A city (or county) is not an accident but the result of coherent visions and aims

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Special attention should be paid to ensure that all transportation facilities are designed to be
 safe
, accessible, and connected for 
all users. Simply putting a sidewalk or a bike lane on one street, for example, without a complete system that connects residents 
and destinations, may not address the needs of a community. Using context sensitive, flexible designs can help increase access 
for all users while improving overall conditions or addressing common issues such as storm-water runoff, air quality, and 
bicyclist and pedestrian safety. For additional information on the design of complete streets, see 
NACTO Street Design Guidelines
 
and 
Caltrans Complete Street Guidelines
.
As noted above, the circulation element and the land use element must correlate. One of the most recent appellate court cases 
addressing the correlation requirement explained:
[T]he internal consistency and correlation requirements do not require a city or county to limit population growth or 
provide traffic management measures to ensure that its transportation infrastructure can accommodate future population 
growth. The Planning and Zoning Law (Gov. Code, § 65000 et seq.) does not require a city or county to avoid adverse 
impacts on transportation. Rather, the city has broad discretion to weigh and balance competing interests in formulating 
development policies…. 
(Federation of Hillside & Canyon Assns. v. City of Los Angeles 
(2004) 126 Cal. App. 4th 1180, 
1196.)
In characterizing the correlation requirement, the same court explained that “the circulation element of a general plan must 
provide meaningful proposals to address changes reflected in the land use element, and the land use element must provide 
meaningful proposals to reflect changes reflected in the circulation element” (Ibid). A proposal is “meaningful” if the element 
identifies reasonably reliable funding sources (Id. at 1196-1197). An element that identifies proposals with no reasonable 
expectation of implementation (i.e., funding) is not meaningful, and therefore would not satisfy the statutory correlation 
requirement (Id.; see also
 Concerned Citizens of Calaveras County v. Board of Supervisors 
(1985) 166 Cal. App. 3d 90, 103
). 
Proposals should address not just capital costs, but also costs associated with operations and maintenance. Because the 
circulation element addresses both transportation and local public utilities, the statutory correlation requirement applies to 
utilities infrastructure as well. 
Appropriate fiscal analyses should be prepared to support the conclusion that the circulation element is capable of supporting 
the land uses planned in the land use element. Certain transportation funds are tied to consistency with regional sustainable 
communities strategies, so consistency with regional plans should be part of this analysis.
Tools
 are available to allow comparison of total infrastructure costs and benefits across several build-out scenarios. These 
tools
 
enable communities to make decisions regarding land use patterns with long-term infrastructure costs and benefits in mind. 
More information on these tools and how to use them is available 
here
.
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Intent of Analysis
Recommended Data
Examine potential policies for local implementation of SCS
Modal split rates, transportation emissions data, transit access maps
Identify gaps in network connectivity
Transit maps, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure maps, major desti-
nations, and residential centers

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Major Thoroughfares
Requirement Description:
Consideration must be given in the general plan to the development and improvement of major thoroughfares, including 
future acquisitions and dedications, based on proposed land use patterns and projected demand. Cities and counties should 
consider the location and design of major thoroughfares in new developments, as well as street patterns (curvilinear, grid, 
modified grid, etc.), multi-modal use and safety, coordination with other infrastructure such as utilities, and relationships 
between destinations and transportation systems. Relationships between intended users of streets, including freight trucks, 
transit, automobiles, bicyclists, and pedestrians, should be considered. Design standards for local streets (including, but not 
limited to, width, block size, speed, and accommodation of parking and bicycle and pedestrian traffic) may also be included in 
the circulation element. Information on safety elements of design is available in 
Appendix B
. Providing charging stations and 
alternative fuel stations can facilitate use of zero emissions vehicles, reducing air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. 
Transportation Routes
Requirement Description:
The transportation system consists of means to transmit vehicles and people (e.g. roads, sidewalks), docks to station vehicles 
at their destination (e.g. parking lots, ports), and the vehicles themselves (e.g. busses, bicycles, cars). In developing a general 
plan, a jurisdiction should consider its overall objectives, and develop policies for each of these three components that support 
those objectives.
Local governments should coordinate transportation routes with larger regional route plans, such as regional or state freight 
plans, regional transportation plans, and regional transit corridors. Consideration of multiple modes as part of a transportation 
system, combined with data on projected needs and uses, and local 
land use
 data, may help prioritize routes based on 
community needs. For example, a county may designate a freight corridor to run parallel to existing regional transit lines, 
utilizing the same infrastructure where possible, and directing both away from sensitive land uses such as schools. 
Roads
Requirement Description:
The underlying goal of transportation is to provide connectivity (also called “accessibility” or “access to destinations).” 
Connectivity is provided by mobility (increased speed) and proximity (reduced distance). The transportation system has 
traditionally been evaluated primarily through a mobility lens, measuring speed (e.g. via delay metrics like Level of Service). 
In addition, the primary focus of mobility has been on Automobile Level of Service (LOS), a localized (intersection or roadway 
segment) measure of auto-mobility. The 
Complete Streets Act of 2008
, as well as recent changes in CEQA and congestion 
management law, highlight a need for circulation elements to have a broader focus that includes other modes. 
Upon review of existing policies, many local governments may find that existing automobile LOS standards are not sustainable 
or even desirable. For example, a high automobile LOS may be too expensive to maintain, may be unsafe for non-auto users, 
and may force different uses to be spread so far apart that travel becomes inconvenient. 

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