SB 743 2019 Overview Los Gatos FINALVMT in CEQA
Changes in Transportation Analysis
Town of Los Gatos
Joint Study Session
October 8, 2019
Ronald T. Milam, AICP, PTP
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Outline
1. Background on SB 743
2. What is VMT?
3. Decisions
Methods
Screening
Thresholds
Mitigation
4. Discussion
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Background.
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SB 743 Legislative Intent
(1) Ensure that the environmental impacts of traffic, such as noise, air pollution, and safety concerns, continue to be properly addressed and mitigated through the California Environmental
Quality Act.
(2) More appropriately balance the needs of congestion management with statewide goals related to infill development, promotion of public health through active transportation, and reduction
of greenhouse gas emissions.
Background.
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What Does
SB 743 Do?
Eliminates LOS/Delay as a significance threshold
Adds VMT as a CEQA significance threshold
Provides methods and thresholds guidance
Changes where significant impacts occur
Changes mitigation focus
Background.
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Delay/LOS no longer the sole basis for impact significance
VMT new metric
- OPR to provide guidance on methodology and significance criteria
CASE LAW
NEPA
Conservation Law Found. v. FHA (2007) 630 F. Supp. 2d 183
CEQA
Cal. Clean Energy Comm. v. Woodland (2014) 225 Cal.App.4th 173
Cleveland Nat’l Forest Fntd. v. SANDAG (2014) _ Cal.App.4th _
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What SB 743 Does Not Do…
No change to general plans, traffic impact fee programs, State Constitution, subdivision map act, etc.
Background.
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Status
Background.
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What is VMT?
VMT = Vehicle Trips x Trip Length
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What is VMT?
Project Generated VMT vs Project Effect on VMT
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VMT Consistency?
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Current use of VMT in CEQA Analysis
Air Quality
Greenhouse Gases
Energy
New use of VMT in CEQA Analysis
Transportation per SB 743
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Decisions
VMT Methodology
VMT Metric
Model/Tool
Thresholds
Project
Cumulative
Screening
Feasible Mitigation
Limitations of TDM
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Decisions
CEQA Guidelines – Expectations for Environmental Impact Analysis
§ 15003 (f) = fullest possible protection of the environment…
§ 15003 (i) = adequacy, completeness, and good-faith effort at full disclosure…
§ 15125 (c) = the eir must demonstrate that the significant environmental impacts of the proposed project were adequately investigated…
§ 15144 = an agency must use its best efforts to find out and disclose…
§ 15151 = sufficient analysis to allow a decision which intelligently takes account of environmental consequences…
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Decisions
VMT Metric Forms
Household VMT
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Home-Based VMT
Home-Based Work VMT
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Decisions
VMT Metric
Daily Total VMT per Service Population - sum of all weekday VMT generated by trips with at least one trip end in the study area divided by the residents and workers within the study
area
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Decisions
Screening
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Lead agency may screen out VMT impacts using:
project size
location at a low-VMT generating area
transit availability
provision of affordable housing
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Decisions
Establishing VMT Threshold(s)
Lead agency discretion
The Technical Advisory recommends the 15 percent VMT reduction thresholds and two alternative thresholds from the California Air Resources Board (ARB).
What is acceptable vs. unacceptable VMT when viewed solely through a transportation lens?
Multiple options depending on…
how VMT reduction is valued by lead agency
how VMT reduction is addressed in air quality, energy, and GHG impact analysis
courts
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Decisions
Feasible Mitigation
Two types of VMT reduction strategies
Built-environment changes (e.g., 7Ds)
Transportation demand management (TDM) strategies
Built Environment
Is changing the project land use or transportation network feasible?
Travel Demand Management
Effectiveness depends on project site context and tenants
Requires monitoring
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Decisions
Feasible Mitigation
New ARB research on VMT reduction strategies
Tenant Dependent
Project vs Program approach
Fee Program
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Next Steps
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Additional Slides
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What is VMT?
VMT = Link Volume x Distance or
Vehicle Trips x Trip Length
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What is VMT?
VMT = Link Volume x Distance
Boundary Method
1,000,110 daily VMT
(weekday)
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Decisions
VMT Metric
Daily Residential Home-Based VMT per Capita – weekday VMT generated by each person residing in a home for trips that start or end at the home
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Decisions
VMT Metric
Daily Home-Based Work VMT per Worker – weekday VMT generated by each worker for trips to or from the workplace and the worker’s home
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Discussion
Local Transportation Policies
2020 General Plan (September 2010)
Traffic Impact Policy (#1-05, March 2017)
Complete Streets Policy (#3-01, February 2019)
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