SB 743 Implementation Resources
Caltrans provides resources for developers, local governments, and others seeking information on how to implement projects that support the goals of SB 743 and benefit their communities.
Need help finding something? Please contact sb743.implementation@dot.ca.gov.
The TISG details how the Caltrans Local Development Review (LDR) program reviews a land use project's VMT.
This document provides immediate direction about the safety review process while Caltrans develops a new, simplified safety review approach in the review of land use projects.
The TAF details methodology for calculating induced demand for capacity increasing transportation projects on the State Highway System.
The TAC provides guidance for making CEQA significance determinations for transportation projects along the State Highway System.
*Important updates to the First Edition of the TAF and TAC are posted to the "Bulletins" and "Hot Topics" sections on this page.
SB 743 Environmental Essentials in Project Development and Delivery (PDF)
This white paper summarizes some of the challenges and best practices involved in implementing SB 743.
This plan includes technical information on what level of statewide VMT reduction would promote achievement of statewide GHG emissions reduction targets.
The guidelines for implementing SB 743 are on pages 11 and 12 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines (Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3 of the California Code of Regulations).
This technical advisory is one in a series of advisories provided by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) as a service to professional planners, land use officials, and CEQA practitioners, in evaluating transportation impacts in CEQA.
California VMT Data (link)
This page includes trends in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in California and will be updated as new data emerges.
NCST Induced Travel Calculator
This tool allows users to estimate annual VMT as a result of highway expansion.
California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod)
CalEEMod quantifies ozone precursors, criteria pollutants, and greenhouse gas emissions from the construction and operation of new land use development and linear projects in California. The model integrates data from CalEnviroScreen®, Cal-Adapt®, and the Healthy Places Index (HPI)® to identify potential climate risks and environmental, health, and equity burdens within the project vicinity.
Mitigation Playbook (DRAFT) (PDF)
This guide, developed by the Caltrans SB 743 Program, describes various quantifiable mitigation methods for VMT induced by highway capacity projects.
Fehr & Peers TDM+ (Beta)
TDM+ is a quick response, excel-based tool developed by Fehr & Peers to assist in calculating VMT reductions from the strategies presented in the 2021 CAPCOA Report Handbook for Analyzing Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions, Assessing Climate Vulnerabilities, and Advancing Health and Equity. Its interface is designed to allow the user to update the inputs for each measure based on the specific attributes of a project or plan, as well as to pre-populate certain default values based on the project location. This version of TDM+ is currently in beta-testing.
The legal CEQA jargon of SB 743 can be difficult to communicate simply. Our fact sheets below can help ease that process.
A common misconception is that a reduction in VMT will remove access to destinations. Our short video series, "SB 743: Rethinking How We Build So Californians Can Drive Less", helps to dispel these misconceptions and clarifies how we are thinking about this new paradigm.
The Need for SB 743 (4:03)
Benefits of SB 743 (3:49)
Updating the Induced Travel Calculator
The Institute of Transportation Studies at University of California, Davis in partnership with Caltrans, initiated a project to update the NCST Induced Travel Calculator and improve its functionality based on recent data and empirical research. Efforts included adding three more years of baseline VMT and lane mile data to the Calculator (2017, 2018, and 2019), adding ranges to the Calculator’s induced VMT estimates (+/-20%), and providing an updated review of the induced travel literature.
Design Considerations for Vehicle Miles Traveled Mitigation Bank and Exchange Programs
The UC Berkley Center for Law, Energy and the Environment recently released this report to inform Caltrans, fellow state agencies, and local and regional planning and land use agencies in their consideration of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) mitigation bank or exchange programs as a strategy to facilitate efficient and effective investment in locationally appropriate VMT-reducing projects.
Evaluation of Sketch-Level Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Quantification Tools
National Center for Sustainable Transportation "researchers compare and evaluate VMT estimation tools across a sample of land use projects. They compare the results from different tools for each project, consider the applicability of methods in particular contexts and for different types of projects, and assess data needs, relative ease of use, and other practical considerations." The research is not done within a CEQA context, but it is interesting to review the use of the VMT estimation tools.
The Urban Sustainability Accelerator at Portland State University created five case studies on how to apply the VMT metric to a highway project and three land use projects.
Guidelines for Transportation Impact Studies in the San Diego Region (May 2019)
The San Diego Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) has prepared updated regional Transportation Impact Study Guidelines to incorporate SB 743.
Partnership with Governor's Office of Planning and Research
Caltrans partners with the Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to provide advisory documents, guidelines, and other tools to support the implementation of SB 743, including the coordination of the Caltrans-OPR SB 743 Implementation Working Group.
Internal Documents
For Caltrans employees, please visit our OnRamp page to access internal documents.