24 Va. Admin. Code § 30-155-60
A. A VDOT traffic impact statement (VTIS) assesses the impact of a proposed development on the transportation system and recommends improvements to lessen or negate those impacts. It shall (i) identify any traffic issues associated with access from the site to the existing transportation network, (ii) outline solutions to potential problems, (iii) address the sufficiency of the future transportation network, and (iv) present improvements to be incorporated into the proposed development.
If a VTIS is required, data collection shall be by the locality, developer, or owner, as determined by the locality and the locality shall prepare or have the developer or owner prepare the VTIS. If the locality prepares the VTIS, it shall provide a copy of the complete VTIS to the applicant when one is provided to VDOT. The completed VTIS shall be submitted to VDOT.
The data and analysis contained in the VTIS shall be organized and presented in a manner acceptable to VDOT and consistent with this regulation.
B. Scope of work meeting.
2. For proposals that generate 1,000 or more vehicle trips per peak hour of the generator, representatives of the locality and applicant, if applicable, shall hold a scope of work meeting with VDOT to discuss the required elements of a VTIS. Once a locality or applicant has contacted VDOT regarding the scheduling of a scope of work meeting, VDOT shall reply to both the locality and the applicant, if applicable, within 30 days of such contact and provide a date that is no more than 60 days from such contact, time and location for such a meeting.
At a scope of work meeting pursuant to this section, the locality, the applicant, and VDOT shall review the elements, methodology, and assumptions to be used in the preparation of the VTIS and identify any other related local requirements adopted pursuant to law. The results of the initial scoping meeting may be adjusted in accordance with sound professional judgment and the requirements of this regulation if agreed upon by VDOT, the locality, and applicant, if applicable.
C. Required elements. The required elements and scope of a VTIS are dependent upon the scale and potential impact of the specific development proposal being addressed by the VTIS as determined by VDOT in its sole discretion.
1. At a minimum, the VTIS shall include the elements shown in the table below. The site generated peak hour trips in the table below shall be based upon the gross vehicle trip generation of the site less internal capture and mode split reductions, if applicable. When the type of development proposed would indicate significant potential for walking, bike, or transit trips either on-site or off-site, the VTIS shall estimate multimodal trips. All distances in the table below shall be measured along roads or streets.
| Item | |||
| Less than 500 | 500 to 999 | 1,000 or more | |
| Background information | |||
| List of all nonexistent transportation improvements assumed in the analysis | Required | Required | Required |
| Map of site location, description of the parcel, general terrain features, and location within the jurisdiction and region. | Required | Required | Required |
| Description of geographic scope/ limits of study area. | Within 2,000 feet of site and any roadway on which 50 or more of the new peak hour vehicle trips generated by the proposal are distributed – not to exceed one mile | Within 2,000 feet of site and any roadway on which 10% or more of the new vehicle trips generated by the proposal are distributed – not to exceed two miles | To be determined by VDOT in consultation with the locality |
| Plan at an engineering scale of the existing and proposed site uses. | Required | Required | Required |
| Description and map or diagram of nearby uses, including parcel zoning. | Required | Required | Required |
| Description and map or diagram of existing roadways. | Required | Required | Required |
| Description and map or diagram of programmed improvements to roadways, intersections, and other transportation facilities within the study area. | Required | Required | Required |
| Analysis of Existing Conditions | |||
| Collected daily and peak hour of the generator traffic volumes, tabulated and presented on diagrams with counts provided in an appendix. | Required | Required | Required |
| Analyses for intersections and roadways identified by VDOT. Delay and Level of Service (LOS) are tabulated and LOS is presented on diagrams for each lane group. | Required | Required | Required |
| When the type of development proposed would indicate significant potential for walking, bike or transit trips either on - or off - site, analyses of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and bus route or routes and segment or segments, tabulated and presented on diagrams, if facilities or routes exist | Within 2,000 feet of site | Within 2,000 feet of site | To be determined by VDOT in consultation with the locality |
| Speed Study | If requested by VDOT | If requested by VDOT | If requested by VDOT |
| Crash history near site | If requested by VDOT | If requested by VDOT | If requested by VDOT |
| Sight distance | If requested by VDOT | If requested by VDOT | If requested by VDOT |
| Analysis of Future Conditions without Development | |||
