Do I need a study?

    Free tool · 36 BC municipalities

    Will your project need a traffic study?

    The first question every developer asks. This answers it from each municipality's own published rule, quoted, with a link so you can check it yourself. Where a municipality publishes nothing, it says so.

    Enter a unit count

    Surrey tests on size, not trips: 150 single-family units, 250 multi-family units, 25,000 sq ft commercial GLA, 100,000 sq ft office, 150,000 sq ft industrial, 400 students or members.

    Source reviewed 31 Aug 2026. Surrey's trigger is SIZE, not trips, and the thresholds are high: “The typical threshold size of developments required to initiate a TIA are generally as follows: Single Family Zones – 150 units; Multi-Family Zones – 250 units; Commercial Zones – 25,000 sq. ft. GLA (2,323 sq. m); Office Zones – 100,000 sq. ft. GFA (9,290 sq. m); Industrial Zones – 150,000 sq. ft. GFA (13,935 sq. m); Institutional Zones – 400 students/members.” Crucially it cuts both ways: “The requirements for a TIA are at the discretion of the Engineer and may be required below the threshold amounts to respond to issues such as… an already congested road network, high collision…

    Source: 2024 Design Criteria Manual s.6.1.4, Transportation System (document p.110) — Source reviewed 31 Aug 2026 · read the original ↗

    Before the study starts: “The requirements of the TIA are outlined in the City’s Terms of Reference for Transportation Impact Analysis” — a separate ToR document referenced by the manual. Staff reports impose the study as a condition to satisfy before final adoption of the rezoning bylaw.

    Want this confirmed in writing? Tell us about your site and what the municipality has asked for.

    This tool reports each municipality's published rule. It is not engineering advice and it is not a determination that a study is or is not required. Municipal staff retain discretion in every jurisdiction, including below a published threshold. Confirm scope with the municipality, or ask us to.

    Municipal rules reviewed 2026-09-07. Municipalities change their requirements. We re-check ours regularly, but confirm anything you are relying on.