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Air Quality

Recent Developments

Listed below are recent developments pertinent to air quality from the past six months.  If you would like to suggest a recent development on this topic, please submit a short description to AASHTO (including any pertinent links) on the Share Info with AASHTO form.

• FHWA Posts Resources on Alternative Fuel Corridors

  FHWA Posts Resources on Alternative Fuel Corridors

  The Federal Highway Administration has posted several new resources as part of its Alternative Fuel Toolkit. Recently posted items include tools for alternative fuel corridor planning as well as information related to convenings on the South Central, Southeast, and Midwest Alternative Fuel Corridors. For more information, link to the Alternative Fuel Toolkit. (6-13-19) >>See Related AASHTO CEE Resources: AASHTO Air Quality Community of Practice

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• NCHRP Issues Guide on Enhanced Truck Data for Emissions Modeling

  NCHRP Issues Guide on Enhanced Truck Data for Emissions Modeling

  A guide for improving the modeling of commercial truck activity for estimating vehicle emissions from transportation projects is part of a set of resources issued under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program. The guide, NCHRP Research Report 909: Guide to Truck Activity Data for Emissions Modeling, provides a detailed discussion of the methods, procedures, and sources of data that can be used to enhance the truck-specific emissions estimates from the EPA’s Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES2014) model. The project also includes a web-only set of case studies and a collection of MS Excel files that contain data described in the case studies. For more information, link to the NCHRP Research Report 909. (6-12-19) >>See Related AASHTO CEE Resources: AASHTO Air Quality Community of Practice

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• EPA Awards Over $13 Million for Cleaner School Buses, Diesel

  EPA Awards Over $13 Million for Cleaner School Buses, Diesel

  The Environmental Protection Agency has announced awards totaling over $9.3 million to 43 states or territories to purchase hundreds of cleaner school buses. The grants under the EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding will allow state, regional, or tribal governments and organizations to purchase buses that use newer, lower emission diesel buses to reduce pollution and improve public health. The EPA also has announced $3.8 million in DERA grants awarded to various groups in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest for the purchase of hybrid electric or cleaner diesel generators, construction equipment, transit buses, short-haul freight trucks, and school buses. For more information, link to the Region 10 and national announcements. (5-2-19)

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• FHWA Newsletter Provides Air Quality, Climate Updates

  FHWA Newsletter Provides Air Quality, Climate Updates

  Recent developments concerning air quality and climate impacts are presented in the recent issue of the Air Quality and Climate Change Highlights newsletter from the Federal Highway Administration. Topics covered include CMAQ computation guidance, alternative fuel corridor nominations, and renewable energy in rights-of-way. The newsletter also spotlights various meetings, conferences, symposia, workshops, and training opportunities. For more information, read the January/February 2019 issue. (4-4-19)

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• WRI Issues Costs and Emissions Appraisal Tool for Transit Buses

  WRI Issues Costs and Emissions Appraisal Tool for Transit Buses

  The World Resources Institute has created a Costs and Emissions Appraisal Tool for Transit Buses. The Excel-based tool allows users to compare the costs and emissions reductions of two bus fleets, each composed of up to three bus types. Bus types can differ in terms of fuel type, the technology used to achieve different emissions standards, and bus length. Users can input fuel and vehicle unit cost data for a city or country and the tool calculates the costs and emissions of each bus type and the total costs and emissions of each fleet. To access the tool and a related discussion paper, link here. (March 2019)

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• Report Issued on Global Health Impacts of Transportation Pollution

  Report Issued on Global Health Impacts of Transportation Pollution

  A review of transportation-related air pollution across the globe has been issued by the International Council on Clean Transportation. The transportation sector produces multiple pollutants such as dust and other airborne particles, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide from vehicle exhaust, vapor from fuels, and dust from unpaved roads, tire wear, and brake wear. The analysis provides updated estimates of the impacts of transportation sector emissions and their health impacts in 2010 and 2015 by linking state-of-the-art models on vehicle emissions, air pollution, and epidemiological analysis to determine the impact on air quality and public health. The report found that 84 percent of global transportation-attributable deaths occurred in G20 countries, and 70 percent occurred in the four largest vehicle markets: China, India, the European Union, and the United States. For more information, link to the report. (3-11-19)

