Level of Service Assessment for General Plan Consistency for the project in City of Beaumont

Methodologies for Level of Service (LOS) Analysis

The following Level of Service (LOS) analysis is required to ensure consistency with the General Plan requirements for transportation impact assessments. This methodology applies to intersection evaluations, roadway segment assessments, and overall transportation impact analyses.

Intersection Analysis

The latest version of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) by the Transportation Research Board should be used to evaluate both signalized and unsignalized intersections. The following parameters must be included in the analysis:

Saturation Flow Rate: Based on field measurements or a default of 1,900 passenger cars per hour per lane (pc/h/ln).
Heavy Vehicle Factor: Derived from count data or provided by the local agency. Analysts may use a Passenger Car Equivalent (PCE) conversion to reflect heavy vehicles in the volume or adjust the heavy vehicle factor in the capacity calculation per HCM guidelines.
Grade: Determined based on the existing or proposed grade of the facility.
Minimum Green Time: Based on existing signal timing records (from the City, Caltrans, County, adjacent cities, or field observations).
Cycle Lengths: Based on existing or field-measured signal timing.
Lost Time: Derived from existing signal timings or in accordance with HCM recommendations.
Peak Hour Factors: Based on count data; for future conditions, a peak hour factor of 0.95 should be used.
Software Compliance: Intersections must be analyzed using HCM-compliant software. For locations where intersections are closely spaced, or queues extend beyond the intersection, microsimulation should be employed to accurately assess intersection system performance, potentially incorporating freeway interactions.

Mitigation Recommendations

Exclusive left-turn lanes should be considered for movements exceeding 100 vehicles per peak hour.
Dual left-turn lanes should be considered for peak hour left-turn volumes exceeding 300 vehicles.
Protected left-turn phasing is required when left-turn volumes exceed 240 vehicles per peak hour, when left turns cross more than two through lanes, or when conflicting through volumes create potential safety concerns.
Protected/permissive phasing is recommended for streets with four lanes or fewer, where sight distance is adequate, and speeds are moderate.

Roadway Segment Assessment

In addition to intersection analysis, the City may require roadway segment assessments. Roadway segment capacities should align with the capacities documented in the City’s General Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

Study Area Boundaries

The minimum study area should include all intersections classified as "Collector" or higher where the project generates 50 or more peak hour trips. The study area should not exceed a 5-mile radius from the project unless justified by evidence. The City reserves the right to adjust study area boundaries at its discretion.

Analysis Scenarios

Traffic impact analyses should include the following scenarios:

Existing Conditions
Background Conditions (Opening Year Conditions plus traffic from approved projects or ambient growth rate)
Background Plus Project Conditions (Background Conditions plus project-generated traffic)
Cumulative No Project Conditions (Projected growth based on RIVCOM model with approved and pending projects)
Cumulative Plus Project Conditions (Cumulative No Project Conditions plus project-generated traffic)

For phased projects, the preferred approach is to identify which phase triggers necessary improvements. Alternatively, each phase can be assessed separately or collectively, with subsequent evaluations for each phase’s implementation. The City should be consulted to determine the appropriate methodology for phased projects.

Data Collection, Trip Generation, and Forecasting

Traffic Counts

Turning movement counts (including heavy vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles) should be collected at all study intersections.
Average Daily Traffic (ADT) and vehicle classification counts should be collected for roadways in high heavy-vehicle-use areas.
Counts must be less than one year old unless approved otherwise.
Data should not be collected during holiday periods, between Thanksgiving and early January, or during non-school sessions unless authorized.
Traffic counts should be conducted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays.
Back-of-queue estimates should be recorded every 15 minutes during congested conditions.

Trip Generation

Local trip generation surveys should be conducted for at least three similar project sites per ITE Trip Generation Handbook methodologies.
If local trip generation surveys are not feasible, ITE trip rates may be used with proper disclosure of limitations.
High-truck-generating uses such as warehouses should be evaluated with local agency input and may reference WRCOG survey data.
Trip internalization for mixed-use developments should be calculated using EPA’s MXD model or ITE’s mixed-use trip methodology.
All truck trips must be converted into Passenger Car Equivalents (PCE) or adjusted in capacity analysis.

Trip Distribution

Preferred methods for determining trip distribution include mobile device data analysis (minimum of three locations) and select zone assignments from RIVCOM.
Distribution should be refined based on land use context, roadway conditions, proximity to regional transportation corridors, and input from the City.

General Plan Consistency Requirements

Signalized Intersections

If a project causes a signalized intersection to degrade from acceptable to unacceptable LOS, improvements must be identified to restore LOS.
If an intersection already operates unacceptably and project traffic increases delay by 5.0+ seconds, improvements must be proposed.

Unsignalized Intersections

Improvements are required if:

The project degrades LOS from acceptable to unacceptable, OR
The project adds 5.0+ seconds of delay at an already failing intersection AND it meets peak-hour signal warrant criteria.

Industrial and Warehousing Considerations

For projects with significant truck traffic (50+ heavy vehicles/day), analyses should include:

Turning radii review
Pavement quality assessment
Verification of pavement load capacity
Minimization of conflicts between trucks and vulnerable road users
Clearance evaluations

Site Access, Safety, and Other Analyses

Site Access Analysis

Intersection sight distance should comply with the Caltrans Highway Design Manual.
Primary driveways must have adequate throat length to prevent queueing onto public roads.
Driveways on arterial streets should be minimized and consolidated when feasible.
Driveways should be sufficiently distanced from intersections to prevent queuing conflicts.
Right-turn deceleration lanes should be considered for driveways with peak right-turn volumes exceeding 50 vehicles.
Pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access must be evaluated for convenience and safety.

Traffic Signal Warrant Analysis

A signal warrant analysis using the latest California MUTCD should be performed for all unsignalized study intersections.
If a new traffic signal is proposed, a Synchro/SimTraffic simulation may be required to assess traffic progression impacts.

Improvements for Transportation Impacts

Improvements and fair share contributions must be established before issuing building permits and implemented before occupancy.

Project-level improvements should ensure "no project" LOS conditions.
Cumulative deficiencies require fair-share contributions unless covered by an impact fee program.
If fair share contributions apply, they should be calculated using the following formula:

Fair Share = Project Trips / (Project Trips + Future Development Trips)

This formula should reflect peak-hour conditions for intersections and daily volumes for roadway segments. If both peak hours are impacted, the peak hour with the highest project contribution should determine fair share calculations

Our Services are available throughout City of Beaumont with Zipcodes 92223