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<br />STATE OF CALIFORNIA-BUSINESS. TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING AGENCY <br /> <br />ARNOLD SCHW ARZENEGGER. Governor 7 A <br />p. egO <br /> <br />Flex your power.' <br />Be energy ejJiciellf.' <br /> <br />DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <br />III GRAND AVENUE <br />P. 0, BOX 23660 <br />OAKLAND, CA 94623-0660 <br />PHONE (510) 286-5505 <br />FAX (510) 286-5559 <br />TTY (800) 735-2929 <br /> <br /> <br />lE /n)fn -II <br />J '-, Z007 1lJJ <br />~:'(!::~.qu Cf'i.y 1 <br />L____.......,._... ._,. . _ ~ ::.:~~r"..~,_.. I <br /> <br />June 20, 2007 <br /> <br />SM084121 <br />SCH#2005092047 <br /> <br />Ms. Valerie Young'" <br />City of Redwood City <br />1017 Middlefield Road <br />Redwood City, CA 94063 <br /> <br />Dear Ms. Young: <br /> <br />COSTCO WHOLESALE PROJECT - FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT <br />REPORT <br /> <br />Thank you for including the California Department of Transportation (Department) in the <br />environmental review process for the Costco Wholesale project. These comments are based on <br />the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). <br /> <br />Forecasting <br />Trips Generated Derived from Expansion of Costco Warehouse <br />The Response to Comments introduces door count data, demonstrating a 3.1 percent growth, <br />to justify a unique trip generation methodology for CosteD expansion. However, the <br />Department believes the ITE Trip Generation methodology is more appropriate for the <br />fo Howing reasons: <br />I. ITE Trip Generation methodology creates a nationwide standard based on more than <br />113 samples from similar facilities. The resulting trip rates are more reliable and <br />consistent than just three similar Costco warehouses surveyed in the Bay Area. <br />2. Door count data is better suited for estimating current active members only, but does <br />not reflect the full capacity designed for future year expansion. That is why the door <br />count method shows a limited and underestimated traffic growth (3.1 percent) in terms <br />of shopper! pedestrian traffic. <br />3. The expansion of the Costco warehouse is designed for full members! shoppers <br />capacity and vehicle trip growth in the next 10 or 5 years or sooner. Trips generated <br />due to GFA size increase based upon ITE Trip Generation would reasonably <br />demonstrate growth up to build-out in term of vehicle traffic. <br />4. We understand that the Costco warehouse expansion, as defined through existing and <br />operations, only generates 20 and 30 vph for weekday and Saturday PM peak hour as <br />demonstrated in Table 4.4-5, Estimated Trip Generation. We believe, however, that the <br />expansion will contribute 116 vph (=27,263 sf as expansion *4.24 vph per 1000 sf of <br />discount club) and 186 vph (=27,263 sf*6.85 vph per 1000 sf of discount club) for <br />weekday and Saturday PM peak hour. <br /> <br />"Caltrans improves mobility across California" <br /> <br />