US Department of Transportation

FHWA PlanWorks: Better Planning, Better Projects

US Department of Transportation

FHWA Planworks: Better Planning, Better Projects

LRP-9: Make Conformity Determination by MPO

Long Range Transportation Planning

Description:

In nonattainment and maintenance areas for the transportation-related pollutants, transportation conformity analysis is done in order to determine that the preferred scenario meets current conformity requirements. The MPO Board must make a conformity determination to meet federal requirements.

There is information developed in prior Key Decisions that informs this step.

Basics:

The first table describes the purpose and anticipated outcome of a Key Decision. If the decision is federally mandated, the purpose and outcome will relate to the legal intent.

The second table describes roles for key partners with legal decision making authority in the transportation process. The roles indicate the influence a partner can have on a decision, and show each partner where their input is most needed. For a full understanding of roles see the Partner Portal.

Purpose

In nonattainment and maintenance areas for the transportation-relate pollutants, to make a conformity determination.

Outcome

Conformity determination in nonattainment and maintenance areas for the transportation-related pollutants.

Partner	Role Type	Description
MPO	Decision Maker	Ensures the air quality conformity analysis meets all federal requirements.
FHWA/FTA	Advisor	Ensure conformity requirements are met.
State DOT	Advisor	State and local transportation agencies provide support and participation as needed in transportation conformity analysis.
Resource Agency	Advisor	US EPA has a consultation role in the conformity process, along with the State and local air agencies.
Public Transportation Operator(s)	Advisor	Provides support and participation as needed in air quality conformity analysis.

Links to Decisions

This table identifies the connection to other Key Decisions. The linkages highlight the importance of collaboration across transportation phases. Practitioners are encouraged to document the basis of the decision and consider information from previous Key Decisions.

Transportation Phases	Key Decision	What is Linked?	Purpose of Linkage
None.

Questions to Consider

Questions are a way to gather input from partners and stakeholders that can be used to inform the decision. Decision makers can discuss the questions provided to ensure a broad array of interests are considered to support a collaborative process. Questions also allow staff to collect stakeholder interests, ensure these are included in the decision, and provide a response based on the decision outcome. Although Public Transportation is not represented by a PlanWorks Application, the information provided may be useful in a collaborative transportation process.

Category	Questions to Consider
Long Range Planning	How does the preferred scenario inform the air quality analysis?
Programming	How do conformity requirements inform project funding or readiness?
Corridor Planning	How do conformity requirements inform corridor planning?
Environmental Review	How do conformity requirements inform project development?
Bicycles and Pedestrians	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Capital Improvement	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Economic Development	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Freight	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Health in Transportation	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Human Environment and Communities	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Land Use	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Linking Planning and Operations	Have operations data and analysis been included in the air quality conformity determination? How do TSMO strategies inform air quality conformity?
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Performance Measures	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Planning and Environment Linkages	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Public Private Partnerships	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application
Public Transportation	How does public transportation support the air quality conformity determination?
Safety	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Stakeholder Collaboration	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Transportation Conformity	Does this analysis meet all federal requirements? Does this analysis meet the air quality goals as well as the air quality budget? How were any stakeholder comments about air quality considered? Can the air quality analysis and the transportation conformity adoption be clearly explained to stakeholders? Are there actions in the air quality analysis that require implementation that is outside the control of transportation planners? Are the implementing agencies/partners supportive of conformity actions?
Visioning and Transportation	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.

Data

The following list of data may be needed to support the Key Decision. Practitioners collect this information for decision makers to consider. Although Public Transportation is not represented by a PlanWorks Application, the information provided may be useful in a collaborative transportation process.

Category	Data to Consider
Long Range Planning	Data associated with the preferred scenario
Programming	Data to inform associated costs and project readiness
Corridor Planning	Data and analysis results that inform corridor planning studies
Environmental Review	Data and analysis results that inform the determination of conformity to be revisited following project development
Bicycles and Pedestrians	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Capital Improvement	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Economic Development	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Freight	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Health in Transportation	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Human Environment and Communities	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Land Use	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Linking Planning and Operations	TSMO strategies
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Performance Measures	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Planning and Environment Linkages	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Public Private Partnerships	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Public Transportation	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Safety	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Stakeholder Collaboration	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Transportation Conformity	State Implementation Plan (SIP) budget
Visioning and Transportation	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.

Links to Applications

The interaction between transportation decision making and other planning processes will ensure that important values and goals outside the transportation process are recognized and considered. Although Public Transportation is not represented by a PlanWorks Application, the information provided may be useful in a collaborative transportation process.

Application	Description
Bicycles and Pedestrians	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Capital Improvement	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Economic Development	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Freight	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Health in Transportation	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Human Environment and Communities	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Land Use	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Linking Planning and Operations	There are TSMO strategies that support Transportation Conformity, including those that are related to Bicycles and Pedestrians and Public Transportation.
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Performance Measures	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Planning and Environment Linkages	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Public Private Partnerships	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Public Transportation	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Safety	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Stakeholder Collaboration	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Transportation Conformity	Review conformity analysis to ensure compliance with all current federal requirements. Consider how the conformity analysis addresses air quality goals and stakeholder comments. Engage stakeholders (Stakeholder Collaboration) and partners (Linking Planning and Operations, Bicycles and Pedestrians, Land Use, and Public Transportation) who may assist in individual strategy implementation. Another Application topic that may have interested stakeholders is Health in Transportation.
Visioning and Transportation	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.

Examples

In - depth case studies of successful practices in collaborative decision making were used to develop the Decision Guide.Links in this table point to a specific paragraph or section of a case study that supports a Key Decision. It is not necessary to read through an entire case study to find the example; however, full versions are available in the Library.

PlanWorks Case Study Examples:
None.

Other Examples:
None.