Council Study Session Contrasts CEQA With City’s Mobility Plans, Draws Praise, Criticism

On Monday, Pasadena’s city council dug deep in a study session to better understand the differences and similarities between a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) transportation analysis and the city’s own local mobility plans.

Vehicle Miles Traveled, or VMT, refers to the number of vehicle miles traveled by car, regardless of how many passengers are inside the vehicle.

Projects that could alleviate or divert traffic from congested areas received a higher level of service, or LOS score.

Senate Bill 743 replaced LOS with VMT, which takes into account the number of vehicles on the road and the miles they’re driving.

Projects that reduce or have little impact on VMT receive better ratings.

These actions comply with SB 743, signed into law in 2013. The bill updated the standard by which a development’s impacts on transportation are evaluated under CEQA.

Prior to SB 743, impacts were evaluated by a level of service standard, which measured how projects would affect traffic on local roadways.

Locals praised and criticized the thresholds.

“Pasadena took a progressive step when it adopted VMP,” said Topher Mathers. “The housing crisis, like the climate crisis, will not go away unless we address it and make smart decisions.”

But others said the thresholds are not accurate.

“The current thresholds and city analysis of traffic on our streets do not accurately reflect the impact of developments on our traffic flow,” wrote Megan Foker in a letter to the City Council.

“It is critical that traffic be viewed both as a whole and how it interconnects between the different thoroughfares. The way that LOS has been interpreted to date hides real problems, and as a result, the impact of new developments and the resulting traffic is underestimated,” Foker wrote.

The city is recognized as one of the early VMT adopters and continues to take steps that further promote sustainable transportation and align with the state’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving long?term climate change goals.

“Ultimately, the goal is to promote a reduction in travel and a reduction in greenhouse gases,” said Nico Boyd of the transportation consulting firm Fehr & Peers.

The hearing followed a study session held by the council’s Transportation Advisory Commission earlier this month.