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Traffic Impact Study March 24,2004 Proposed RMC Pacific Mining Site Page 4 r traffic related to the existing mining sites was determined to be negligible during the PM peak hour of the adjacent roads relative to the AM peak hour volumes. ` Cumulative-without-project traffic volumes are shown in Figures 17 and 18 and were determined by adding the existing traffic volumes and the approved-project traffic volumes. Cumulative- with-project traffic volumes for Haul Routes 1 and 2 are shown in Figures 19 and 22. 6.3—Future (Year 2025) Traffic Volumes �. The San Joaquin County travel model is maintained by the San Joaquin County Council of Governments (SJCCOG). The model includes peak-hour directional travel volume estimates for the base year 1999 and for the future year 2025. Travel model data provided by SJCCOG is presented in Appendix A. The future peak-hour volumes were estimated base on the Increment Method described in the Council of Fresno County Governments Recommended Procedures for Using Traffic Projections from the Fresno COG Travel Model dated January 2002. Although the .. Increment Method was developed for the Fresno County model, it is the opinion of Peters Engineering Group that the methods are applicable to other travel models. The Increment Method estimates the future growth in traffic volumes by determining the difference between the ■- year 2025 travel model and the base year travel model volumes. This difference indicates the growth in traffic volumes that is predicted by the model between the base year and the year 2025. This growth is then added to the existing volumes determined by actual traffic counts. Future �- turning movements were determined based on the methods presented in Chapter 8 of the Transportation Research Board National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 255 entitled"Highway Traffic Data for Urbanized Area Project Planning and Design". In some instances, the travel model predicted negative growth. However, a minimum annual growth rate of 2.5 percent was maintained for each turning movement. Since travel models can ►- be unreliable in rural areas, this minimum growth rate was applied to maintain a conservative approach to the anticipated growth in traffic volumes. Based on data provided in the Draft Environmental Impact Report dated September 10, 1993 by ESA for the Granite Construction Company project, the average daily traffic volume on State Route 132 was 13,500 in 1992. Data available on the Caltrans web site (www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/saferesr/trafdata/2002all/r118133i.htm) indicates an average daily traffic volume of approximately 18,000 in 2002. This equates to an average annual growth rate of 2.9 percent. Therefore, a minimum growth rate of 2.5 percent was maintained for purposes of this report. Future traffic volumes without the project are presented in Figures 23 and 24. Future-with-project traffic volumes are presented in Figures 25 through 28 for Haul Routes 1 and 2. r_ 6.4—Traffic Index The traffic index is a measure of the number of equivalent single axle loads (ESALs) expected ` over the design period, and is described in detail in the Caltrans Highway Design Manual. The existing ESALs on Blewett and Bird Roads were estimated by performing 24-hour traffic counts and by a review of the Environmental Impact Reports for Brown Sand and Gravel and Teichert ` Aggregates. The following table presents a summary of the traffic index analyses. The supporting calculations are presented in Appendix A.