Sidewalks can qualify for federal funds

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Air Quality Issues for the Houston-Galveston
Area
Alan Clark December 14, 2004
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SIP Status

• Mid-Course Review SIP
• ROP portion submitted to EPA in November
• AD portion submitted in December (hopefully)
• 1-hour budgets
• Lawsuits

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Conformity Budgets

• Rate of Progress
• NOx VOC
• 2005 257.3 tpd 104.2 tpd
• 2007 210 tpd 90.0 tpd
• Attainment Demonstration (2007)
• NOx 186.13 tpd
• VOC 89.99 tpd

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8-Hour Budget?

• July 1, 2004 Published Rule.
• For areas where the 8-hour boundary is the same
  as the 1-hour boundary, conformity must be
  demonstrated using the 1-hour SIP budget.
• Thus, for 2010 the 2007 AD budgets will apply

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Model Years

• 2005 - ROP
• 2007- AD and ROP
• 2010 - 8-Hour
• 2015 - AD
• 2025 - AD

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Timeframe

• Public comment period mid-February through
  mid-March
• TPC
• Submit for agency review
• Determination by June 4, 2005

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Outreach

• Public workshop held on Conformity
• Basics Clean Air Act, conformity triggers,
  planning requirements
• Open house on TCM substitutions
• Unofficial comment period for TCM changes in the
  Mid-Course SIP

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Attainment of 8-Hour Standard

• Must attain by June 15, 2010
• Phrasing indicates that clean air data must be
  acquired for three ozone seasons prior to the
  attainment date
• This means 2007, 2008, and 2009

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Requirements

• Moderate Requirements as specified in the CAA
• Anti-Backsliding Prevents areas like Houston
  from relaxing current rules under 1-hour standard

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Regional Consequences

• Failure to meet federal health standards...
• Acute respiratory problems for many people in our
  communities
• Restrictions on local industries for new business
  development and expansion
• Loss of approximately 1 billion per year in
  federal highway funding

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Important Dates

• 1-Hour Conformity Expires June 4, 2005
• 8-Hour Conformity due June 15, 2005
• EPA revokes 1-Hour standard June 15, 2005
• 8-Hour SIP due to EPA June 15, 2007

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H-GACClean Air Programs

• A.E.R.C.O.
• Clean Cities / Clean Vehicles
• Commute Solutions
• Transportation Control Measures

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Commute Solutions Goals

• Improve Mobility
• Improve Air Quality
• Relieve Congestion

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Commute Solutions

• Provides one-stop alternative transportation
  resource for commuters and businesses
• Provides assistance on commuting options and
  employee transportation programs
• Promotes transit, carpooling, vanpooling,
  commuter services and other commuting options

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Regional Van Pool

• Regional Vanpool Program
• Eighth year of operation
• New vanpoolers ride FREE for the first month
• Travel in seven-, nine-, and fifteen-passenger
  vans
• Monthly financial incentive of 35
• Guaranteed Ride Home Program
• Free Computerized RideShare matching program
• 375 Vans and 4,814 Riders
• 4,441,835 VMT reductions

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Regional Vanpool Program Trends
Number of Vanpool Riders
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Regional Vanpool Program Trends
Number of Vans
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Regional Telework Program

• Pilot Program began in 1999
• Offers free consultant services to
  companies--4,000 value
• 20 companies have joined pilot program

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Best Workplaces for Commuters

• U.S. EPA Initiative, National Standard of
  Excellence
• Over 50 H-GAC region 50 companies
  qualified--approximately 160,000 employees

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New Commute Solutions Initiatives

• School Pool
• State of the Commute Survey
• Construction Corridor Vanpool Program
• U.S. 59 South Loop 610 West and IH-10 West
• Travel in minivans (7 or 8-passenger)
• 50 monthly incentive

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Program goals include reducing NOx emissions by 4
tons per day in the Houston-Galveston
Non-attainment area by 2007.    
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Clean Cities/Clean Vehicles

• Contract Commitments  30,343,547
• Open Projects  37
• Emissions Reductions (NOx)   1.82 tpd
• Vehicles Funded  1138
• Organizations (Public Private)   28

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Questions?
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Clean Vehicles20M1tpd
Commute Solutions55M1tpd
RCTSS1.7B1tpd
Grade Separations5.9B1tpd
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Total Funds Requested 80m