Table of Contents
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
www.metro-region.org Air Quality Conformity Determination February 2008 2035 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN and 2008-11 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM Metro Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation Metro People places • open spaces Clean air and clean water do not stop at city limits or county lines. Neither does the need for jobs, a thriving economy and good transportation choices for people and businesses in our region. Voters have asked Metro to help with the challenges that cross those lines and affect the 25 cities and three counties in the Portland metropolitan area. A regional approach simply makes sense when it comes to protecting open space, caring for parks, planning for the best use of land, managing garbage disposal and increasing recycling. Metro oversees world- class facilities such as the Oregon Zoo, which contributes to conservation and education, and the Oregon Convention Center, which benefits the region’s economy. Your Metro representatives Metro Council President – David Bragdon Metro Councilors – Rod Park, District 1; Carlotta Collette, District 2; Carl Hosticka, District 3; Kathryn Harrington, District 4; Rex Burkholder, District 5; Robert Liberty, District 6. Auditor – Suzanne Flynn Metro’s web site: www.metro-region.org Project web site: www.metro-region.org/rtp Metro is the federally mandated metropolitan planning organization designated by the governor to develop an overall transportation plan and to allocate federal funds for the region. The Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT) is a 17-member committee that provides a forum for elected officials and representatives of agencies involved in transportation to evaluate transportation needs in the region and to make recommendations to the Metro Council. The established decision-making process assures a well-balanced regional transportation system and involves local elected officials directly in decisions that help the Metro Council develop regional transportation policies, including allocating transportation funds. The preparation of this report was financed in part by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. Metro 600 NE Grand Ave. Portland, OR 97232-2736 503-797-1700 Printed on 100 percent recycled paper, 30 percent post-consumer fiber Table of Contents 1.0 Overview.................................................................................................... 1 1.1 What is Transportation Conformity/Report Purpose.................................................1 1.2 Results/Conclusions........................................................................................................1 1.3 Regulatory Background.................................................................................................2 1.4 Status of Air Pollutants in the Region ..........................................................................3 2.0 Demonstration of Conformity for CO .....……………………………...7 2.1 General Requirements ………………………………………………………………..7 2.1.1 Applicability………………………….…………………………….……………….7 2.1.2 Frequency of Conformity Determinations..……………………………………….…......…7 2.1.3 Consultation..……………………………………….…....................................................…7 2.1.4 Content of Transportation Plans.…………………………………….……......................…8 2.1.5 Relationship of Transportation Plan and TIP Conformity with the NEPA Process .………….…………………………………………………...8 2.1.6 Fiscal Constraints for Transportation Plans and TIP..............................................…9 2.2 Criteria and Procedures for Determining Conformity ……………………………10 2.2.1 General . ……………………………………….…............................................................10 2.2.2 Latest Planning Assumptions . .……………………………………….…..........................10 2.2.3 Latest Emissions Model . .……………………………………….…..................................10 2.2.4 Consultation ...……………………………………….…....................................................10 2.2.5 Timely Implementation of Transportation Control Measures …………………….10 2.2.6 Currently Conforming Transportation Plan and.………………………………………….15 2.2.7 Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets..…………………………………………………….……15 2.3 Regional Emissions Analysis & Methodology........................................................... 16 2.3.1 Transportation Networks .........................................................................................16 2.3.2 Procedures for Determining Regional Transportation-Related Emissions...............17 2.3.3 Exempt Projects....……………………………………….…..............................................18 2.3.4 Projects Exempt from Regional Emissions Analyses..........................................….18 2.3.5 Traffic Signal Synchronization Projects………………………………………….….........18 Appendices Appendix A - Project List Appendix B - Public Notice Appendix C – Federal Register Notice of Proposed Approval of State Implementation Plan for Portland Oregon – Portland Carbon Monoxide Second 10-Year Maintenance Plan (September 6, 2005) Appendix D - EPA approval of the Portland Carbon Monoxide Second 1- Year Maintenance Plan (January 24, 2006) Appendix E – Regulations not applying to this Conformity Determination Appendix F – Pre-conformity Plan Appendix G – Ozone Information 1.0 Overview 1.1 What is Transportation Conformity/Report Purpose Transportation Conformity is described by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) as “…a way to ensure that Federal funding and approval are given to those transportation activities that are consistent with air quality goals. It ensures that these transportation activities do not worsen air quality or interfere with the ‘purpose’ of the State Implementation Plan (SIP), which is to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).” This report analyses the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) Financially Constrained System and reanalyzes the 2008-2011 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP), estimating the future air quality conditions and comparing those with the motor vehicle emission budgets, or maximum amounts of regulated pollutants generated by on road vehicles. This analysis, using best available information and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USDOT and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) approved methods, determines whether proposed transportation improvements conform with federal and state air quality laws. 1.2 Results/Conclusions The 2035 RTP and 2008-2011 MTIP, using the MOBILE6.2 air quality model, have been analyzed for compliance with air quality standards for Carbon Monoxide as established by the EPA, USDOT and Oregon DEQ as follows: Table 1. Comparison of Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets and Forecast Carbon Monoxide Emissions from Surface Transportation Sources Carbon Monoxide Forecast Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets Carbon Monoxide Motor Vehicle Emissions (Budgets are Maximum Allowed Emissions) (pounds/ winter day) Year (pounds/ winter day) 2007 N/A 935,394 2010 1,033,578 856,054 2017 1,181,341 670,926 2025 1,181,341 801,203 2035 1,181,341 822,596 The above data show that for the years 2010, 2017, 2025 and 2035, Carbon Monoxide emissions from on-road transportation sources are less than the maximum allowed levels (motor vehicle emission budgets). From these data, and the fact that the region is in compliance with all other air pollutant regulations, we conclude that the 2035 RTP and 2008-2011 MTIP, and the proposed transportation improvements contained within them, meet federal and state air quality standards. Metro 2035 RTP and 2008-2011 MTIP Page 1 Air Quality Conformity Determination January 18, 2008 1.3 Regulatory and Process Background The federal Clean Air Act is the primary regulatory framework for national, state and local efforts to protect air quality. Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA is responsible for setting standards, known as national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), for pollutants considered harmful to people and the environment. These standards are set at levels that are meant to protect the health of the most sensitive population groups, including the elderly, children and people with respiratory diseases. Air quality planning is focused on meeting the NAAQS and deadlines set by the federal EPA and DEQ for meeting the standards. Further, the United States Department of Transportation has established regulations. Failing to conform restricts an area's ability to receive federal transportation funds during any period for which the air quality approval has lapsed. More specifically, federal air quality conformity requirements come from the integration of requirements in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 and are codified at 40 CFR Part 93. These requirements were also included in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA21) and most recently in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). SAFETEA-LU has made changes and additions to the previous air quality requirements for transportation planning and these are reflected in this document. Oregon’s air quality regulations, adopted by the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission under OAR 340-200-0040 and approved by EPA, establishes rules and standards for determining air quality