Chao, Liang-Fang 3-12 1-30pm_UnredactedLiang-Fang Chao Sent via email — Monday 3/12/20181:33 p.m.
RE: Vallco Shopping District Specific Plan (NOT Vallco Special Area, which doesn't
exist in the General Plan)
Dear Vallco Planners,
Traffic generated does not all come from commute trips.
http://traveltrends.transportation.org/Documents/S2 CIA Role%20Overall%20Travel
web 2.pdf
The above report is based on data from 2009, but people's needs to take trips for their
daily needs do not change much.
It shows that commuting contribute to less than 20% of all trips traveled, which means
buses which provide "frequent" services only during rush hours do not serve the need
for the other 80% trips needed by residents in TOD with only bus services. When there
is no bus or any other alternative, people drive.
When there is not enough parking space, they park on neighborhood streets. This can
be seen in any metropolitan area. Taking away people's parking spaces won't reduce
their needs to travel by car when no other reliable and efficient option available.
The other purposes that take up about 20% of all trips are 20% for work-related trips
(but not commute, so not during commute hours), 20% for personal errands, 20% for
social/recreation and the other 20% for other purposes.
The EIR should take into account the other 80% trips taken by people.
Housing near jobs have not been proven to reduce traffic. If the EIR or any traffic
management system want to make such a claim, please provide actual case study from
a city with similar transit services and similar demographics.
In fact, recent reports from LA have shown that housing near transit in fact reduce
transit ridership because of ineffective transit services there.
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5878723825331240843#editor/target=
post;postID=2680687971258481715;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=all
posts;postNum=S;src=postname
" Passengers on Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses and trains took
397.5 million trips in 2017, a decline of 15% over five years. Metro's workhorse
bus system, which carries about three-quarters of the system's passengers, has
seen a drop of nearly 21%. "
Less 10% people live within walking distance to work. Even if they move closer to work
initially, they change job or the company change location to expand and their spouse
work too. If any claim is made about housing closer to jobs will reduce commute trips,
please back it up with data to show the realistic reduction over time.
LA Times reporters did some investiation and found that many people living in transit -
rich development still drive to work.
"Near the rails but on the road"
http://articles.latimes.com/print/2007/jun/30/local/me-transit3O
In Los Angeles alone, billions of public and private dollars have been lavished on
transit -oriented projects such as Hollywood & Vine, with more than 20,000
residential units approved within a quarter mile of transit stations between
2001 and 2005.
But there is little research to back up the rosy predictions. Among the few
academic studies of the subject, one that looked at buildings in the Los Angeles
area showed that transit -based development successfully weaned relatively
few residents from their cars. It also found that, over time, no more people in
the buildings studied were taking transit 10 years after a project opened than
when it was first built.
Since 80% of all trips are not used for commuting, your traffic analysis should take
those into account too. Besides 20% trips for commuting, there are 20% for work-related
trips (but not commute, so not during commute hours), 20% for personal errands, 20%
for social/recreation and the other 20% for other purposes.
If Vallco Shopping District is developed into an area with substantial retail components,
it will fulfill the trips taken by Cupertino area residents for personal errands for
shopping, social and recreation. Not only it will generate more sales tax for the City of
Cupertino, it will also reduce the trips taken to go to other shopping malls, such as
Great Mall, Stanford Mall, Westridge Mall or Valley Fair.
For each residential unit, there are at most one trip per person going out and one trip
coming back in the morning. Even if the residential unit is closer to work, it will only
reduce the length of two trips per person daily. However, a substantial retail
components with vibrant shops and entertainment or gathering space will get visited by
thousands of customers or visitors daily. When the retail component is closeby,
thousands of trips will be shortened because Vallco will serve these local residents who
otherwise have to travel 10 or 20 miles away to get their shopping, retail, entertainment
needs met.
Please consider the trip reduction as a result of a substantial retail component at Vallco.
The Retail Strategy Report done for 2014 GPA has a Leakage analysis which showed
that a lot of retail dollars went to other cities. These dollars also come with trips to other
cities that could be saved or reduced if we have a vibrant shopping mall in Cupertino.
(The city has moved the location of the Retail Strategy Report from 2014, so I don't have
a current link. Please get a copy from the city to help you analyze the trips that might be
reduced from local retail locations.)
Regards,
Liang Chao
Cupertino Resident