DDOT MXD+ method development report.

PDFTech ReportCalibrationEvaluation and assessmentMixed use developmentParkingSpreadsheetsTraffic congestionTrip generationUrban areasWashington (District of Columbia)United StatesDistrict of Columbia. Dept. of TransportationHenson, JamieWestrom, RyanChamberlain, AnnaRogers, JonathanDock, StephanieKilim, GiriParadkar, RajRidgway, MatthewBottigheimer, NatWatten, MackenzieBakhru, AnjuliZiebarth, JenniferKao, MichaelCH2M Hill, inc.District of Columbia. Dept. of TransportationFehr & PeersUS Transportation CollectionMixed-use development has become increasingly common across the country, including Washington, D.C.However, a straightforward and empirically validated method for evaluating the traffic impacts of suchprojects is still needed. The data presented in the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE) Trip Generationinformational report is primarily collected at suburban, single-use, and free-standing sites. This definingcharacteristic limits the applicability of these basic trip rates to mixed-use or multi-use developmentprojects. While the number of person trips generated by individual uses may be similar to free-standingsites, the potential for interaction among on-site activities can significantly reduce the total number ofvehicle trips. Additionally, mixed-use projects located in areas with a variety of nearby destinations andhigh quality transit access will produce fewer vehicle trips due to a larger share of trips entering andexiting the site on foot, bicycle, or by transit.The Mixed-Use Development (MXD+) method, initially developed for the United States EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) and ITE, accounts for the degree to which mixed-use sites internally capturetravel and the extent to which smart growth site design and context result in walking, biking, and transituse. The EPA MXD+ method represents a dramatic improvement over current methods of estimating tripgeneration for mixed-use developments. The method produces reliable, though still somewhatconservative, estimates of trip generation that are highly sensitive to the context of any givendevelopment.The District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) has long recognized the deficiencies withtraditional approaches and has conducted a number of studies to better understand traffic and parkinggeneration characteristics of the highly urban District. These methods, while significantly better thanusing national data, still lack sufficient sensitivity to the context of developments (that is, where it wouldbe placed and what would surround it).This study applies the EPA MXD+ method to sites within The District. Based on those initial results, theEPA MXD+ method is then calibrated to better match District conditions. The resulting DDOT MXD+ method is then operationalized into an easy to use spreadsheet tool for use by DDOT staff in projectdevelopment review