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• EPA Extends Deadline for Clean Diesel Grants

  EPA Extends Deadline for Clean Diesel Grants

  The Environmental Protection Agency has extended the deadline to apply for competitive grant funding through its Diesel Emissions Reductions Act Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The program is soliciting applications for projects that achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions in terms of tons of pollution produced and exposure, particularly from fleets operating in areas designated as having poor air quality. Applications are due March 26. For more information, link to the extension notice. (2-21-19)

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• CMAQ Guidance Issued on Total Emissions Reduction Measure

  CMAQ Guidance Issued on Total Emissions Reduction Measure

  Guidance on calculating the total emissions reduction measure to assess on-road mobile source emissions under the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program has been issued by the Federal Highway Administration. The measure is the 2-year and 4-year cumulative reported emission reductions, for all projects funded by CMAQ funds, by applicable criteria pollutant and precursors for which the area is designated nonattainment or maintenance. The guidance provides a calculation formula as well as frequently asked questions. For more information, link to the guidance. (December 2018)

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• DOE Launches Web Version of Fleet Life Cycle Tool

  DOE Launches Web Version of Fleet Life Cycle Tool

  The Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has announced a new online version of a tool to compare alternative fuel and vehicle technologies. Alternative Fuel Life-Cycle Environmental and Economic Transportation (AFLEET) is a free, publicly available spreadsheet-based tool to help fleet managers optimize their purchasing decisions to reduce their environmental impacts and save money. AFLEET was originally launched in 2013 and is now issued as a web-based option. For more information, link to the AFLEET tool. (2-1-19)

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• Bike, Pedestrian Module for CMAQ Emissions Calculator Toolkit Released

  Bike, Pedestrian Module for CMAQ Emissions Calculator Toolkit Released

  The Federal Highway Administration has released a new module of the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Emissions Calculator Toolkit. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements module is one of a series of spreadsheet-based tools that can be used to facilitate the calculation of representative air quality benefit data, for CMAQ project justification, as well as the annual reporting requirements. The update includes a user guide and supplemental documentation. The toolkit is a resource to help with the implementation of the CMAQ program, which supports surface transportation projects and related efforts that contribute to improved air quality and reduce congestion. To access this and other modules, link to the toolkit. (1-24-19)

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• Diesel Idle Module for CMAQ Emissions Calculator Toolkit Released

  Diesel Idle Module for CMAQ Emissions Calculator Toolkit Released

  The Federal Highway Administration has released a new module of the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Emissions Calculator Toolkit. The Diesel Idle Reduction Technologies tool is one of a series of spreadsheet-based tools that can be used to facilitate the calculation of representative air quality benefit data, for CMAQ project justification, as well as the annual reporting requirements. The toolkit is a resource to help with the implementation of the CMAQ program, which supports surface transportation projects and related efforts that contribute to improved air quality and reduce congestion. Additional toolkit modules are released as they become available. For more information, link to the toolkit. (1-3-19)

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• Emissions Model Approach Incorporates High-Resolution Data

  Emissions Model Approach Incorporates High-Resolution Data

  The National Center for Sustainable Transportation has issued a research study on the development of a method for combining high-resolution vehicle activity data with the EPA’s Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) model to assess the environmental impacts of transportation design and operation strategies. Using traffic simulation model outputs and smartphone GPS data, the researchers developed the MOVES-Matrix system that can be used to perform emissions modeling in a fraction of the time it takes to perform even one MOVES run. The MOVES-Matrix approach involves running the MOVES model iteratively across all potential input variable combinations, and using the resulting matrix of pre-run MOVES outputs in emissions modeling. The resulting emission rate matrices allow users to link emission rates to assess big data projects and to support near-real-time evaluations of changes in emissions for large, dynamic transportation systems. For more information, link to the report. (October 2018)

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• Smart Transportation Systems Can Improve Truck Environmental Impacts

