Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TOD

Level of Service in Transit Oriented Districts

Service for Who?

Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TOD Why is LOS an Issue?

Impacts to Transit Oriented Development– Emphasizes auto travel performance

• Ignores other modes of travel• Auto-oriented mitigation impacts other modes of

travel• Encourages auto-oriented development and SOV

travel

– Penalizes development in high-traffic areas like downtown and TOD, and encourages development in undeveloped areas where its easier to meet LOS standards

Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TODWhat are the Alternatives?

Multimodal LOS– Determines impacts on all modes– Provides balance between modes– Allows emphasis on alternatives to SOV– Mechanism to allocate improvement funds

proportionately to all modes

Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TODWhat are the Alternatives?

Objective vs. Subjective Measures– Objective: measurable quantities

Width, connections, time, capacity

– Subjective: quality of environmentUrban design, comfort, safety, attractiveness

Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TODMultimodal LOS Approaches

Pedestrian, bicycle, and transit LOS calculations

- Quantitative methods (Highway Capacity Manual)

- Accepted methods by transportation professionals

- Not applicable in low volume conditions

Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TODMultimodal LOS Approaches

Checklists and point/credit methods- Identifies desirable multimodal features

- Allows impact credits for multimodal design

- Used in Austin, Fort Collins, San Mateo C/CAG, LA CMP

- Difficulty integrating into EIRs, questionable effectiveness

Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TODMultimodal LOS Approaches

Person capacity- Capacity of people rather than vehicles through intersections and roads

- Ignores subjective criteria

Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TOD Multimodal LOS Approaches

Multimodal assessments- Combines quantitative and subjective measures

- Promotes good transportation planning and site design

- Integrated into EIRs with appropriate standards of significance

Multimodal performance standards- Adoption of standards and measures for all modes of travel

- Overcomes the EIR barrier

Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TOD

• CEQA requirements• Congestion Management mandates• Agency time and staffing requirements• Subjectivity vs. objectivity• Development leverage• Public reaction• Effectiveness of solutions

Barriers to Multimodal LOS

Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TODStrategies and Policies

• Change or eliminate auto LOS for TOD • Adopt multimodal performance measures and

LOS methods• Adopt alternative standards for TOD districts

in General Plan• Overriding considerations• Comprehensive multimodal assessment and

standardized methods• Area, specific, and corridor plans• Specialized design standards in TOD districts• CMP deficiency plans

Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TODExample TIA Process

1. Determine Quality of Transit Service

2. Assess Development’s Pedestrian & Transit Friendliness

3. Calculate Trip Reduction Credits

4. Conduct Impact Analysis

5. Determine Impacts and Mitigation• Evaluate Intersections (only to find delays)• Evaluate Urban Arterials (speed) • Use MND Process

• Urban Arterial LOS• Multi-modal mitigation

Chula Vista General Plan

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Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TODQuality of Transit Service

Table A

Quality of Transit Service

Type of Service Provided and Distance from Station

Headway (vehicles/hour/direction/route)

Exceptional High Medium Low

5 or more 3 to 4 2 to 3 1 or less

LRT/BRT or Multiple Bus Routes  

Within 500 feet of station EXCEPTIONAL EXCEPTIONAL HIGH MEDIUM

500 to 1,000 feet from station EXCEPTIONAL HIGH MEDIUM LOW

1,000 to 1,860 feet from station HIGH HIGH LOW

Bus or Shuttle Route  

Within 500 feet of station EXCEPTIONAL HIGH MEDIUM LOW

500 to 1,000 feet from station HIGH MEDIUM LOW

1,000 to 1,860 feet from station MEDIUM LOW

Chula Vista General Plan

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Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TODDevelopment Friendliness

Table C

 

Pedestrian and Transit Supportive Criteria for Development Projects   

Point Scale: Possible Points

Exceptional : 85-100 points  

High: 60-84 points  

Medium: 30-59 points  

Low: 0-29 points  

Residential and Employment Uses  

· Consistent with transit station area plan 2

· Meets minimum population threshold to support transit 4

· Greater than 200 new housing units 5

· Variety of housing types (apartments, rowhouses, rental and ownership) 2

· Meets minimum floor area ratio (FAR) threshold to support transit 3

Affordable Housing  

· 20% of unit for 80% (4 person) AMFI households 4

· 20% of units for 60% (4 person) AMFI households 3

Neighborhood Stabilization  Chula Vista General Plan

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Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TODTrip Reductions for Transit

Table C-1

Allowable Reduction in Daily and Peak Hour Trip Generation for TransitDevelopments with Exception Pedestrian & Transit Frienliness1

  Quality of Transit Service2

Land Use Designation Exceptional High Medium Low

Residential 20% 15% 10% 5%

Retail - Transit Serving 80% 40% 20% 0%

Retail - Traditional 20% 10% 6% 3%

Restaurant 30% 20% 10% 5%

Educational 20% 15% 10% 5%

Industrial 16% 12% 6% 3%

Office 16% 12% 6% 3%

Government Office 30% 20% 10% 5%

Medical Office 16% 12% 8% 4%

Notes:            

1 Assumes Exceptional level of pedestrian and transit friendliness, from Table B.

Chula Vista General Plan

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Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TOD

Urban Arterial LOS

Urban Street Class I II III IVTypical Free Flow Speed

50 mph 40 mph 35 mph 30 mph

LOS Average Travel Speed (mph)A

B

C

D

E

F

> 42

>34 – 42

>27 – 34

>21 – 27

>16 – 21

<16

>35

>28 – 35

>22 – 28

>17 – 22

>13 – 17

<13

>30

>24 – 30

>18 – 24

>14 -18

>10 – 14

<10

>25

>19 – 25

>13 – 19

>9 – 13

>7 – 9

<7

Chula Vista General Plan

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Analyzing the Mobility Impacts of TODRecommended TIA Process

Impacts and Mitigation• Use Urban Arterial LOS as the primary means of

identifying impacts• Impact is direct if 5% of entering traffic is from the

project• Mitigation can be multimodal in nature

• Turn lanes, street widening, signalization• Transit service enhancements• Transit operation enhancements• Improved development’s pedestrian/transit friendliness

• Transportation Impact Fees (multi-modal)

Chula Vista General Plan

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