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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

• FHWA Newsletter Provides Air Quality, Climate Updates
• WRI Issues Costs and Emissions Appraisal Tool for Transit Buses
• Report Issued on Global Health Impacts of Transportation Pollution
• EPA Extends Deadline for Clean Diesel Grants
• CMAQ Guidance Issued on Total Emissions Reduction Measure
• DOE Launches Web Version of Fleet Life Cycle Tool
• Bike, Pedestrian Module for CMAQ Emissions Calculator Toolkit Released
• Diesel Idle Module for CMAQ Emissions Calculator Toolkit Released
• Emissions Model Approach Incorporates High-Resolution Data
• Smart Transportation Systems Can Improve Truck Environmental Impacts

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Key Resources

• AASHTO Air Quality Community of Practice and State of the Practice Reports
• 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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