Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP-22-032 - Supplemental - 0119 Tilley Drive (49) BUCKHURST FISH JACQUEMART, INC. 115 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10003 T. 212.353.7474 F. 212.353.7494 MEMORANDUM To: Marla Keene, PE City of South Burlington Development Review Planner From: Georges Jacquemart, PE, AICP, Principal Mark Freker, Senior Planner Subject: Review of Traffic Impact Assessment for 119 Tilley Drive Date: September 1, 2022 Introduction This memo provides findings from BFJ’s review of the May 27, 2022 Traffic Impact Study (TIS) for the proposed UVM Medical Center Outpatient Surgery Center at 119 Tilley Dr. prepared by Wall Consultant Group (WCG). Trip Generation Estimates For the proposed 84,006 sf Outpatient Surgery Center, WCG developed a site-specific trip generation estimate rather than using ITE ratios for land use categories such as Hospital, Clinic, and Medical/Dental Office. BFJ concurs with WCG’s conclusion that the ITE uses are not comparable enough to the trip generation of the proposed Outpatient Surgery Center. WCG’s custom trip generation is based on staffing models provided by UVM MC and the 24-Hour staff/ patient arrival and departure estimations. WCG assumes a total of 215 employees, 12 operating rooms, and an estimated 112 patients per day. Note that the surgical center would effectively operate from 5:50 AM when the first shift of professional staff arrive to 7:30 PM when final professional staff leave. WCG presents the following vehicle trip generation for the Outpatient surgery center:  AM Peak Hour: 126 trips  PM Peak Hour: 129 trips BFJ agrees with this methodology and finds the peak-hour traffic generation estimates to be reasonable. Internal Capture Assumptions WCG states that some of the traffic generated by the outpatient surgery center will remain internal between the surgery center and the near-by Red Barn Market & Deli, the argument being that the trips made between the two sites regardless of travel mode will not travel along Tilley Drive and are considered internally captured. We disagree with this assumption, since the deli is an existing use with its existing traffic generation. Today’s trips to or from the deli are not likely to divert to the surgery center and any trips to or from the surgery center that stop over at the deli would constitute additional trips to the deli. If we had the reverse situation where the surgery center existed and the deli was added the internal capture would be more real. Some of the future staff and doctors, and possibly some visitors/patients may walk to the deli to purchase coffee, snacks or lunch, however, these trips would be limited in their numbers and would mostly occur during non-peak hours. We recommend that the BUCKHURST FISH JACQUEMART, INC. 115 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10003 T. 212.353.7474 F. 212.353.7494 applicant should not take any credit for internal capture. By the way if the applicant were to take credit for internal capture the numbers of credited trips have to be the same inbound and outbound. TDM Trip Reduction Credit Trip generation reductions have been applied to the analysis based on VTrans TDM guidelines. BFJ reviewed these guidelines and raises the following concerns:  WCG assigns a 3% credit in relation to parking supply management. We do not see how a reduced parking supply may be reasonable in this case and question the validity of this credit. Any shared parking with the nearby deli would not reduce traffic generation.  A 9% credit was assigned in relation to joining a TMA (small site, >100 workers). TMA services include ridematching, vanpool support, guaranteed ride home, financial incentive/rewards programs, transit subsidies/discounts. We do not believe that this credit to be assigned to the patients visiting the clinic nor to the doctors who are not on a regular schedule and come for a few hours on a particular day. We recommend that this credit be reduced to 5% and that the TMA membership becomes condition of the approval.