The City is required to comply with Senate Bill (SB) 743, which is a major change to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines that will go into effect in mid-2020. SB 743 requires that all local jurisdictions in California phase-out the use of the level of service (LOS) methodology for assessing traffic impacts in CEQA/environmental documents. The legislation requires the use of a new methodology that shifts the focus of traffic review from vehicle impacts at intersections and along roadways to assessing the distance of vehicle travel. The traffic methodology that is replacing LOS is vehicle miles traveled (VMT). This change perfectly aligns with the preparation of the San Rafael General Plan 2040. Given the complicated nature of this topic, an informational report on VMT and LOS will be presented to the City Council at Monday’s meeting.
For more information, read the staff report.