Marion County discusses lowering transportation level-of-service standards and concurrency implications

Marion County commissioners and transportation consultants spent the workshop examining proposed changes to the county—s adopted level-of-service standards and how those changes would affect concurrency and developer proportionate-share responsibilities.

Amber Gardner, a Kimley Horn transportation planner, told the board that state statute requires comprehensive plans to demonstrate that adopted LOS standards can reasonably be met and to identify necessary projects in the five-year capital improvements schedule. She said that if the county lowers LOS standards (for example, changing a segment standard from E to D or from D to C), some roadways could be reclassified as already deficient under the new standard and new developments would not be required to pay proportionate share for deficiencies that predate their application. Gardner said county staff have begun listing unfunded projects in the five-year TIP to help satisfy that requirement.

The discussion focused on…