17.47.020 Definitions.
“Base volumes” shall be based on current traffic counts adjusted to the expected date of final occupancy. In all cases when ground counts are needed and not available, the developer or his agent shall be required to collect such data.
“Design year” is the point in time upon which assumptions pertaining to land use, population, employment, and transportation facilities are based.
“Horizon year” unless otherwise specified or approved by the director of transportation, shall be twenty years into the future from the year during which a traffic impact study is being prepared.
“Internal trips” means trips that are made within a multi-use or mixed-use development, by vehicle or by an alternate mode, such as walking.
“Levels of service (LOS)” is a measurement of the level of congestion experienced on roadways. The desirable LOS of the city of Wasco is level-of-service C in the peak hour. LOS shall be measured for both link and intersection operations. Level of service is typically summarized by letter grades described as follows:
1. Level “A” is a condition with low traffic volumes, high speeds and free-flow conditions.
2. Level “B” is a condition with light traffic volumes, minor speed restrictions and stable flow.
3. Level “C” is a condition with moderate traffic volumes, where speed and maneuvering are restricted to a limited degree by the amount of traffic.
4. Level “D” is a condition with heavy traffic operating at tolerable speeds, although temporary slowdowns in flow may occur.
5. Level “E” is a condition of very heavy flow and relatively low speeds. Under level “E” the traffic is unstable and short stoppage may occur.
6. Level “F” is a condition of extremely heavy flow, with frequent stoppage and very slow speeds. It is an unstable traffic condition under which traffic often comes to a complete halt.
“New trips” means total vehicle trips, minus pass-by trips, minus internal trips, if applicable.
“Pass-by trips” means vehicle trips which are made by traffic already using the adjacent roadway and entering the site as an intermediate stop on the way to another destination.
“Peak hour” means 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., or 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. or the highest four fifteen-minute increments within such time period for the a.m. peak hour; 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. or the highest four fifteen-minute increments within such a time period for the p.m. peak hour.
“Peak hour trip” means the number of directional trips occurring within the peak hour.
“Qualified professional” means for purposes of conducting traffic impact studies as may be required by this chapter a registered professional engineer with experience in traffic engineering. For purposes of conducting peak hour trip generation studies, a qualified professional shall mean a registered professional engineer with experience in traffic engineering, or another professional approved by the director of transportation based on education and experience to conduct such trip generation studies.
“Traffic impact study” means an analysis and assessment, conducted by a qualified professional, that assesses the effects that a discretionary development proposal’s traffic will have on the transportation network in a community or portion thereof. Traffic impact studies vary in their range of detail and complexity depending on the type, size and location of the proposed development.
“Transportation improvement program/capital improvement program” means three- to five-year schedule and funding program for all approved and committed transportation improvements.
“Trip generation” means an estimate of the number of vehicle trips that will be generated due to the new development, which is calculated based on the type and amount of land uses in the proposed development and professionally accepted trip generation rates for each such land use. Trip generation may be expressed on an average daily basis or average peak hour (a.m., p.m. or both).
“Trip generation rates” means the city’s criteria for trip generation for various categories of land use and density shall be those set forth in the latest edition of the ITE Trip Generation Manual unless the proposed use does not have a corresponding rate in the manual. Alternative trip generation rates shall be accepted by planning staff before the traffic study is done. (Ord. 706 § 3 (Exh. A), 2019).