  Smart Transportation Systems Can Improve Truck Environmental Impacts

  The National Center for Sustainable Transportation has issued a research study of the potential for using intelligent transportation system (ITS) technologies that take into account the presence of trucks in the traffic flow in order to reduce fuel consumption and pollution levels in areas of high truck volume. According to the study, the sizes and movement dynamics of trucks create traffic disturbances that affect other vehicles and cause increased fuel consumption and pollution. The study proposes an integrated variable speed limit, ramp metering, and lane change controller using feedback linearization. The integrated controller keeps the bottleneck flow at the maximum level and homogenizes the density and speed of the traffic flow along the highway sections. Results show improvements in fuel economy and emissions under different levels of perturbation and noise. For more information, link to the report. (2018)

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• Tool Predicts Fuel-Saving Benefits from Low Rolling Resistance Tires

  Tool Predicts Fuel-Saving Benefits from Low Rolling Resistance Tires

  The National Center for Sustainable Transportation has announced the development of a tool to predict the fleet-wide fuel-saving benefits from low rolling resistance tires. The tool is applicable to both stabilized and transient speed operations. It is based on empirical models that estimate the fuel consumption contribution from tires as a function of vehicle payload, aerodynamic drag, road grade, duration of acceleration and deceleration, and road facility type. The tool can be downloaded as a spreadsheet. For more information, link to the announcement. (Dec. 2018)

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• Study Finds Truck-Only Lanes Hold Potential to Reduce Emissions

  Study Finds Truck-Only Lanes Hold Potential to Reduce Emissions

  The National Center for Sustainable Transportation has issued a study to demonstrate a model framework for evaluating the effectiveness of truck-only lanes in reducing traffic congestion. The study combines a microscopic traffic simulation with emissions and microscale dispersion models to quantify the potential impacts of truck-only lanes on fuel consumption, emissions, and near-road pollutant concentrations. As a case study, the framework was used to evaluate a proposed $2 billion project to construct 40-miles of truck-only lanes on Interstate 75 between Atlanta and Macon, Ga. The findings of this study suggest that truck-only lanes could significantly improve the traffic flow, and reduce energy consumption, emissions, and pollutant concentrations. For more information, link to the study. (November 2018)

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• EPA Posts Transportation Conformity Guidance for South Coast II Court Ruling

  EPA Posts Transportation Conformity Guidance for South Coast II Court Ruling

  The Environmental Protection Agency has posted guidance on how to address transportation conformity requirements in ozone nonattainment and maintenance areas affected by the South Coast Air Quality Management District v. EPA decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The guidance describes how transportation conformity applies in areas that were nonattainment or maintenance for the 1997 ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) (at the time that standard was revoked) as well as designated attainment for the 2008 ozone NAAQS. For more information, link to the guidance. (11-29-18)

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• EPA Provides Funds to Reduce Diesel Emissions

  EPA Provides Funds to Reduce Diesel Emissions

  The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded grants under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act for projects in Arizona, Hawaii, and Nevada. The awards, which will be combined with state matching funds and other funding sources, will be used to replace diesel vehicles and equipment in Arizona and to replace diesel buses in Hawaii and Nevada. For more information, link to the EPA Region 9 announcements and the West Coast Collaborative DERA projects web page. (11-20-18)

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• EPA Launches Initiative to Reduce Truck Pollution

  EPA Launches Initiative to Reduce Truck Pollution

  The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a new push to reduce pollution from on-highway heavy-duty trucks and engines. The “Cleaner Trucks Initiative” will target reductions of smog-forming nitrogen oxide emissions from big rigs and their engines. The initiative will include a future rulemaking that will update the existing NOx standard while also streamlining compliance and certification requirements. It will be the first attempt to update the EPA’s NOx standards for heavy-duty trucks in nearly two decades. For more information, link to the announcement. (11-13-18)

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• FHWA Newsletter Highlights Transportation Resilience, Alternative Fuels

  FHWA Newsletter Highlights Transportation Resilience, Alternative Fuels

  Transportation resilience and alternative fuel corridor designations are featured in the latest Air Quality and Sustainability Highlights newsletter from the Federal Highway Administration. The Transportation Resilience Innovations Summit and Exchange (RISE), held in October, is highlighted, as well as a new report that documents a coastal resilience projects in Maine and New Hampshire. The newsletter also provides information on the latest round of alternative fuel corridor nominations, and upcoming air quality and sustainability meetings, conferences, and technical assistance. For more information, link to the September/October 2018 issue. (11-13-18)

