Development Projects
The following are the screening criteria and thresholds of significance used to determine the potential impact of different types of development projects on vehicle miles traveled (VMT):
Residential Projects:
- For residential projects, including single-family housing, multi-family housing, and affordable housing, the project would have a potential impact if it generates household VMT per capita exceeding 15% below the existing average household VMT per capita for the Area Planning Commission (APC) area in which the project is located.
Office Projects:
- For office projects, including general office and medical office, the project would have a potential impact if it generates work VMT per employee exceeding 15% below the existing average work VMT per employee for the APC in which the project is located.
Retail Projects:
- For retail projects, including various types of retail stores (e.g., supermarkets, banks, restaurants), the project would result in a potential impact if it leads to a net increase in VMT.
Hotel and Motel Uses:
- For hotel and motel uses, impacts should be evaluated separately for employee trips and visitor/guest trips. Employee trips should be assessed similarly to office uses, with a potential impact if the project generates work VMT per employee exceeding 15% below the existing average work VMT per employee for the APC area. Visitor/guest trips may be screened out from quantitative analysis if the project meets localized demand for visitor/guest travel, resulting in shorter overall visitor trips. If qualitative screening is not substantiated, then VMT impacts of visitor/guest trips should be quantified, and the project may have an impact if it leads to a net increase in daily VMT or generates VMT per visitor/guest exceeding 15% below the existing citywide average VMT per visitor/guest.
Public Services:
- Public services such as police, fire stations, public utilities, and local serving parks and recreation facilities are generally assumed to have less-than-significant impacts on VMT as they respond to development from other land uses.
Schools and Religious Uses:
- Impacts of schools and religious uses will be determined case by case. Smaller-scale uses primarily serving the immediate community may be screened out from VMT analysis. Larger-scale uses attracting people from a broader area will require further evaluation, possibly including a market study or travel survey. The project may have an impact if it leads to a net increase in daily VMT.
Event Centers and Regional-Serving Entertainment Venues:
- No specific screening criterion is provided for these land uses, as trips associated with them are typically discretionary and may require a customized VMT analysis to determine if they attract regional trips. Projects attracting regional trips should evaluate if they result in a net increase in total VMT.
These screening criteria and thresholds help assess the potential VMT impacts of different types of development projects, ensuring that they align with the city's transportation goals and policies.
Please contact us if you need help preparing a transportation assessment report for a development project in the City of Los Angeles LADOT.