The purpose of the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program is to fund transportation projects or programs that will contribute to attainment or maintenance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and carbon monoxide. CMAQ funding can also be expended in particulate matter non-attainment and maintenance areas. Only jurisdictions within El Dorado County are eligible for CMAQ funding in the Tahoe Basin.

All projects and programs eligible for CMAQ funds must come from a conforming Regional Transportation Plan and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that is developed and administered by the TRPA / TMPO. Projects must be consistent with conformity provisions contained in section 176(C) of the Clean Air Act. The Transportation Conformity Rule Projects need to be included in TIP’s or statewide transportation improvement projects developed by MPO’s or States respectively, under the metropolitan or statewide planning regulations. Projects also need to complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements and meet basic eligibility requirements for funding under titles 23 and 49 of the United States Code.

Project types typically considered eligible for CMAQ funding include:

• Transportation Activities in an Approved SIP or Maintenance Plan
• TCM’s - Transportation Control Measures that result in air quality benefits
• Extreme Low-Temperature Cold Start Programs
• Public-Private Partnerships
• Alternative Fuel Programs
• Traffic Flow Improvements
• Transit Projects
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Programs
• Travel Demand Management
• Outreach and Rideshare Activities
• Telecommuting
• Fare/Fee Subsidy Programs
• Inter-modal Freight
• Planning and Project Development Activities
• I/M Programs – Emission I/M programs may be eligible
• Magnetic Levitation Transportation technology Deployment Programs
• Experimental Pilot Projects

Typical highway improvements that are eligible fall under Transportation Control Measure’s (TCM’s) or Traffic flow improvements, such as Traffic Signal Control Systems, Incident management programs, High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes, and Truck Climbing Lanes that are not capacity increasing (as defined in the STIP Guidelines). Projects that are capacity increasing or highway expansion typically are not eligible for this program as t hey lead to increased vehicle emissions. Similarly, rehabilitation and maintenance activities generally show no potential to reduce vehicle emissions and are not eligible.

The California Department of Transportation in partnership with the California Air Resource Board has published “Methods to Find the Cost-Effectiveness of Funding Air Quality Projects” which can be of assistance in determining if a potential project actually does reduce emissions, and to what extent. Also, the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration have published CMAQ Program Guidance to help in administering the program.

CMAQ Allocation Process and Project Selection
Every Federal Fiscal Year, beginning on October 1st, CMAQ allocations are announced to the TMPO by Caltrans. Once these funds are available an announcement of the available funding amount for that fiscal year will be announced and a call for projects will be initiated by the TMPO to El Dorado County jurisdictions.

Any project that is proposed for funding will need to be either in the 1) Regional Transportation Plan, and/or the 2) Federal Transportation Improvement Program. Project applications will be submitted to the TMPO staff for review and then presented and recommended to the Tahoe Transportation Commission. The Tahoe Transportation Commission will make the final decision on which project(s) will be selected for funding.

Local Jurisdictions Responsibility in CMAQ project implementation
Once a project has been recommended and approved for CMAQ funding then the local jurisdiction will need to:

Timely Use of Funds
California State Assembly Bill 1012 (AB1012) requires that CMAQ funds are subject to a “timely use of funds” provision. AB1012 requires that once funds are obligated towards a project then the jurisdiction has up to three years to use the funds or lose them. The TMPO Board also has implemented a timely “Use of Funds Provision” that is similar to AB1012. The TMPO Timely Use of Funds provision gives the MPO staff authority to de-obligate funds from a local agency if project implementation is not moving forward in a satisfactory manner and reapply these funds towards a project that is ready for implementation. This process of fund redistribution would first require the approval by the Tahoe Transportation Commission.

Quarterly Reporting Recipients of CMAQ funding will be required to submit a quarterly report to the TMPO describing the use of funds. This report will provide interagency coordination to better assist in project implementation.