| Description of and justification for the method and assumptions used to forecast future traffic volumes. | Required | Required | Required |
| Analyses for intersections and roadways as identified by VDOT. Delay and Level of Service (LOS) are tabulated and LOS is presented on diagrams for each lane group. | Required | Required | Required |
| When the type of development proposed would indicate significant potential for walking, bike, or transit trips either on site or off site, analyses of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and bus routes and segments tabulated and presented on diagrams, if facilities or routes exist or are planned. | Within 2,000 feet of site | Within 2,000 feet of site | To be determined by VDOT in consultation with the locality at the scope of work meeting |
| Trip Generation | |||
| Site trip generation, with tabulated data, broken out by analysis year for multi-phase developments, and including justification for deviations from ITE rates, if appropriate. | Required | Required | Required |
| Description and justification of internal capture reductions for mixed use developments and pass-by trip reductions, if appropriate, including table of calculations used. | Required | Required | Required |
| Site Traffic Distribution and Assignment | |||
| Description of methodology used to distribute trips, with supporting data. | Required | Required | Required |
| Description of the direction of approach for site generated traffic and diagrams showing the traffic assignment to the road network serving the site for the appropriate time periods. | Required | Required | Required |
| Analysis of Future Conditions With Development | |||
| Forecast daily and peak hour of the generator traffic volumes on the highway network in the study area, site entrances and internal roadways, tabulated and presented on diagrams. | Future background + site generated traffic, at each expected phase and at build - out or six years after start, whichever is later | Future background + site generated traffic, at each expected phase, at build - out, and six years after build - out, which may be extended or reduced by VDOT in consultation with the locality | At a minimum the future background + site generated traffic, at each expected phase, at build - out, and six years after build - out; may be extended by VDOT in consultation with the locality |
| Analyses for intersections and roadways identified by VDOT. Delay and Level of Service (LOS) are tabulated and LOS presented on diagrams for each lane group. | Required | Required | Required |
| When the type of development proposed would indicate significant potential for walking, bike, or transit trips either on site or off site, analyses of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and bus routes and segments tabulated and presented on diagrams, if facilities or routes exist or are planned. | Within 2,000 feet of site | Within 2,000 feet of site | To be determined by VDOT in consultation with the locality |
| Recommended Improvements | |||
| Description and diagram of the location, nature, and extent of proposed improvements, with preliminary cost estimates as available from VDOT. | Required | Required | Required |
| Description of methodology used to calculate the effects of travel demand management (TDM) measures, if proposed, with supporting data. | Required if TDM proposed | Required if TDM proposed | Required if TDM proposed |
| Analyses for all proposed and modified intersections in the study area under the forecast and site traffic. Delay, and Level of Service (LOS) are tabulated and LOS presented on diagrams for each lane group. For intersections expected to be signalized, MUTCD Signal Warrant analysis or ITE Manual for Traffic Signal Design, as determined by VDOT, presented in tabular form. | Required | Required | Required |
| When the type of development proposed would indicate significant potential for walking, bike, or transit trips either on site or off site, analyses of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and bus routes and segments tabulated and presented on diagrams, if facilities or routes exist or are planned. | Within 2,000 feet of site | Within 2,000 feet of site | To be determined by VDOT in consultation with the locality |
| Conclusions | |||
| Clear, concise description of the study findings. | Required | Required | Required |
Notwithstanding the geographic scope noted above, the geographic scope of the study noted above may be reduced or enlarged based upon layout of the local transportation network, the geographical size of the development, and the traffic volume on the existing network, as determined by VDOT in consultation with the locality and the applicant, if applicable. Typically, analysis will be conducted for any roadway on which the additional trips generated by the proposal have a materially detrimental impact on traffic conditions. The analysis presented in the VTIS need not include all roadway and roadway segments located within the geographic scope of the study as determined by VDOT.
2. A VTIS for a development proposal that only meets the low volume road submission criterion (24VAC30-155-40 A 3) shall, at a minimum, consist of the following elements, unless otherwise directed by VDOT.
