UPDATEDEXHIBITS_MARSHALLONSPENCE_082825.PDF
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Updated Exhibits for the August 28, 2025
City Council Hearing
August 18, 2025
Reviewer
Community Development Department
City of Tempe
31 East 5th Street, Garden Level East
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Re: Response to Comments for City Council
The Marshall on Spence
1034 East Spence Avenue, Tempe, AZ
Dear Mr. Jasper:
CHA, on behalf of Aptitude Acquisitions, LLC (Aptitude), is pleased to submit the revised plans
and documents package based on comments received at the City Council meeting and through
subsequent staff, interested party, and design team coordination meetings.
The following items are included in this submission: Page sizes 36x24 and 8.5x11.
PAD Title Sheet,
PAD Overlay Site Plan, C-100
Civil Site Layout Plan, C-101
Civil Grading, Drainage, and Utility Plans
ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey
Architectural Floor Plans
Architectural Elevation Plans
Architectural Renderings
Site and Courtyard Landscape Plans
Traffic Impact Study
Letters of Support from the Neighborhood
PROJECT SUMMARY
The proposed project has been revised per City comments and discussion. The building frontage
along E Spence Ave features 4 stories at the street with three step backs at the 5th, 6th, and 7th
stories. The development features a ground level and mezzanine parking level to accommodate
89 vehicles. The 5 residential levels above accommodate 105 units with 269 bedrooms. The
architectural design of the residential floors presents open courtyard access on Level 2. On levels
4 , 5, and 6, the southern exposure units can access outdoor terrace spaces. Many windows on
the building have been thoughtfully designed with solar shades for practical and aesthetic effect.
The site design has a 6 foot vegetated setback on the west side to provide buffer to the abutting
property and tall privacy walls and pedestrian gates to keep the site secure.
SUMMARY OF DESIGN CHANGES (after City Council Meeting 6/5/2025):
The following is a brief summary of the design changes that have been incorporated since the
City Council Meeting on 6/5/2025. Please refer to the narrative of responses in the City Council
meeting comments section of this letter.
1. Integrate additional terrace on 7th story (labeled Level 6)
a. Visually diminish the building height by increasing the building stepback on the top
floor by 5 feet, adding glass railings and terrace.
b. Bed count is reduced by 2. Updated bed count is 267. Unit count of 105 remains
the same. Increase number of 2-bedroom units by 2; decrease number of
3-bedroom units by 2.
c. Level 6 terrace landscaping area of approx. 320 sf added to project total.
2. Update traffic flow design, eliminate traffic exit trips onto E Spence Ave.
a. Project site’s main entrance to remain on E Spence Ave. Gate control near lobby
will only open to vehicles entering.
b. Control gate added to north garage exit. No vehicles can travel south into the
project.
c. Gates will be in closed position as default. All gates will be equipped accordingly
to operate in case of emergency.
3. Pull off area added roadside for 2 vehicles.
a. Coordination with the City for adding 2 parking spaces within the right-of-way.
b. 15-minute signage and monitoring by building administration to aid in enforcement.
c. Geogrid reinforcing and landscaping square footage reduced to accommodate
paved pull off.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING COMMENTS:
1. Building step back
CHA response: One of the main concerns posed to the design team was the look and feel of
the proposed 7 story building. After taking into account physical design constraints and the
ability to comply with Fire/Building code; the team was able to create a third step back in the
building on the top floor. Before this, the 6th and 7th floors were in the same vertical plane. By
pushing the 7th floor away from the street frontage by 5 feet, the positive visual impact of
terracing the building become even more apparent. Please refer to the updated renderings
provided in this document package. Above the 4th floor, there is now a constant visual angle
where the floors above are now obscured by the floors below them and the vertical element
is reduced.
The proposed building has a 20 foot setback from the property line for floors 1 thru 4. Each
floor above has an approximately 5 foot stepback resulting in the 7th story being 35 feet from
the property line. Overall the main building façade (stories 1 to 4) is 34 feet from the street
curbline and the top floor is now almost 50 feet away.
If the increased terracing of the building is considered along with the improved color and
materials palette and placement; the project team believes this design creates a very attractive
project for the area.
2. Traffic and Parking on Spence Ave
CHA response: The second major concern raised is how does the project impact traffic on E
Spence Ave. Comments mainly pointed to long queues at the signaled intersection of E
Spence Ave and Rural Road heading west. The design team has worked with a traffic
consultant and Aptitude to find a solution. The current design proposes that The Marshall on
Spence (Phase 2) project does not exit tenants onto E Spence Ave. As a redevelopment site
with the existing building exiting onto Spence Ave, there will now be a net decrease in traffic
trips exiting the site and will provide an overall benefit to the neighborhood. The tenants of
Phase 2 will travel north and utilize the paved cross connection to Phase 1. This was
previously reserved for emergency vehicles only. Vehicles will now exit onto Apache Blvd
through the Phase 1 exit driveway. No tenants from Phase 1 or 2 will be allowed to travel
south.
From our engineering analysis, the driveway entrance for Phase 2 should remain the entry
point for this project. The tenants traveling south on Rural Road have an available left turn
lane to E Spence Ave. No impacts to Rural Road are anticipated for both north and
southbound traffic. If tenants were forced to use the Phase 1 entrance, it is foreseeable that
gate queues could extend out onto Apace Blvd. The tenants would then have a complicated
series of turns while traveling south, only to be constricted by a 20 ft wide bottleneck at the
cross connection that does not support two-way traffic. The project should also maintain its
address identity for easy location for anyone traveling to the site. This applies to emergency
response, new tenants, deliveries and service vehicles, and ride share options.
