A.Â
Whenever a proposed development activity regulated
by this chapter is proposed which is expected to generate 100 or more
peak hour vehicle trips (inbound or outbound), the applicant shall
submit a traffic impact study prepared in accordance with this chapter.
B.Â
The Township may also require a traffic impact study
to be prepared whenever current traffic problems exist in the area
which, in the opinion of the Township, are likely to be impacted by
the proposed development activity.
A.Â
The traffic impact study area shall involve those
areas adjacent to the site and those areas which are reasonably expected
to be impacted measurably by the proposed development activity. A
traffic impact study area shall be submitted to and approved by the
Township prior to the commencement of the traffic study.
B.Â
Traffic impact studies shall be prepared by an engineer
with specific training in traffic and transportation engineering who
is licensed as a professional engineer by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
C.Â
The traffic projections shall be prepared for the
anticipated opening year of the development activity, assuming the
completion of all construction and full occupancy of any and all phases.
This year shall be referred to as the horizon year.
D.Â
Nonsite traffic counts shall be based on actual traffic
counts not more than two years old and may be required to be counted
during, or adjusted to reflect, the months of June through September
in areas which are seasonably affected by the Township's tourist industry.
E.Â
The trip generation rates used for the proposed development
activity must be from the latest edition of the Trip Generation Manual
by the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE). This source must be referenced
in the study.
F.Â
Trip distribution must be estimated and analyzed for
the horizon year. A development activity involving multiple uses may
require more than one distribution analysis (for example, residential
and retail phases on the same site). Consideration must also be given
to whether inbound and outbound trips will have similar distributions.
Trip distributions shall be made considering logical routings. When
the site has more than one access drive, logical routing and possibly
multiple paths should be used to obtain realistic access drive volumes.
G.Â
Capacity analysis must be performed at each of the
street and project site access intersections located within the study
area. Such intersections shall be evaluated whether or not they are
signalized. In addition, analysis must be completed for roadway segments,
if deemed sensitive to site traffic within the study area in the Township.
H.Â
The recommended level-of-service analysis procedures
detailed in the most recent edition of the Transportation Research
Board Highway Capacity Manual must be followed.
I.Â
The recommendation of the traffic impact study shall
reflect the existence of, or modifications necessary to, provide safe
and efficient movement of traffic to, from and past the proposed development
activity for the horizon year.
J.Â
A traffic impact study shall include, at a minimum
the following data:
(1)Â
Study purpose and objectives statement.
(2)Â
Description of the site and study area.
(3)Â
Description of existing traffic and roadway conditions
in the area of the development.
(4)Â
Projected traffic counts from approved nearby development(s)
not yet fully occupied.
(5)Â
Trip generation and trip distribution data.
(6)Â
Projected future levels of service in the study area
for the horizon year and 10 years after full occupancy of the project.
(7)Â
Recommendations for transportation improvements needed
to maintain traffic flow to, from and past the site at an acceptable
and safe level of service.
(8)Â
The time period within which any roadway or signal
improvements should be made.
(9)Â
Presentation in tables, graphs, maps and diagrams
data required for clarity and ease of review.
(10)Â
An executive summary of one or two pages, concisely
summarizing the purpose, conclusions and recommendations.
