[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 18, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 5970-6050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00681]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

23 CFR Part 490

[Docket No. FHWA-2013-0054]
RIN 2125-AF54


National Performance Management Measures; Assessing Performance 
of the National Highway System, Freight Movement on the Interstate 
System, and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This final rule is the third and last in a series of three 
related rulemakings that together establishes a set of performance 
measures for State departments of transportation (State DOT) and 
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) to use as required by the 
Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and the 
Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The measures in 
this third final rule will be used by State DOTs and MPOs to assess the 
performance of the Interstate and non-Interstate National Highway 
System (NHS) for the purpose of carrying out the National Highway 
Performance Program (NHPP); to assess freight movement on the 
Interstate System; and to assess traffic congestion and on-road mobile 
source emissions for the purpose of carrying out the Congestion 
Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program. This third 
performance measure final rule also includes a discussion that 
summarizes all three of the national performance management measures

[[Page 5971]]

rules and the comprehensive regulatory impact analysis (RIA) to include 
all three final rules.

DATES: This final rule is February 17, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information: Francine 
Shaw Whitson, Office of Infrastructure, (202) 366-8028; for legal 
information: Alla Shaw, Office of Chief Counsel, (202) 366-0740, 
Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 
DC 20590. Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access and Filing

    The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) was published at 81 FR 
23806 on April 22, 2016. A copy of the NPRM, all comments received, and 
all background material may be viewed online at http://www.regulations.gov. Electronic retrieval help and guidelines are 
available on the Web site. It is available 24 hours each day, 365 days 
each year. An electronic copy of this document may also be downloaded 
from the Office of the Federal Register's Web site at http://www.ofr.gov and the Government Publishing Office's Web site at http://www.gpo.gov.

