This directive was canceled October 31, 2006
 |
Memorandum
|
|
| U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration |
| Subject: | INFORMATION: Guidance on the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program Under the Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA-21) |
Date: | April 28, 1999 |
| From: | Cynthia J. Burbank, Program Manager Planning and Environment Charlotte M. Adams, Associate Administrator for Planning |
Reply to: | HENE/TPL-1 |
| To: | FHWA Division Administrators FHWA Resource Center Directors Federal Lands Highway Division Engineers FTA Regional Administrators |
||
The purpose of this memo is to transmit new guidance for the CMAQ program as reauthorized under TEA-21. Interim Guidance on the CMAQ program under TEA-21 was issued on August 14, 1998. Extensive outreach efforts were conducted in the fall of 1998, including focus groups in which over 200 participants provided input and a Federal Register notice for comments which resulted in numerous written comments and suggestions to FHWA and FTA. This input was very helpful in assisting the FHWA and FTA in assembling the final guidance on the CMAQ program.
This guidance replaces all earlier CMAQ guidance documents and provides information on: 1) CMAQ authorization levels and apportionment factors; 2) the new flexibility and transferability provisions; 3) geographic area eligibility for CMAQ funds and the impacts of the new National Ambient Air Quality Standards on eligibility; 4) project eligibility; 5) analytical requirements; and 6) Federal, State, and local agency roles and responsibilities in the administration of the program.
Several States have recently requested the use of CMAQ funds for high-speed rail projects located outside of nonattainment and maintenance areas which have here-to-fore been generally ineligible. Given this level of interest, FHWA and FTA have decided to solicit input on the issue from our stakeholders through a Federal Register notice. If a change in policy is warranted, FHWA and FTA will issue a policy memorandum to that effect.
Copies of this guidance (PDF - 88 KB or HTML) will be posted on the FHWA and FTA websites and will be made widely available to stakeholders in the CMAQ program. In addition, follow-up activities will be undertaken in the coming months in order to assemble additional information, best practices and analytical techniques that can be made available to States, metropolitan planning organizations, and transit agencies in order to facilitate the selection of projects and programs that most effectively reduce transportation-related emissions in air quality nonattainment and maintenance areas. Questions on the CMAQ program or on this guidance should be directed to Michael J. Savonis at 202-366-2080 or Abbe Marner at 202-366-4317.
The above document is in Adobe Portable Document Format, (PDF). Download Adobe Reader here.
