Humboldt County Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Threshold Policy
VMT Threshold Policy
VMT Threshold Policy Guidelines
The VMT Threshold Policy sets a baseline for existing VMT which uses Countywide data (including the Incorporated Cities) to get an average VMT per resident and average VMT per employee. The Policy also sets the threshold for future projects that would be considered to have a significant impact to transportation under CEQA. For new development projects to be considered to have a less than significant impact they must be able to show that project-generated VMT would be 15% or more below the baseline VMT for residential and employment projects. A VMT Threshold Policy Guidelines document has been adopted by Humboldt County to give guidelines for project screening and thresholds, as well as how to conduct a detailed project VMT analysis when needed.
Senate Bill (SB) 743
In September 2013, SB 743 was passed initiating a process intended to fundamentally change transportation impact analysis under CEQA. One major change resulting from the statute is the elimination of automobile delay or other similar measures of traffic congestion as a basis for determining significant impacts. SB 743 removes the use of Level of Service (LOS) and automobile delay or traffic congestion for determining transportation impacts in environmental review. Instead, CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.3 now specifies that Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) is the appropriate metric to evaluate transportation impacts.
SB 743 required agencies to use VMT for analyzing projects’ transportation impacts over LOS starting July 1, 2020. The intent of SB 743 is to ensure that the environmental impacts of traffic (such as noise, air pollution, and safety concerns) continue to be properly addressed and mitigated through CEQA with the use of VMT and to balance the needs of congestion management more appropriately with statewide goals related to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and traffic-related air pollution. While projects are no longer reviewed for LOS under CEQA, LOS is still a standard in the Circulation Element of the General Plan and projects will need to continue to be reviewed for consistency with these standards.
To comply with these new rules, local jurisdictions need to define policies and practices for conducting VMT analysis for land use projects within their jurisdiction. On October 21, 2025, the Board of Supervisors adopted a VMT Threshold Policy to set screening criteria and thresholds of significance for VMT. The Resolution to adopt the Policy is linked below.