2 CEQA Regional Analysis Overview
2.1 Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Analysis
With the adoption of SB 743, the City of Santa Fe Springs follows these steps in its CEQA transportation impact assessments:
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VMT Screening: The City screens projects to determine if a VMT analysis is required based on recommendations from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR). Projects may be screened from VMT analysis based on their size, location, or proximity to transit, as outlined in Table 1.
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VMT Analysis Methodology: If screening does not apply, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) regional Travel Demand Model is used to estimate a project’s VMT. For residential and office projects, VMT is reported per capita and per employee, respectively. Mixed-use projects are evaluated by individual land use type.
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VMT Impact Thresholds: A significant VMT impact is identified if a project’s VMT exceeds 15% below the baseline VMT per capita, per employee, or per service population. For regional retail projects, any increase in Citywide VMT is considered significant. The geographic area of analysis depends on project type and proximity to City borders.
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VMT Mitigation: Mitigation strategies generally focus on reducing single-occupant vehicle trips or trip lengths, often through transportation demand management (TDM) measures or changes to land use.
The subsequent sections provide more detailed descriptions of the CEQA analysis process.
2.2 VMT Screening Criteria
Projects can be screened from requiring a VMT analysis based on their size, location, or proximity to transit, as shown in Table 1. Projects located in a Transit Priority Area (TPA) within half a mile of two or more 15-minute bus routes may qualify for this screening. Figure 1 outlines TPAs within the City, reflecting current and future transit services, including the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project.
2.3 VMT Analysis Methodology
For projects that do not meet screening criteria, a VMT analysis is required using the SCAG Travel Demand Model. This analysis estimates project-generated VMT under existing conditions and compares it to the City’s significance thresholds. Cumulative impact scenarios may also be required unless the existing baseline analysis demonstrates a less-than-significant impact. For cumulative conditions, project-generated VMT will be analyzed against future regional VMT estimates from SCAG models.
2.3.2 VMT Impact Thresholds
OPR recommends a 15% reduction in VMT below baseline levels for significant impact thresholds, aligned with California’s climate goals. Different project types, including residential, office, and regional retail, have specific thresholds based on VMT per capita, employee, or service population as detailed in Tables 2A and 2B.
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