REPORT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION
June 3, 2020
FROM: Mike Sanchez, Assistant Director
Planning and Development Department
BY: SOPHIA PAGOULATOS, Planning Manager
Long Range Planning Division
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing to consider adoption of Vehicle Miles Traveled Thresholds pursuant to Senate Bill 743, which requires local jurisdictions in California to adopt such thresholds by July 1, 2020:
1. RECOMMEND APPROVAL (to the City Council) of RESOLUTION adopting Vehicle Miles Traveled Thresholds as described in the "CEQA Guidelines for Vehicle Miles Traveled Thresholds" document dated May 12, 2020, prepared pursuant to the requirements of California Public Resources Code Section 21099, and CEQA Guidelines Sections 15064.3(b) and 15064.7.
2. RECOMMEND (to the City Council) that staff be directed to pursue a mitigation program that includes creation of a citywide mitigation bank, exchange, or other mechanism to allow more options for VMT mitigation.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Senate Bill 743 requires that a new metric, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), be used to identify transportation impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) starting July 1, 2020. VMT is simply the number of trips generated by a project multiplied by the trip distances in miles. This differs from the previous metric of Level of Service (LOS), which measures traffic congestion. The intent of the new law is to reduce VMT in order to help meet greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets established by the State of California. This report describes the process for development of the proposed Fresno thresholds and summarizes key components of the thresholds and mitigation strategy. See www.fresno.gov/vmt for a webinar hosted by the City of Fresno on its proposed VMT thresholds.
BACKGROUND
The City of Fresno hired LSA, Inc., a local full service planning consultant, to help develop VMT thresholds in 2018. Shortly thereafter, the Fresno Council of Governments (FCOG)...
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