Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Calistoga adopts CEQA vehicle-miles-traveled guidelines to assess transportation impacts
Summary
Council adopted VMT guidelines to replace LOS-based review for discretionary development under CEQA; guidelines include screening maps and director discretion for project-level review.
The Calistoga City Council on May 20 adopted vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) guidelines to evaluate transportation impacts of discretionary projects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Assistant Planner Lauren Clark explained that Senate Bill 743 replaces level-of-service (LOS) measures of traffic congestion with VMT, which focuses on reducing automobile travel and greenhouse-gas emissions. Staff recommended adopting thresholds and screening rules developed with consultant TJKM to provide consistent methodology for when projects require VMT analysis and how to mitigate identified impacts.
The guidelines include screening maps indicating that most new residential projects inside Calistoga would screen out from a VMT analysis because local VMT per capita is below the county average; staff noted that planning or public-works directors may still require an analysis based on project particulars (for example, safety, emergency access or larger-scale developments). The guidelines also list mitigation options and a procedure for demonstrating mitigation effectiveness.
Council members asked about emergency access, egress and evacuation considerations; TJKM consultant Olivia Irvin said CEQA requires evaluation of safety and access implications and that the VMT guidelines establish the framework for transportation analysis but do not replace project-level safety review. The council adopted the resolution implementing the VMT guidelines; Mayor Williams voted no on the measure in a roll-call vote.
Staff said the guidelines align with Calistogas Climate Action Plan and the Napa Valley Transportation Authority approach to VMT and that no immediate fiscal impact to the city is anticipated from the adoption.
