2018 Regional Transportation Plan/ Sustainable Communities Strategy Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Report SCH#2017032042 prepared by San Joaquin Council of Governments 555 East Weber Avenue Stockton, California 95202 Contact: Kim Anderson, Senior Regional Planner prepared with the assistance of Rincon Consultants, Inc. 7080 North Whitney, Suite 101 Fresno, California 93720 March 2018 2018 Regional Transportation Plan/ Sustainable Communities Strategy Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Report SCH#2017032042 prepared by San Joaquin Council of Governments 555 East Weber Avenue Stockton, California 95202 Contact: Kim Anderson, Senior Regional Planner prepared with the assistance of Rincon Consultants, Inc. 7080 North Whitney, Suite 101 Fresno, California 93720 March 2018 This report prepared on 50% recycled paper with 50% post-consumer content. Table of Contents Table of Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations................................................................................................................ vii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ 1 Project Summary ............................................................................................................................ 1 Alternatives ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Measures ............................................................................. 2 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................35 1.1 Statement of Purpose .......................................................................................................35 1.2 Project Background ...........................................................................................................35 1.3 Type of Environmental Document ....................................................................................37 1.3.1 CEQA Streamlining Opportunities ....................................................................38 1.4 EIR Content and Format ....................................................................................................41 1.5 CEQA Review Process ........................................................................................................42 1.6 Lead and Responsible Agencies ........................................................................................43 2 Project Description .......................................................................................................................45 2.1 Project Objectives .............................................................................................................45 2.1.1 General Legislative Requirements ....................................................................45 2.1.2 SB 375 Requirements........................................................................................46 2.1.3 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (Fast Act) ...................................47 2.1.4 Planning Final Rule – FAST Act ..........................................................................48 2.1.5 MAP-21 .............................................................................................................48 2.1.6 Measure K Expenditure Plan ............................................................................49 2.1.7 Metropolitan/Regional Transportation Plans ...................................................49 2.1.8 Local Objectives ................................................................................................50 2.2 Project Location ................................................................................................................50 2.3 Project Characteristics ......................................................................................................52 2.3.1 Policy Element ..................................................................................................53 2.3.2 Financial Element ..............................................................................................53 2.3.3 Action Element .................................................................................................53 2.3.4 Sustainable Communities Strategy ...................................................................54 2.4 2018 RTP/SCS Transportation Projects .............................................................................54 2.5 Intended Use of EIR ...........................................................................................................56 2.5.1 Agencies Expected to Use EIR in Decision-making ...........................................56 2.5.2 Project Permits and Approvals .........................................................................58 2.6 Relationship with Other Plans and Programs ...................................................................59 3 Environmental Setting and Impact Analysis Approach .................................................................61 3.1 Regional Setting ................................................................................................................61 3.2 Regional Growth Setting ...................................................................................................61 3.3 Regional Transportation System .......................................................................................63 3.3.1 San Joaquin County...........................................................................................63 Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Report i San Joaquin Council of Governments 2018 Regional Transportation Plan/ Sustainable Communities Strategy 3.4 EIR Baseline, Approach for Direct and Cumulative Analyses ............................................64 3.4.1 EIR Baseline .......................................................................................................64 3.4.2 Approach for Direct Analysis ............................................................................65 3.4.3 Approach for Cumulative Analysis ....................................................................66 4 Environmental Impact Analysis ....................................................................................................67 4.1 Aesthetics/Visual Resources .............................................................................................69 4.1.1 Setting ...............................................................................................................69 4.1.2 Impact Analysis .................................................................................................78 4.2 Agriculture and Forestry Resources ..................................................................................87 4.2.1 Setting ...............................................................................................................87 4.2.2 Impact Analysis .................................................................................................92 4.3 Air Quality .........................................................................................................................99 4.3.1 Setting ...............................................................................................................99 4.3.2 Impact Analysis ...............................................................................................111 4.4 Biological Resources ........................................................................................................121 4.4.1 Setting .............................................................................................................121 4.4.2 Impact Analysis ...............................................................................................139 4.5 Cultural Resources ..........................................................................................................157 4.5.1 Setting .............................................................................................................157 4.5.2 Impact Analysis ...............................................................................................161 4.6 Energy .............................................................................................................................171 4.6.1 Setting .............................................................................................................171 4.6.2 Impact Analysis ...............................................................................................181 4.7 Environmental Justice .....................................................................................................189 4.7.1 Setting .............................................................................................................189 4.7.2 Impact Analysis ...............................................................................................196 4.8 Geology and Soils ............................................................................................................201 4.8.1 Setting .............................................................................................................201 4.8.2 Impact Analysis ...............................................................................................207 4.9 Greenhouse Gas Emissions/Climate