Table of Contents for Supplementary Information

I. Executive Summary
    A. Purpose of the Regulatory Action
    B. Summary of the Major Changes Made to the Regulatory Action in 
Question
    C. Costs and Benefits
II. Acronyms and Abbreviations
III. Background
IV. Summary of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
V. Response to Comments
    A. Significant Issues Raised in Comments
    1. Summary of Significant Issues Raised in the Comments
    2. Summary of Major Changes Made in Response to These Comments
    B. Subpart A--General Information
    1. Implementation Date Alignment and Coordination
    2. Reporting and Implementation Dates
    3. Accessibility and Connectivity
    4. Definition of Mainline Highway
    5. Data Processing and Conflation of Datasets
    6. Population Estimates
    7. Replacement of Missing Travel Time Data
    8. Segment Lengths
    9. NHS Coverage in the NPMRDS Data
    10. Travel Times
    11. Alternative Data Sets
    12. Corridors
    13. Weather and Construction Impacts
    14. Holidays
    15. Annual Reporting of Travel Time Metrics
    16. Establishing Performance Targets
    17. Target Establishment Frequency
    18. Target Adjustment Schedule
    19. Ownership and Applicability of Measures/Targets
    20. Fiscal or Calendar Year Based Performance Periods
    21. Boundaries
    22. Unified Targets
    23. CMAQ Measures Applicability
    24. Due Date for Initial Performance Reports
    25. MPO Reporting
    26. Optional Target Reporting
    27. Significant Progress Determination
    C. Subpart E--National Performance Management Measures for the 
NHPP System Performance
    1. Establishment of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Measure
    2. Removal of Peak Hour Travel Time Reliability Measures
    3. NHPP Reliability
    a. Reliability--Use of Traffic Volumes Versus People Traveling
    b. Applicability of the Non-Interstate NHS NHPP Reliability 
Measure
    c. Excluding Weekends From LOTTR Calculations Time Periods for 
LOTTR Calculations
    d. Use of 1.50 Threshold To Determine Reliable Segments
    D. Subpart F--National Performance Management Measures for 
Freight Movement on the Interstate
    1. Removal of Truck Congestion Measure
    2. Consistency Between All-Vehicle and Freight Reliability 
Measures
    3. Relationship Between the Freight Measure Provisions and the 
National Freight Program and State Freight Planning
    4. Weighting by Truck Volume
    5. Vehicle Classes
    6. Definition of Freight Bottlenecks
    E. Subpart G--National Performance Measures for CMAQ Program--
Traffic Congestion
    1. Excessive Delay Measure
    a. Applying Peak Hours to Excessive Delay Measure To Create Peak 
Hour Excessive Delay
    b. Peak Hour Time Periods
    c. Traffic Volume Profiles
    d. Person Throughput Versus Vehicle Throughput
    e. Thresholds
    f. Use of Population for Normalization
    g. Census Annual Population Estimates in Lieu of Decennial 
Values
    h. Outliers in Speed Data
    2. Decision To Include a Multimodal Measure
    3. Data for Multimodal Measure
    4. Applicability of the CMAQ Traffic Congestion Measures
    F. Subpart H--National Performance Measure for the CMAQ 
Program--On Road Mobile Source Emissions
    1. General Comments
    2. Concerns about MPO Targets and Reporting
    3. Applicability
    4. Applicability of New Standards
    5. Reporting
    6. Concerns Related to Quantification of Emissions
    7. Application Beyond CMAQ Projects
    8. Attainment Definition--Removal of Areas Beyond 20-Year 
Maintenance Plan
    9. Modification of Emissions Information at 2-Year Report
    10. Concerns about the CMAQ Public Access System Data--Use of 
Observed Data and Other Alternative Methods
    11. Applicability of Measure to All Criteria Pollutants and 
Precursors
    12. Use of Standard System Versus Metric System To Measure 
Emissions
VI. Section-by-Section Discussion of the General Information and 
National Performance Management Measures; Assessing Performance of 
the National Highway System, Freight Movement on the Interstate 
System, and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement 
Program
    A. Subpart A--General Information
    B. Subpart E--National Performance Management Measures for the 
NHPP System Performance
    C. Subpart F--National Performance Management Measures for 
Freight Movement on the Interstate
    D. Subpart G--National Performance Measures for CMAQ Program--
Traffic Congestion
    E. Subpart H--National Performance Measure for the CMAQ 
Program--On Road Mobile Source Emissions
VII. Rulemaking Analyses and Notices
    A. Rulemaking Analysis and Notices: Executive Order 12866 
(Regulatory Planning and Review), Executive Order 13563 (Improving 
Regulation and Regulatory Review), and DOT Regulatory Policies and 
Procedures
    B. Regulatory Flexibility Act
    C. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
    D. Executive Order 13132 (Federalism Assessment)
    E. Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review)
    F. Paperwork Reduction Act
    G. National Environmental Policy Act
    H. Executive Order 12630 (Taking of Private Property)
    I. Executive Order 12988 (Civil Justice Reform)
    J. Executive Order 13045 (Protection of Children)
    K. Executive Order 13175 (Tribal Consultation)
    L. Executive Order 13211 (Energy Effects)
    M. Executive Order 12898 (Environmental Justice)
    N. Privacy Impact Assessment
    O. Regulation Identifier Number

I. Executive Summary

A. Purpose of the Regulatory Action

    The MAP-21 (Pub. L. 112-141) transforms the Federal-aid highway 
program by establishing new requirements for performance management to 
ensure the most efficient investment of Federal transportation funds. 
Performance management increases the accountability and transparency of 
the Federal-aid highway program and provides a framework to

