When is a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) Required?
For projects seeking approval in the City of Anaheim, applicants must submit their proposals to the Planning Department along with a planning and land use application. As part of the interdepartmental coordination process, the Planning Department forwards the application to the Traffic Engineering Division for a preliminary review. Following this review, the Planning Department will notify the applicant in writing, within 30 days of the application submittal date, whether a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) is required. A TIA may be required even for projects that do not need discretionary action if they meet the City’s minimum thresholds for requiring such an analysis.
The TIA must assess potential deficiencies in Level of Service (LOS) and impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) related to Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). While requirements for TIAs analyzing LOS are detailed in the most recent version of the City of Anaheim’s Criteria for Preparation of Traffic Impact Studies, this document focuses specifically on the VMT analysis required to meet CEQA guidelines.
A TIA that includes a VMT assessment is mandatory for projects that do not meet any of the following screening criteria:
- Transit Priority Areas Screening: Projects located within designated Transit Priority Areas may qualify for screening.
- Low VMT-Generating Areas Screening: Projects proposed in areas with established low VMT are eligible for screening.
- Project Type Screening: Certain project types, such as local-serving retail or small-scale developments, may be exempt from VMT analysis.
Details on these screening criteria are outlined in subsequent sections. It should be noted that projects may sometimes be screened from VMT analysis while still requiring LOS analysis or vice versa. In cases where insufficient information is available to make an initial assessment of a project’s potential impact on traffic, the City Traffic Engineer will determine whether a TIA is necessary.
The preparation of a TIA must be conducted by one of the City’s approved transportation planning on-call consultants or a certified transportation professional with documented expertise in traffic engineering and transportation planning. This individual or team must receive prior approval from the City Traffic Engineer.
Once the TIA is drafted, it must be submitted to the Traffic Engineering Division for review. Any comments or required revisions to the analysis will be communicated in writing by the City Traffic Engineer, or their designee, to the project proponent and their transportation consultant. The TIA is not considered complete or final until all necessary revisions have been incorporated and the document meets the City’s standards.
By following these requirements, the City of Anaheim ensures that proposed developments are adequately evaluated for their impacts on transportation infrastructure, addressing both LOS and VMT as required.
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