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In terms of traffic impact fee study updates, the focus is on updating the value of the independent variables in the traffic impact fee formula. These variables are trip rate, trip length, percent new trips, average cost per lane mile, and credits. Usually, trip rates, trip lengths, and percent new trips do not change significantly with a traffic impact fee update. It is mostly the cost per lane mile and the credits that vary. As a result, traffic impact fee updates usually result in across the board increases or decreases in rates, rather than rate changes between land use categories. With most traffic impact fee update studies, trip rate, trip length, and percent new trips data are derived from national or state level sources. In fact, most traffic impact fee studies use information from the ITE (Institute of Traffic Engineers) Trip Generation Manual. The most recent version of that manual is the 8th edition. Besides the ITE manual, another source of information consists of trip rate studies done for specific land use categories for localities within the state. Overall, though, impact fee updates do not involve collection of the field data necessary to calculate new trip rates and trip lengths for all of the various impact fee land use categories. For the reasons stated above, a standard impact fee update will not include the detailed analysis necessary to show that commercial impact fees should be lower. With a cost of about $150,000, a traffic impact fee. update study would focus on estimating current cost per lane mile and credit component values, while relying on available state and national (ITE) data on trip rates, trip lengths, and percent new trips. There is, however, a mechanism to evaluate whether impact fee rates for various land use categories are too high. That mechanism involves conducting origin/destination studies and trip generation studies at a number of sites for each land use category to determine trip rate, trip length, and percent new trips for that land use category. Because such studies must focus on specific land uses, such as banks, medical offices, warehouses, and others, there is not the opportunity to sample a catch-all category such as commercial. Back in 2008, the County obtained a price quote from a traffic engineering consultant to conduct studies to determine trip rates, trip lengths, and percent new trips for specific land use categories. That cost was $27,000 per land use category. Currently, the County has 43 non-residential land use categories in its impact fee schedule. At $27,000 per category, it would be expensive to undertake special studies for all categories. Alternatively, the BCC could opt to have studies undertaken for those uses where impact fee rates seem too high. Such uses could include medical offices, fast food restaurants, retail, or others. As part of its impact fee program, the County collects an administrative charge as a component of each impact fee payment. The purpose of that charge is to pay for impact fee administration activities by County and Municipal staff as well as to pay for periodic impact fee study updates. In fact, the County's impact fee ordinance indicates that such updates should be conducted every three years. KAAGENDA\201 Nrnpact Fee Study Consideration 031511.doc 2 114