[[Page 5972]]

support improved investment decisionmaking through a focus on 
performance outcomes for key national transportation goals.
    As part of performance management, recipients of Federal-aid 
highway funds will make transportation investments to achieve 
performance targets that make progress toward the following national 
goals:
     Safety--To achieve a significant reduction in traffic 
fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads.
     Infrastructure condition--To maintain the highway 
infrastructure asset system in a state of good repair.
     Congestion reduction--To achieve a significant reduction 
in congestion on the NHS.
     System reliability--To improve the efficiency of the 
surface transportation system.
     Freight movement and economic vitality--To improve the 
national freight network, strengthen the ability of rural communities 
to access national and international trade markets, and support 
regional economic development.
     Environmental sustainability--To enhance the performance 
of the transportation system while protecting and enhancing the natural 
environment.
     Reduced project delivery delays--To reduce project costs, 
promote jobs and the economy, and expedite the movement of people and 
goods by accelerating project completion through eliminating delays in 
the project development and delivery process, including reducing 
regulatory burdens and improving agencies' work practices.
    The purpose of this final rule is to implement MAP-21 and FAST Act 
(PL 114-94) performance management requirements. Prior to MAP-21, there 
were no explicit requirements for State DOTs to demonstrate how their 
transportation program supported national performance outcomes. State 
DOTs were not required to measure condition or performance, establish 
targets, assess progress toward targets, or report on condition or 
performance in a nationally consistent manner that FHWA could use to 
assess the entire system. Without States reporting on the above 
factors, it is difficult for FHWA to examine the effectiveness of the 
Federal-aid highway program as a means to address surface 
transportation performance at a national level.
    This final rule is one of several rulemakings to implement MAP-21's 
new performance management framework. The collective rulemakings will 
establish the regulations needed to more effectively evaluate and 
report on surface transportation performance across the Nation. This 
final rule will:
     Provide for greater consistency in the reporting of 
condition and performance;
     Establish specific national performance measures to be 
used to assess performance of the NHS, freight movement on the 
Interstate and CMAQ traffic congestion and on-road mobile source 
emissions;
     Require the establishment of targets that can be 
aggregated at the national level;
     Improve transparency by requiring consistent reporting on 
progress through a public reporting system;
     Require State DOTs to make significant progress toward 
meeting their targets; and
     Establish requirements for State DOTs that have not met or 
made significant progress toward achieving their NHPP and NHFP targets.
    State DOTs and MPOs will be expected to use the information and 
data generated as a result of the new regulations to inform their 
transportation planning and programming decisions. The new performance 
aspects of the Federal-aid highway program that result from this rule 
will provide FHWA the ability to better communicate a national 
performance story and to assess the impacts of Federal funding 
investments more reliably. The FHWA is in the process of creating a new 
public Web site to help communicate the national performance story and 
display State DOT performance reports. The Web site will likely include 
infographics, tables, charts, and descriptions of the performance data 
that State DOTs will be reporting to FHWA.
    The FHWA is required to establish performance measures to assess 
performance in 12 areas \1\ generalized as follows: (1) Serious 
injuries per vehicle miles traveled (VMT); (2) fatalities per VMT; (3) 
number of serious injuries; (4) number of fatalities; (5) pavement 
condition on the Interstate System; (6) pavement condition on the non-
Interstate NHS; (7) bridge condition on the NHS; (8) performance of the 
Interstate System; (9) performance of the non-Interstate NHS; (10) 
freight movement on the Interstate System; (11) traffic congestion; and 
(12) on-road mobile source emissions. This rulemaking is the third of 
three that establish performance measures for State DOTs and MPOs to 
use to carry out Federal-aid highway programs and to assess performance 
in each of these 12 areas. This final rule establishes national 
performance measures for the NHPP, freight movement, and the CMAQ 
program (numbers 8 through 12 in the above list). See Table 1 for a 
summary of all measures.
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    \1\ These areas are listed within 23 U.S.C. 150(c), which 
requires the Secretary to establish measures to assess performance 
or condition.
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    The final measures in this rule have been adjusted in response to 
comments, and those changes are summarized in Section I.B of the 
Executive Summary. Details about data requirements and calculation 
methodologies for each measure can be found in Section VI.
    Three measures are established for assessing the performance of the 
NHS under the NHPP. Two measures assess reliability: (1) Percent of 
Person-Miles Traveled on the Interstate System That Are Reliable (the 
Interstate Travel Time Reliability measure); and (2) Percent of Person-
Miles Traveled on the Non-Interstate NHS That Are Reliable (the Non-
Interstate NHS Travel Time Reliability measure). Together they are the 
Travel Time Reliability measures. Both of these measures assess Level 
of Travel Time Reliability (LOTTR), defined as the ratio of the 80th 
percentile travel time to a ``normal'' travel time (50th percentile). 
Data are derived from the travel time data set using either the 
National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS) or 
equivalent. A third measure, Percent Change in Tailpipe CO2 
Emissions on the NHS from the Calendar Year 2017, assesses 
environmental performance. This measure is calculated using data on 
fuel use and VMT.
    The performance measure to assess freight movement on the 
Interstate is Percentage of the Interstate System Mileage providing for 
Reliable Truck Travel Times, or Truck Travel Time Reliability (TTTR) 
Index (the Freight Reliability measure). The measure also uses the 
Travel Time Data Set of NPRMDS, but unlike the LOTTR which uses a 
threshold to determine reliability, TTTR Index is expressed as an 
average for the entire applicable area.
    Three measures are established under the CMAQ program (the CMAQ 
measures) including two measures for traffic congestion: (1) Annual 
Hours of Peak-Hour Excessive Delay Per Capita (the PHED measure); and 
(2) Percent of Non-SOV Travel where SOV stands for single-occupancy 
vehicle. Data for these two measures are derived from the travel time 
data set of NPMRDS. The second measure is a new measure developed to 
recognize the role of lower-emissions modes in meeting air quality 
goals. State DOTs and MPOs have three options for providing data for 
this measure.
    The third measure under the CMAQ program is Total Emissions 
Reduction.