To reduce roadway congestion from vehicles stopping in the road shoulder, the design team
has worked with the City staff to now include two (2) “15-minute” parking spaces outside of
the travel lanes in the site frontage. These two spaces can be used for vehicle pull-overs such
as ride share or food delivery services. The Developer will work with the City to keep the users
of the pull-over spaces from abusing the posted time limits.
3. Neighborhood input
CHA response: The third point presented to the applicant is neighborhood engagement effort.
Members of Aptitude dedicated their time to knock on doors in the immediate neighborhood
of both residential and commercial locations to garner support of the project. There are 24
letters of support included with this package. They all signed in favor of the project and agree
the project will be a welcomed redevelopment in the area, additional student focused housing
is needed, a higher density development supports streetcar and light rail, replaces an outdated
multi-family development with a quality student focused housing project, and this project
limits/reduces vehicular trips on Spence is a benefit compared to a standard market housing
development [by another development entity].
The applicant and design team are appreciative for the feedback regarding the project. If you
should require any additional information or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact
our office at 315-257-7201 or AVitale@chasolutions.com.
Sincerely,
Anthony Vitale, P.E.
Senior Engineer V
Enclosures-Online Submittal
AMV
Cc:
Aptitude, BKV
V:\Projects\ANY\K7\096928.000\07_Permitting\Local\8 - CITY COUNCIL Response 08-08-2025\1 - The Marshall on Spence -City
Council Response to Comments 08-18-25.docx
E APACHE BLVD
RURAL ROAD
E SPENCE AVE
S TERRACE RD
S JENTILLY LN
S BONARDEN LN
S RITA LN
S JESSICA LN
S TERRACE RD
S NEWBERRY LN
PHASE
1
PHASE 2
FIGURE - LETTERS OF SUPPORT
TRANSPORTATION IMPACT STUDY
CivTech Inc. • 10605 North Hayden Road • Suite 140 • Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
Phone: 480.659.4250 • Fax: 480.659.0566
August 18, 2025
Aptitude Apache LLC
c/o CHA Solutions
Attn: Mr. Anthony Vitale, P.E.
300 South State Street, Suite 600
Syracuse, New York 13202-2024
RE: TRANSPORTATION IMPACT STUDY FOR THE MARSHALL ON SPENCE (PHASE II) – 1034 EAST SPENCE
AVENUE – TEMPE, ARIZONA CASE NOS. PL240473, DPR240152, PAD240018, ZON240015
Dear Mr. Vitale:
Thank you for engaging CivTech to provide CHA Solutions (CHA) with this Transportation Impact
Study (TIS) for The Marshall on Spence, Phase II of a student housing project, proposed for two
parcels on the north side of East Spence Avenue east of Rural Road in the City of Tempe (the
“Project”). The Maricopa County Assessor Parcel Numbers (APN) for the two parcels are APN 133-10-
020 and -021 from east to west. Both parcels are currently owned by a single owner and developed
with the Tempe Palms Apartments, a low-rise (up to three stories) multifamily complex with 38
dwelling units (DUs), all of which are one-bedroom (1-BR) units. The address of the new project will
be 1034 East Spence Avenue; the former address of Tempe Palms is 1026 East Spence Avenue.
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
CivTech was previously engaged to prepare a TIS for The Marshall on Apache project (i.e., “Phase I”)
and was involved through its review and approval and has an understanding of the project area and
adjacent neighborhoods. Therefore, CivTech was asked by the Client in December 2024 to prepare a Trip
Generation Statement (TGS) for The Marshall Phase II to determine if the project met the City's threshold
for a required Traffic Reduction Plan under the Planned Area Development (PAD) review process.
In the December TGS, CivTech documented trip generated calculations that showed The Marshall
Phase II would generate a maximum of 41 vehicle trips during the higher PM peak hour (based on
the 262 total bedrooms expected at that time). While the current proposed bedroom count has
increased to 269, the maximum vehicle trips peak hour trips generated (documented herein) has
increased minimally to 42 trips during the PM peak hour, still well below the 75 vehicle trips during
either peak hour threshold requiring a Level 1 TIS under the City of Tempe’s Policy for Traffic Impact
Studies, Updated October 2019. Since the policy does not outline requirements for a document less
than a Level 1 TIS, which typically includes a Trip Reduction Plan (TRP), CivTech will generally adhere
to the outline of a typical Level 1 TIS while omitting the TRP.
CivTech could not find published traffic volume data along Spence Avenue. Therefore, to have an
accurate count of vehicle trips per day on Spence Avenue for this study, CivTech, recognizing that
the schedule and timing of the counts were important, recorded traffic counts during early February
2025 while ASU was in regular session.
Transportation Impact Study
1034 East Spence Avenue – Tempe, Arizona
Page 2
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Figure 1 shows the vicinity of the site.
