PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING DATE:
June 17, 2024
SUBJECT:
Title
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT - REQUESTING MODIFICATIONS TO THE MOBILITY ELEMENT TO INCORPORATE THE PROPOSED ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, UPDATE PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND MODIFICATION OF TRUCK ROUTE MANAGEMENT.
LOCATION/APN:
CITYWIDE
CASE NUMBER:
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT (GPA24-0001), CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION (EX24-009)
Body
Recommendation
1. APPROVE Resolution PC 24-5112 recommending that City Council approve CEQA Exemption (EX24-009) and General Plan Amendment GPA24-0001 to modify the General Plan Mobility Element
2. NOTE & FILE the proposed Active Transportation Plan
Body
Introduction
General Plan Amendment GPA24-0001 is proposed for revisions to the Mobility Element of the General Plan to remove outdated traffic performance measures and achieve better truck route management. In addition, the amendment will align the Mobility Element with the proposed Active Transportation Plan (ATP), which presents a blueprint for pedestrian and bicycling facilities in San Marcos. The proposed changes will modernize the City’s approach to mobility, ensuring that the General Plan reflects the latest industry standards and practices.
Discussion
The General Plan was adopted in 2012 by the City Council. The Mobility Element of the Plan established a framework for sustainable transportation in alignment with the General Plan Land Use Plan. Proposed revisions to the Mobility Element include aligning traffic performance metrics with Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) assessments as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), updating language to provide for future ATP implementation, and simplifying truck route designations. Additionally, the proposed policy changes address the modernization of the General Plan Mobility Element to current mobility planning standards and support implementation of the proposed ATP.
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT
Performance Metrics
The proposed General Plan Amendment will incorporate Vehicle Miles Traveled consistent with SB 743 and CEQA requirements for assessing traffic impacts along with other performance measures used to evaluate development project mobility performance. The proposed modifications will remove the Multi-Modal Level of Service (MMLOS) performance measure and instead implement VMT as a CEQA metric. Additionally, the amendment will ensure that elements such as vehicular Level of Service and proactive design approaches remain consistent with existing practices.
Truck Routes
The proposed Amendment will ensure alignment with the Municipal Code and the California Vehicle Code, which mandates that truck routes be adopted by ordinance. To ensure truck routes are continuously updated, staff suggests revising General Plan policies to mandate ongoing management of truck routes by staff. Staff also recommends the removal of the truck route map within the Mobility Element to minimize confusion.
Active Transportation Planning
New industry standards relating to bike facility planning have been widely accepted since 2012, when the General Plan was adopted. Bike facility planning now focuses on providing facilities to access key destinations, creating greater comfort for less-practiced riders, and enhancing educational efforts and enforcement strategies. Other active transportation strategies address enhancing the pedestrian environment and encouraging walking trips. The proposed Amendment will address these changes, including the removal of the bicycle network map from the Mobility Element, which will be superseded by maps within the ATP.
Policy Changes
Proposed policy changes to the Mobility Element are summarized below:
• Policy M-1.3: Update to include reference to the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) ordinance
• Policy M-1.4: Remove; Multimodal Level of Service proposed for removal consistent with current performance metrics.
• Policy M-3.3: Modify to focus on the connectivity of bike facilities between major destinations.
• Policy M-3.4: Replace the prior policy on bike sharing with one requiring the development and maintenance of an Active Transportation Plan.
• Policy M-3.9: Refine pedestrian environment policy for to align with the ATP.
• Policy M-5.2: Delete the reference to the truck routes exhibit.
Attached Resolution PC24-5112 recommends to City Council the adoption of the proposed General Plan Amendment.
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN
Since Mobility Element adoption in 2012, the face of active transportation has changed in California. State legislation, regional plans, and the City’s Climate Action Plan incorporate and encourage active transportation strategies and policies. The Active Transportation Plan will build upon the General Plan Mobility Element and align it with these local, regional, and state planning efforts.
The proposed ATP (Attachment 4) encourages non-motorized forms of transportation, primarily walking and cycling. It aims to improve citywide pedestrian and bicycle connectivity in a cohesive way. The plan will be used to prioritize active transportation projects for the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and for construction as required by the City for private development projects. Additionally, it will offer educational programs and policies to support the mode shift. Though the ATP does not allocate or identify funding, the plan may offer an avenue to grant funding opportunities from various local, state, and federal sources.
The proposed strategy for implementation of the Bicycle Network is to create an interim network of corridors where more comfortable facilities can be implemented within existing right-of-way and an ultimate network that would allow for the future construction of bike facilities that require more right-of-way such as Class IV protected bikeways and Class I pedestrian-cyclist shared-use paths.
Similar to the bicycle network, the recommended pedestrian network is composed of interim and ultimate projects. The pedestrian networks identify a variety of infrastructure improvements including adding sidewalk, providing mid-block crossings, closing sidewalk gaps, enhancing the pedestrian environment (widening sidewalk, installing landscape buffers, and implementing placemaking), installing fenced medians, and constructing Class I multi-use paths. The Plan also identifies target locations for local mobility nodes, areas offering amenities to enhance active transportation trips or to make the shift from one mode to another more convenient.
Staff recommends the Planning Commission note and file the draft ATP as a consistent implementing document of the General Plan.
Environmental Review
The proposed General Plan Amendment is exempt from environmental review under CEQA (Categorical Exemption (EX 24-009)) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15061(b)(3), Review for Exemptions - Common Sense Rule, in that amendments to the Mobility Element of the General Plan are policy-level changes and will not result in any physical improvements in the City. It can be seen with certainty that its adoption will not have a significant effect on the environment because it will not allow for any new development.
Additionally, the Project has been found to be in conformance with the previously certified EIR11-44 (State Clearing House #2011071028), certified by City Council on 2/14/2012. No substantial changes are proposed in the Project and there are no substantial changes in circumstances under which the Project will be undertaken that will require major revisions to the previous EIR due to involvement of significant new environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects. Also, there is no “new information of substantial importance” as that term is used in CEQA Guidelines section 15162(a)(3). Therefore, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15162 the previously adopted and certified EIR is adequate without modification.
Fiscal Impact
The proposed General Plan changes have no direct fiscal impact.
Public Comment
The Active Transportation Plan received public comment from Fall of 2022 to Summer 2023. Walk audits of schools were also conducted in conjunction with the school district staff. The draft ATP was published to the public for final comments in Winter 2023.
At the time of the posting of the agenda no public comments have been received.
Attachments
Resolutions:
1. Resolution PC 24-5112 (GPA 24-0001): Recommend to City Council approval of amendments to the Mobility Element of the General Plan and find the project to be exempt from CEQA
Attachments:
A. Redline Version of Proposed Mobility Element
B. Clean Version of Proposed Mobility Element
C. Draft Active Transportation Plan
Prepared by: Isaac Etchamendy, City Engineer
Reviewed by: Stephanie Kellar, Deputy City Engineer
Submitted by: Joe Farace, Planning Division Director