§ 24-266. Independent traffic study.
In the event that the feepayer opts not to use the road impact fee tables set out in section 24-258, the amount of road impact fee due shall be determined by the county administrator based upon the traffic generation rates determined by an independent traffic study (ITS), prepared by a registered state professional engineer. The independent traffic study, or ITS, is a statement meeting the following criteria:
(1)
The statement shall project whether roads serving or to serve the proposed project will fall below level of service D during any calendar month of any year during a 20-year period beginning from the project start of the development.
(2)
In determining the effects of a proposed project on the level of service, the ITS shall consider the following:
a.
Traffic characteristics and levels of service of existing major thoroughfares directly affected by the proposed project.
b.
Trip generation and origin-destination projections for the proposed project.
c.
Impacts of the proposed project on affected major thoroughfares, including anticipated changes in the level of service.
d.
Impacts of previously approved projects affecting the same major thoroughfares as the proposed project.
e.
Radius of development influence.
f.
Effects of phasing of the proposed development including relationships to any long-range thoroughfare plans of the county and to the five-year transportation improvement program of any metropolitan planning organization and the five-year work program of the state department of transportation.
g.
Effects of roadway alterations to be made as part of the proposed project, including intersection improvements, turn lanes, signalization, median and other improvements.
h.
Impacts of increased through traffic movement and traffic from potential developments permitted and contemplated under the county comprehensive plan.
(3)
The ITS shall address each of the applicable goals, objectives and policies of the county comprehensive plan.
(4)
The following methods of evaluation and standards shall be used in preparing the ITS, unless the county administrator finds that, because of circumstances unique to the proposed development and roadway system serving the proposed development, other methods or standards provide a more accurate means to evaluate the status of the major thoroughfares affected by the proposed project:
a.
Total traffic generated by the project shall be computed using the rates published in the latest edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) "Trip Generation and Informational Report," unless documentation is supplied justifying the use of different rates.
b.
Traffic assignments shall be made for each link within the project's radius of development influence in conformance with good traffic engineering principles. The ITS shall use the following table of average daily trips as the standard for level of service D:
Design Type Average Daily Trips Two-lane (two-way) 13,900 Four-lane (undivided) 24,400 Four-lane (divided) 32,900 Six-lane (undivided) 40,200 Six-lane (divided) 50,000 Eight-lane (divided) 65,100 Four-lane expressway 68,700 Six-lane expressway 102,200 Eight-lane expressway 137,500 Average daily trips shall be based on data for travel during the first quarter of the calendar year.
c.
In lieu of being based on the table in subsection (4)(b) of this section, the ITS may be based on an analysis of peak hour intersection capacities to determine whether the standard is met. The analysis shall contain detailed intersection analyses (including calculations) for all intersections within the radius of development influence. Where detailed intersection capacity analysis is provided, the 1985 Highway Capacity Manual shall be referenced and used as documentation. When or if subsequent editions become available, such subsequent editions shall be referenced.
d.
The county administrator may require that both the lane analysis and the intersection analysis be provided if he has reason to believe that at one or more affected intersections the sum of peak-hour critical lane volumes is expected to exceed 1,200 vehicles per hour.
e.
The ITS shall cover the radius of development influence of a proposed development, which shall include an area of five road miles from the perimeter of the development. The project's radius of development influence shall be measured as road miles from the proposed project, not as a geometric radius.
f.
Background traffic shall be taken into account as follows:
1.
The effect of previously approved but incomplete projects that may eventually affect the major thoroughfares within the radius of development influence of the proposed project shall be addressed in the ITS as provided herein.
2.
Phasing of previously approved projects may be considered in the analysis of background traffic.
g.
Future traffic shall be taken into account as follows:
1.
The effects of increased through traffic and increases in traffic associated with the development of lands suitable for development but not yet planned should be estimated. Estimates should be developed for a 20-year period for through movements and for total buildout of potential developments.
2.
The current land use element of the county comprehensive plan in conjunction with the current zoning designations should be utilized to estimate the traffic impact from potential developments affecting the radius of development impact.
h.
The ITS may take into account roads and road improvements not yet constructed only if all funds for such roads and road improvements have already been specifically appropriated by the board of county commissioners or the legislature of the state for the particular road or road improvements.
i.
The ITS shall identify all roadway improvements necessitated by projected traffic and the percent impact of the traffic of the projected increased traffic demand by link for each required improvement not included under subsection (4)(h) of this section.
j.
The ITS shall also identify the costs of all link improvements required by projected traffic in the ITS.
k.
The ITS shall identify the impact fee by multiplying the cost by link as identified in subsection (4)(j) of this section by the percentage of impact traffic as determined in subsection (4)(i) of this section.
l.
The impact fee shall be computed as set forth in section 24-258.
m.
The ITS shall be prepared and sealed by a registered state professional engineer.
n.
Studies and analyses required by this section shall be subject to review of methodology and technical accuracy by the county administrator.
(Code 1982, § 1-17-35; Ord. No. 93-002, pt. A, 2-16-1993)