SR-07-09-2013-3GAM
City Council Report
Idna City of
Santa DYouica°
City Council Meeting: July 9, 2013
Agenda Item:
To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director of Planning & Community Development Department
Subject: Professional Services Agreement for Update of the City of Santa Monica
Travel Demand Forecasting Model (TDFM)
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a sole- source professional
services agreement with Fehr and Peers, California -based company, in an
amount not to exceed $187,440, to update the Travel Demand Forecasting
Model and convert traffic modeling data to a new software system ( VISTRO) with
future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
2) Authorize the Planning Director to issue any necessary amendments to complete
additional work within contract authority.
Executive Summary
One of the imperatives of the adopted Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) is that
the City manage the transportation system in ways that serve community goals. The
City of Santa Monica Travel Demand Forecast Model (TDFM) was developed as part of
the LUCE planning process and environmental impact report. The model enables the
City to predict how the changes in land use coupled with transportation improvements
may affect the City's transportation system, and enables calculation of transportation -
related greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and corridor travel times. The
TDFM is an essential tool for the City to forecast and plan for future traffic conditions in
the City, to complete the measuring and monitoring functions directed in the LUCE, and
to complete transportation analyses required for California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) compliance.
The model should be periodically updated and recalibrated for optimal accuracy every 4
years. TDFM output data for vehicle trips is typically input into Traffix software to
generate Level of Service data necessary for CEQA documentation. Traffix is no longer
supported by its manufacturer, and the traffic output data needs to be converted to the
new supported software, VISTRO, going forward. Updating the TDFM and transferring
of data from TRAFFIX to VISTRO requires a professional services agreement with Fehr
and Peers in the amount of $187,440 over a one -year period.
Background
On September 23, 2008 City Council directed staff to proceed with the development of a
citywide travel demand model and nexus study. On December 2, 2008 the Council
approved contract #9016 with Fehr & Peers for the creation of a Santa Monica specific
Travel Demand Forecast Model, evaluation of existing and future land use and
transportation scenarios for the Land Use and Circulation Element, and preparation of
documentation for the Environmental Impact Report.
The TDFM that was created is unique to the City of Santa Monica and enables the
analysis of existing and future traffic conditions. It includes every street in the City
calibrated and validated to local traffic counts. The TDFM was also calibrated to account
for regional traffic (outside the City of Santa Monica) based on the Southern California
Association of Governments (SCAG) 2008 regional traffic model. The TDFM was used
to project existing traffic conditions and future traffic conditions for the LUCE horizon
year of 2030 and the interim future year of 2020. Unlike less sophisticated
transportation models, the TDFM contains a number of enhancements that allow it to
capture the effects of the City's LUCE land use policies, street improvements, and
transportation demand management programs. These enhancements include the
effects of sustainable development patterns (e.g., complementary mixed use of housing
and daily services, and transit oriented development), urban streetscape design factors,
alternative transportation networks, parking management, and transportation demand
management (TDM) programs, as well as ridership of the future Expo Light Rail. The
TDFM has a base model for the entire City for AM and PM peak hours, and makes the
following additional analytical capability and information available to decision makers:
• A weekend mid -day assessment (Saturday model) for selected areas in the City
such as the Downtown;
• Greenhouse gas emissions analysis;
• Performance measures such as relative travel time by mode, and vehicle miles
traveled per capita;
• Trip generation rates by different types of land uses and geographic
characteristics;
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• Information regarding regional pass- through versus locally - generated traffic on
City streets; and
• Walking and bicycling demand by street segment.
Output data of the TDFM for vehicle trips is typically input into Traffix software to
generate Level of Service analysis necessary for CEQA documentation, and to analyze
the effects of new development and or network changes on the transportation system.
Traffix is no longer supported by its manufacturer, and the City needs to convert to
supported software, such as VISTRO, going forward.
Discussion
The TDFM is an essential tool for the City to monitor how the changes in land use
coupled with transportation improvements may affect the City's transportation system
and to forecast and plan for future traffic conditions in the City. Maintaining and updating
the TDFM is an important part of the City's measuring and monitoring program of the
LUCE. It is also used to complete transportation analyses required for California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance. The TDFM needs to be updated
periodically to capture the effects of new development projects, capital projects, and the
Expo Light Rail on the City's transportation network, to gauge the success of
transportation demand management measures, and to help determine appropriate
improvements that are needed in the traffic, pedestrian, and bicycle network and where
future TDM measures should be focused.
The City collected new citywide traffic counts in 2011 and SCAG released its updated
2012 Regional Transportation Plan /Sustainable Communities Strategies (RTP /SCS)
traffic model in 2012, both of which suggest that now is an appropriate time to update
the Santa Monica TDFM. The 2012 RTP traffic model projects regional transportation
demand for all the areas surrounding Santa Monica and information for the large
number of pass through trips on local roadways. The TDFM update is necessary to
ensure that the City's traffic forecast is consistent with SCAG's RTP /SCS goals.
Updating the TDFM would also provide an up to date baseline for the first cycle of
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LUCE monitoring and measuring, and a more reliable base for the City to forecast and
plan for the future.
In addition to the TDFM update, it is also necessary for the City to transfer the TDFM
traffic output data from the existing Traffix Database to a more comprehensive software
platform, such as VISTRO, developed by PTV Group. Traffix is no longer a supported
software, and VISTRO is recommended as the replacement product to compute
intersection Level of Service. VISTRO meets the common industry standard and
combines the functionality of Traffix and Synchro, a program that is currently utilized by
City staff to manage and operate signals. Therefore, VISTRO is able to provide for
traffic impact analysis and operation level analysis in the same software package and
offers enhanced capabilities to optimize traffic signal timing, forecast, forecast
development impacts, and evaluate potential mitigation measures.
Contractor Selection
Fehr and Peers (F &P) was selected through a competitive process in 2008 to develop
the TDFM that is unique to Santa Monica. While the City's TDFM is consistent in form
and function with standard travel forecasting models, the TDFM was carefully calibrated
using City specific data and characteristics. As the developer of the TDFM, Fehr &
Peers has knowledge of the model platform and street network that no other firm has
such. Additionally, the firm is actively using and managing the current TDFM and
retains the most current technical expertise in the model functions and development.
Use of another firm would require additional staff and consultant cost to facilitate the
transition of the model, check assumptions and use, and verify accuracy of output.
Transition of the model at this point would result in potential inaccuracies and data loss.
Fehr and Peers also currently have software licenses for both the TRAFFIX and
VISTRO software, and as such, will be most cost effective for converting the TDFM
traffic data from TRAFFIX into VISTRO. At this point in time, update of the TDFM is
recommended for sole source with Fehr & Peers. Updating the TDFM and transferring
of data from TRAFFIX to VISTRO requires a professional services agreement with Fehr
and Peers in the amount of $187,440 over a one -year period.
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Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The contract to be awarded to Fehr and Peers is for an amount not to exceed $187,440.
Funds are available in the FY 2012 -14 Capital Improvement Program budget at account
0017057.589000, Monitoring Traffic Measuring and Implementation Services.
Prepared by: Rachel Kwok, Environmental Planner
Approved:
I?zF M a
David Martin, Director
Planning & Community Development
Department
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Forwarded to Council:
Rod Gould
City Manager
Reference:
Contract No. 9764 (CCS)