Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program Eligibility Process

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program Eligibility Process ODOT Office of Transit – Urban Roundtable Agenda September 30, 2010

Overview: The Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Program is a category of US DOT surface transportation funding focused on financing transportation projects and programs that will reduce transportation sector pollutant emissions. CMAQ Program expenditures are geographically restricted to United State Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) designated non-attainment and maintenance air quality areas . Federal guidance, most recently issued on November 17, 2008, establishes the CMAQ Program procedures and project eligibility criteria and is available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/cmaqpgs/cmaq08gd.pdf . Note, every CMAQ project must receive a formal US DOT eligibility determination prior to project funding being authorized through FHWA/FTA and any actual project expenditures being incurred. CMAQ eligibility is demonstrated when two principle criteria are documented; 1) the project’s consistency with one of the project types identified in the November 2008 federal CMAQ guidance, and 2) a quantitative demonstration of the project’s emission reduction potential.

CMAQ Program project types most germane to Ohio Transit agencies include:  New/replacement rolling stock  New service operating assistance (3 years)  New capital facilities (transit centers) if directly associated with new service  Park and Ride lots  Alternative fuels purchases (biodiesel/CNG) – Ohio one of 5 states where alternative fuel purchases are CMAQ eligible

Ohio CMAQ Program Funding Practice: ODOT suballocates annual CMAQ Program budgets to each Ohio MPO located in USEPA air quality areas.

The ODOT Office of Transit receives CMAQ budgets to finance specific program initiatives.

CMAQ Program Eligibility Process:  Secure project funding commitment from an MPO or ODOT.  Work through MPO or ODOT to enter the project, funding, and project implementation schedule in ODOT’s Ellis project management data base. This process establishes a project identifier – PID #. Record resulting PID # in all subsequent project correspondence.  Coordinate addition of project and funding to applicable MPO TIP.  Project sponsor and MPO collaboratively draft a CMAQ Project Eligibility Review document and emissions reduction analysis. See attached CMAQ Project Eligibility Documentation Guidance. MPO forwards resulting documentation to the ODOT Office of Systems Planning – attention MPO Program Manager.  ODOT, in coordination with FHWA/FTA will review the documentation resulting in a formal CMAQ project eligibility letter. ODOT will forward the eligibility letter to the MPO.  Upon an affirmative eligibility decision, the project sponsor advances the project consistent with the applicable federal and state agencies’ project development processes. The MPO schedules and initiates project funding actions through the ODOT Office of Transit. Ohio CMAQ Program Project Eligibility Documentation Guidelines

The purpose of the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program is to fund transportation projects or programs that will contribute to attainment or maintenance of the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone, carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM). A unique component of the CMAQ program is that a formal, project specific, US DOT CMAQ program eligibility determination action is required prior to funding being authorized for project development or implementation expenditures. Final guidance on the CMAQ program, issued by FHWA on November 17, 2008, http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/cmaqpgs/cmaq08gd.pdf identifies types of projects that are eligible for CMAQ funds, and describes the project eligibility provisions, including requirements for analyzing project emission benefits. In order to advance a level of consistency and standardization to Ohio CMAQ Project Eligibility documentation, the documentation will provide the following information: Recommended Documentation Elements

1. ODOT Ellis Project Identification (PID) Number 2. Project Name 3. Narrative project description and detailed scope 4. Project Location 5. Sponsoring Agency 6. Project CMAQ cost estimate 7. Project phases (PE, RW, CO) associated with CMAQ eligibility request 8. Confirm project STIP/TIP status 9. Narrative discussion of project’s consistency with November 17, 2008 FHWA CMAQ Program Final Guidance eligibility criteria 10. Analysis of the project emission reduction impact a. Consistent with the CMAQ guidance section VIII.A.1, emissions calculations are to be provided “for all pollutants for which the area is in nonattainment or maintenance status” b. Emissions reported in kilograms per day c. Qualitative emission analyses are accepted for project types that are not “possible to accurately quantify, consistent with the CMAQ guidance section VIII.A.2. d. Document emissions analysis methodology in sufficient detail to demonstrate that the results are based on logical, reproducible procedures. Documentation will include source for emission factors, input parameters such as speed, facility type and vehicle type. 11. CMAQ Project Eligibility documentation is forwarded to the ODOT Office of Systems Planning for processing.