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• FAQ Document Addresses Alternative Fuel Corridors

  FAQ Document Addresses Alternative Fuel Corridors

  The Federal Highway Administration has issued an updated question and answer document regarding the FAST Act Section 1413 Alternative Fuel Corridor Designations. The document covers general questions, questions specific to the three different rounds of designations, fuel-specific questions, questions about signage, coordination with the Energy Department, and resources such as FHWA contacts and information about the Alternative Fuel Corridor Convenings. The FAQ has been updated in connection with the request for nominations for the third round of nominations. For more information, link the FAQ. (11-8-18)

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• Study Finds Accurate Local Air Quality Maps Possible Using Modeled Data

  Study Finds Accurate Local Air Quality Maps Possible Using Modeled Data

  A study from the Environmental Defense Fund suggests that mobile air pollution measurement combined with statistical modeling can be used to develop an accurate, high-resolution picture of local urban air quality. The study found that models trained with data from about 30 percent of streets randomly sampled at a minimum of four times was sufficient to predict the key patterns of how air pollution varied across the city. Air quality can vary locally due to traffic patterns, atmospheric conditions, and industry operations. For more information, link to the published study and the EDF’s announcement. (10-24-18)

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• TRB Videos Discuss National Alternative Fuels Corridor Program

  TRB Videos Discuss National Alternative Fuels Corridor Program

  The Transportation Research Board has released a series of recordings that examine the Alternative Fuels Corridor Program established under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. This series discusses the background of the program, including the nomination process for alternative fuels corridors, the facility types along which the corridors can be designated, the criteria associated with the designation of a corridor, the signage for the corridors, and possible funding sources. Presenters from FHWA, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and the Georgetown Climate Center also describe several states’ experiences with the designation process and development of the corridor. The TRB Standing Committee on Transportation and Air Quality organized the series. (10-19-18)

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• White Paper Analyzes Eco-Driving Information Systems

  White Paper Analyzes Eco-Driving Information Systems

  A white paper describing the use of in-vehicle information systems to modify driver behavior in order to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions has been issued by the National Center for Sustainable Transportation. “Eco-driving”—suites of behavior a driver can engage in to improve fuel economy—is often promoted using such feedback methods as dash or instrument cluster displays, after-market devices, or apps on personal mobile devices. The white paper analyzes a variety of studies of feedback methods to learn what types are most effective for creating better eco-driving. For more information, link to the white paper. (September 2018)

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• EPA Announces the 2018 SmartWay Excellence Awards

  EPA Announces the 2018 SmartWay Excellence Awards

  The Environmental Protection Agency has announced the recipients of the 2018 SmartWay Excellence Awards. The SmartWay Transport Partnership recognizes shipping and logistics companies for improving freight efficiency and contributing to cleaner air within their supply chains. Awardees were chosen based on their effective collaboration, advanced technology and operational practices, system to validate and report their SmartWay data, and communications and public outreach efforts. Fourteen companies will receive the awards on Oct. 29 in Austin, Texas. For more information, link to the SmartWay Excellence Awards. (10-1-18)

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• FHWA Opens Nominations for New Alternative Fuel Corridor Designations

  FHWA Opens Nominations for New Alternative Fuel Corridor Designations

  The Federal Highway Administration has announced a third round of nominations for Alternative Fuel Corridor designations. The 2018 Request for Nominations (RFN) seeks to add to the 58 designated Interstate corridors or corridor segments, plus 43 U.S. and state highways, in 44 states (including Hawaii) under the first two rounds of the program. This round of corridor designations may provide an opportunity to nominate additional corridors, extend currently designated corridors, or nominate different fuels along an already designated corridor. Nominations are due on Jan. 31, 2019. For more information, link to the announcement. (10-5-18)

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• Report Describes Potential for City Fleets to Collect Air Quality Data

