b)(2).) <br />5.09 DETERMINING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS <br />On or about December 28, 2018, the California Natural Resources Agency added a new <br />section to the State CEQA Guidelines—Section 15064.3, entitled “Determining the Significance <br />of Transportation Impacts.” <br />Section 15064.3 provides: <br />(a) Purpose. <br /> <br />This section describes specific considerations for evaluating a project's <br />transportation impacts. Generally, vehicle miles traveled is the most appropriate <br />measure of transportation impacts. For the purposes of this section, “vehicle miles <br />traveled” refers to the amount and distance of automobile travel attributable to a <br />project. Other relevant considerations may include the effects of the project on <br />transit and non-motorized travel. Except as provided in subdivision (b)(2) below <br />(regarding roadway capacity), a project's effect on automobile delay shall not <br />constitute a significant environmental impact. <br /> <br />(b) Criteria for Analyzing Transportation Impacts. <br /> <br />(1) Land Use Projects. Vehicle miles traveled exceeding an applicable threshold of <br />significance may indicate a significant impact. Generally, projects within one-half <br />mile of either an existing major transit stop or a stop along an existing high quality <br />transit corridor should be presumed to cause a less than significant transportation <br />impact. Projects that decrease vehicle miles traveled in the project area compared <br />to existing conditions should be presumed to have a less than significant <br />transportation impact. <br /> <br />(2) Transportation Projects. Transportation projects that reduce, or have no impact <br />on, vehicle miles traveled should be presumed to cause a less than significant <br />transportation impact. For roadway capacity projects, agencies have discretion to <br />determine the appropriate measure of transportation impact consistent with CEQA <br />and other applicable requirements. To the extent that such impacts have already <br />been adequately addressed at a programmatic level, such as in a regional <br />transportation plan EIR, a lead agency may tier from that analysis as provided in <br />Section 15152. <br /> <br />(3) Qualitative Analysis. If existing models or methods are not available to estimate <br />the vehicle miles traveled for the particular project being considered, a lead agency