[[Page 5973]]

This measure uses data from the CMAQ Public Access System to calculate 
total emission reductions for applicable criteria pollutants or 
precursors. A summary of all the national performance management 
measures rulemakings are listed in Table 1 below.

         Table 1--Summary of Rulemakings To Implement the National Performance Management Measure Rules
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          Rulemaking            23 CFR part 490 section    Final performance measures     Measure applicability
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Safety PM Final Rule.........  490.207(a)(1)...........  Number of fatalities.........  All public roads.
                               490.207(a)(2)             Rate of fatalities...........  All public roads.
                               490.207(a)(3)             Number of serious injuries...  All public roads.
                               490.207(a)(4)             Rate of serious injuries.....  All public roads.
                               490.207(a)(5)             Number of non-motorized        All public roads.
                                                          fatalities and non-motorized
                                                          serious injuries.
Infrastructure PM Final Rule   490.307(a)(1)...........  Percentage of pavements of     The Interstate System.
                                                          the Interstate System in
                                                          Good condition.
                               490.307(a)(2)             Percentage of pavements of     The Interstate System.
                                                          the Interstate System in in
                                                          Poor condition.
                               490.307(a)(3)             Percentage of pavements of     The non-Interstate NHS.
                                                          the non-Interstate NHS in
                                                          Good condition.
                               490.307(a)(4)             Percentage of pavements of     The non-Interstate NHS.
                                                          the non-Interstate NHS in
                                                          Poor condition.
                               490.407(c)(1)             Percentage of NHS bridges      NHS.
                                                          classified as in Good
                                                          condition.
                               490.407(c)(2)             Percentage of NHS bridges      NHS.
                                                          classified as in Poor
                                                          condition.
System Performance PM Final    490.507(a)(1)...........  Percent of the Person-Miles    The Interstate System.
 Rule.                                                    Traveled on the Interstate
                                                          That Are Reliable.
                               490.507(a)(2)             Percent of the Person-Miles    The non-Interstate NHS.
                                                          Traveled on the Non-
                                                          Interstate NHS That Are
                                                          Reliable.
                               490.507(b)                Percent Change in Tailpipe     NHS.
                                                          CO2 Emissions on the NHS
                                                          Compared to the Calendar
                                                          Year 2017 Level.
                               490.607                   Truck Travel Time Reliability  The Interstate System.
                                                          (TTTR) Index.
                               490.707(a)                Annual Hours of Peak Hour      The NHS in urbanized
                               490.707(b)..............   Excessive Delay Per Capita.    areas with a population
                                                         Percent of Non-SOV Travel....   over 1 million for the
                                                                                         first performance
                                                                                         period and in urbanized
                                                                                         areas with a population
                                                                                         over 200,000 for the
                                                                                         second and all other
                                                                                         performance periods
                                                                                         that are also in
                                                                                         nonattainment or
                                                                                         maintenance areas for