FIGURE 1 – PROJECT VICINITY MAP
ROADWAYS AND INTERSECTIONS
The proposed project is located along Spence Avenue, which is an east-west street classified as a
local roadway by the City. Beginning just to the west of the project site at Rural Road, Spence Avenue
extends just over one-half mile to the east to Cedar Street. A speed limit is not posted; therefore, a
speed limit of 25 mph is being assumed. Per Subparagraph B of Arizona Revised Statutes §28-701
(Reasonable and Prudent Speed), a “speed in excess of [twenty-five miles per hour in a business or
residential district] is prima facie evidence that the speed is too great and therefore unreasonable.” The
pavement is approximately 30 feet wide, allowing for just one lane of travel in each direction. On-street
parking has been prohibited along both sides of the road its entire length. As noted above, in conducting
its research for this study, CivTech could find no traffic volumes reported for Spence Avenue from its
usual online sources; therefore, CivTech engaged Field Data Services of Arizona (FDS-AZ) to record
daily, bi-directional traffic counts on Spence Avenue. FDS-AZ recorded these counts on Tuesday
February 11, 2025, a “typical” weekday when nearby Arizona State University was in regular session,
important “normal” conditions under which the City of Tempe wishes traffic counts to be recorded.
Transportation Impact Study
1034 East Spence Avenue – Tempe, Arizona
Page 3
Figure 2 shows the coordinates at
which the counts were take plotted on
a Google Earth Pro image on which
CivTech has outlined the two phases of
The Marshall.1 FDS-AZ recorded 3,717
vehicles on Spence Avenue, 1,806
eastbound (inbound from Rural Road)
and 1,911 westbound or outbound to
Rural Road. Attachment B is the data
sheet for the counts.
Rural Road is a north-south arterial
roadway.
Extending
from
Commonwealth Street in Chandler
north
through
Tempe
and
into
Scottsdale, Rural Road provides three
travel lanes in each direction in the vicinity of the project with a posted speed limit of 35 mph between
Broadway Road and Apache Boulevard. The reported 2023 daily volume on Rural Road was 44,861
vehicles per day per the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Traffic Count Data System.
Apache Boulevard is an east-west four (4) lane arterial roadway with two (2) lanes and a bicycle
lane in each direction separated by the Tempe Streetcar. Apache Boulevard begins to the west at Mill
Avenue. East of Terrace Road, the Streetcar extends less than 1/6-mile to its eastern terminus at
Dorsey Lane and the Valley Metro Light Rail runs along the center of Apache Boulevard. The posted
speed limit is 35 mph. Apache Boulevard provides access to the Loop 101 Price Freeway frontage
roads 1.7 miles east of Terrace Road; 0.35 miles east of the northbound frontage, Apache Boulevard
crosses the Tempe Canal and enters the City of Mesa, where it is designated Main Street. CivTech
notes that, unlike the Metro Light Rail, the Streetcar route shares lanes with motor vehicles in some
areas and drivers are able to cross the tracks in other areas. As can be seen in Figure 1, there is a
break in the raised median in Apache Boulevard between the Phase 1 East Driveway and Terrace
Road. Residents of both phases of The Marshall may use this break when traffic permits.
The intersection of Rural Road and Spence Avenue is a four-legged, signalized intersection. The
west leg is a driveway to an ASU parking lot. The westbound Spence Avenue approach to Rural Road
provides an exclusive left turn lane and a shared through/right-turn lane. Both Rural Road approaches
provide a left turn lane, two through lanes, and a shared through/right-turn lane.
LOCAL MODE SPLIT
To estimate Local Mode Split, CivTech referred to Table B08301, Means of Transportation to Work,
as compiled from the decennial census most recently conducted by the United States Census Bureau
(USCB) in 2020, regarding the means of transportation by which residents living in the vicinity of the
project commute to work, data most relevant to the subject of this section of this TIS. The latest
estimates for all of Tempe and ZIP Code 85281, in which the site is located and which consists of all of
1 Please note that the frequency and spacing of driveways along Spence Avenue makes determining an “optimal” place for the counts
difficult. CivTech allowed its subcontractors to select the location based on their professional expertise.
FIGURE 2 – COUNT LOCATION
Transportation Impact Study
1034 East Spence Avenue – Tempe, Arizona
Page 4
Tempe north of (and excluding) the Broadway Road corridor. Table 1 on the next page presents the
latest (2023) data as reported by the USCB for the City of Tempe and ZIP Code 85281. (Please note
that data for a “Census Block Group,” an area much smaller than a ZIP Code, is no longer available.)
Figure 3 presents an illustrated summary of the data CivTech estimated for 2023 (the latest year
available) from the census that is relevant to local mode split for the City and ZIP Code 85281,
omitting from the calculations those who choose to work at home.
A review of the various data found in Figure 3 reveals that, for 2023, it was estimated that 67.5%
of residents in ZIP Code 85281 commuted to work alone, 9.5% walked to work, 9.8% carpooled,
5.1% bicycled, and 5.9% took public transit, such as buses (4.3%) and rail (1.6%), including ridership
on the Tempe Streetcar, which went into operation May 20, 2022.
Transit. The proposed Project will be within a few-minute walk of Rural Road, along which there are
north- and southbound transit stops at Spence Avenue for the fixed Route 72 bus (Rural/Scottsdale
Roads). The route passes through the Tempe Transportation Center (TTC), a transit hub with a Valley
Metro light-rail station and through which four (4) other local bus routes pass (48, 62, 65, and 66)
In addition, one (1) of Tempe’s free Orbit neighborhood circulator buses (Mars) originates at the TTC
and riders can flag down the Mars Orbit anywhere along Spence Avenue. Finally, Tempe’s Streetcar
runs east-west along Apache Boulevard with a stop at Rural Road, less than one-half mile (0.35 miles)
from the site. Figure 4 shows the transit stops in vicinity of the site.