  Report Describes Potential for City Fleets to Collect Air Quality Data

  The Environmental Defense Fund and fleet tracking system provider Geotab have issued a report on the potential for municipal or commercial fleets to monitor and map ambient air quality in cities. The report says that urban air pollution can be highly localized and mobile data collection and monitoring can better map the realities of pollution dispersal. The report also says that existing fleet tracking data indicate that a small or medium-sized North American municipal fleet could map 50 percent or more of a city with just 10 vehicles, and almost 80 percent of a city with 20 vehicles. Additionally, analysis of such data would inform actions to reduce congestion, support bike infrastructure, and electrify freight and transit. For more information, link to the report. (9-24-18)

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• Air Quality Rules for 'Glider' Vehicles Discussed in CRS Report

  Air Quality Rules for 'Glider' Vehicles Discussed in CRS Report

  A report issued by the Congressional Research Service provides an overview of the current status of the Environmental Protection Agency’s and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Phase 2 greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency rules in relation to new truck chassis installed with remanufactured engines, known as “glider vehicles.” The report explains how glider vehicles are made, their potential impacts on reginal air quality, and how they are regulated under NHTSA safety standards. The report also discusses the proposed repeal of the glider vehicle requirements and actions in Congress both in favor and in opposition to the repeal. For more information, link to the report. (9-10-18)

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• EPA Issues Latest Version of Emissions Model

  EPA Issues Latest Version of Emissions Model

  The Environmental Protection Agency has issued the latest version of its Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES2014b). The new release does not significantly change the onroad criteria pollutant emissions results of MOVES2014 and is not considered a new model for State Implementation Plan (SIP) and transportation conformity purposes. The agency has issued new question-and-answer guidance, technical guidance, installation instructions, and an update to the MOVES2014 User Interface Reference Manual. State and local agencies use the model to estimate volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and other emissions from cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and most categories of nonroad equipment. For more information, link to the EPA’s MOVES page. (8-28-18)

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• Report Examines Market for Used EVs in California

  Report Examines Market for Used EVs in California

  The National Center for Sustainable Transportation has issued a report on the emerging secondary market for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in California. The report finds that purchasers of used PEVs, which include both battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, tend to have slightly lower income than purchasers of new vehicles but higher than the average car buyer. The report also finds that the vehicles have good resale value, that purchasers of second-hand PEVs were satisfied with the cars, and that having the high-occupancy vehicle privileges that California provides as an incentive was a significant motivator for some buyers. In addition, the report finds that a small percentage of used vehicles are being moved out of state, which could impact the state’s air quality goals. For more information, link to the report (April 2018).

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• EPA Proposes Revised Air Pollution Rules for Power Plants

  EPA Proposes Revised Air Pollution Rules for Power Plants

  The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a replacement for rules that would control carbon emissions from electric utility generating units. The Affordable Clean Energy Rule would replace the rule known as the Clean Power Plan and create narrower requirements with more modest emissions limits at individual power plants. The EPA proposes guidelines for states to develop plans based on heat rate, or efficiency, and improvements that can be achieved at an individual facility. It would no longer create incentives to switch from coal to natural gas and renewable energy sources. The rule may still allow emissions trading, where power plants that produce fewer emissions than allowed can sell credits to those that emit more. For more information, link to the EPA’s announcement. (8-21-18)

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• Quick Guide Issued On Project-Level Air Quality Analyses

  Quick Guide Issued On Project-Level Air Quality Analyses

  Air quality analysts have help locating the necessary traffic data to perform project-level analysis with a new quick reference guide issued under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program. The quick guide is intended to bridge the gap between the fields of traffic analysis and air quality analysis to ensure that the right traffic inputs are prepared and provided to support the air quality analysis. The guide is organized by air pollutant—carbon monoxide, particulate matter, mobile source air toxics, and greenhouse gases. The guide also provides an overview of traffic data requirements, traffic model advanced methods, reevaluations under NEPA, traffic mitigation measures, and litigation risk management. The quick guide is a supplement to NCHRP Report 765 and was prepared under NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 96. For more information, link to the quick guide. (7-19-18)

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• CMAQ Performance Plan Guidebook Issued for MPOs

