Planning Policies & Guidelines
Traffic Impact Study Guidelines
Changes to the Planning Act were recently made by the Province through Bill 13 and Bill 109. Phase 1 - Interim Draft Terms of References/Guidelines were approved by the Planning Committee on November 29, 2022. The interim draft guidelines will provide clarity for development applications as to City requirements and will be subject to additional public and stakeholder consultation with Phase 2 terms of references in Q2 2023 before finalization.
The City of Hamilton's Traffic Impact Study Guidelines assess potential impacts of traffic changes caused by proposed development on municipal roads.
The goal of a traffic impact study is to assess potential impacts of traffic changes caused by proposed development on municipal roads and to identify any infrastructure improvements of mitigation measures needed to ensure the road network will operate acceptably and safely upon completion of the proposed development.
Traffic impact studies vary in scope and complexity depending on the type and size of the proposed development and typically consider all modes of travel including:
- Cars
- Trucks
- Transit
- Cyclists
- Pedestrians
The Traffic Impact Study will:
- Evaluate the impact of the proposed new development
- Utilize assumptions consistent with the City’s generally accepted methodologies and parameters and will be comparable to other traffic studies submitted to us for review. Industry standards will be applied
- Provide a standard approach and reduce confusion and delay in processing planning applications
- Assist staff in reviewing traffic studies and reduce revisions and resubmissions
Guidelines
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