TABLE 1 – MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION TO WORK, 2023
Label
85281
Tempe city, Arizona
Estimate
Margin of
Error (±)
Estimate
Margin of
Error (±)
Total:
41,223
1,998
117,884
4,733
Car, truck, or van:
25,870
1,943
79,962
5,399
Drove alone
22,599
1,711
72,775
5,118
Carpooled:
3,271
675
7,187
1,749
In 2-person carpool
2,292
578
4,540
1,209
In 3-person carpool
599
309
1,040
836
In 4-person carpool
156
119
1,317
1,135
In 5- or 6-person carpool
40
51
151
262
In 7-or-more-person carpool
184
192
139
249
Public transportation (excluding taxicab):
1,968
574
4,578
2,759
Bus
1,435
519
3,713
2,697
Subway or elevated rail
50
82
-
232
Long-distance train or commuter rail
-
33
-
232
Light rail, streetcar, or trolley
483
208
865
529
Ferryboat
-
33
-
232
Taxicab
132
95
457
466
Motorcycle
137
104
426
271
Bicycle
1,701
557
3,253
1,401
Walked
3,184
704
5,560
2,269
Other means
509
187
1,915
978
Worked from home
7,722
869
21,733
2,976
Sources: https://data.census.gov/table?q=tempe,+arizona+b08301&tid=ACSDT5Y2023.B08301
https://data.census.gov/table?q=85281+b08301&tid=ACSDT5Y2023.B08301
CivTech
NORTH
Not to Scale
Means of Transportation to Work: 85281, 2023
85281
Tempe city
Estimate
%
Estimate
%
41,223
117,884
22,599
67.5%
72,775
75.7%
3,271
9.8%
7,187
7.5%
1,435
4.3%
3,713
3.9%
533
1.6%
865
0.9%
132
0.4%
457
0.5%
137
0.4%
426
0.4%
1,701
5.1%
3,253
3.4%
3,184
9.5%
5,560
5.8%
Total
Drove alone
Carpool
Bus
Rail
Taxicab
Motorcycle
Bicycle
Walked
Other means (excludes work-at-home)
509
1.5%
1,915
2.0%
33,501
100.1%
96,151
100.1%
Total without Work-at-home
Worked from home
7,722
21,733
Total
41,223
117,884
Sources:
https://data.census.gov/table?q=tempe,+arizona+b08301&tid=ACSDT5Y2023.B08301
https://data.census.gov/table?q=85281+b08301&tid=ACSDT5Y2023.B08301
67.5%
9.8%
4.3%
1.6%
0.4%
0.4%
5.1%
9.5%
1.5%
Means of Transportation to Work: 85281, 2023
Drove alone
Carpool
Bus
Rail
Taxicab
Motorcycle
Bicycle
Walked
Other means (excludes
work-at-home)
75.7%
7.5%
3.9%
0.9%
0.5%
0.4%
3.4%
5.8%
2.0%
Means of Transportation to Work: Tempe, 2023
Drove alone
Carpool
Bus
Rail
Taxicab
Motorcycle
Bicycle
Walked
Other means (excludes
work-at-home)
Data.Census.gov: Means of Transportation to Work
The Marshall on Spence (Phase II) - Transportation Impact Study
Transportation Impact Study
1034 East Spence Avenue – Tempe, Arizona
Page 6
FIGURE 4 – VICINITY MAP SHOWING SITE AND TRANSIT STOPS
Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities. The proposed Project is within Tempe’s designated Bicycle Commute
Area as defined in Section 4-603 of the Tempe Zoning and Development Code (ZDC), under Subsection
D.4, Bicycle Parking, as “properties north of Southern Avenue extending north, east and west to the
city limit lines.” Tempe has bicycle lanes in the vicinity of the site. A bicycle lane is defined by the City
as a “portion of a roadway designated for preferential or exclusive use of bicycles and defined by
pavement markings, curbs, signs or other traffic-control devices.” Bicycle lanes are a minimum of four
(4) feet in width. Multi-use paths, which are defined as a “paved facility completely separate from the
roadway and motorized traffic designated for non-motorized, mixed use,” are a minimum of 10 feet
in width and can be used by pedestrians. The nearest multi-use path begins approximately seven-
tenths of a mile from the site on Terrace Road and extends just 600 feet to 8th Street. Pedestrians
also have access to Tempe’s extensive network on sidewalks along its streets. Figure 5 at the top of
the next page depicts the bicycle lanes and multi-use paths in the vicinity of the Project.
Other Modes of Transportation. In addition to the above traditional alternative modes of travel, a
scooter may be rented on an hourly basis at any of several locations. Also, ride-hailing services such
as Uber and Lyft are very popular as an alternative to owning or leasing a vehicle.
