Compton Municipal Code § 12-7 Transportation Demand Management and Trip Reduction Measures

[Added by Ord. #1889, § 1]

Wherever used in this section, the following words or phrases have the following meanings:

ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION

Shall mean the use of modes of transportation other than the single-passenger motor vehicle, including but not limited to carpools, vanpools, buspools, public transit, walking and bicycling.

APPLICABLE DEVELOPMENT

Shall mean any development project that is determined to meet or exceed the project size threshold criteria contained in the Development Standards (subsection 12-7.2b) of the Transportation Demand Management and Trip Reduction Measures set forth in this section.

APPLICANT

Shall mean the property owner, developer or tenant responsible for complying with the provisions of this section, as determined by the property owner.

BUSPOOL

Shall mean a vehicle carrying 16 or more passengers commuting on a regular basis to and from work with a fixed route and according to a fixed schedule.

CARPOOL

Shall mean a vehicle carrying two to six persons commuting together to and from work on a regular basis.

CONGESTION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (CMP)

Shall mean a program enacted by the California State Legislature as a new approach to addressing congestion concerns. The CMP was created to link land use, transportation and air quality decisions; to develop a partnership among transportation decision makers on devising appropriate transportation solutions that include all modes of travel, and to propose transportation projects which are eligible to compete for State gas tax funds.

DEVELOPER

Shall mean the builder who is responsible for the planning, design and construction of an applicable development project. A developer may be responsible for implementing the provisions of this section, as determined by the property owner.

DEVELOPMENT

Shall mean the construction or addition of new building square footage. Additions to buildings which existed prior to the adoption of this section and which exceed the thresholds defined in the Development Standards (subsection 12-7.2b) of the Transportation Demand Management and Trip Reduction Measures set forth in this section shall comply with the applicable requirements but shall not be added cumulatively with existing square footage; existing square footage shall be exempt from these requirements. All calculations shall be based on gross square footage.

EMPLOYEE PARKING AREA

Shall mean the portion of total required parking at a development used by on-site employees. Unless specified otherwise, employee parking shall be calculated as follows:

LAND USE ANALYSIS PROGRAM

Shall mean the program insuring that local jurisdictions consider the regional transportation impact of new development through the land use approval process.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (MTA)

Shall mean the agency responsible for providing transportation-related services to the traveling public of Los Angeles County.

PREFERENTIAL PARKING

Shall mean parking spaces designated or assigned, through use of a sign or painted space markings for carpool and vanpool vehicles carrying commute passengers on a regular basis, that are provided in a location more convenient to a place of employment than parking spaces provided for single-occupant vehicles.

PROPERTY OWNER

Shall mean the legal owner of a development who serves as the lessor to a tenant. The property owner shall be responsible for complying with the provisions of this section either directly or by delegating such responsibility as appropriate to a tenant and/or the tenant's agent.

SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

Shall mean the regional authority appointed by the California State Legislature to meet Federal standards and otherwise improve air quality in the South Coast Air Basin (the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties).

TENANT

Shall mean the lessee of facility space at an applicable development project.

THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)

Shall mean the statute that requires all jurisdictions in the State to evaluate the extent of environmental degradation posed by proposed development.

TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT (TDM)

Shall mean the alteration of travel behavior, usually on the part of commuters, through programs of incentives, services and policies. TDM addresses alternatives to single-occupant vehicles, such as carpooling and vanpooling, and changes in work schedules that move trips out of the peak period or eliminate them altogether (as in the case of telecommuting or compressed work weeks).

TRANSPORTATION IMPACT ANALYSIS GUIDELINES (TIA GUIDELINES)

Shall mean guidelines intended to assist local agencies in evaluating impacts of land use decisions on the CMP system. TIA Guidelines are based on specified requirements of the CMP and travel data sources available specifically for Los Angeles County.

TRIP REDUCTION

Shall mean reduction in the number of work-related trips made by single-occupant vehicles.

VANPOOL

Shall mean a vehicle carrying seven or more persons commuting together to and from work on a regular basis, usually in a vehicle with a seating arrangement designed to carry seven to 15 adult passengers and on a prepaid subscription basis.

VEHICLE

Shall mean any motorized form of transportation, including but not limited to automobiles, vans, buses and motorcycles.

[Added by Ord. #1889, § 2]

In order to encourage carpooling, vanpooling, transit ridership and use of non-motorized transportation, the following measures are adopted:

a. Applicability of Requirements. Prior to approval of any development project, the applicant shall make provision for, as a minimum, all of the following applicable transportation demand management and trip reduction measures. This section shall not apply to projects for which a development application has been deemed "complete" by the City pursuant to Government Code Section 65943, or for which a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for a Draft Environmental Impact Report has been circulated pursuant to the requirements of CEQA or for which an application for a building permit has been received prior to the effective date of this section. All facilities and improvements constructed or otherwise required shall be maintained in a state of good repair.

b. Development Standards.

1. Nonresidential development of 25,000 square feet or more shall provide the following to the satisfaction of the City:

(a) A bulletin board, display case or kiosk displaying transportation information located where the greatest number of employees are likely to see it. Information in the area shall include, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) Current maps, routes and schedules for public transit routes servicing the site.

