Developer Requirements

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation plays a key part in reviewing land development proposals as it relates to transportation impacts. Some requirements are applied to every development project, while others vary slightly from proposal to proposal.

Basic Developer Requirements

• Traffic Studies :
  • If the proposed project generates more than 42 net new trips, a traffic study is required.

• Driveway Approvals
  • The Los Angeles Department of Transportation must approve a new project’s driveway that will serve more than 25 parking spaces, or one that will provide access to a major or secondary highway.
    
  • LADOT staff work with the developer’s architects to minimize traffic impacts, using the
    Department’s Driveway Guidelines policy.
    
    
• Highway Dedication, Widening and Setback Requirements
  
  • Street dedication, widening and setback requirements vary in different parts of the City. LADOT encourages developers to check specific requirements before architects begin to draft plans. Developers need to know the street’s designation and the standard street widths, which are measured from the street’s centerline.

Transportation Specific Plan Requirements

The City has adopted Transportation Specific Plans in some areas. In these locations, special guidelines are mandated for developers of new projects. Developers are required to pay a traffic impact fee, which is applied towards the implementation of transportation programs and projects to address the combined or cumulative impacts of approved projects in the area.

Requirements for Projects with Significant Transportation Impacts

Projects found to have significant impacts on localized transportation systems are often required to mitigate these impacts as conditions of approval for the project. LADOT’s developer services page provides examples of conditions of approval.