Abstract:The Smart Growth Trip Generation Project Team (Team) compared available traffic counts from ten sites from the EPA/SANDAG MXD study located in California against estimates from the candidate methodologies in order to determine which methodologies may be the most accurate. In addition to the EPA/SANDAG MXD sites, twelve smart growth sites, from which data were gathered for another project (Caltrans' Trip-Generation Rates for Urban Infill Land Uses in California) were used to test the candidate methodologies. Most of the EPA/SANDAG MXD sites are large-scale developments in more suburban areas, whereas the Infill sites are small-scale developments (in most cases, single buildings) located in urban cores. In this report, all of these sites are compared in light of their smart growth characteristics to better understand each site's potential to reduce vehicle trip generation rates. Smart growth characteristics are determined by examining the variables used to assess each site's trip generation rates, in addition to discussing some of the more qualitative characteristics of each site. Further, the “walkability” of each site is examined using “walkscore.com,” which uses an algorithm to award points based on amenity provisions; however, only the number of commercial and public services within walking distance of a site are quantified. The walk score provides no indication of whether or not it is possible to walk to each amenity, so this portion of the analysis must be interpreted cautiously. Tables comparing the smart growth characteristics of each site are provided at the end of this document.

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