3. A VTIS for a rezoning proposal may be prepared in accordance with the "Less than 500 Site Generated Peak Hour Trips" category in the table in subsection C of this section, regardless of actual projected trip generation, provided that:
D. Methodology and standard assumptions. A VTIS shall be prepared based upon methodology and assumptions noted below or as may be agreed upon by VDOT based upon the results of a scope of work meeting held by VDOT pursuant to this section.
1. Data collection. Preparers shall collect traffic data in accordance with the identified study area. The count data shall include, at a minimum, weekday 24-hour counts, and directional turning movement counts during AM and PM peak times of the day. The 24-hour counts shall include vehicle classification counts. With approval of VDOT, data collected by the transportation professional preparer within the last 24 months may be used, likewise for data from the VDOT count program.
The preparer shall monitor traffic operations during data collection to ensure extraneous events such as vehicle crashes or special event traffic do not affect integrity of count data. Preparers collecting data for utilization in traffic impact studies shall normally avoid data collection during the following instances:
2. Trip generation. Estimates of trip generation by a proposed development shall be prepared using the Institute of Transportation Engineers Trip Generation, 8th Edition, 2008, unless VDOT agrees to allow the use of alternate trip generation rates based upon alternate published guides or local trip generation studies. VDOT shall at all times after July 1, 2011, have at least one non-ITE trip generation methodology or alternative rate approved for the use in preparation of small area plan traffic impact statements pursuant to 24VAC30-155-30 C that recognizes the benefits of reduced vehicle trip generation and vehicle miles traveled from developments that meet the criteria for a small area plan pursuant to this regulation. Such alternate methodology or rate can be modified based upon local factors if agreed to at a scoping meeting. Rezoning proposals shall assume the highest vehicle trip generating use allowable under the proposed zoning classification. In determining which trip generation process (equation or rate) may be used, the preparer shall follow the guidance presented in the Trip Generation Handbook, Second Edition – an ITE Recommended Practice, 2004, which is summarized in this subdivision, except rates may be utilized if the criteria for the use of regression equations are not met. Regression equations to calculate trips as a result of development shall be utilized, provided the following is true:
c. R2 is greater than 0.75, equation falls within data cluster in plot and standard deviation greater than 110% of weighted average rate.
If the above criteria are not met, then the preparer can use average trip rates, though if the following do not apply a rate based upon the study of similar local sites should be considered:
3. Internal capture and pass-by trips.
a. Internal capture rates consider site trips "captured" within a mixed use development, recognizing that trips from one land use can access another land use within a development without having to access the adjacent street system. Mixed use developments include a combination of residential and nonresidential uses or a combination of nonresidential uses only. Internal capture allows reduction of site trips from adjacent intersections and roadways. For traffic impact statements prepared for small area plans pursuant to 24VAC30-155-30 C, the internal capture rate may be based on the non-ITE trip generation methodology approved by VDOT. For ITE-based methodologies, unless otherwise approved by VDOT, the following internal capture rates should be used if appropriate:
8. Level of service calculation. Level of service (LOS) analysis for highways shall utilize the techniques described in the Highway Capacity Manual, 2010 (TRB). Neither the intersection capacity utilization method nor the percentile delay method may be used in the traffic impact calculations of delay and level of service. Preparers shall consult with VDOT on which traffic analysis software package is to be used to conduct the LOS calculations. The results shall be tabulated and displayed graphically, with levels of service provided for each lane group for each peak period. All data used in the calculations must be provided along with the results of the capacity analysis. Any assumptions made that deviate from the programmed defaults must be documented and an explanation provided as to why there was a deviation. Electronic files used for the analysis shall be provided to VDOT as a digital submission (e.g.,.hcs,.sy6,.inp,.trf files), along with the printed report. If intersections analyzed are in close proximity to each other so that queuing may be a factor, VDOT may require the inclusion of an analysis with a micro simulation model. Unless actual on-ground conditions dictate otherwise, preparers should use the following defaults when utilizing the Highway Capacity Software (HCS) or other approved programs when evaluating roadway components:
f. Area type – noncenter of business district.