  CMAQ Performance Plan Guidebook Issued for MPOs

  The Federal Highway Administration has released a guidebook to help metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) develop a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) performance plan. Key components of the performance plan are highlighted and include descriptions of conditions and performance, targets established by MPOs, project descriptions, and an assessment of how the listed projects contribute to the established targets. The guide addresses data sources that MPOs must use to calculate condition performance for traffic congestion and on-road mobile source emissions measures, and the submission of the biennial reports. In addition, a timeline for reporting requirements is provided along with additional resources for related rules and training. For more information, link to the guide. (7-11-18)

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• Grants Available for Deployment of Advanced Transportation Technologies

  Grants Available for Deployment of Advanced Transportation Technologies

  The Federal Highway Administration has announced the availability of $60 million in grants under the Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment Program. Eligible applicants include state and local transit agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, and academic institutions. Funds may be used for the development of deployment sites for large scale installation and operation of technologies such as advanced traveler information systems, electronic pricing and payment systems, and integration of intelligent transportation systems with the Smart Grid. Applications are due June 18. For more information, link to the announcement. (6-5-18)

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• EPA Announces Clean Diesel Funding Availability for FY 2018

  EPA Announces Clean Diesel Funding Availability for FY 2018

  The Environmental Protection Agency is soliciting proposals for projects that significantly reduce diesel emissions and exposure, especially from freight fleets operating in areas designated as having poor air quality. The agency expects to award about $40 million in fiscal year 2018 competitive grants under the Diesel Emissions Reductions Act Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Eligible applicants include regional, state, local, or tribal agencies, or port authorities with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality. Nonprofit organizations with a connection to transportation or air quality also may apply. Priority will be given to projects that engage and benefit local communities and applicants that demonstrate their ability to promote and continue efforts to reduce emissions. Applications are due June 12, 2018. For more information, link to the announcement and the request for proposals. (4-24-18)

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• FHWA Announces Advanced Transportation Technology Development Funds

  FHWA Announces Advanced Transportation Technology Development Funds

  The Federal Highway Administration has announced the availability of $60 million in grants to fund new transportation technologies. The grants are issued under the Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment Program, which provides funding for the development of model deployment sites for the operation of advanced technologies. The agency is looking for eligible projects that focus on integrated corridor management, real-time traveler information, and traffic data collection and dissemination. The program provided $100 million to 13 states in 2016 and 2017. Applications are due June 18, 2018. For more information, link to the announcement. (4-18-18)

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• FTA Selects Projects for Low or No Emissions Grants

  FTA Selects Projects for Low or No Emissions Grants

  The Federal Transit Administration has selected 51 projects for its Low or No Emissions Grant Program for fiscal year 2017. Recipients in states such as Alaska, New Mexico, and Texas will receive a total of $55 million to purchase battery electric buses and energy storage systems. Projects also address the procurement of charging equipment, staff training, and facility maintenance. The Low-No Program provides funding to state and local governmental authorities for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses in addition to the acquisition, construction, and leasing of supporting facilities. The funding is available until 2020. For more information, link to the announcement and federal register notice. (3-19-18)

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• FHWA Announces 2017 Alternative Fuel Corridor Designations

  FHWA Announces 2017 Alternative Fuel Corridor Designations

  The Federal Highway Administration has announced the second round of designations for Alternative Fuel Corridors. For 2016 and 2017 combined, FHWA has received 58 nominations and designated segments or entire lengths of 71 Interstate corridors (including Hawaii) under the program. So far, 44 states (plus the District of Columbia) have facilities designated as corridor-ready or corridor-pending for one or more alternative fuel types (electric, hydrogen, propane, compressed natural gas, and liquid natural gas). Corridor-ready designees have sufficient fueling facilities on the corridor to warrant highway signage, whereas corridor-pending designees need additional facilities to warrant signage. For more information, link to the Alternative Fuel Corridors website. (3-9-18)

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• Minnesota DOT Evaluates Traffic Estimates from Mobile Devices

