United States Department of Transportation
i
DDOT MXD+ method development report.
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2015-09-01
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[PDF-38.88 MB]
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Abstract:Mixed-use development has become increasingly common across the country, including Washington, D.C.
However, a straightforward and empirically validated method for evaluating the traffic impacts of such
projects is still needed. The data presented in the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation
informational report is primarily collected at suburban, single-use, and free-standing sites. This defining
characteristic limits the applicability of these basic trip rates to mixed-use or multi-use development
projects. While the number of person trips generated by individual uses may be similar to free-standing
sites, the potential for interaction among on-site activities can significantly reduce the total number of
vehicle trips. Additionally, mixed-use projects located in areas with a variety of nearby destinations and
high quality transit access will produce fewer vehicle trips due to a larger share of trips entering and
exiting the site on foot, bicycle, or by transit.
The Mixed-Use Development (MXD+) method, initially developed for the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and ITE, accounts for the degree to which mixed-use sites internally capture
travel and the extent to which smart growth site design and context result in walking, biking, and transit
use. The EPA MXD+ method represents a dramatic improvement over current methods of estimating trip
generation for mixed-use developments. The method produces reliable, though still somewhat
conservative, estimates of trip generation that are highly sensitive to the context of any given
development.
The District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) has long recognized the deficiencies with
traditional approaches and has conducted a number of studies to better understand traffic and parking
generation characteristics of the highly urban District. These methods, while significantly better than
using national data, still lack sufficient sensitivity to the context of developments (that is, where it would
be placed and what would surround it).
This study applies the EPA MXD+ method to sites within The District. Based on those initial results, the
EPA MXD+ method is then calibrated to better match District conditions. The resulting DDOT MXD+ method is then operationalized into an easy to use spreadsheet tool for use by DDOT staff in project
development review.
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