                                                                                         ozone (O3), carbon
                                                                                         monoxide (CO), or
                                                                                         particulate matter
                                                                                         (PM10 and PM2.5).
                               490.807                   Total Emissions Reduction....  All projects financed
                                                                                         with funds from the 23
                                                                                         U.S.C. 149 CMAQ program
                                                                                         apportioned to State
                                                                                         DOTs in areas
                                                                                         designated as
                                                                                         nonattainment or
                                                                                         maintenance for ozone
                                                                                         (O3), carbon monoxide
                                                                                         (CO), or particulate
                                                                                         matter (PM10 and
                                                                                         PM2.5).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition, this final rule establishes the process for State DOTs 
and MPOs to establish and report targets and the process that FHWA will 
use to assess the progress State DOTs have made in achieving targets. 
State DOTs will be required to establish performance targets and assess 
performance in the above mentioned 12 areas established by MAP-21, and 
FHWA will assess \2\ their progress toward meeting targets in 10 of 
these areas \3\ in accordance with MAP-21 and the FAST Act. State DOTs 
that fail to meet or make significant progress toward targets in a 
biennial performance reporting period will be required to document the 
actions they will undertake to achieve their targets in their next 
biennial performance report. Failure to make progress in the safety 
metrics requires additional actions as outlined in the published Safety 
final rule.
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    \2\ 23 U.S.C. 148(i) and 23 U.S.C. 119(e)(7).
    \3\ Serious injuries per vehicle VMT; fatalities per VMT; number 
of serious injuries; number of fatalities; pavement condition on the 
Interstate System; pavement condition on the non-Interstate NHS; 
bridge condition on the NHS; performance of the Interstate System; 
performance of the non-Interstate NHS under MAP-21; and freight 
movement on the Interstate System under the FAST Act.
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    The FHWA received extensive and substantive comments on the NPRM. 
The FHWA made significant alterations to the measures in response to 
these comments, and a summary of major issues raised can be found at 
the beginning of Section V, with detailed responses following. The FHWA 
also recognizes that data collection and analytic capacity are not yet 
developed

[[Page 5974]]

enough to respond effectively to many commenters' suggestions, 
particularly in measuring multimodal performance. Therefore, FHWA is 
working to develop more sophisticated performance metrics and may issue 
an updated rulemaking on performance measures related to person 
throughput and multi-modal performance in the future, following 
completion of ongoing research regarding multimodal system performance 
measures in Fall 2018.
    Lastly, FHWA recognizes that implementation of the performance 
management requirements in this final rule will evolve with time for a 
variety of reasons such as: The introduction of new technologies that 
allow for the collection of more nationally consistent and/or reliable 
performance data; shifts in national priorities for the focus of a goal 
area; new federal requirements; or the emergence of improved approaches 
to measure condition/performance in supporting investment decisions and 
national goals. The FHWA is committed to performing a retrospective 
review of this rule after the first performance period, to assess the 
effectiveness of the requirements to identify any necessary changes to 
better support investment decisions through performance-based planning 
and programming and to ensure the most efficient investment of Federal 
transportation funds. In implementation of this rule, FHWA realizes 
that there are multiple ways that State DOTs and MPOs can make 
decisions to achieve more efficient and cost effective investments; as 
part of a retrospective review, FHWA will also utilize implementation 
surveys to identify how agencies complying with the rule are developing 
their programs and selecting their projects to achieve targets.

