Programming Flexible Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program Funds: Best Practices for State DOTs

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (51) ◽  
pp. 99-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Rowangould ◽  
Razieh Nadafianshahamabadi ◽  
Amir Poorfakhraei
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Congestion Mitigation ◽  
Quality Program ◽  
Comprehensive Survey ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
Departments Of Transportation ◽  
Programming Practices

State departments of transportation (DOTs) face unique challenges in programming funds for the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program. This is particularly true as more DOTs receive larger shares of so-called “flexible” CMAQ funding. Unlike other CMAQ funds, flexible funds can be spent outside of non-attainment and maintenance areas, which often means in more rural areas where there is no metropolitan planning organization (MPO) to program the funding. Flexible funds may also be spent on a wider range of project types. DOTs in these situations have many options for programming CMAQ funds but there has been little guidance on best practices for doing this. Prior studies have focused exclusively on best practice for MPOs. This study provides a comprehensive survey of current CMAQ programming practices among DOTs and MPOs and then highlights practices best suited to the particular needs of DOTs.

Emissions Reduction Potential of the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program: A Preliminary Assessment

1998 ◽  
Vol 1641 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Adler ◽  
Michael Grant ◽  
William Schroeer
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
National Database ◽  
Emissions Reduction ◽  
Oxides Of Nitrogen ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
Improvement Program ◽  
Congestion Mitigation ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
Using Data

The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program provides funds to states for projects designed to help attain the national ambient air quality standards. However, to date there has been no attempt to quantify the national emissions effects of the CMAQ program or its potential. States are requested to provide estimates of emissions reductions associated with projects funded by the CMAQ program to FHWA. These reports provide a rich source of data for analysis of the CMAQ program, although the data have various limitations. A methodology to estimate potential effects of the CMAQ program on emissions of volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, and carbon monoxide using data provided by the states to FHWA is presented. Using this methodology, a preliminary assessment of the emissions effect of the CMAQ program from its inception in 1992 through 2005 is presented. It is suggested that the CMAQ program is playing a significant role in reducing emissions nationwide. Emissions estimates are sensitive to assumptions about project cost-effectiveness and years of effect. In addition, various limitations in the national database of CMAQ projects are noted. The use of consistent methodologies for estimating the effects of programs nationwide is recommended to improve the accuracy of national emission reduction estimates.

scholarly journals Fluctuating Asymmetry and Developmental Instability, a Guide to Best Practice

Symmetry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
John H. Graham
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Error ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Environmental Stress ◽  
Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Developmental Instability ◽  
The Past ◽  
Size Scaling ◽  
Research Designs

Best practices in studies of developmental instability, as measured by fluctuating asymmetry, have developed over the past 60 years. Unfortunately, they are haphazardly applied in many of the papers submitted for review. Most often, research designs suffer from lack of randomization, inadequate replication, poor attention to size scaling, lack of attention to measurement error, and unrecognized mixtures of additive and multiplicative errors. Here, I summarize a set of best practices, especially in studies that examine the effects of environmental stress on fluctuating asymmetry.

scholarly journals Quantifying Air Pollutant Variations during COVID-19 Lockdown in a Capital City in Northwest China

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 788
Author(s):  
Rong Feng ◽  
Hongmei Xu ◽  
Zexuan Wang ◽  
Yunxuan Gu ◽  
Zhe Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Vehicle Emissions ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Air Pollution Control ◽  
Motor Vehicle Emissions

In the context of the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), strict lockdown policies were implemented to control nonessential human activities in Xi’an, northwest China, which greatly limited the spread of the pandemic and affected air quality. Compared with pre-lockdown, the air quality index and concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and CO during the lockdown reduced, but the reductions were not very significant. NO2 levels exhibited the largest decrease (52%) during lockdown, owing to the remarkable decreased motor vehicle emissions. The highest K+ and lowest Ca2+ concentrations in PM2.5 samples could be attributed to the increase in household biomass fuel consumption in suburbs and rural areas around Xi’an and the decrease in human physical activities in Xi’an (e.g., human travel, vehicle emissions, construction activities), respectively, during the lockdown period. Secondary chemical reactions in the atmosphere increased in the lockdown period, as evidenced by the increased O3 level (increased by 160%) and OC/EC ratios in PM2.5 (increased by 26%), compared with pre-lockdown levels. The results, based on a natural experiment in this study, can be used as a reference for studying the formation and source of air pollution in Xi’an and provide evidence for establishing future long-term air pollution control policies.

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