Additional TIA Components, Mitigation, Cost Estimates, Submittal, and Review Requirements
City of Austin Transportation Impact Analysis Guidelines – Summary
4.4.13 Additional Analyses
Additional studies may be required based on site-specific conditions. These include:
-
Safety and Geometric Review: Required for intersections or roadway designs with complex or unconventional geometry, such as skewed or non-perpendicular approaches.
-
Sight Distance Studies: Needed where potential visibility issues may arise, such as obstructions caused by landscaping or median trees.
-
Signal Warrant Analysis: Required when a traffic signal is recommended to determine if installation is justified under MUTCD guidelines.
4.4.14 Conclusions and Identified Mitigation
This section summarizes proposed mitigation to address a project’s impact on the transportation network. These may include vehicular improvements, as well as enhancements for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users.
Mitigations must be clearly described in the narrative and summarized in a Mitigation Table, identifying:
-
Improvement location
-
Description of improvement
-
Estimated construction cost
-
Proportion of site-generated traffic using the improvement
-
Description of site traffic affected
A sample mitigation table might show turn lanes, signal re-timing, or sidewalks, with estimated costs and the percent of site traffic benefiting from each improvement.
Cost estimates must be either planning-level or itemized and include supporting documentation. They should account for all costs necessary to design, permit, and construct the improvement. These may include:
-
Engineering and contingency costs
-
Mobilization, ROW prep, and traffic control
-
Signal equipment adjustments
-
Pavement work, striping, sidewalks, ramps, drainage, and ROW acquisition
Estimates should reflect the year in which the improvement will be constructed. Future-year costs may include inflation, using a rate approved by the TDS Lead Engineer. If actual construction costs exceed the estimate, the developer will not receive a refund or credit for the difference.
Under the Street Impact Fee (SIF) Ordinance (20201210-061 and 20201210-062), developers may qualify for SIF offsets if they construct eligible improvements. Coordination with TDS is required to confirm eligibility. If improvement costs exceed the required SIF amount, no refunds will be issued. SIF offset agreements will use the estimated construction cost unless the project is completed before SIF payment—in which case actual costs may be used. Offsets cannot be retroactively revised based on actual construction costs.
For more information, refer to the Street Impact Fee Guidelines.
4.4.15 Appendices
The appendix should include all supporting documentation, such as:
-
TIA determination worksheet and scoping document
-
Trip generation data and traffic counts
-
Signal timing sheets and cost estimates
-
City exhibits and signal warrants
-
Projected volume calculations and Synchro reports
-
Mitigation schematics and TDM Plan
4.5 Submittal Requirements
All Transportation Assessments and Full TIAs must be submitted electronically via the TIA Portal on the TDS website. Submissions must include:
-
A full PDF of the study with appendices.
-
Synchro files for all modeled scenarios.
-
Excel files detailing trip generation, pass-by trip reductions, site traffic distribution, and driveway volumes.
All applicable review fees must be paid before TDS will begin its review. Payment methods are provided with the fee invoice issued by TDS. Consultants must also contact other agencies (e.g., TxDOT, Travis County) for their separate submittal requirements, if applicable.
4.6 Study Record Keeping and Public Access
All submitted Transportation Studies are archived by ATD. During review, public access to these materials is only available through a Public Information Request (PIR). Once approved, PDF versions of studies can be accessed via Austin Build + Connect (ABC) or through the TDS Lead Engineer. Internal files such as Synchro or Excel files will not be released without explicit permission from the consultant who prepared them.
4.7 Public Meeting Representation
At public meetings, including boards, commissions, and City Council, the consultant who prepared the study must present the analysis and recommendations. TDS staff may answer questions related to the study’s adequacy or required mitigations, but will not present or defend the study on behalf of the applicant.
Our Services are available throughout City of Austin with Zipcodes 78747, 78735