![]() In 2013, the California legislature enacted SB 743, which required, among other things, that OPR adopt new guidelines for assessing transportation impacts and that when enacted, traffic congestion would no longer be considered in assessing a significant impact under CEQA. In this update, we highlight key aspects of the VMT guidelines and how projects could be impacted by this important change in conducting transportation impacts analysis. California’s largest cities have already adopted VMT standards and abandoned LOS, but many other jurisdictions will continue to require LOS analysis - not for CEQA purposes, but because their general plans or other policies require LOS analysis. VMT measures the per capita number of car trips generated by a project and distances cars will travel to and from a project, rather than congestion levels at intersections (level of service or “LOS,” graded on a scale of A – F). By July 1, 2020, all CEQA lead agencies must analyze a project’s transportation impacts using vehicle miles traveled (VMT). These new regulations represent a significant shift in analyzing transportation impacts under CEQA. For more detailed information, please review the VMT Policy Fact Sheet.The California Natural Resources Agency has adopted new CEQA Guidelines that will leave behind level of service in favor of vehicle miles traveled.įollowing years of development and public comment, the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the Natural Resources Agency have issued new CEQA Guidelines for analyzing transportation impacts. The City of Campbell implemented the Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Policy on Jas required by CEQA. Instead of measuring a projects impact on traffic congestion, it will now measure whether or not a project contributes to other state goals, like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, developing multimodal transportation, preserving open spaces, and promoting diverse land uses and infill development. VMT measures the total amount of driving attributed to a proposed project. Upon the completion of its work, OPR identified Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as the most appropriate metric to evaluate the transportation-related environmental impacts of a development project. The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) was tasked with amending the CEQA guidelines to provide an alternative to LOS for evaluating transportation impacts. Vehicle Miles Traveled Evaluation MethodĪs of July 1, 2020, SB 743 began requiring cities to evaluate transportation impacts with metrics that promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the development of multimodal transportation networks, and a diversity of land uses. For signalized intersections, LOS is measured by the average delay experienced by motorists during peak hour traffic. LOS is a qualitative measure of traffic congestion and the ability to maneuver. Since that time, most cities, including Campbell, have been evaluating transportation impacts based on intersection Level of Service (LOS). In 1970, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA ) legislation was enacted to require state and local agencies to identify the significant environmental impacts of projects and identify measures to avoid or mitigate those impacts. VMT replaced the previous Level of Service (LOS) method as a metric for assessing transportation impacts of land use and transportation projects. Senate Bill (SB) 743 State law required all local agencies to begin using VMT by July 1, 2020. ![]() The Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) method is a way of evaluating transportation impacts with metrics that support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, development of multimodal transportation networks and diversification of land uses. Senate Bill 743, Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Policy ![]()
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