Options to Comply with Senate Bill 743 and Implement Vehicle Miles Traveled in Local Planning and Environmental Review

Record ID: PDS2018-POD-18-001

Background Information and Purpose of Public Review

The proposed Transportation Study Guide updates the County’s existing guidelines for determining significant transportation impacts under the CEQA. SB 743 and supporting state guidance require CEQA documents to assess transportation impacts in terms of how much residents/employees drive, officially referred to as Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). Under the existing Guide, transportation impacts are measured in terms of road congestion and delay, also known as Level of Service (LOS).

The proposed Transportation Study Guide includes options for the Board of Supervisors to consider related to: 1) the geography to use in calculating total/average VMT for the unincorporated county; 2) criteria to use in determining which projects must conduct detailed VMT analysis; and, 3) the VMT threshold to use in determining significance. The Transportation Study Guide also includes changes to the non-CEQA use of LOS and other local mobility analyses to complement the changes occurring with VMT.

The proposed action complies with CEQA because it is: 1) not a project as defined in the Public Resources Code Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, and is therefore not subject to CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c); and (2) a ministerial action, as the County is mandated to comply with Senate Bill 743 (Section 21080(b)(1) of the Public Resources Code); and, separately and independently, even if the proposed action constitutes a project, it is (3) categorically exempt as it is an action to enhance and protect the environment (Section 15308 of the CEQA Guidelines); and (4) subject to the common sense exemption, because the resolution implements existing law and therefore it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that it may have a significant effect on the environment (Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines).

Comments on the proposed Transportation Study Guide must be received no later than June 8, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. These documents can also be reviewed at the PDS, Project Processing Counter, 5510 Overland Avenue, Suite 110, San Diego, CA 92123.

Project Contact: Greg Kazmer | Gregory.Kazmer@sdcounty.ca.gov | (858) 505-6857