The research focus areas and priority projects outlined in this Workplan provide a base-map for conducting future transportation-related PM research. Additional steps will be required to implement the Workplan, including development of detailed project scopes, identification of project leadership roles, and selection of funding opportunities. This section of the Workplan identifies important implementation issues, including the research approach and timeframe for initiating the projects described in this Workplan.
Multiagency Implementation Approach. FHWA acknowledges that the technical complexity and broad scope of the projects contained in the Workplan will require a multiagency implementation approach. Extensive coordination between FHWA, State DOTs, and MPOs will be critical. However, the multidisciplinary range of projects outlined in the Workplan will also necessitate extensive involvement by academic and applied research organizations as well as State and Federal air quality agencies, and industry groups. An open dialogue among all these groups is encouraged to facilitate speedy resolution of issues critical to implementing this Workplan, particularly, equitable distribution of research leadership, development of detailed project scope information, and funding responsibilities for individual projects.
Project Implementation Timeframe. An aggressive four-year timeframe is envisioned for initiating the research described in the Workplan. Adherence to this schedule will ensure that completion of the initial research coincides with EPA's planned designation of new nonattainment areas. Hence, this improves the ability of State DOTs to develop timely and appropriate transportation policy responses.
Project Scheduling. This Workplan does not include a specific timeline for the initiation of individual projects. However, this plan recognizes that certain projects must be initiated before others because they answer questions that need to be addressed early on by transportation agencies and their findings and outcomes will help lay the foundation for other projects.
In terms of the transportation community's key policy concerns, research focus areas 3, 4, and 5 (transportation sources, modeling, and control strategies) are of most direct relevance. However, research focus areas 1 and 2 (monitoring and characterization) are acknowledged to provide critical background information on PM, without which sound policy decisions cannot be made. Given the need to schedule these projects, this Workplan divides projects into three sets, as shown in Figure 5.
| EARLY | INTERMEDIATE | LATE |
|---|---|---|
| Project P1: Conduct an analysis of preliminary data from the PM2.5 monitoring network to identify potential PM2.5 nonattainment areas. | Project P4: Review and update transportation-related source profile information used in PM speciation analysis. | Project P3: Examine state-of-the-art techniques for measuring semi-volatiles. |
| Project P2: Integrate critical transportation sector PM research concerns into EPA's Supersite PM research program. | Project P5: Utilize speciation monitoring data to provide an improved understanding of the relative contribution of transportation to PM. | Project P11: Develop ammonia emissions component for inclusion in one of EPA's models. |
| Project P9: Develop a coordinated model improvement program for incorporating new research on motor vehicle-related emissions into EPA's PM model on a timely basis. | Project P6: Conduct dynamometer studies of diesel fueled vehicles/engines that are representative of current fleet mix to generate better data on the contribution of diesel vehicles to PM and PM precursor emissions. | Project P12: Analyze the costs and effectiveness of existing transportation source PM control strategies at reducing PM and PM-precursor emissions. |
| Project P7: Conduct dynamometer studies of sample vehicles to determine the impact of gross emitter gasoline powered vehicles on PM emissions. | Project P13: Develop a menu of transportation-source PM2.5 control strategies for regions to consider in air quality planning, including an evaluation of costs and effectiveness in different geographic settings. | |
| Project P8: Conduct a re-entrained road dust study that identifies the extent to which re-entrained roadway dust contributes to PM2.5 in urban areas in the Eastern United States. | Project P14: Develop assessment of interactions between transportation source control strategies for PM and ozone. | |
| Project P10: Identify improvements needed in travel data to improve the use of the PM emission model for inventory development and analysis. |
Figure 5. Project Implementation Schedule
A subset of the projects are recommended for initial implementation:
Project P1: Conduct an analysis of preliminary data from the PM2.5 monitoring network to identify potential PM2.5 nonattainment areas.
This project will provide valuable baseline information for State DOTs and MPOs about potential nonattainment status that will help to generate interest in and support for implementing other projects in the Workplan.
Project P2: Integrate critical transportation sector PM research concerns into EPA's Supersite PM research program.
This project should be considered a top priority because the super site program is already under development. A window of opportunity to include transportation research components may be missed if there is inaction on the part of the transportation community now.
Project P9: Develop a coordinated model improvement program for incorporating new research on motor vehicle-related emissions into EPA's PM model on a timely basis.
This project will support early resolution of critical transportation policy questions such as control strategy effectiveness and source apportionment, and is therefore of particular interest to the transportation community.
These projects should be initiated second because they fill important research gaps that help to support later research projects but follow from the initial set of projects.
Project P4: Review and update transportation-related source profile information used in PM speciation analysis.
Project P5: Utilize speciation monitoring data to provide an improved understanding of the relative contribution of transportation to PM.
Project P6: Conduct dynamometer studies of diesel fueled vehicles/engines that are representative of current fleet mix to generate better data on the contribution of diesel vehicles to PM and PM precursor emissions.
Project P7: Conduct dynamometer studies of sample vehicles to determine the impact of gross emitter gasoline powered vehicles on PM emissions.
Project P8: Conduct a re-entrained road dust study that identifies the extent to which re-entrained roadway dust contributes to PM2.5 in urban areas in the Eastern United States.
Project P10: Identify improvements needed in travel data to improve the use of the PM emission model for inventory development and analysis.
These projects should be initiated third because they require information for earlier research projects or address issues that are secondary to some of the issues addressed in the first two sets of projects.
Project P3: Examine state-of-the-art techniques for measuring semi-volatiles.
Project P11: Develop ammonia emissions component for inclusion in one of EPA's models.
Project P12: Analyze the costs and effectiveness of existing transportation source PM control strategies at reducing PM and PM-precursor emissions.
Project P13: Develop a menu of transportation-source PM2.5 control strategies for regions to consider in air quality planning, including an evaluation of costs and effectiveness in different geographic settings.
Project P14: Develop assessment of interactions between transportation source control strategies for PM and ozone.
Communication of research results to transportation stakeholders is an important aspect of the implementation of this research Workplan. The products of all the research projects need to be accessible to transportation professionals. In some cases, special outreach methods and training will be required. Possible methods for distributing information about the research results might include development of a PM Web site, or newsletter, as well as conferences and seminars.
