Title 17 . Transportation and Public Facilities

Chapter 10 . Miscellaneous Provisions

Section 70. Traffic impact analysis

17 AAC 10.070. Traffic impact analysis

(a) A traffic impact analysis required under 17 AAC 10.060(c) must compute traffic generated by a development in accordance with the Institute of Traffic Engineers' Trip Generation Handbook (1997). The department will, in its discretion, require a traffic impact analysis based upon local traffic generation values. A traffic impact analysis must be prepared by an engineer licensed under AS 08.48 and must be submitted to the department for review and comment under (e) of this section.

(b) Level of service (LOS) and operational analysis for a traffic impact analysis prepared under this section must be performed in accordance with the Transportation Research Board's publication Special Report 209, Highway Capacity Manual (1997 Update). The minimum acceptable LOS at intersections and on road segments both on the development's opening date and in the design year is

(1) LOS C, if the LOS on the date of application is LOS C or better; or

(2) LOS D, if the LOS on the date of application is LOS D or poorer; however, if the LOS is poorer than LOS D, a lower minimum LOS is acceptable if the operation of the highway does not deteriorate more than 10 percent in terms of delay time or other appropriate measures of effectiveness from the LOS before the development's opening date.

(c) A traffic impact analysis prepared under this section must address

(1) intersections on highways where traffic on any approach is expected to increase as a result of the proposed development by at least five percent of the approach's capacity;

(2) segments of highways between intersections where total traffic is expected to increase as a result of the proposed development by at least five percent of the segments' capacity;

(3) state highways and intersections where the safety of the facilities will deteriorate as a result of the traffic generated by the development;

(4) each driveway or approach road that will allow egress from or ingress to a highway for the proposed development;

(5) parking and circulation routes within the proposed development, to the extent necessary to ensure that traffic does not back up onto a highway; and

(6) pedestrian and bicycle facilities that are part of the highway facilities to which a permit applicant seeks access.

(d) Except for a development expected to generate 250 or more vehicle trips during the peak traffic hour of an adjacent highway, a traffic impact analysis prepared under this section must consider

(1) projected traffic at the development's anticipated opening date, excluding the traffic generated by the development; and

(2) projected traffic at the development's anticipated opening date, including the traffic generated by the development.

(e) A traffic impact analysis prepared under this section for a development expected to generate 250 or more vehicle trips during the peak traffic hour of the adjacent highway must, in addition to the projected traffic volumes before and after the completion of the proposed development, consider

(1) the projected traffic in the design year for the proposed development, excluding traffic generated by the development; and

(2) the projected traffic for the design year for the proposed development including the traffic generated by the development.

(f) A traffic impact analysis prepared under this section must identify

(1) locations where road improvements are necessary to mitigate traffic impacts, including locations where the LOS is less than acceptable under (b) of this section

(A) due to the development at either the opening date or the design year; or

(B) at either the opening date or the design year without the development and improvements are necessary to prevent the LOS from deteriorating further;

(2) road improvement alternatives that will achieve an acceptable LOS or minimize degradation of service below an already unacceptable LOS

(A) on the opening date of the development; and

(B) in the design year of the development, for a development expected to generate 250 or more vehicle trips during the peak hour of the adjacent highway on the opening date of the development;

(3) bicycle or pedestrian improvements necessary to accommodate bicycle and pedestrian traffic as negotiated between the department and the applicant; and

(4) improvements needed for internal circulation and parking plans.

(g) The department will review and comment upon a traffic impact analysis prepared under this section and submitted for a proposed development. The department will, in its discretion, request clarification or further analysis of the impacts that it considers necessary to adequately consider the risks presented to the traveling public by the proposed development. If alternative means are proposed by an applicant for mitigation of the traffic impacts of a proposed development, the department will select the alternative that provides the greatest public benefit, at the least private cost, and that meets the appropriate LOS on an impacted state highway. If the department accepts a means of mitigation, the mitigation must be successfully completed before the issuance of a permit under 17 AAC 10.080.

History: Eff. 5/4/2000, Register 154

Authority: AS 19.05.020

AS 19.05.040

AS 19.30.051

AS 19.30.121

AS 19.40.065

AS 44.42.030

Editor's note: The Special Report 209, Highway Capacity Manual (1997 Update) and the Trip Generation Handbook (1997), adopted by reference in 17 AAC 10.070, may be viewed at the department's regional offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Juneau. Special Report 209, Highway Capacity Manual (1997 Update) may be obtained from the Transportation Research Board, Lockbox 289, Washington, D.C. 20055. The Trip Generation Handbook (1997) may be obtained from the Institute of Transportation Engineers, 525 School Street, S.W., Suite 410, Washington, D.C. 20024-2797.