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Air Quality

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The Air Quality topic describes a range of programs, policies, case studies, resources, and tools related to air quality impacts as they relate to surface transportation. Pollutants of concern from the surface transportation sector include volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter as well as air toxics and greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation planners work to address air quality issues at both the regional and project scales.

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Recent Developments

• American Lung Association Issues 2020 'State of the Air' Report
• FHWA Updates CMAQ Website with 'Project Spotlight'
• FHWA Issues Alternative Fuel Vehicle Fleet Module for CMAQ Toolkit
• Research Suggests Easing Congestion with Variable Speed, Lane Change Controls
• Research Estimates Emission Reductions from Zero Emission Vehicles
• EPA Issues Emission Inventory Methods for Port and Goods Movement
• FHWA Issues Managed Lanes Module for CMAQ Toolkit
• EPA Issues Advance Notice on Heavy Truck Air Standards
• CMAQ Emissions Tool Transit Fleet Module Updated
• Guidance Updated for Fourth Round of Alternative Fuel Corridors

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Key Resources

• AASHTO Air Quality Community of Practice and State of the Practice Reports
  Addressing Air Quality Issues in the NEPA Process for Highway Projects (June 2017) (Practitioners Handbook #18
• FHWA Air Quality Program website
• FHWA Transportation Conformity Resources
• FHWA Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program information
• FHWA Air Toxics information
• EPA Transportation and Air Quality Information
• Air Quality Fundamentals Video Series (2016), Developed by TRB, FHWA and AASHTO.
• NCHRP 25-25, Task 89 - Establishing Representative Background Concentrations for Quantitative Hot-spot Analyses for Particulate Matter: Final Report, Case Studies, Power Point (2014)
• NCHRP 25-25, Task 78 - Programmatic Agreements for Project-Level Air Quality Analyses Using MOVES, CAL3QHC/R and AERMOD (2015): Project Description including Final Report, Appendix B: Programmatic Agreement Template, Appendix C, Technical Support Document Template, and Data Files

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