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Home My WebLink About2000-004 Transportation Element of the City’s Urban Area Comprehensive Plan (defining street capacity) ORDINANCE NO. 2000- 04 AN ORDINANCE concerning the Transportation Element of the City of Yakima Urban Area Comprehensive Plan established pursuant to Chapter 36.70A RCW, amending the definition of classified street capacity to define classified street capacity as 800 vehicles per lane per hour. WHEREAS, pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 36.70A RCW, the City of Yakima adopted a comprehensive land use plan ( "Comp Plan ") on April 1, 1997; and WHEREAS, the Comp Plan includes a Transportation Element which, among other things, describes the City's street system and sets level of service standards for classified streets on the basis of a definition of classified street capacity that was assumed at least five years ago; and WHEREAS, during the 1990s and especially since 1997, substantial unforeseen residential and commercial development has introduced many new homes and businesses and accompanying motor vehicle traffic to the incorporated western portions of the City and a substantial portion of unincorporated area west of the City; and WHEREAS, the recent and ongoing residential and commercial development on the west side and to the west of Yakima clearly demonstrates the values, choices, and collective will of the Yakima community regarding where people want to live, shop, and work; and WHEREAS, the recent and ongoing residential and commercial development on the west side and to the west of Yakima appears likely to continue for at least several years; and WHEREAS, the recent and ongoing residential and commercial development has been, is, and will in the future be invaluable to the local economy; and WHEREAS, North 40th Avenue, from Summitview Avenue to State Route 12, is uniquely burdened with motor vehicle traffic because it is the westernmost north -south classified street in the City that connects with State Route 12, and because west of the City, across an area of over ten miles, only a few north -south roads connect with State Route 12 from the south, and because the physical terrain west of North 40th Avenue affords virtually no significant additional north -south routes to connect with State Route 12 from the south; and WHEREAS, the increased motor vehicle traffic which has accompanied recent development on the west side of. Yakima has introduced substantial volumes of motor vehicle traffic onto North 40th Avenue, well in excess of the traffic volume predictions upon which the Transportation Element of the Comp Plan was based; and WHEREAS, the Transportation Element of the Comp Plan was based on motor vehicle counts made during 1992; and AMENDMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DEFINITION OF CLASSIFIED STREET CAPACITY Page 1 of 3 WHEREAS, the Transportation Element of the Comp Plan defines classified street capacity as 600 vehicles per lane per hour; and • WHEREAS, because the current Transportation Element of the Comp Plan defines classified street capacity as 600 vehicles per lane per hour, nominal evaluation of peak hour traffic on North 40th Avenue now results in formal determination that too many vehicles use North 40th Avenue to permit any new vehicle trips which may result from further development without accompanying measures likely to stifle development; and WHEREAS, other classified streets in the City may also soon bear so much traffic that nominal evaluation of peak hour traffic on those streets will result in formal determination that too many vehicles use them to permit any new vehicle trips which may result from further development without accompanying measures likely to stifle • development; and WHEREAS, as a practical matter, although traffic on North 40th Avenue and other classified streets is very busy at peak hours, traffic on North 40th Avenue and other classified streets is acceptable to the community; and WHEREAS, in contrast to the definition of classified street capacity in the Transportation Element of Yakima's Comp Plan, classified street capacity in many Washington cities is defined as 800 or more vehicles per lane per hour; and WHEREAS, if classified street capacity of North 40th Avenue and other classified streets were defined as 800 vehicles per lane per hour in the City's Comp Plan, the .nominal evaluation of peak hour traffic on those streets would formally determine that they can accommodate new vehicle trips which may result from additional development; and WHEREAS, a number of projects which will necessarily introduce additional traffic onto North 40th Avenue and other classified streets, some of which represent substantial investment - backed expectations, are likely to become the subjects of active applications for City land use and zoning review and approval during 2000; and WHEREAS, RCW 