In order to ensure that a proposed subdivision and land development
plan promotes public safety and provides for safe and efficient access
to and egress from a development as well as safe movement within the
site, the plan shall take into consideration the movement of people
and goods, which may include improvements or actions to accommodate
increased traffic volumes; to facilitate turning movements; to increase
sight distances; to ensure safe vehicular and pedestrian movements
within parking lots and loading/unloading areas; and to promote pedestrian,
bicycle and mass transit access to the site.
A.
In order to assure that proposed developments take into consideration
future levels of service, all proposed public and private streets,
including alleys and internal circulation drives, as well as points
of ingress and egress, shall be designed to adequately accommodate
projected normal peak period traffic volumes of the development as
well as the adjacent roadways at full build-out and occupancy, known
as the horizon year.
B.
The City of Lancaster has adopted a Complete Streets Policy; therefore,
all subdivision and land development projects shall include, where
applicable, an interconnected network of transportation facilities
that accommodates all modes of travel in a manner consistent with
the community context and goals and that incorporates green infrastructure
measures, where appropriate.
A.
Traffic/transportation impact study warrants. If required by the
Commission, and in consideration of the recommendation of the City
Engineer, a written traffic/transportation study shall be prepared
for subdivision or land development applications, with the level of
analysis or study determined by volume of traffic, as set forth below,
except that the following subdivisions or land developments are exempt
from this requirement:
(1)
Development that generates less than 50 new vehicle trips in the
peak direction (inbound or outbound) during the site's peak traffic
hour.
(2)
Development within that area of the City bounded on the north by
James Street, on the east by Lime and Church Streets, on the south
by Conestoga Street, and on the west by Water, West Strawberry and
Charlotte Streets.
B.
The study shall be prepared by a professional transportation planner,
transportation engineer, or other qualified professional and shall
identify improvements/facilities to be installed or actions to be
undertaken by the applicant. The applicant shall utilize the following,
as amended from time to time, as a guide in preparing the study: Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation's Policies and Procedures for Transportation
Impact Studies; PennDOT Publication 282, Highway Occupancy Permit
Guidelines; PennDOT Publication 46, Traffic Engineering Manual; PennDOT
Publication 212 (67 PA Code Chapter 212) Official Traffic Control
Devices; PennDOT Smart Transportation Guide Book; the Institute of
Transportation Engineers (ITE) Transportation Impact Analyses for
Site Development; ITE's Promoting Sustainable Transportation Through
Site Design; or other applicable publications.
C.
A traffic study prepared for PennDOT, using PennDOT policies and
procedures, may be submitted to meet the City of Lancaster SALDO traffic/transportation
impact study requirement, provided the City requirements have been
addressed, including providing accommodations for pedestrian, bicyclists,
and transit. The City must approve the scope of the study as identified
in the PennDOT Transportation Impact Study Scoping Meeting Application
form.
D.
Abbreviated traffic study and pedestrian safety analysis. For residential or nonresidential development generating less than 100 vehicle trips in the peak direction (inbound or outbound) during the site's peak traffic hour, except as exempted in § 265-44A, a written, abbreviated traffic study and pedestrian safety analysis shall be submitted at the time of preliminary plan application or at the time of final plan application if the preliminary plan has been waived as per § 265-22 or § 265-24.
(1)
The abbreviated traffic study and pedestrian safety analysis shall
include, at a minimum, the following:
(a)
Existing and proposed pedestrian paths from streets and within
the site to entrances and exits of all buildings;
(b)
Existing and proposed facilities to accommodate public transit
and bicycle access to the site;
(c)
Projected daily and peak a.m., p.m., and Saturday traffic volumes
of the development;
(d)
Current ADT and peak hour volumes of streets adjacent to any
access drives;
(e)
LOS (level of service) of existing and proposed access drives;
(f)
Types of vehicles (categories of vehicles), and modal split
(vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders) accessing
the site;
(g)
Proposed sight distances at access drives; and
(h)
Available sight distances at all existing and proposed access
drives.
(2)
The study shall identify actions to be undertaken by the applicant,
including the enhancement or modification of existing transportation
facilities to ensure the following:
(a)
Safe pedestrian and bicycle access to the site and to entrances
and exits of all buildings within the site;
(b)
Provision of public transit to the site;
(c)
Accommodation for public transit loading/unloading if adjacent
to a transit route;
(d)
Adequate measures to ensure pedestrian safety at points of conflict
with vehicular traffic;
(e)
New or modified vehicular access drives serving the development
operating at a LOS of D or better;
(f)
Other existing access drives impacted by the proposed development
operating at a LOS of D or better;
(g)
Safe sight distance for all access drives, including consideration
of parking, street furnishings and obstructive vegetation.
E.
Full traffic study and pedestrian safety analysis. For residential or nonresidential development generating 100 or more new vehicle trips in the peak direction (inbound or outbound) during the site's peak traffic hour, or where current traffic problems exist in the local area as identified by the City Engineer, Chief City Planner and other appropriate City staff, such as high accident locations or confusing or congested intersections which directly affect access to and from the development, a written, full traffic study and pedestrian safety analysis shall be submitted at the time of preliminary plan application or at the time of final plan application if the preliminary plan has been waived as per § 265-22 or § 265-24. The study area shall be determined in coordination with the City Engineer, Chief City Planner and other appropriate staff and shall include, at a minimum, any intersection abutting the site.
(1)
The full traffic study and pedestrian safety analysis shall include,
at a minimum, the following:
(a)
Existing and proposed pedestrian paths from streets and within
the site to entrances and exits of all buildings;
(b)
Existing and proposed facilities to accommodate public transit
and bicycle access to and within the site;
(c)
Current ADT and peak hour volumes of all study area streets
and intersections;
(d)
Current LOS of all study area intersections;
(e)
Summary of crashes for the roadways and intersections abutting
the site, and other study intersections as directed by the City Engineer
and Bureau of Police;
(f)
Projected horizon year ADT and peak hour volumes of all study
area streets without the development based on a growth rate and any
known background developments. The growth rate and background developments
should be coordinated with the City Engineer and Chief City Planner;
(g)
Projected horizon year LOS of all study area intersections without
the development;
(h)
Site traffic generation, including projected ADT and peak hour
volumes of the development based on the latest edition of ITE Trip
Generation;
(i)
Site traffic distribution and assignment;
(j)
Types of vehicles (categories of vehicles), and modal split
(vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders) entering the
site. Reductions in the total vehicular trips may be applied based
on pedestrian/transit use as identified in PennDOT's Transportation
Impact Study Guidelines.
(k)
Projected horizon year ADT and peak hour volumes of all study
area streets and intersections within the development;
(l)
Projected LOS of all study area intersections with the development,
including all existing and proposed access drives;
(m)
An assessment of the change in roadway operating conditions
resulting from the development traffic;
(n)
Available sight distances at all existing and proposed access
drives.
(2)
The study shall identify actions to be undertaken by the applicant,
including the enhancement or modification of existing transportation
facilities, to ensure the following:
(a)
Safe pedestrian and bicycle access to and within the site;
(b)
Provision of public transit access to the site and accommodation
for public transit loading/unloading if adjacent to a transit route;
(c)
Adequate measures to ensure pedestrian safety at points of conflict
with vehicular traffic;
(d)
New or modified vehicular access drives serving the development
operate at an overall intersection LOS D or better;
(e)
Other existing access drives impacted by the proposed development
continue to operate at LOS D or better;
(f)
No reduction in the overall LOS of intersections within the
study area as a result of the development; however, if the intersection
already has an LOS F, no increase in the intersection delay shall
occur;
(g)
Safe sight distance is provided for all access drives, including
consideration of parking and street amenities;
(h)
Where high incidence of accidents for any adjacent intersection
exists, safe sight distances, adequate traffic control restrictions,
and safe pedestrian crossings for each adjacent impacted intersection;
(i)
Any development located within a school zone, as defined by
PennDOT Publication 212, must ensure safe pedestrian crossings are
incorporated at the appropriate access drive locations based on the
walking routes to school.
(3)
If the study identifies LOS impacts which cannot be mitigated through
traditional strategies, or if the mitigation would be inconsistent
with the City Complete Streets Policy, the applicant must coordinate
with Public Works staff to develop an alternative improvement plan.
A.
Preliminary plan approval may be conditioned upon the applicant's provision of traffic and pedestrian safety analysis and/or traffic impact studies reasonably acceptable to the Commission as well as upon the applicant's offer of mitigation proposals to achieve the performance standards set forth in § 265-44D(2) and E(2).
B.
In those instances where the developer proceeds with the installation
of the required improvements following unconditional preliminary plan
approval or the satisfaction of all preliminary plan conditions, the
final plan approval may be conditioned upon implementation of adequate
traffic improvements/facilities as determined by the Commission.
