Office of Planning, Environment, & Realty (HEP)
Environment
Revised March 2006
This Reference Guide will be updated periodically. Please be sure to check this website on a regular basis.
Please note: The Guide has been updated to reflect the July 1, 2004 and May 6, 2005 conformity rule changes and the statutory changes made to the transportation planning and conformity processes as a result of enactment of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The Guide does not include any interim guidance released since the passage of SAFETEA-LU, PM2.5 hot spot requirements, the Phase 2: 8-hour implementation rule or PM2.5 implementation rule requirements, or revisions to the planning and transportation conformity regulatory language as a result of SAFETEA-LU. These documents were still in draft form or had not been developed when revisions were being made for this update.
NOTE:On October 20, 2006, the DC Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals vacated 40 CFR 93.109(e)(2)(v). 8-hour ozone areas that do not have adequate or approved 8-hour budgets can no longer utilize this provision to use the interim emissions tests instead of their 1-hour budgets to demonstrate conformity. Please see: (Circuit Court Ruling)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Federal Highway Administration developed the Transportation Conformity Reference Guide with the assistance of Federal, State, and regional transportation and air quality agencies, stakeholders and consultants.
Part I Purpose and Need
Part II How to Use This Document
Part III Transportation Conformity Requirements
Part IV Emerging Issues
Glossary
Bibliography
Appendices
| Exhibit | Description | Part | Section | Chapter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| l-1 | Summary of Transportation Conformity Requirements Inception to Date | I | ||
| l-2 | NAAQS for Key Transportation-Related Pollutants | I | ||
| l-3 | NAAQS Classifications and Requirements for 1-Hour Ozone Standard | I | ||
| l-4 | NAAQS Classifications and Requirements for 8-Hour Ozone Standard | l | ||
| l-5 | NAAQS Classifications and Requirements for CO | I | ||
| l-6 | NAAQS Classifications and Requirements for PM10 | I | ||
| l-7 | NAAQS Classifications and Requirements for PM2.5 | l | ||
| l-8 | Early Action Compact Milestones | l | ||
| ll-1 | Navigation Tool to Part III of the Conformity Reference Guide | II | ||
| A-1 | Transportation Conformity Process | III | A | |
| B-1 | Example of Roles and Responsibilities in SIP Development | III | B | |
| B-2 | Summary of Emissions by Major Source Category | III | B | |
| B-3 | SIP Components from Federal, State and Local/Regional Control Measures | III | B | |
| B-4 | SIP Requirements for Defining the Emissions Problem and Due Dates in Nonattainment Areas | III | B | |
| 2-1 | Roles & Responsibilities of Federal, State and Local Agencies in Conformity and SIP Development Process | III | C | 2 |
| 3-1 | Transportation Control Measures | III | C | 3 |
| 5-1 | Determining Which Activities are Eligible for Emission Reduction Credits | III | C | 5 |
| 5-2 | Latest Planning Assumptions | III | C | 5 |
| D-1 | Conformity Elements | III | D | |
| D-2 | Applicability of Conformity Tests by Type of Action | III | D | |
| D-3 | Conformity Requirements by Action, Pollutant and Classification | III | D | |
| D-4 | Relationship Between SIP Budget Status and Conformity Tests | III | D | |
| D-5 | Non-Attainment Areas and Conformity Tests | III | D | |
| D-6 | Which Regional Emissions Tests Apply? | III | D | |
| D-7 | Regional Emissions Tests for Maintenance Areas | III | D | |
| D-8 | Examples of Projects and Activities Included in the Regional Emissions Analysis | III | D | |
| D-9 | Typical Agency Roles in Integrating Transportation & Air-Quality Modeling | III | D | |
| 6-1 | Actions and Tests for Ozone Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas | III | D | 6 |
| 6-2 | Actions and Tests for CO Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas | III | D | 6 |
| 6-3 | Integration of the Travel and Emissions Modeling Processes for Regional Analysis | III | D | 6 |
| 6-4 | Conventional Regional Travel Models | III | D | 6 |
| 6-5 | Comparison of MOBILE Default and Area-Specific VMT Mixes | III | D | 6 |
| 9-1 | Requirements for PM2.5 Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas | III | D | 9 |
| 10-1 | Requirements for PM10 Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas | III | D | 10 |
| 10-2 | Potential Transportation Source Control Measure Parameters | III | D | 10 |
| 11-1 | Actions and Tests for NO2 Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas | III | D | 11 |
| 12-1 | Regional Emissions Analysis Options for Donut Area Projects | III | E | 12 |
| 12-2 | Conformity Tests for Clean Data Areas | III | E | 12 |
| 13-1 | Plan/TIP Conformity Requirements for Isolated Rural Areas | III | E | 13 |
| 13-2 | Conformity Tests for Isolated Rural Areas for Years After the Period Addressed in the Control Strategy SIP or Maintenance Plan | III | E | 13 |
| F-1 | Project-Level Transportation Conformity Criteria | III | F | |
| 14-1 | Conformity Evaluation Procedure for Intersection Projects | III | F | 14 |