36.70A.130 in pertinent part provides: . . . after appropriate public participation a county or city may adopt amendments or revisions to its comprehensive plan that conform with this chapter whenever an emergency exists .. . and WHEREAS, the City will consider amendments to the Comp Plan during 2000; and WHEREAS, if development which will introduce additional traffic onto North 40th Avenue, or other classified streets, is stifled at this time, the local economy would be severely damaged at a time when it is otherwise not strong, and the City Council believes the magnitude of such damage would constitute an emergency for the greater Yakima community; and WHEREAS, it is absolutely vital to the best interests of the City and the community that residential and commercial development on the west side and throughout the City continue; now therefore AMENDMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DEFINITION OF CLASSIFIED STREET CAPACITY Page 2 of 3 BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON: Section 1. Notwithstanding any provisions of the Yakima Municipal Code, the Yakima Urban Area Comprehensive Plan, or other local laws, regulations or policies, for the purpose of determining whether adequate unused capacity is available to accommodate new development that is likely to introduce additional motor vehicle traffic onto the City's classified streets, classified street capacity shall be defined as 800 vehicles per lane per hour in the City's Comp Plan. Section 2. The Transportation Element of the City of Yakima Urban Area Comprehensive Plan shall be revisited within the normal Chapter 36.70A amendment process during the year 2000 to determine how capacity of classified streets shall be defined, as well as to determine related matters which may be affected by any changes in the definition of classified street capacity, and to determine any amendments to the Transportation Element of the City of Yakima Urban Area Comprehensive Plan which may be appropriate in the light of information established and public participation in normal Chapter 36.70A amendment process during the year 2000. Section 3. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect 30 days after its passage, approval, and publication as provided by law and by the City Charter. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL at a regular meeting and signed and approved this 15th day of February , 2000. "Mary Place, Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk Publication Date: 2/18/ 00 Effective Date: 3/19/ 00 C:\ word\ gma \ 2000 \ class'd streets cap per cc.doc Last printed February 17, 2000 12:05 PM AMENDMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DEFINITION OF CLASSIFIED STREET CAPACITY Page 3 of 3 BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDA STATEMENT Item No. 5 For Meeting Of 2/15/00 ITEM TITLE: Public Hearing on the Proposed amendments to the Transportation Capacity Ordinance (YMC 12.03); Interim Amendment of Vehicle Capacity of Classified Streets of the Transportation Element of Comprehensive Plan from 600 Vehicles per lane hour to 800 vehicles per lane per hour. SUBMITTED BY: Chris Waarvick, Director of Public Work &) Larry Peterson, Assistant City Attorney CONTACT PERSON/TELEPHONE: Shelley Willson, Streets and Traffic Man Joan Davenport, Supervising Traffic Engineer SUMMARY EXPLANATION: Pursuant to Council direction of the 1 -19 -00 worksession related to transportation financing and capacity, the following items are provided. The Transportation Concurrency Program, required by GMA has two components: a regulatory ordinance (YMC 12.03) and the Urban Area Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element. These recommended amendments are a result of a number of factors, including faster traffic growth on North 40 Avenue than anticipated in the Comprehensive Plan and a conservative definition of street capacity adopted within the Transportation Element of the Plan. In 1999, the City implemented a 2 -year cycle of collecting traffic counts on arterial streets. In compiling this data, it was established that North 40 Avenue exceeds the adopted capacity. Staff recommends the City Council consider modifying the capacity standard of the Comprehensive Plan and the regulatory ordinance incrementally closer to the definition, as found in the Transportation Research Board Highway Capacity Manual (1994). The proposed amendments address all classified streets (Arterials and Collectors) within the City of Yakima, not just North 40 Avenue. Resolution Ordinance X(2) Other (Specify) Contract Mail to (name and address): Phone: Funding Source APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL: / J C t7 City Manager STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Conduct public hearing and adopt legislation or direct necessary changes. BOARD /COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: COUNCIL ACTION: