4.3. Thresholds of Significance
The City of Pasadena establishes thresholds of significance for CEQA transportation analyses as detailed in the following table:
| Metric | Description | CEQA Impact Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| VMT Per Capita¹ | Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) in Pasadena per service population (population + jobs). | Net change in VMT per service population (SP) is 16.8% below Citywide average. 2017 Baseline: 35.6 16.8% Below Baseline Threshold: 29.6 |
| VT Per Capita¹ | Vehicle Trips (VT) in Pasadena per service population (population + jobs). | Net change in VT per service population (SP) is 16.8% below Citywide average. 2017 Baseline: 4.2 16.8% Below Baseline Threshold: 3.5 |
| Proximity and Quality of Bicycle Network | Percent of service population (population + jobs) within 0.25 miles of bicycle facility types. | Any decrease in baseline Citywide service population within 0.25 miles of Levels 1 & 2 bike facilities. 2017 Baseline: 32.3% Threshold: 32.3% |
| Proximity and Quality of Transit Network | Percent of service population (population + jobs) within 0.25 miles of transit facility types. | Any decrease in baseline Citywide service population within 0.25 miles of Levels 1 & 2 transit facilities. 2017 Baseline: 66.8% Threshold: 66.8% |
| Pedestrian Accessibility | The Pedestrian Accessibility Score uses a mix of destinations and a network-based walk shed to evaluate walkability. | Any decrease in the Citywide Pedestrian Accessibility Score. 2017 Baseline: 3.92 Threshold: 3.9 |
¹ The City of Pasadena equates "capita" with service population (SP: population + jobs).
² The baseline should be updated approximately every five (5) years to reflect changes in the street network and parcel-level land uses.
4.4. Mitigation Measures
Projects that exceed Pasadena's adopted CEQA thresholds will be subject to conditions of approval. The mitigation strategies outlined in CEQA must focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting multimodal transportation networks, and ensuring diverse land uses. Mitigation strategies aimed at reducing VMT and VT per capita impacts must be quantifiable, and the methodologies used to calculate these reductions should be supported by recognized professional organizations (e.g., ITE, ITS, APA, CAPCOA, OPR, CARB). Verification of VMT and VT per capita mitigation measures will be conducted using the current version of the City’s VMT and VT Mitigation Calculator, with additional guidance provided in the user manual. For other CEQA metrics, any necessary mitigation measures will be determined in consultation with the Department of Transportation (DOT) staff.
4.5. Construction
If an environmental analysis under CEQA requires it, the CEQA Environmental Consultant must provide a general description of construction activities and assess potential impacts related to air quality, noise, and traffic, separate from the transportation analysis. Furthermore, development projects are required to submit a Construction Staging and Traffic Management Plan (CSTMP) to the Department of Public Works for review and approval before any building or grading permits are issued. The CSTMP must identify, to the greatest extent possible, expected construction activities that may occur in the public right-of-way, including potential closures of travel lanes (including bike lanes) or sidewalks, temporary loss of on-street parking, and any temporary relocations or rerouting of bus transit stops and lines. Factors such as the duration of closures and transit service interruptions must also be detailed in the CSTMP. The latest CSTMP template (in Word format) and Truck Route map can be accessed at the following links or obtained from DOT staff:
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