  Minnesota DOT Evaluates Traffic Estimates from Mobile Devices

  The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has released a report concerning the estimation of traffic volumes from mobile devices. MnDOT and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute used StreetLight Data to analyze the accuracy of average annual daily traffic volume estimates and annual hourly volume estimates using actual volume counts from traffic monitoring sites. The report indicates that lower volume roadways had the highest errors. In addition, results from 12 nonpublic monitoring sites showed higher error compared to the public permanent sites, according to the report. The report recommends enhancements to improve accuracy and granularity of estimated traffic volumes. The I-95 Corridor Coalition is currently conducting similar research. For more information, link to the report. (December 2017)

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• FHWA Report Displays Results of Regional Congestion Pricing Workshops

  FHWA Report Displays Results of Regional Congestion Pricing Workshops

  The Federal Highway Administration has issued a report on the findings from a series of Regional Congestion Pricing Workshops held between March 2016 and May 2017. The three workshops were for sharing information on planning and implementing pricing programs in their regions. The workshops addressed congestion pricing concepts and strategies; policy barriers to planning, design, and operations and maintenance; operational and implementation case studies; and outreach and marketing. The report indicates that many newer price-managed lane projects include multiple access points that integrate them with activity centers. Workshops addressed equity concerns and provided strategies for strengthening political support for pricing programs and enhancing stakeholder awareness of the value. For more information, link to the report. (November 2017)

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• Tech Brief Discusses In-Car Technology to Reduce Fuel Consumption

  Tech Brief Discusses In-Car Technology to Reduce Fuel Consumption

  The Federal Highway Administration has issued a technology brief on a project to test technology on rolling terrain to optimize fuel consumption, called “eco-drive.” The FHWA tested connected automated vehicles on seven rolling roadway segments in Maryland and Virginia using the eco-drive controller. The brief said that as much as 20 percent of fuel consumption can be saved on certain terrains for a single vehicle without traffic interference. The brief also indicates that eco-drive may not be necessary for relatively even, flat roads. For more information, link to the report. (1-19-18)

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• TRB Research Report Addresses Clean Truck Freight Strategies

  TRB Research Report Addresses Clean Truck Freight Strategies

  The Transportation Research Board has released Research Report 862 to assist in potential deployment of fuel-efficient and low-emission truck freight strategies. The report addresses diversity in the trucking industry and several clean truck strategies. The report also provides an overview of alternative fuels and technologies that target fuel efficiency such as technologies for tractor trailers, tires, and idle-reduction. In addition, operational strategies to reduce travel, idling, and inefficient engine operations are provided and clean truck corridor infrastructure is highlighted. Finally, federal and state agency efforts are illustrated to show best practices. For more information, link to the report. (11-29-17)

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• TRB Issues Guide on Airport Ground Access Vehicle Emissions Modeling

  TRB Issues Guide on Airport Ground Access Vehicle Emissions Modeling

  The Transportation Research Board has issued a guide for determining air emissions from airport-related ground access vehicles. The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Research Report 180, Guidebook for Quantifying Airport Ground Access Vehicle Activity for Emissions Modeling, provides a set of identified best practices for obtaining emission values for various computer models such as the EPA’s MOVES. The guidebook presents a three-tiered approach for making decisions about the data needed for the analysis and for collaborating on data collection. For more information, link to the guide. (11-28-17)

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• FHWA Issues Applicability Determination for CMAQ Performance Measures

  FHWA Issues Applicability Determination for CMAQ Performance Measures

  The Federal Highway Administration has published a list of state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) that are required to establish targets and report progress for the performance measures related to the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ). Forty-two DOTs and 119 MPOs must establish targets for the On-road Source Emissions measure. Thirty-two DOTs and 44 MPOs must establish targets for the Traffic Congestion Measures. The FHWA is phasing in the requirements to implement CMAQ traffic congestion measures starting with areas with more than 1 million people, then expanding in 2022 to areas with over 200,000 residents. For more information, link to the applicability determination. (11-14-17)

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• Seminar to Discuss Health Effects of Traffic-Related Pollution

  Seminar to Discuss Health Effects of Traffic-Related Pollution

  The Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health, will host a seminar on methodologies identified in environmental epidemiologic studies and the health effects of traffic-related pollution. Methodologies to be discussed include geographic information systems, modeling, and personal and remote sensing. The seminar also will review policy impacts and solutions to mitigate traffic-related pollution at the urban scale. The seminar is scheduled for Dec. 5, 2017 in College Station and via webinar. For more information, link to the announcement.

