A Holistic Approach To Planning For Traffic Impacts

"Foster City is taking a holistic approach when it comes to studying how traffic would be affected by various new development and redevelopment projects.

Rather than have individual developers do traffic studies for each project, the city has gotten them to work together on one study. That study should be completed by early August at a price tag of $127,000, city Planning Manager Leslie Carmichael said."

"The city is managing the traffic study work and has hired the firm Fehr & Peers Transportation Consultants, but the developers are footing the bill, Carmichael said. The comprehensive traffic study will be incorporated into the environmental impact report for each project for the Planning Commission and City Council to review, she added.

Developers said Foster City's approach makes sense.

"It is an excellent idea, in my opinion. Foster City is very smart about how they handle their planning process," said John Igoe, senior vice president of the Sares Regis Group of Northern California."