Transportation Impact Study
1034 East Spence Avenue – Tempe, Arizona
Page 7
PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
SITE PLAN AND DESCRIPTION
The proposed Project is the second phase of a student housing development, The Marshall Phase I,
which is currently being constructed by Aptitude Apache LLC north of the subject site. Attachment C
is the site plan for the project. The new Project would redevelop the parcels south of Phase I. These
parcels have a total area of 38,125 square feet (sf) or approximately 0.875 acres. A seven-story (i.e.,
mid-rise) building with 105 DUs of Off-Campus Student Apartments (Mid-Rise) Adjacent to Campus
providing a total of 269 bedrooms is expected. An ATM in an area of 122-sf is also being provided on
the ground floor in the southeast corner of the building along the sidewalk/site frontage. There will be
parking on-site for 89 motor vehicles.
SITE ACCESS
As can be seen on Attachment C, inbound access to the Phase II parking garage will be via one (1)
driveway along Spence Avenue. All Phase II residents will be required to exit to Apache Boulevard
through Phase I via a one-way “corridor connection” from Phase II into Phase I; the reverse will not be
possible as there will be no access into Phase II through Phase I. CivTech understands that this is a new
requirement/stipulation after it was originally communicated to CivTech that the City and Fire Department
would not allow tenant traffic between the two sites.
TRIP GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION
CivTech estimated the potential trip generation for the proposed development using for reference
TripGen11, the latest (11th) edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ (ITE) Trip Generation
Manual (TripGen11) and the 3rd edition of the Trip Generation Handbook. For comparison purposes,
CivTech also estimated the trips from the existing 38-DU Tempe Palms Apartments. TripGen11 contains
FIGURE 5 – BICYCLE LANES AND MULTI USE PATHS NEAR PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
Transportation Impact Study
1034 East Spence Avenue – Tempe, Arizona
Page 8
data collected by various transportation professionals for a wide range of different land uses. The data
for daily and peak hour trips are summarized in the manual, which also provides average rates and
regression equations developed from the data as well as the percentages of trips that enter and exit
during the study period. These data are then used to generate (i.e., calculate) the site trips for each
categorized land use and the in- and outbound trips for the number of units (the independent variable
in the calculation) that best represents the development size (floor area, dwelling units, rooms,
students, seats, acres, beds, etc.). For The Marshall Phase II, CivTech assumed that the appropriate
Land Use is Off-Campus Student Apartments (Mid-Rise) Adjacent to Campus, which is Land Use Code
(LUC) 226, in a Dense Multi-Use Urban setting. The trip generation calculations for The Marshall Phase
II are detailed in Table 2. Please note that TripGen11 contains no land use code or any trip generation
data for a stand-alone ATM; therefore, CivTech has assumed that nearly all ATM patrons will walk to it
from the development and from surrounding residences, generating few, in any, vehicular trips.
Based on trip generation rates in TripGen11, the 269 bedrooms/residents of The Marshall Phase II are
likely to generate approximately 406 vehicular trips on a weekday with 31 trips (11 in/20 out)
generated during the AM peak hour and 42 trips (21 in/21 out) generated during the PM peak hour.
The 38-DU existing Tempe Palms multifamily residential land use could be currently generating 180
vehicular trips on a weekday with 14 trips (4 in/10 out) generated during the AM peak hour and 23
trips (14 in/9 out) generated during the PM peak hour. Thus, as compared to the existing Tempe
Palms Apartments, The Marshall Phase II could generate 260 additional vehicular trips on a weekday
with 17 more trips (7 in/10 out) generated during the AM peak hour and 19 more trips (7 in/12 out)
generated during the PM peak hour.
Another Perspective. CivTech was asked to review the daily trip generation to determine if 406 trips
per day (203 in/203 out) was a reasonable total given that only 89 parking spaces will be available to
residents of The Marshall Phase II. CivTech has noted above—and in several recent studies for other
projects proposed for its City Center and the ASU area—how Tempe has made a substantial investment
in providing improvements and alternative modes of transportation for its residents so that residents
need not be so dependent on a personal vehicle. Thus, the 406 trips for a development providing only
89 vehicular parking spaces does seem excessive: the average trips-per-day per-parking-space is 4.56
trips per parking space per day (= 406 ÷ 89), suggesting that every resident leaves the premises and
returns twice (or more) each weekday. The site is within a short walk of the ASU campus. In addition,
Table 2 – Trip Generation
ITE Land
AM Distribution PM Distribution
Land Use
Quantity Units+
Use Code
ITE Land Use Name
In
Out
In
Out
The Marshall Phase II
269 Bedrooms
226
Off-Campus Student Apartment (Mid-Rise) Adjacent to Campus
34%
66%
51%
49%
Tempe Palms Apts.
38 Dwelling Units
220
Multifamily Housing (Low-Rise Close to Rail)
29%
71%
60%
40%
ADT
AM Peak Hour
PM Peak Hour
Land Use
Avg. Rate
Total
Avg. Rate
In
Out
Total
Avg. Rate
In
Out
Total
The Marshall Phase II [Proposed]
1.50
406
0.11*
11
20
31
0.16*
21
21
42
Tempe Palms Apartment [Existing]
4.72
180
0.38
4
10
14
0.61
14
9
23
Differences [Proposed – Existing]
+226
+7
+10
+17
+7
+12
+19
Notes: * Average rate was calculated by dividing total trips generated using regression equation by the quantity of units. (See below.)
CALCULATIONS (Equations shown only where applicable)
Land Use [Units]
Daily
AM Peak Hour
PM Peak Hour
Off-Campus Student Apartment (Mid-Rise) Adjacent to Campus [X = 269 Bedrooms]
---
TAM = 0.14X – 6.92 = 31
TPM = 0.17X – 3.48 = 42
CivTech
Not to Scale
The Marshall on Spence (Phase II) - Transportation Impact Study
Apache Blvd.