B. Summary of the Major Changes Made to the Regulatory Action in 
Question

    This final rule retains the majority of the major provisions of the 
NPRM, but it makes the following significant changes.
     Removing the proposed NHFP measure for percentage of the 
Interstate congested.
     Merging the proposed peak-hour travel time measure under 
NHPP with the proposed excessive delay measure under CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion into one measure under CMAQ, the PHED measure. This new 
measure focuses on excessive delay experienced during peak hours in 
applicable urbanized areas.
     Introducing two new measures in response to extensive 
public comments:
    [cir] Under NHPP System Performance--a new measure to assess system 
performance, specifically the percent change in CO2 
emissions from the reference year 2017, generated by on-road mobile 
sources on the NHS (the GHG measure). All State DOTs and MPOs that have 
NHS mileage in their State geographic boundaries and metropolitan 
planning areas, respectively, will be required to establish targets and 
report on progress. The FHWA will assess every 2 years to determine if 
a State DOT has made significant progress toward achieving their 
targets.
    [cir] Under CMAQ Traffic Congestion--a new measure to assess modal 
share, specifically the Percent of Non-SOV Travel measure. State DOTs 
and MPOs are provided the opportunity to use localized surveys or 
measurements to report on this measure and will be encouraged to report 
to FHWA any data not currently available in national sources (e.g., 
bike counts).
     Changing the weighting of the travel time measures from 
system miles to person-miles traveled, focusing on bus, auto, and truck 
occupancy levels, and providing opportunities for State DOTs and MPOs 
to capture more specific local occupancy levels for particular 
corridors or areas.
     These changes result in one fewer measure than proposed in 
the NPRM, for a total of 7 measures. Now, four of these are derived 
from vehicle travel times, three of which reflect all people traveling 
on the system, a change requested by many commenters.
     Phasing in expanded applicability of the CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion measures beginning with urbanized areas with a population 
over 1 million in the first performance period and expanding to 
urbanized areas with a population over 200,000 beginning in the second 
performance period. These measures are to carry out the CMAQ program; 
therefore, the areas will be limited to urbanized areas that contain 
any part of nonattainment or maintenance areas for one or more 
pollutants listed in 23 U.S.C. 149 (ozone, carbon monoxide, or 
particulate matter).
     Taking steps to simplify and otherwise respond to 
suggestions regarding the data processing and calculation of the 
measures.

                 Table 2--Summary of Final Measures in the Third Performance Measure Final Rule
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                                                                          Metric data source
  Measure groups (program area)       Performance       Measure/target       & collection           Metric
                                       measures          applicability         frequency
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHPP............................  Percent of Person-  Mainline of the     All traffic/        Level of Travel
                                   Miles Traveled on   Interstate System   vehicles data in    Time Reliability
                                   the Interstate      within a State or   NPMRDS or           (LOTTR).
                                   That Are Reliable.  each metropolitan   Equivalent--every
                                                       planning area.      15-minutes.
                                  Percent of Person-  Mainline of the     All traffic/        Level of Travel
                                   Miles Traveled on   non-Interstate      vehicles data in    Time Reliability
                                   the Non-            NHS within a        NPMRDS or           (LOTTR).
                                   Interstate NHS      State or each       Equivalent--every
                                   That Are            metropolitan        15-minutes.
                                   Reliable.           planning area.
                                  Percent Change in   NHS within a State  Annual state total  Annual Total
                                   CO2 Emissions on    or each             fuel sales data     Tailpipe CO2
                                   the NHS Compared    metropolitan        from Highway        Emissions on the
                                   to the Calendar     planning area.      Statistics and      NHS.
                                   Year 2017 Level.                        VMT estimates on
                                                                           NHS and all
                                                                           public roads from
                                                                           HPMS.
Freight movement on the           Truck Travel Time   Mainline of the     Truck data in       TTTR Index.
 Interstate System measure         Reliability         Interstate System   NPMRDS or
 (NHFP).                           (TTTR) Index.       within a State or   equivalent data
                                                       each metropolitan   set--every 15--
                                                       planning area.      minutes.