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• NCHRP Reports Highlight Travel Forecasting Tool Design and Use

  NCHRP Reports Highlight Travel Forecasting Tool Design and Use

  The National Cooperative Highway Research Program has issued two reports regarding the development of the software tool TFGuide, for travel forecasting. TFGuide aids in the selection of methods and techniques based on application needs, resource constraints, available data, and existing model structure. NCHRP Report 852 provides an overview of how to use the tool and a case study to demonstrate how a metropolitan planning organization used the software to perform a transit corridor study. The report also addresses the role of the travel forecaster, transportation planner, and decision maker. The NCHRP also issued a companion document that addresses the current state of practice in travel demand models, the software design and functionality of TFGuide, pilot tests conducted using the tool, and a history of travel forecasting legislation. For more information, link to the web-only document and the research report. (10-20-17)

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• Report Assesses Electric Vehicles for Commercial, Nonroad Uses

  Report Assesses Electric Vehicles for Commercial, Nonroad Uses

  The Energy Department’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has issued a report on the potential for using electric vehicles for government, commercial, and industrial purposes. The report focuses on highway vehicles that are not personal transport; non-highway modes such as rail, watercraft, and airport support; and non-road equipment used directly or in support of other uses. The report finds that electric vehicles are poorly suited for long-haul trucking but have potential for other vehicles where savings on fuel costs could be significant, such as transit buses, school buses, regional and local delivery trucks, utility service vehicles, and refuse trucks. The report also finds that low supply and low demand is hampering the development of options for commercial fleets, and that successful development will be a long process involving research and development, manufacturing, purchasing, and new regulations. For more information, link to the report. (10-20-17)

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• FDOT Will Use Award for Advanced Congestion Management Technologies in Orlando

  FDOT Will Use Award for Advanced Congestion Management Technologies in Orlando

  The Florida Department of Transportation, along with partners MetroPlan Orlando and the University of Central Florida, will be implementing projects funded by the Federal Highway Administration’s Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment program. FDOT and Orlando will use the nearly $12 million grant to implement and evaluate four intelligent transportation technologies to help reduce congestion and improve safety. GreenWay will use sensors and new traffic signal technology to help the transportation system quickly adapt to real-time traffic conditions. PedSafe will digitally connect vehicles, people, and traffic lights to develop pedestrian and bicycle collision avoidance. SmartCommunity will combine information from many different transportation options into a one-stop shop for trip planning. SunStore will be the FDOT’s integrated central data storage for system management and operations. For more information, link to the announcement. (10-16-17)

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• FHWA Awards Grants for Transportation and Congestion Technologies

  FHWA Awards Grants for Transportation and Congestion Technologies

  The Federal Highway Administration has awarded $53.6 million to 10 states under the Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment program. The projects will address advanced real-time traveler information for drivers; public transit riders and freight shippers; vehicle-to-infrastructure communications to increase safety and support autonomous vehicles; and congestion-relieving traffic management systems. Recipients such as the County of Greenville, S.C. will set up a system of automated taxi-shuttles to improve transportation access for underserved populations. In addition, the Florida DOT plans to advance intelligent transportation technologies and the Texas DOT will deploy connected vehicle technologies in over 1,000 trucks and agency fleet vehicles. For more information, link to the announcement. (10-4-17)

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• FHWA Seeks Nominations for Alternative Fuel Corridors Designations

  FHWA Seeks Nominations for Alternative Fuel Corridors Designations

  The Federal Highway Administration has announced the 2017 request for nominations for designation of alternative fuel corridors. Alternative fuel corridors provide infrastructure for electric vehicle charging, hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling. States and local officials wishing to provide nominations must submit information concerning the name of the entity presiding over the proposed corridor; the type of fuel to be used; the type, number, and distance between existing alternative fuel facilities; and the estimated/projected cost of the planned facilities. The FHWA also has issued a frequently asked questions document to address the designation process. A webinar on the nomination process is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2017. For more information, link to the announcement.

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