Spence Ave.
Terrace Rd.
Rural Rd.
Streetcar
Site Trip Distribution and Assignment
Percentage Trip Distribution
LEGEND
NORTH
XX%
32%
25%
18%
25%
1
2
4
SITE
Ph I
3
3,717[3,830]
1,911[1,911]
1,806[1,919]
Terrace Rd.
Light Rail
58%
10%
0.0%
6
One-way northbound/outbound
corridor connection
18%
40%
XX% Percentage Site Outbound Trip Distribution
XX% Percentage Site Inbound Trip Distribution
XX(XX)[XXX] - AM(PM)[Daily] Traffic Volumes
X,XXX[X,XXX] - Daily Volumes: Current[With The Marshall]
18%
18%
0%
32%
32%
100%
15%
0%
43%
25%
25%
42%
0%
25%
5
100%
0%
42%
0%
7
0(0)[0]
2(3)[30]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
5(5)[51]
3(5)[51]
4(4)[37]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
Rural Rd & Apache Blvd
1
0(0)[0]
4(4)[37]
5(8)[81]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
2(4)[37]
2
Rural Rd & Spence Ave
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
7(12)[118]
4(9)[85]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
Site Access & Spence Ave
3
4(9)[85]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
Terrace Rd & Spence Ave
2
Figure 6:
0(0)[0]
1(2)[20]
0(0)[0]
8(8)[74] 5(5)[50]
0(0)[0]
6(7)[65]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
3(7)[65]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
Terrace Rd & Apache Blvd
3
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
9(9)[88]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
20(21)[203]
Phase 1 East Dwy & Apache Blvd
4
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
1(1)[14]
0(0)[0]
19(20)[189]
8(8)[74]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
0(0)[0]
Median Break & Apache Blvd
5
Transportation Impact Study
1034 East Spence Avenue – Tempe, Arizona
Page 10
the Mars Orbit circulator runs along Spence Avenue and there is a Tempe Streetcar station on Apache
Boulevard just to the north of Phase I, with a direct pedestrian path through Phase I to it. Therefore,
CivTech suggests that most Phase II residents who own vehicles will not use their vehicles every day
and that the daily trips calculated by use of the published industry data is overly conservative.
Additionally, the published weekday average rate and the regression equation were based on only
four sets of observations and all four sites provided between 150 and 200 bedrooms, many fewer than
the projects now underway and/or being proposed in Tempe. In the future, CivTech suggests, as
traffic engineers add to the data, the average rate will decrease and the variations between the plots
of the average rate and those of the fitted curve will narrow.
TRIP DISTRIBUTION AND ASSIGNMENT
The site is within walking distance of the ASU campus and the trip generation reflects that with 269
residents expected to generate just 42 PM peak hour trips. CivTech used 2030 socio-economic data
compiled by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) to determine a single trip distribution
pattern. MAG has two primary categories of data: population and employment. Traffic engineers
typically use population data to determine where concentrations of people live around a commercial/
employment use; traffic engineers use employment data to determine in which directions residents are
going on their morning commutes and returning from on their afternoon commutes. In this case,
CivTech assumed that Marshall residents with vehicles would use their vehicles to travel to part-time
evening jobs and area attractions (restaurants, shops, etc.) within a seven-mile radius of the site. For
this task, CivTech referred to its May 2023 The Marshall Tempe traffic study to determine a trip
distribution pattern. This previous study generated trips based on future employment within a seven-
mile radius of the site using MAG’s
projected 2030 socio-economic data. The
resulting trip distribution percentages for
the study area are listed in Table 3. The
trip distribution calculations from that
study and the figure illustrating them are
included in Attachment D.
The percentages listed in Table 3 were applied to the site trips generated to determine the AM and
PM peak hour site traffic at the intersections within the study area.
Figure 6 illustrates the resulting site trip distribution percentages, the site trip assignment for the
proposed development, and the current and expected daily traffic volumes on Spence Avenue.
IMPACTS ON TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
INCREASE IN VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
As summarized above, the trip generation reveals that the proposed development is anticipated to
generate 406 vehicular trips on a weekday with 31 trips (11 in/20 out) generated during the AM peak
hour and 42 trips (21 in/21 out) generated during the PM peak hour. The site’s expected 406 trips
each day represent an increase of just 0.9% to the reported 44,861 vpd that were on Rural Road in
2023. This averages to one new vehicle on Rural Road every 3½ minutes, one new trip added nearly
every 2 minutes during AM peak hour, and one new trip just less than every 1½ minutes during the
PM peak hour. The impact is, therefore, expected to be minimal.
TABLE 3 – SITE TRIP DISTRIBUTION
Direction (To/From)
Percentage
North on Rural Road (north of Terrace Road)
25%
South on Rural Road (south of Apache Boulevard)
18%
East on Apache Boulevard (east of Terrace Road)
32%
West on Apache Boulevard (west of Rural Road)
25%
Total
100%
Transportation Impact Study
1034 East Spence Avenue – Tempe, Arizona
Page 11
Spence Avenue. As noted, FDS-AZ recorded 3,717 vehicles on Spence Avenue on February 11. More
than two-thirds (67.9%) of the trips were between noon and midnight. Above, CivTech projected
that The Marshall Phase II would generate a net increase of 226 trips over those expected from the
existing Tempe Palms Apartments, which CivTech understands are still in operation on the Phase II
site. With only entering vehicles to be allowed from Spence Avenue, the net increase of traffic would
be half of the daily volume or 113 trips (=226 ÷ 2); if all were added to Spence Avenue west of the
site access, the increase would be just over three percent (113 ÷ 3,717 = 3.05%).
