In 2013, the State of California passed Senate Bill 743 (SB 743), which altered how transportation impacts from new development are measured under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Traditionally, transportation impacts have been assessed in terms of Level of Service (LOS), a measure of automobile delays along a roadway. SB 743 shifts from LOS to metrics aligned with state goals around greenhouse gas reduction, land use diversity, and development of multi-modal travel networks.

The Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) has determined the best metric is Vehicle Miles Traveled, or VMT. Cities and counties are required to establish thresholds of significance in VMT for purposes of conducting transportation analysis under CEQA.

• SB 743 Factsheet
• Videos: Problems with LOS and Benefits of VMT

Mountain View VMT and MTA

On June 30, 2020, the Council endorsed a Vehicle-Miles-Traveled (VMT) analysis methodology for development projects that require transportation analysis citywide, in combination with requirements for a local-level analysis of multi-modal transportation impacts (including bicycle, pedestrian, and vehicle movements) referred to as a Multimodal Transportation Analysis (MTA). For more information, see Council Staff Report and Materials.

• Adopted Council VMT Policy
• MTA Handbook

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