TRANSPORTATION PLANNING REQUIREMENTS OF THE FEDERAL CLEAN AIR ACT AMENDMENTS (CAAAS) OF 1990: A HIGHWAY PERSPECTIVE

The transportation community faces many challenges ahead, as it tries to meet the Nation's mobility needs, reduce congestion levels, and improve air quality. Traffic congestion is increasing in urban areas of all sizes and vehicle delay is a significant contributor to mobile source emissions. To address urban congestion and vehicle emission problems, transportation planners will need to place much more emphasis on demand management strategies, basically those strategies that discourage single occupant vehicles. In addition, transportation planners will need to retain the ability to provide for an adequate transportation infrastructure, including an adequate highway system in our air quality nonattainment areas, which in some cases means adding new highway capacity. There is also a continuing need to make further technological improvements in engine designs, emission control equipment, and alternative fuels if the nation is to attain and maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.