TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2023
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration recently announced that it has issued a finalized performance measure to track greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) related to transportation.
According to the administration’s release, the measure will help provide State DOTs and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) with a clear national framework and an ability to set goals for reduction.
About the New Measure
To support President Joe Biden’s goal of halving the country's carbon pollution by 2030, the FHWA has plans for two important steps to address the impacts of climate change:
“Every state has its own unique climate challenges, and every state ought to have the data, funding, and flexibility it needs to meet those challenges head on,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“This new performance measure will provide states with a clear and consistent framework to track carbon pollution and the flexibility to set their own climate targets—which we will also help them meet with more than $27 billion in federal funding through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.”
To help cut carbon pollution in half by 2030, FHWA announced a new performance measure that will provide state DOTs & MPOs a way to track transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, along with the flexibility to set their own declining targets. https://t.co/pIXvR9aeJ8 pic.twitter.com/hWAxTBtASH
— Federal Highway Admn (@USDOTFHWA) November 22, 2023
The bipartisan infrastructure law reportedly includes over $27 billion in funding for multiple programs that federal agencies use to help carbon pollution reduction projects. Examples include:
“Transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and reducing emissions from that sector while ensuring our economy works for everyday Americans is critical to addressing the climate crisis,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt.
“We don’t expect state DOTs and MPOs to solve a problem this large on their own, which is why this performance measure does not impose penalties for those who miss their targets.”
Additionally, federal aid highway formula programs such as the National Highway Performance Program (NHPP) and the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) reportedly include a variety of eligibilities to allow states the flexibility to follow projects aimed at reducing carbon pollution.
Previous Programs
Last year, the FHWA announced the $6.4 billion Carbon Reduction Program, created under the bipartisan infrastructure law. The formula funding would reportedly help states develop carbon reduction strategies and address the climate crisis, as well as expand transportation options to save money on gas.
“As the sector generating the most carbon emissions in the U.S. economy, transportation must play a leading role in solving the climate crisis,” said Buttigieg at the time. “The Carbon Reduction Program will help reduce pollution from transportation and move us closer to the President’s ambitious goal of cutting emissions in half by 2030.”
The CRP would reportedly apply to a wide range of projects designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from on-road highway sources, including installing infrastructure to support the electrification of freight vehicles or personal cars, to construction bus corridors or facilitating micro-mobility and biking.
According to the FHWA’s press release, under the CRP, states had to develop carbon reduction strategies in consultation with Metropolitan Planning Organizations to identify projects and strategies tailored to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in their states. However, localities could begin using the funds even before the plans were developed and reviewed.
Some of the eligible projects that were in the fact sheet include:
Funding was announced by state in the Fiscal Year 2022 Federal-aid Highway Program apportionments, determined by a formula set by Congress. $52.5 billion would go to states for the 2022 fiscal year, with $6.4 billion in total being distributed over five years.
Tagged categories: Carbon dioxide; Carbon footprint; Department of Transportation (DOT); Emissions; Environmental Controls; Environmental Protection; Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); Funding; Government; Green Infrastructure; Health and safety; Infrastructure; Infrastructure; Program/Project Management; Transportation