The new total/with-site volume on Spence Avenue would be approximately 3,830 vehicles per day
(vpd). While not classified as such, Spence Avenue functions as a residential collector street that
brings traffic from other neighborhood streets to Rural Road. CivTech reviewed some daily design
capacities from other Valley jurisdictions to determine if 3,830 vehicles per day (vpd) could be
considered an acceptable expected daily volume on Spence Avenue.
• Scottsdale. Two-lane Local Collectors in Scottsdale can be expected to carry up to 5,000 vpd.
• Surprise. Minor Collectors can carry up to 5,040 vpd while maintaining an acceptable level of service
(LOS) D.
• Phoenix. Section 7.1.3.2 of the City of Phoenix Street Planning and Design Guidelines indicate that
daily volumes on a collector street should not exceed 8,000 vpd.
The expected volumes on Spence are lower than design volumes for similar collector streets in the
cities of Scottsdale and Surprise. Therefore, CivTech concludes that there would still be some capacity
left on Spence Avenue after development of Phase II of The Marshall.
ANTICIPATED TRANSIT RIDERSHIP
The proposed development is a short walk from Rural Road, along which the local fixed Route 72 bus
runs several times per hour. It passes through the Tempe Transportation Center, where a resident has
access to several public transit options. Also, the Orbit Mars circulator bus runs along Spence Avenue;
the developer will provide an 8-foot by 8-foot pad at the curb in the southwest corner of the site, where
riders of Tempe’s Orbit Mars circulator bus may wait for and flag down the circulator bus. The
development is expected to provide 105 DUs with 269 bedrooms. For the purpose of estimating transit
ridership, CivTech assumes that the number of residents is the equivalent of the number of bedrooms.
A review of the data in the table on Figure 3 suggests that, if future residents used public transit at
the same rate as residents of Tempe ZIP Code 85281 overall, 5.9% (16) of the 269 estimated
residents would use public transit, representing 4.3% (12) using the bus and 1.6% (4) using rail.
BIKE SYSTEM LINKAGES AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS
Bicycle Lanes. With reference to Figure 5, there are no bicycle lanes along Rural Road, Spence
Avenue, or along Terrace Road south of Apache Boulevard. Residents who choose to bicycle to and
from ASU would likely use the two low-speed, low-volume local roadways (avoiding Rural Road) to
enter the bicycle lanes along Terrace Road north of Apache Boulevard. From there, residents are
linked to the City’s extensive network of bicycle routes along and north of Apache Boulevard.
Transportation Impact Study
1034 East Spence Avenue – Tempe, Arizona
Page 12
Pedestrian Facilities. Pedestrians will have access to Tempe’s extensive network on sidewalks along
its streets.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Access to Apache Boulevard. For Phase II residents who bicycle or walk, a
sidewalk will connect Phase I and Phase II, giving Phase II residents direct access to Apache
Boulevard and convenient access to the Tempe Streetcar. CivTech notes that there is a signalized
bicycle and pedestrian crossing on Apache Boulevard at the east end of the Rural/Apache Streetcar
station, less than 500 feet west of the Phase I site; therefore, within a few minutes, Phase II residents
can bicycle or walk to Apache Boulevard and a Streetcar station via the sidewalk.
SIGHT DISTANCE ANALYSIS
Adequate sight distances must be provided for those motorists leaving and approaching the site
access. A sight triangle is the area encompassed by the line of sight from a stopped vehicle on the
minor roadway to the approaching vehicle on the major roadway: there must be sufficient
unobstructed sight distance along both approaches of a street or driveway intersection and across
their included corners to allow operators of vehicles to see each other. The distance is a function of
the posted speed limit for any given roadway that intersects a public collector or an arterial. The site
driveway does not have a posted speed limit and exiting vehicles are presumed to be traveling at a
low speed, since under State law, vehicles must slow to yield (or stop) when approaching a “T”
intersection, in this case when approaching Spence Avenue from the site driveway.1 Sight distance
calculations according to City of Tempe requirements are summarized in Table 4 at the top of the
next page. Since 25 mph is the lowest design speed reported in the City of Tempe requirements,
CivTech used a 25 mph design speed for the purposes of this analysis.
TABLE 4 – SIGHT DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS
Roadway
Posted Speed Limit/
Design Speed (mph)
Sight Distance Along Roadway
Left of Driveway
(Case B2/B3)
Right of Driveway
(Case B1)
Site Access A & Spence Avenue No Posted Speed Limit / 25
195’
125’
A review of the sight distance calculations summarized in Table 4 reveals that sight distances of 195
feet to the left of the proposed Site Access and 125 feet to the right should be provided. These
minimum sight distances must be maintained.
Additionally, landscaping should be trimmed to maintain sight distances while meeting current Tempe
landscape requirements. Shrubs and bushes are to be trimmed to be at a maximum of two (2) feet
in height and tree branches trimmed to be not lower than eight (8) feet from the ground. A copy of
the City of Tempe’s Intersection Sight Distance guidelines is included in Attachment E.
