5 Facts About Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Programs

The Problem

When the Clean Air Act was amended in 1990, several programs were identified to further reduce the effects of automobile and transportation emissions. The goals set out in the original Clean Air Act simply were not being attained, thus the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program was set into action to hone in on the weak areas in the existing legislation.

The Program

With its inception, CMAQ studied more strongly the actual causes of transportation pollution and it effect on the air we breathe and the water we drink. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, SAFETEA-LU, provided for over $8.6 billion dollars to fund State Departments of Transportation and transit agencies across the country. The SAFETEA-LU program is just one aspect of the CMAQ program which transitions constantly to focus on the best ways to effectively decrease air pollution from vehicles.

Funds Disbursement

The amount of funding that any one geographic area receives is based on the levels of both ozone and carbon monoxide levels as well as the population of the region. This funding is meant to reach the national regulatory goals as well as to continue the studies done on air pollution.

The Reports

There are several reports available to the public from CMAQ. The CMAQ: Advancing Mobility and Air Quality report lays out several examples of advances to vehicles that have benefited the CMAQ program. A report that focuses on the last 10 years' experience and successes by CMAQ is Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program: Assessing 10 Years of Experience. Brochures are also available to anyone wanting to learn about the multiple parts of CMAQ and its goals. Topics include alternative fuel projects, telecommuting programs, as well as transit and public transportation programs.

The Future

As the world turns toward new choices and options available for cleaner burning fuels and lowering single-vehicle use, the CMAQ Programs continue to adjust and mitigate changes that are necessary in local and federal regulations. Meeting the changing requirements of the global environment and assuring that the necessary funds are available to obtain goals is the main purpose and the future of the CMAQ Programs.

Tracie Close is a freelance writer for print and the web on eco-friendly topics. Her articles have been published in Saving American Manufacturing, Philadelphia Style Magazine, and High Tech, High Touch. She also has contributed numerous articles about green living for eHow.com.