Overview
The purpose of the Transportation Element of the
Comprehensive Plan is to guide the City in developing a safe and efficient transportation system, based on the Future Land Use Element, and consistent with the community goals and objectives, including acceptable levels-of-service, right-of-way requirements, access provisions, and landscaping recommendations. The methods used to develop the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan are part of a transportation planning process that is a continuous effort. Secondarily, this element will help to ensure consistency among the transportation plans of New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, and the State of Florida.
Process
Transportation planning decisions must be closely coordinated with land use decisions. The improvement of existing roads, and the construction of new facilities, acts to change overall travel patterns, which may affect immediate individual land use decisions, and may influence entire land use patterns. In designing the actual transportation system, it is important to maintain flexibility both by providing alternative routes and travel modes, and by allowing for additions and modifications to the system. The following principles should be kept in mind while preparing the transportation plan:
- Provide many alternative travel paths, while keeping traffic conflicts to a minimum
- Maintain system continuity, providing smooth and logical traffic flow patterns
- Reflect land use access requirements
- Consider public transit services, bicycle travel, and pedestrian safety
- Pay special attention to freeways and interchanges
- Consider one-way street systems
- Provide for traffic signal coordination
- Provide for future modification and expansions
- Ensure environmental compatibility
Transportation Impact Analysis
A Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) is conducted in order to determine compliance with the transportation concurrency requirements and to evaluate the transportation systems' ability to accommodate the additional traffic generated by the proposed development. All projects generating more than ten (10) two-way peak hour external trips shall be required to submit a TIA. This TIA shall be prepared by the applicant based on the requirements of the
Land Development Regulations (LDR) and shall be submitted with the Planning Application. A TIA is not required for a de minimis project unless requested by the Development Services Director as established in §401.07, LDR.
Concurrency Management System
The purpose of a concurrency management system is to establish an ongoing mechanism, which ensures that public facilities and services needed to support development are available concurrent with the impacts of such development. The concurrency management system must ensure that an issuance of a development order or development permit is conditioned upon the availability of public facilities and services necessary to serve the new development, consistent with the provisions of Chapter 163, Part II, Florida Statutes, and Rule 9J-5.0055, Florida Administrative Code.
Transportation Impact Fees
The community has a substantial investment in the transportation system infrastructure from the standpoint of fiscal interests, quality of life standards, and necessary continuity for motorists. Therefore, it is necessary, in the interest of public health, safety, and welfare, to regulate the use, construction and maintenance of the transportation network. The use and development of land is regulated to ensure that new development bears its proportionate share of the cost of the capital expenditures necessary to provide the transportation network required to mitigate the impacts of new growth in the City as contemplated by the Comprehensive Plan (§52-32, Code of Ordinances).
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