1 Per Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 28 – Transportation, § 28-771A, at an uncontrolled “T” intersection, “The vehicle on
the terminating street or highway shall yield to the vehicle on the continuing street or highway.”
Transportation Impact Study
1034 East Spence Avenue – Tempe, Arizona
Page 13
SUMMARY
To summarize the above, CivTech concludes the following:
• The 269 bedrooms/residents of The Marshall Phase II are likely to generate approximately 406
vehicular trips on a weekday with 31 trips (11 in/20 out) generated during the AM peak hour and
42 trips (21 in/21 out) generated during the PM peak hour.
o The 38-DU existing Tempe Palms multifamily residential land use could be currently generating
180 vehicular trips on a weekday with 14 trips (4 in/10 out) generated during the AM peak hour
and 23 trips (14 in/9 out) generated during the PM peak hour.
o As compared to the existing Tempe Palms Apartments, The Marshall Phase II could generate 226
additional vehicular trips on a weekday with 17 more trips (7 in/10 out) generated during the AM
peak hour and 19 more trips (7 in/12 out) generated during the PM peak hour.
o A daily volume of 3,717 vehicles was recorded for CivTech on Spence Avenue. The Marshall Phase
II is expected to generate a net increase of 226 trips over those expected from the existing
apartments. With only entering vehicles to be allowed from Spence Avenue, the net increase of
traffic would be half of the daily volume or 113 trips; if all were added to Spence Avenue west of
the site access, the increase would be just over three percent (3.05%).
o The new total/with-site volume on Spence Avenue would be approximately 3,830 vehicles per day
(vpd). Spence Avenue is a residential collector street that brings traffic from residential streets to
Rural Road and via other residential (or local or minor) collector streets to Apache Boulevard.
CivTech reviewed some daily design capacities from other Valley jurisdictions and determined that
the expected 3,830 vpd is an acceptable expected daily volume.
o CivTech’s trip generation calculations were conducted based on bedrooms, as would be done by
any traffic engineer per industry practice. The estimated 406 trips per day applied to the 89 vehicle
parking spaces yields an average of 4.56 trips per day per parking space, which is more than two
trips in and out by every resident each weekday. CivTech suggests that such a scenario is unlikely
and that the actual number of trips generated each day would be less, possible substantially less.
• The proposed development is a short walk from Rural Road, along which the local fixed Route 72
bus runs several times per hour. It passes through the Tempe Transportation Center, where a
resident has access to several public transit options. Also, Orbit Mars runs along Spence Avenue.
o Tempe’s Streetcar runs east-west along Apache Boulevard with a stop at Rural Road, less than
one-half mile (0.35 miles) from the site.
o If future residents used public transit at the same rate as residents of Tempe ZIP Code 85281
overall, 5.9% (16) of the 269 estimated residents would use public transit, representing 4.3%
(12) using the bus and 1.6% (9) using rail.
• There are no bicycle lanes along Rural Road, Spence Avenue, or along Terrace Road south of Apache
Boulevard. Residents who choose to bicycle to and from ASU would likely use the two low-speed,
low-volume local roadways (avoiding Rural Road) to enter the bicycle lanes along Terrace Road
north of Apache Boulevard. From there, residents are linked to the City’s extensive network of bicycle
routes along and north of Apache Boulevard.
Transportation Impact Study
1034 East Spence Avenue – Tempe, Arizona
Page 14
• Pedestrians will have access to Tempe’s extensive network on sidewalks along its streets.
• Sight distances of 195 feet to the left of the proposed Site Access and 125 feet to the right should
be provided. These minimum sight distances must be maintained.
o Additionally, landscaping should be trimmed to maintain sight distances while meeting current
Tempe landscape requirements. Shrubs and bushes are to be trimmed to be at a maximum of
two (2) feet in height and tree branches trimmed to be not lower than eight (8) feet from the
ground.
CivTech makes no recommendations for any mitigation measures. A trip reduction plan was not
required.
Thank you for allowing CivTech to assist you on this project. Please contact me with any questions
you may have on this statement.
Sincerely,
CivTech
Joseph F. Spadafino, P.E., PTOE, PTP
Senior Project Manager/Traffic Engineer
Attachments (5)
X:\24-1180 CHA Solutions - The Marshall on Spence, Tempe AZ\Submittals\3rd Submittal\TIS\Level 1 TIS, no TRP - The Marshall, Tempe DRAFT v3_3.docx
34
31
02/06/2024
SOLID WASTE
PLAN
DRIVEWAY CONNECTION
TO THE MARSHALL ON
SPENCE, SEE LAYOUT
PLAN
MANAGEMENT TO MOVE DUMPSTERS
FROM THE MARSHALL ON SPENCE TO THE
MARSHALL AT TEMPE BUILDING ON
ALTERNATE DAYS FOR STAGING/PICKUP.
C-105
RECY
BIN2
BIN1
RECY
271 BEDS
AVERAGE 1,285lbs TRASH/DAY
2,570lbs EVERY 2 DAYS
2 CY DUMPSTER CAPACITY (COMPACTED) ~600lbs
FILL: 2 DUMPSTER/DAY, 3 DUMPSTERS MIN. ON SITE.
PICK UP: EVERY 2 DAYS
BIN3
CHUTE