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<br />fP <br /> <br />FEHR & PEERS <br /> <br />TRANS;:>ORTATION CONSULTANTS <br /> <br />May 18, 2009 <br /> <br />Mr. John Wagstaff <br />Wagstaff & Associates <br />2512 Ninth Street, Suite 5 <br />Berkeley, CA 94710 <br /> <br />Re: Proposal to Prepare an Updated Transportation Impact Analysis for the Downtown <br />Precise Plan in Redwood City, California P09.1763 <br /> <br />Dear Mr. Wagstaff: <br /> <br />Fehr & Peers is pleased to submit this proposal to complete an updated transportation impact <br />analysis (TIA) for the Downtown Precise Plan (DPP) in Redwood City, California. The DPP was <br />completed in May 2007, and a TIA and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) were prepared for the <br />project. Due to legal challenges to the original ErR, Redwood City is preparing a new EIR for the <br />DPP. This update effectively will replace the original EIR, and, ideally, would be a free-standing <br />document. While the legal challenges did not involve the traffic portion of the original EIR, <br />Redwood City has requested that the TIA be updated. <br /> <br />The Scope of Work (Attachment A) outlines the tasks that we propose to undertake to prepare <br />the updated TIA. This scope is based upon our experience in preparing the Redwood City <br />General Plan, traffic studies for other projects in Redwood City, and downtown specific plans and <br />the supporting EIR in other Bay Area jurisdictions. <br /> <br />We have tailored this scope to minimize the cost to prepare the updated TIA for the new EIR. <br />However, we feel it is important to note that the cost savings associated with the approach and <br />methods could create openings for new challenges to the EIR. Specifically, we have incorporated <br />the following assumptions into the scope which reduce the cost to prepare the study, but could be <br />areas for a new challenge. The limitations and risks associated with each assumption are detailed <br />below: <br /> <br />1 . Reducing the study scope (number of study intersections). It is possible to <br />screen out six study intersections that operate acceptably under the Cumulative <br />scenario of the 2006 DPP EIR (e.g., locations that operate at LOS B or better), since <br />it is unlikely that these locations will result in significant impacts in the revised study. <br />An additional six locations could be removed, if a delay based cut off of 25.0 <br />seconds/vehicle were used reflecting the low end of LOS C operations. While there is <br />some logical rationale for eliminating these locations, there is the potential for <br />creating a perception that this is a less comprehensive analysis. <br /> <br />2. Use the 2006 DPP EIR Existing Conditions in the updated analysis. The counts <br />used in the 2006 DPP EIR were completed in November and December 2005, nearly <br />four years ago. In addition, the EIR states that several of the intersections were <br />counted while under construction, and adjustments were applied to those locations <br />These adjustements are not documented the available documentation for the EIR. <br />Using these older intersection counts in the updated analysis reduces the <br />defensibility of the EIR as it relates to the issuance of the new Notice of Preparation <br />(NaP). While CEQA does not specifically define a timeframe for counts, many <br />agencies require that intersection counts be less than two (2) years old at the time of <br />the Nap, unless there is conclusive evidence that traffic volumes or travel patterns <br />have not changed substantially. From our work on the RWC General Plan and the <br />Mid-Point Technology Center, we have recent counts (2007-2008) at 16 of the 42 <br />study intersections. We have compared traffic volumes at key locations from the <br /> <br />160 W. Santa Clara Street, Suite 675 San Jose, CA 95113 (408) 278.1700 Fax (408) 278-1717 <br />www.fehrandpeers.com <br />