Abstracts Law

A Methodology for Implementing VMT for Affordable Housing Traffic Impact Analysis

by Perry Chavez

This research develops a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) environmental impact methodology for affordable housing. The research responds to California's SB 743, a state law that replaces the conventional level of service (LOS) impact analysis method with a new VMT method. Current LOS practice likely overestimates trip generation and ignores the lesser trip length of affordable housing residents, thereby adding traffic impact mitigation costs and project approval risk. Given California???s housing affordability challenges, SB 743 offers the potential of improving the production of affordable housing: CEQA exemptions in transit priority areas, and a VMT-based impact analysis method in other areas that could potentially recognize the lesser impact of affordable housing, as compared to market rate housing. This relates to fewer trips and lower VMT for trips in affordable housing. However, for these benefits to be realized, it is imperative to develop methodologies to accurately estimate trip generation and trip length for affordable housing. The thesis addresses two components: 1) a method for adjusting ITE trip generation rates for affordable housing and 2) the use of an ACS estimation method to illustrate a method for estimating trip length. When these two components are combined, a measure of VMT that considers land use specificity and trip length can be estimated for use in transportation impact analysis (TIA). The use of VMT supports the development of affordable housing in urban and suburban areas that do not receive CEQA exemption. Advisors/Committee Members: Wilson, Richard (advisor), Kim, Dohyung (committee member).