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Page 171
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A - Text of Congressional Request." Transportation Research Board. 2002. The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program: Assessing 10 Years of Experience -- Special Report 264. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10350.
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APPENDIX A
TEXT OF CONGRESSIONAL REQUEST

Conference Report for H.R. 2400, Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), May 22, 1998.

SEC. 1110. CONGESTION MITIGATION AND AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

(e) Study of CMAQ Program.—

  1. Study.—The Secretary and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall enter into arrangements with the National Academy of Sciences to complete, but not later than January 1, 2001, a study of the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program under section 149 of title 23, United States Code. The study shall, at a minimum—

    1. evaluate the air quality impacts of emissions from motor vehicles;

    2. evaluate the negative effects of traffic congestion, including the economic effects of time lost due to congestion;

    3. determine the amount of funds obligated under the program and make a comprehensive analysis of the types of projects funded under the program;

    4. evaluate the emissions reductions attributable to projects of various types that have been funded under the program;

    5. assess the effectiveness, including the quantitative and non-quantitative benefits, of projects funded under the program and include, in the assessment, an estimate of the cost per ton of pollution reduction;

    6. assess the cost effectiveness of projects funded under the program with respect to congestion mitigation;

Page 172
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A - Text of Congressional Request." Transportation Research Board. 2002. The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program: Assessing 10 Years of Experience -- Special Report 264. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10350.
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  1. compare—

    1. the costs of achieving the air pollutant emissions reductions achieved under the program; to

    2. the costs that would be incurred if similar reductions were achieved by other measures, including pollution controls on stationary sources;

  1. include recommendations on improvements, including other types of projects, that will increase the overall effectiveness of the program;

  2. include recommendations on expanding the scope of the program to address traffic-related pollutants that, as of the date of the study, are not addressed by the program.

  1. REPORT.—Not later than January 1, 2000 [sic], the National Academy of Sciences shall transmit to the Secretary, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Commerce of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate a report on the results of the study with recommendations for modifications to the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program in light of the results of the study.

  2. FUNDING.—Before making the apportionment of funds under section 104(b) (2) of title 23, United States Code, for each of fiscal years 1999 and 2000, the Secretary shall deduct from the amount to be apportioned under such section for such fiscal year, and make available, $500,000 for such fiscal year to carry out this subsection.

Page 171
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A - Text of Congressional Request." Transportation Research Board. 2002. The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program: Assessing 10 Years of Experience -- Special Report 264. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10350.
×
Page 171
Page 172
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A - Text of Congressional Request." Transportation Research Board. 2002. The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program: Assessing 10 Years of Experience -- Special Report 264. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10350.
×
Page 172
Next: Appendix B - Note on the Formation of Ozone and Secondary Fine Particulate Matter »
The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program: Assessing 10 Years of Experience -- Special Report 264 Get This Book
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TRB Special Report 264 - Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program: Assessing 10 Years of Experience recommends that Congress retain the sole federal surface transportation program that funds projects to reduce pollution and traffic congestion in areas that must comply with national air quality standards.

The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program was enacted as part of the surface transportation legislation authorized in 1991 to provide support for projects that would aid local efforts to meet the strict new federal deadlines imposed by the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990. CMAQ was included in the reauthorization of surface transportation legislation in 1998 for another 6 years, and funding for this period was set at $8.1 billion. In the 1998 legislation, Congress also requested an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program and the cost-effectiveness of the projects funded by the program.

CMAQ funds are focused primarily on the transportation control measures (TCMs) contained in the 1990 CAAA (with the exception of vehicle scrappage programs, which have not been permitted). TCMs are strategies whose primary purpose is to lessen the pollutants emitted by motor vehicles by decreasing highway travel (for example, bicycle, pedestrian, and some transit projects) and to encourage more efficient facility use (for example, projects focused on ridesharing and on traffic flow improvements, such as signal timing). In addition, CMAQ funds may be used for projects that reduce vehicle emissions directly, such as through vehicle inspection and maintenance programs and purchase of alternative-fueled transit vehicles. In the spirit of the legislation that originally authorized the program, decisions about project selection are made at the local level, usually by or through the local metropolitan planning organization.

After reviewing the limited information available about these types of projects, the committee that evaluated the CMAQ program concluded that, when compared on the sole criterion of tons of emissions reduced per dollar spent, strategies aimed directly at emissions reductions—such as emissions and fuel standards for new vehicles, well-structured inspection and maintenance programs, and vehicle scrappage programs—are more cost-effective than the typical CMAQ TCMs, which tend to depend on changes in behavior. A few behaviorally based TCMs, however, such as pricing and regional ridesharing, compare favorably with vehicle- and fuel-based strategies. The committee recommended that the CMAQ program be continued, in part because it is a "funded" rather than an "unfunded" mandate. The committee also called for a focus of future projects on reductions in emissions with the largest public health consequences and for improved evaluation of project effectiveness.

Special Report 264 Summary

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