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Related DOT Programs
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program
Introduction
In 1990, Congress amended the Clean Air Act (CAA) to bolster America's efforts to attain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The amendments required further reductions in the amount of permissible tailpipe emissions, initiated more stringent control measures in areas that still failed to attain the NAAQS (nonattainment areas), and provided for a stronger, more rigorous linkage between transportation and air quality planning. In 1991, Congress adopted the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). This law authorized the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) to provide funding for surface transportation and other related projects that contribute to air quality improvements and reduce congestion. The CAA amendments, ISTEA and the CMAQ program together were intended to realign the focus of transportation planning toward a more inclusive, environmentally-sensitive, and multimodal approach to addressing transportation problems.
The CMAQ program was reauthorized in 1998 under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). The TEA-21 CMAQ program provides over $8.1 billion dollars in funds to State DOTs, MPOs, and transit agencies to invest in projects that reduce emissions from transportation-related sources over a period of six years (1998-2003). The TEA-21 CMAQ program is similar to its ISTEA predecessor, but it features greater program flexibility, several new program options, an expansion of eligible activities available for funding and the statutory formula for apportioning funds was re-designed to provide a more equitable distribution.
Relationship to Climate Change
Transportation energy use contributes to increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Emissions of most air pollutants from transportation have declined, but emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) - the major greenhouse gas - are on the rise. Transportation accounts for about a third of CO2 emissions in the U.S., and transportation emissions are among the fastest-rising among all emitting sectors.
The main goal of the CMAQ program is to fund transportation projects that reduce regulated emissions associated with carbon monoxide, ozone and particulate matter pollution in nonattainment and maintenance areas, often through congestion mitigation techniques. In addition to reducing regulated emissions, congestion relief can reduce travel delays, engine idle time and unproductive fuel consumption. So even though reducing greenhouse gas emissions is not a goal of the CMAQ program, such reductions may be achieved as an ancillary benefit. Lane mileage has increased slowly while highway travel has increased rapidly, resulting in a relatively static surface transportation system which is causing increased congestion. Also, while emissions are generally being reduced nationally, most metropolitan areas are experiencing increases in congestion. Reducing congestion is an important goal for all metropolitan areas and CMAQ plays a role in both large and small metropolitan areas in slowing the growth of congestion, reducing emissions, and maintaining economically viable and mobile communities.
DOT's Role
The Secretary of Transportation is required to establish and implement the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program. The authority to administer the program has been delegated by the Secretary to the Administrators of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Their responsibilities under the CMAQ program include:
- making annual apportionments to the States based on the severity of the pollution within each state's borders and the population affected;
- determining project eligibility;
- issuing guidance and information on the program, including procedural rules and best practices to encourage the most effective uses of CMAQ
Additional Information
DOT-FHWA Office of Natural Environment Air Quality Page
DOT-FHWA CMAQ Page
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21)
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