VMT Analysis. The vehicle miles travelled (VMT) associated with the proposed project will be estimated using a manual methodology developed in consultation with City staff. The City is currently updating its TIA guidelines to include VMT analyses to meet SB 743 requirements. Based on the project schedule, the draft EIR will likely be released after July 2020 and will require a VMT analysis that satisfies the new CEQA requirement.
VMT Analysis. CONSULTANT will prepare a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) evaluation to support the CEQA process and to address the recent change from delay-based impact analysis to VMT based analysis. According to the new CEQA checklist, transportation projects that reduce or have no impact on vehicle miles traveled should be presumed to cause a less than significant transportation impact. For roadway capacity projects, agencies have discretion to determine the appropriate measure of transportation impact consistent with CEQA and other applicable requirements. The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research Technical Advisory on Evaluating Transportation Impacts in CEQA (OPR Technical Advisory) states that thresholds can be set by the local agency for transportation projects. While the OPR recommends 15% reduction for land use projects, the OPR Technical Advisory is silent on a threshold for transportation projects. Other jurisdictions have adopted thresholds such as San Diego, which has adopted “no increase in VMT” as the threshold for transportation projects. CONSULTANT will confirm that the recommended significance threshold of “no greater than existing” consistent with Caltrans and OPR Technical Advisory guidance is appropriate for this project. CONSULTANT will evaluate the effect of a transportation project on vehicle travel using “change in total VMT” by comparing the total VMT without the project with the total VMT with the project; the difference being the amount of VMT attributable to the project. CONSULTANT will calculate the project effect on VMT using the regional travel demand model (RIVTAM or RIVCOM, if available). Some projects have the potential to result in a significant transportation impact because they are likely to induce vehicle travel. Capacity-increasing projects generally need to be evaluated for their potential induced travel. The mechanisms by which induced travel occur include: • Route changes (may increase or decrease overall VMT) • Mode shift to automobile use (increases overall VMT) • Longer trips (increases overall VMT) • More trips (increases overall VMT) • More disperse development (increases overall VMT) CONSULTANT will calculate induced demand using the Cervero elasticities at a City/Region level. This will be compared to the reduction in VMT by virtue of closing pedestrian gaps and increase in active transportation uses. CONSULTANT will summarize the analysis methodologies and findings in a technical memorandum which will include the scre...
VMT Analysis. The City of Menlo Park has not yet adopted an analysis methodology or significance thresholds related to VMT. This scope and budget assume that the vehicle miles travelled (VMT) associated with the proposed project will be estimated using a manual methodology developed in consultation with City staff.
