Air Quality Contacts
For more information, please contact Victoria Martinez.
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FHWA released the CMAQ Input Data Dictinary which provides important details related to various inputs associated with emissions estimation processes for CMAQ project eligibility categories. These details may help projects sponsors and others estimating emissions reductions improve the reliability and validity of emissions benefits results. CMAQ project justifications for individual projects and annual reporting required to be submitted by each State depend on reliable emission benefits estimates. These emissions estimates are important not only for FHWA, but for States and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). Moreover, their importance has been elevated with the Federal performance management rules, which involve requirements for setting targets in relation to these emissions reduction estimates. The CMAQ Input Data Dictionary includes information on 350 different inputs used in emissions estimation. For more information, contact Karen Perritt (karen.perritt@dot.gov).
The U.S. EPA's Advance Program supports States, tribes and local governments that want to take proactive steps to keep their air clean by promoting local actions to reduce ozone and/or fine particle pollution. Currently, more than 45 areas with a combined population of 54 million are actively participating in the Advance Program. EPA is offering expertise and technical assistance in mobile sources, heat island and green infrastructure, woodsmoke and cost-effective energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate policies and programs to interested State, local, and tribal governments. To receive the Advance Program's monthly newsletter, email Advance@epa.gov. For more information about Advance see www.epa.gov/advance.
The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) programs provide funds to States, local communities, tribes and territories for eligible mitigation activities to strengthen our nation's ability to build a culture of preparedness. This year's BRIC grant program amount is $1 billion. BRIC's guiding principles have been revised to reduce future losses and promote equity, including prioritizing assistance that benefits disadvantaged communities as referenced in line with the administration's Justice40 Initiative. Scoring criteria for the competitive grant program has been adjusted to incentivize mitigation actions that consider climate change and future conditions, populations impacted, and economically disadvantaged rural communities. The FMA grant program amount this year is $160 million. FMA will use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Social Vulnerability Index as a selection factor in its competitive scoring process. This means underserved populations will receive more points for projects that benefit their communities. The application period opens on Sept. 30 and the funding notices are available on Grants.gov.
Agencies are increasingly integrating resilience criteria into transportation decision-making. A compelling case remains for investing in making transportation projects more resilient in the face of increasing and intensifying storms, floods, droughts, and other natural hazards that are combining with other effects of climate change. TRB Special Report 240: Investing in Transportation Resilience: A Framework for Informed Choices reviews practices by transportation agencies for evaluating resilience and conducting investment analysis for the purpose of restoring and adding resilience. These practices require methods for measuring the level of resilience in existing transportation systems and for evaluating and prioritizing options to improve resilience by strengthening, adding redundancy to, and relocating vulnerable assets.
The Conference on Advancing Transportation Equity, convened by Transportation Research Board and supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation has been rescheduled as a Virtual Event taking place September 9, 10, 13, and 14, 2021. Registration for the Virtual Event is now open. The conference will feature all areas of transportation practice and research, including those that address links between transportation and housing, telecommunications, health, policing, or economic development.
September 15, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (ET) A national webinar will be held to provide information on the new Database for Air Quality and Noise Analysis (DANA) Tool and Traffic Noise Model Aide (TNMAide), which help air quality and noise analysts combine traffic data and determine the worst noise hour of the day. Register for the webinar via this link. The webinar will provide an overview of both tools, show the tools in a live demonstration, and describe possible uses. The DANA Tool is available on FHWA's air quality website and TNMAide is available on FHWA's noise website. After the webinar, a recording will be available under "Training" on the DANA tool homepage. Please contact DANAhelp@dot.gov or David Kall with questions about the DANA tool or, TNMHelp@dot.gov or Aileen Varela-Margolles with questions about TNMAide.
FHWA's Resource Center Environment, Air Quality & Realty Team is available to offer MOVES and other trainings. Please contact George Noel, for additional information or to discuss scheduling a training.
Several web-based transportation conformity training opportunities are available on-demand from FHWA's conformity training website (under "Web-based Training"). The target audience for these training materials are FHWA staff and State and local transportation partners (MPOs and State DOTs) who are either new to or would like a refresher training on the conformity process. For questions, please contact David Kall.
FHWA has created a Traffic Noise Model (TNM) Playlist on its YouTube Channel. These short-format videos demonstrate how to install TNM, complete basic tasks in the software, and provide details on specific features. Additional videos will be added throughout the year. Additional TNM Training materials are available on the FWHA Noise Training Website. For technical assistance with TNM please contact TNMHelp@dot.gov.
FHWA's Planning, Environment, and Realty office and the National Highway Institute (NHI), in cooperation with the Resource Center and Division Offices, have updated and launched a web-based Traffic Noise Training Course. This on-demand, web-based training was a previously multi-day, instructor-led course. This course is now available on the NHI website at no cost and provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of the highway traffic noise program. The courses are available on the NHI website by searching for "highway noise" and locating course codes 142086 – 142094.
The NHI Air Quality Planning web-based training series is designed for transportation practitioners. It includes four modules: Clean Air Act Overview (FHWA-NHI-142068), SIP and Transportation Control Measure (TCM) Requirements and Policies (FHWA-NHI-142069), SIP Development Process (FHWA-NHI-142070), and Transportation Conformity (FHWA-NHI-142071). All courses are free. For more information, visit the NHI website and search "Air Quality Planning," or look for the specific course number. Please contact Karen Perritt with any questions or comment.
Please e-mail Victoria.Martinez@dot.gov with any suggestions for future issues.
Past issues of the Air Quality and Sustainability Highlights are available on FHWA's website: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/air_quality/conformity/highlights/ or https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/sustainability/newsletter/.