(2) Telephone numbers for referrals on transportation information including numbers for the regional ridesharing agency and local transit operators.

(3) Ridesharing promotional material supplied by commuter-oriented organizations.

(4) Bicycle route and facility information, including regional/local bicycle maps and bicycle safety information.

(5) A listing of facilities available for carpoolers, vanpoolers, bicyclists, transit riders and pedestrians at the site.

2. Nonresidential development of 50,000 square feet or more shall comply with the requirements of item b1 immediately preceding and shall provide all of the following measures to the satisfaction of the City:

(a) Not less than 10% of employee parking area shall be located as close as is practical to the employee entrance(s), and shall be reserved for use by potential carpool/vanpool vehicles without displacing handicapped and customer parking needs. This preferential carpool/vanpool parking area shall be identified on the site plan upon application for building permit, to the satisfaction of the City. A statement that preferential carpool/vanpool spaces for employees are available and a description of the method for obtaining such spaces must be included on the required transportation information board. Spaces will be signed/striped as demand warrants; provided that all times at least one space for projects of 50,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet and two spaces for projects over 100,000 square feet will be signed/striped for carpool/vanpool vehicles.

(b) Preferential parking spaces reserved for vanpools must be accessible to vanpool vehicles. When located within a parking structure, a minimum vertical interior clearance of seven feet two inches shall be provided for those spaces and accessways to be used by such vehicles. Adequate turning radii and parking space dimensions shall also be included in vanpool parking areas.

(c) Bicycle racks or other secure bicycle parking shall be provided to accommodate four bicycles per the first 50,000 square feet of development and one per each additional 50,000 square feet of development. Calculations which result in a fraction of 0.5 or higher shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number. A bicycle parking facility may also be a fully enclosed space or locker accessible only to the owner or operator of the bicycle which protects the bike from inclement weather. Specific facilities and location (e.g., provision of racks, lockers or locked room) shall be to the satisfaction of the City.

3. Nonresidential development of 100,000 square feet or more shall comply with the requirements of paragraphs b1 and b2 immediately preceding and shall provide all of the following measures to the satisfaction of the City:

(a) A safe and convenient zone in which vanpool and carpool vehicles may deliver or board their passengers.

(b) Sidewalks or other designated pathways following direct and safe routes from the external pedestrian circulation system to each building in the development.

(c) If determined necessary by the City to mitigate the project, bus stop improvements must be provided. The City will consult with the local bus service providers in determining appropriate improvements. When locating bus stops and/or planning building entrances, entrances must be designed to provide safe and efficient access to nearby transit stations/stops.

(d) Safe and convenient access from the external circulation system to bicycle parking facilities on-site.

[Added by Ord. #1889, § 3]

In order to analyze the impacts of land use decisions on the regional transportation system, including an estimate of the cost of mitigating associated impacts, the following program is adopted:

a. Land Use Analysis Program. All development projects for which an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is required to be prepared shall be subject to the Land Use Analysis Program contained in the Los Angeles County CMP, and shall incorporate into the EIR an analysis of the project's impacts on the regional transportation system. Said analysis shall be conducted consistent with the TIA Guidelines contained in the most recent CMP adopted by the MTA.

b. Review of Transit Impacts. Prior to approval of any development project for which an EIR will be prepared pursuant to the requirements of CEQA or based on a local determination, regional and municipal fixed-route transit operators providing service to the project shall be identified and consulted with. Projects for which a NOP for a Draft EIR has been circulated pursuant to the provisions of CEQA prior to the effective date of this section shall be exempted from its provisions. The "Transit Impact Review Worksheet" contained in the Los Angeles County CMP Manual, or similar worksheets, shall be used in assessing impacts. Pursuant to the provisions of CEQA, transit operators shall be sent a NOP for all contemplated EIRs and shall, as part of the NOP process, be given opportunity to comment on the impacts of the project, to identify recommended transit service or capital improvements which may be required as a result of the project and to recommend mitigation measures which minimize automobile trips on the CMP network. Impacts and recommended mitigation measures identified by the transit operator shall be evaluated in the Draft EIR prepared for the project. Related mitigation measures adopted shall be monitored through the mitigation monitoring requirements of CEQA. Phased development projects, development projects subject to a development agreement or developed projects requiring subsequent approvals need not repeat this process as long as no significant changes are made to the project. It shall remain the discretion of the lead agency to determine when a project is substantially the same and therefore covered by a previously certified EIR.

[Added by Ord. #1889, § 4]

In order to insure that TDM requirements are being implemented, the following provisions are adopted:

a. Monitoring. To effectively monitor compliance with TDM development standards, a program requiring that inspection of a development site prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy will be instituted for all development projects. In addition, review and approval of a plot plan for those development projects contained in paragraphs b2 and b3 of the Development Standards (subsection 12-7.2b) of the Transportation Demand Management and Trip Reduction Measures set forth in this section will be required as part of the plan check process for issuance of building permits.

b. Enforcement. To effectively enforce compliance with TDM development standards, the provisions of this section will be enforced by the City's Code Enforcement Unit.