The VTIS shall identify any existing or proposed bicycle and pedestrian accommodation that would be affected by the proposal. For the purposes of this subsection, a bicycle accommodation is defined as on-street bike lanes, paved shoulders of roadways that are not part of the designated traveled way for vehicles, or exclusive and shared off-street bicycle paths.
For the purposes of this subsection, a pedestrian accommodation is defined as sidewalks, intersection treatments, and exclusive or shared off-street trails or paths. If significant potential for bicycle or pedestrian trips exists, the VTIS shall include current and future service level analyses at build-out for existing or proposed bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. When the proposal requires or includes improvements or modifications to the roadway, bicycle, or pedestrian accommodations, the VTIS shall analyze the impacts of such improvements and modifications on bicycle and pedestrian accommodations and service levels and provide recommendations for mitigation of adverse impacts.
The VTIS shall provide analysis for all bus service with routes that have or will have a station or stop within 2,000 feet of the proposal. The VTIS shall evaluate and discuss potential for increased demand for bus use due to the proposal, addressing whether such increases will result in longer dwell time at stops or increase the need for buses on a route. The quality of service analysis for bus service shall be determined in accordance with the Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual, 2nd Edition, 2003 (TRB). The VTIS shall provide both route and segment quality of service. The VTIS may consider the benefits of dedicated bus lanes for more frequent and rapid service. The VTIS shall provide recommendations for mitigation of adverse impacts where adverse impacts are expected to the quality of service to bus service. If an analysis of pedestrian quality or level of service is required for calculation of the bus quality of service, the preparer shall use a methodology approved by VDOT.
9. Trip reduction, and pedestrian and bicycle accommodations. When a proposal meets the criteria listed below, the preparer of the VTIS may reduce the number of vehicle trips generated by the proposal in the VTIS analysis in accordance with this subsection. Notwithstanding the percentages below, the total number of reductions used by a preparer in accordance with this subsection shall not exceed 500 vehicle trips per peak hour of the generator unless otherwise approved by VDOT. The trip reductions for traffic impact statements prepared for small area plans pursuant to 24VAC30-155-30 C may be based on the non-ITE trip generation methodology approved by VDOT and are not subject to limitations or requirements of this subdivision.
a. Pedestrian accommodations. For the purposes of this subsection, a pedestrian accommodation is defined as a sidewalk, pedestrian path, or multiuse trail. Where a pedestrian service level of A exists, vehicle trips per peak hour of the generator may be reduced by 4.0% for those portions of the development within a 2,000-foot radius of the connections between the proposed development and the adjoining network. Where a pedestrian service level of B exists, vehicle trips per peak hour of the generator may be reduced by 3.0%; where a pedestrian service level of C exists, vehicle trips per peak hour of the generator may be reduced by 1.5% for the portion of the development noted above. These reductions may only be taken if:
b. Bicycle accommodations. For the purposes of this subsection, a bicycle accommodation is defined as a street with a design speed of 25 mph or less that carries 400 vehicles per day or less, on-street bike lanes, a pedestrian accommodation, paved shoulders of roadways that are not part of the designated traveled way for vehicles and are at least two feet wide, or exclusive and shared off-street bicycle paths. Where a bicycle service level of A exists, vehicle trips per day may be reduced by 3.0%. Where a bicycle service level of B exists, vehicle trips per day may be reduced by 2.0%. Where a bicycle service level of C exists, vehicle trips per day may be reduced by 1.0%. These reductions may only be taken if:
10. Modal split and trip reduction. All vehicle trip reductions used in the VTIS pursuant to this subsection are subject to the approval of VDOT.
§ 15.2-2222.1 of the Code of Virginia; Chapters 647 and 870 of the 2011 Acts of Assembly.
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 23, Issue 18, eff. July 1, 2007; Errata, 23:21 VA.R. 3619 June 25, 2007; amended, Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2008; Volume 26, Issue 8, eff. February 4, 2010; Volume 28, Issue 8, eff. December 31, 2011; Volume 42, Issue 7, eff. December 17, 2025.