New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 18 - TRANSPORTATION AND HIGHWAYS
Chapter 31 - CLASSIFICATION AND DESIGN STANDARDS FOR HIGHWAYS
Part 6 - STATE HIGHWAY ACCESS MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS
Section 18.31.6.16 - TRAFFIC STUDIES FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT

Universal Citation: 18 NM Admin Code 18.31.6.16

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024

A. Purpose: As stated in 18.31.6.15 NMAC, a traffic engineering evaluation shall be required for all land development proposals that may directly or indirectly impact a state highway facility. This section describes the specific traffic study process that shall be followed to address the traffic engineering evaluation requirement for a land development project. The traffic engineering evaluation requirement may be waived by the department when considering a request for a new individual use access (see Paragraph (1) of Subsection E of 18.31.6.14 NMAC).

B. Traffic study approach: A two-tiered approach shall be utilized to satisfy the department's traffic study requirements for a proposed land development project. Traffic impact study requirements of local governments shall also be followed, where applicable. The departments two-tiered approach is as follows: First tier, site threshold analysis (STA); second tier, traffic impact analysis (TIA).

C. Site threshold analysis: A STA shall be required of all developing or redeveloping properties that directly or indirectly access a state highway. The STA should examine existing roadway volumes and trip generation estimates to determine if additional traffic analysis is required. The department STA form should be completed and should be reviewed by the district traffic engineer. If the site characteristics and the trip generation estimate for a proposed development do not satisfy the requirements for a traffic impact analysis as determined by the district traffic engineer, the STA should be approved and the traffic study requirement for the proposed development will be complete. A description of the subject matter that should be included in the site traffic analysis is provided in Section 16 of the state access management manual.

D. Traffic impact analysis: The purpose of a TIA is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the transportation system that will provide access to a proposed development site, including proposed access points, to identify potential short-term and long-term impacts on the state highway system. The requirements for a TIA are described in the following subsections. All traffic impact analyses shall be sealed and signed by a registered New Mexico professional engineer prior to the issuance of an access permit by the department.

(1) When is a TIA required? A TIA shall be conducted for each new development or property redevelopment impacting a state highway when:
(a) The results of a STA indicate that the proposed development is expected to generate 100 or more peak-hour total trips; or,

(b) The results of a STA indicate that expected levels of service (LOS) will be below the applicable LOS standards, and a mitigation plan cannot be resolved between the department and the permittee to address identified deficiencies; or,

(c) There are safety concerns along the highway where the development is located that are verifiable by the district traffic engineer.

(2) When is a TIA Complete? A TIA is considered complete when a final traffic study report, signed and sealed by a New Mexico registered professional engineer, is submitted to the district traffic engineer, and
(a) The results of the TIA indicate that the levels of service for the proposed access points and the study area intersections satisfy or are better than the applicable LOS standards and the district traffic engineer concurs with those findings, or

(b) The results of the TIA indicate that improvements are required at the proposed access points and at the study area intersections, and a mitigation plan has been developed and approved by the district engineer.

(3) Requirements for conducting a TIA: A description of the subject matter that should be included in a traffic impact analyses is provided in Section 16 of the state access management manual.

(4) Documentation: All required traffic impact analyses shall include documentation in the form of a bound report or an electronic submittal, as directed by the district traffic engineer. A sample outline for TIA documentation is provided in the appendix of the state access management manual.

E. Fair share cost analysis: Based on the impact assessment completed for the STA or TIA, contributory costs of identified improvements should be identified. In addition to implementing the necessary improvements within the highway right-of-way at proposed site access points, the permittee shall be required to provide all or a portion of funding for mitigation of identified off-site impacts. The funding requirements shall be determined by the department through negotiations with the developer and the appropriate local government agency. Refer to Subsection J of 18.31.6.14 NMAC for the permittee's responsibilities when constructing the required improvements.

F. Traffic study validity period: Approved traffic studies should remain valid for a period of one-year following approval of the driveway permit application, or as determined by the district traffic engineer.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. New Mexico may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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