SR-08-12-2014-9ACity Council Meeting: August 12, 2014
To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director of Planning and Community Development
Subject: Compliance with the Congestion Management Program, and Related
Development Report
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council hold a public hearing, receive public comment,
and adopt the attached resolution stating that the City is in compliance with the 2010
Los Angeles County Congestion Management Program (CMP), including the annual
Local Development Report.
Executive Summary
Conformance with the CMP is required in order for the City to be eligible for State gas
tax funds. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
administers the state - mandated program for Los Angeles County and requires every
city to certify compliance with the program. The approval of the attached resolution will
ensure that the City continues to receive the apportionment of State gas tax revenues
authorized under Section 2105 of the State Streets and Highway codes.
Discussion
The CMP was created to link land use, air quality and transportation decisions as a
result of Proposition 111, passed by the voters of California in June 1990. Since 1993,
all 88 local jurisdictions in Los Angeles County have been implementing a CMP
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) ordinance. The CMP TDM ordinance
focuses on designing "TDM friendly" development standards to be incorporated into the
project design such as transportation information areas, preferential parking for
rideshare vehicles, direct and convenient pedestrian access, and safe and convenient
access to bicycle parking. The applicable development standards are triggered when a
new project exceeds established thresholds ranging from 25,000 to 100,000 gross
square feet. The City of Santa Monica also goes beyond the CMP requirements with
development standards that support transit, walking, biking and reduced vehicle trips in
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all projects. Conformance with the CMP is required in order for the City to be eligible for
the portion of State gas tax funds authorized under Section 2105 of the State Streets
and Highways Code. The City of Santa Monica must comply with Metro's CMP
requirements by taking the following actions:
• Continue implementation of the Trip Reduction Ordinance;
• Conduct biennial traffic counts on odd - numbered years for selected arterial
intersections and calculate levels of service, consistent with CMP specifications.
• Analyze the impacts of new development on the CMP system as part of the
environmental review process.
• Prepare and adopt a Local Development Report annually.
• Adopt a resolution to self - certify conformance with CMP requirements annually.
Staff has complied with the requirements described above by implementing the City's
Trip Reduction Ordinance and analyzing impacts to the CMP network as part of the
environmental review process. Transportation Planning also takes citywide
transportation counts every two years that inventory vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian
volumes at each signalized intersection in Santa Monica. These counts are used to
update the Travel Demand Forecasting Model and to monitor transportation and travel
conditions citywide. In compliance with the CMP, traffic counts from the four CMP
network arterial monitoring sections in Santa Monica were submitted to Metro in .June
2013.
Strengthening Transportation Demand Management in Santa Monica
Staff is currently working on updating the Trip Reduction Ordinance in conjunction with
the Zoning Ordinance update to include:
® Increasing citywide targets for trip reduction (measured in Average Vehicle
Ridership or AVR) based on proximity to Expo and transit.
• Lowering the thresholds that trigger employer and developer compliance,
requiring TDM plans for all residential projects of 16 or more units and all non-
residential projects of 7,500 square feet or more.
• Incentivizing participation in local trip reducing instead of purchasing emissions
credits.
• Encouraging incorporation of customer -based incentives in trip reduction plans
that would help to reduce visitor vehicle trips.
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The Local Development Report collects information on categories of development
activity that occurred within the city over the past year. The Local Development Report,
attached to the resolution (Attachment A), summarizes the City's development activity
based on building permits issued between June 2013 and May 2014. The issuance of
permits for 139 new residential units and the demolition of 98 existing units this year
resulted in a net increase of 41 residential units. Of the new 139 residential units, 47 are
affordable units. The CMP category of "Commercial," which includes retail and
restaurant reflects a net decrease of 25,510 square feet. The category of "Non - Retail"
reflects a net decrease of 2,880 square feet of lodging, a net decrease of 3,430 square
feet of office, and a net increase of 18,870 square feet for institutional /education
development. The Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences project, which represents
the majority of the non - residential development in the LDR, included physical and
programmatic TDM measures such as incentives for non - single occupancy vehicle
travel, subsidized transit passes for employees, 50 bike parking spaces, and a bike path
easement.
Upon Council adoption, the certified resolution and Local Development Report will be
forwarded to Metro. Metro staff will report to its Board on all Los Angeles County cities
later this year. Conformance with the CMP is important in order to maintain the flow of
State gas tax monies to cities for transportation projects.
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Financial Impact & Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the
recommended action. Revenues related to the portion of the State of California tax
funds authorized under Section 2105 of the State Streets and Highways Code have
been included in the FY 2014 -15 budget at account 43402.400860.
Prepared by: Colleen Stoll, Transportation Demand Program Manager
Approved:
David Martin, Director
Planning and Community Development
Forwarded to Council:
Rod Gould
City Manager
Attachment A: Congestion Management Program Conformity Resolution
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Reference:
Resolution No. 10832
(CCS)