HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-049 - Vechicle Miles Traveledjmf 5/20/19
RESOLUTION NO. 2019-049
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
ANA ADOPTING "VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED" THRESHOLDS OF
SIGNIFICANCE FOR PURPOSES OF ANALYZING
TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS UNDER THE CALIFORNIA
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
WHEREAS, the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines ("CEQA
Guidelines") encourage public agencies to develop and publish generally applicable
"thresholds of significance" to be used in determining the significance of a project's
environmental effects; 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 must be adopted by ordinance, resolution, rule, or regulations, developed
through a public review process, and be supported by substantial evidence; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15064.7(c), when adopting
thresholds of significance, a public agency may consider thresholds of significance
adopted or recommended by other public agencies provided that the decision of the
agency is supported by substantial evidence; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 743, enacted in 2013 and codified in Public Resources
Code section 21099, required changes to the CEQA Guidelines regarding the criteria for
determining the significance of transportation impacts of projects; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, the Governor's Office of Planning and Research ("OPR")
proposed, and the California Natural Resources Agency certified and adopted, new
CEQA Guidelines section 15064.3 that identifies vehicle miles traveled ("VMT") —
meaning the amount and distance of automobile travel attributable to a project — as the
most appropriate metric to evaluate a project's transportation impacts; and
WHEREAS, as a result, automobile delay, as measured by "level of service" and
other similar metrics, generally no longer constitutes a significant environmental effect
under CEQA; and
WHEREAS, CEQA Guidelines section 15064.3 goes into effect on July 1, 2020,
though public agencies may elect to be governed by this section immediately; and
Resolution No. 2019-049
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WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana, following internal study and a public review
process consisting of staff presentations before the Planning Commission and the
Environmental and Transportation Committee, and two public outreach meetings, wishes
to adopt VMT thresholds of significance for determining the significance of transportation
impacts; and
WHEREAS, on June 18, 2019, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing
to consider this Resolution, at which all persons interested were given an opportunity to
be heard.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Santa
Ana as follows:
Section 1. The City of Santa Ana hereby adopts the VMT thresholds of
significance for transportation impact analysis under CEQA that are attached as Exhibit
A. These thresholds of significance have been developed through a public review
process and are supported by substantial evidence, as required by CEQA Guidelines
section 15064.7.
Section 2. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by
the City Council, and the Clerk of the Council shall attest to and certify the vote adopting
this Resolution.
ADOPTED this 18th day of June, 2019.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Sonia R. Carvalho, City Attorney
By:
J066 M. Funk
Assistant City Attorney
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
Councilmembers Iglesias, Penaloza Pulido, Sarmiento, Solorio,
Villegas (6)
Councilmembers
Councilmembers
NOT PRESENT: Councilmembers
Ward 4 representative vacant.
Resolution No. 2019-049
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None (0)
None (0)
None (0)
CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTATION AND ORIGINALITY
I, NORMA MITRE, Acting Clerk of the Council, do hereby attest to and certify the
attached Resolution No. 2019-049 to be the original resolution adopted by the City
Council of the City of Santa Ana on June 18, 2019.
Lam'WVA
11111111110reTull. 11
Acting Clerk of the Council
City of Santa Ana
Resolution No. 2019-049
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EXHIBIT A
Table 1
VMT Impact Thresholds
Methods
Project Threshold
Cumulative Threshold
Land Use Plans (such as General Plans and Specific Plans)
• Orange County Traffic Analysis
A significant impact would
A significant impact would occur
Model (OCTAM) forecast of
occur if the project VMT/SP
if the project caused total daily
total daily VMT/SP.
(for the land use plan)
VMT within the City to be higher
- To capture project effect,
exceeds 15% below the
than the no project alternative
the same cumulative year
Countywide average.
under cumulative conditions.
population and
employment growth totals
should be used. The
'project' only influences
land use allocation.
• Consistency check with SCAG
NA
A significant impact would occur
RTP/SCS.
if the project is determined to be
- Is the proposed project
inconsistent with the RTP/SCS.
within the growth
projections in the
RTP/SCS?
Land Use Projects
• Transit Priority Area (TPA)
Presumed less than significant
Project presumption applies
screening.
VMT impact for projects
under cumulative conditions as
located in TPAs.
long as project is consistent with
SCAG RTP/SCS.
• Low VMT area screening.
Presumed less than significant
Project presumption applies
VMT impact for projects
under cumulative conditions as
located in low VMT generating
long as project is consistent with
model traffic analysis zones
SCAG RTP/SCS.
(TAZs). These TAZs generate
total daily VMT/SP that is 15%
less than the baseline level for
the County.
• Project type screening.
Local serving retail projects
Project presumption applies
(Per OPR's Technical
under cumulative conditions as
Advisory less than 50,000
long as project is consistent with
square feet) and neighborhood
SCAG RTP/SCS.
schools are presumed to have
a less than significant VMT
impact. Projects that generate
less than 110 daily trips do not
require VMT analysis.
• VMT analysis using OCTAM
A significant impact would
A significant impact would occur
forecast of total daily VMT/SP.
occur if the project generates
if the project is determined to be
VMT/SP above 15% below the
inconsistent with the RTP/SCS.
Countywide average.
A significant impact would occur
if the project causes total daily
VMT within the City to be higher
than the no project alternative
under cumulative conditions. This
analysis should be performed
using the 'project effect' method.
Transportation Projects (thresholds may apply for SB 743 or GHG purposes)
Resolution No. 2019-049
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Table 1
VMT Impact Thresholds
Methods
Project Threshold
Cumulative Threshold
• OCTAM forecast of total
A significant impact would
A significant impact would occur
citywide daily VMTI
occur if the project increased
if the project caused total daily
the baseline VMT within the
VMT within the City to be higher
City.
than the no build alternative
under cumulative conditions.
• Consistency check with SCAG
NA
A significant impact would occur
RTP/SCS
if the project is determined to be
inconsistent with the RTP/SCS.
1 It is recommended that OCTAM is used to develop VMT estimates for transportation project impact assessment.
However, the analyst must verify the model results for sensitivity to changes in VMT. Alternatively, if the model is not
deemed appropriate, Robert Cevero's research on lane -mile elasticity and its relationship to VMT can be referenced.
Resolution No. 2019-049
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