[[Page 5975]]

 
CMAQ............................  Annual Hours of     Mainline of NHS in  All traffic/        Total Peak-Hour
                                   Peak-Hour           urbanized areas     vehicles data in    Excessive Delay
                                   Excessive Delay     with a population   NPMRDS or           person-hours.
                                   Per Capita.         over 1M/200k in     equivalent data
                                                       nonattainment or    set--every 15
                                                       maintenance for     minutes (bus, car
                                                       any of the          and truck volumes
                                                       criteria            in HPMS;
                                                       pollutants under    occupancy factors
                                                       the CMAQ program.   published by FHWA.
                                  Percent of N SOV    Urbanized areas     ACS, local survey,  n/a.
                                   Travel.             with a population   or local counts
                                                       over 1M/200k in     (includes bike/
                                                       nonattainment or    pedestrian
                                                       maintenance for     counts).
                                                       any of the
                                                       criteria
                                                       pollutants under
                                                       the CMAQ program.
                                  Total Emission      All nonattainment   CMAQ Public Access  n/a.
                                   Reductions.         and maintenance     System.
                                                       areas for CMAQ
                                                       criteria
                                                       pollutants.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FHWA updated these and other elements in this final rule based 
on the review and analysis of comments received. For additional detail 
on all the changes FHWA made in the final rule, please refer to 
Sections V and VI of this document. The FHWA has also prepared a 
comment response document available on the docket for this rulemaking. 
The following summarizes the regulatory impact analysis for the final 
rule. Section references below refer to sections of the regulatory text 
for title 23 of the Code of Federal Regulations (23 CFR).
    This final rule adds to subpart A, general information applicable 
to part 490, to include requirements for target establishment, 
reporting on progress, and how determinations would be made on whether 
State DOTs have made significant progress toward NHPP targets. Subpart 
A also includes definitions and clarifies terminology associated with 
target establishment, reporting, and making significant progress. 
Section 490.105 describes the process State DOTs and MPOs must use to 
establish targets. State DOTs will establish their first statewide 
targets 1 year after the effective date of this rule. The MPOs have up 
to 180 days after State DOTs establish their targets to establish their 
own targets. The FHWA has placed a timeline on the docket that 
illustrates how this transition could be implemented.

C. Costs and Benefits

    The FHWA estimated the incremental costs associated with the new 
requirements that represent a change to current practices of USDOT, 
State DOTs, and MPOs.\4\ The FHWA derived the costs of the new 
requirements by assessing the additional capital needed and the 
expected increase in the level of labor effort for FHWA, State DOTs, 
and MPOs to standardize and update data collection and reporting 
systems, and establish and report targets.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ See Tables 3 and 4 in Section VII, Rulemaking Analysis and 
Notices.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FHWA sought opinions from subject matter experts (SMEs) on NHS 
performance, freight movement, and traffic congestion and emissions to 
estimate impacts of the final rule. Cost estimates were developed based 
on information received from SMEs.
    To estimate costs, FHWA multiplied the level of effort, expressed 
in labor hours, with a corresponding loaded wage rate that varied by 
the type of laborer needed to perform the activity.\5\ Where necessary, 
capital costs were also included. Many of these measures rely on the 
use and availability of NPMRDS data provided by FHWA for use by State 
DOTs and MPOs. Because there is uncertainty regarding the ongoing 
funding of NPMRDS by FHWA, FHWA estimated the cost of the final rule 
under two scenarios. First, assuming that FHWA provides State DOTs and 
MPOs with the required data from NPMRDS, the 10-year undiscounted 
incremental costs to comply with this rule are $144.0 million (Scenario 
1). Alternatively, under ``worst case'' conditions where State DOTs 
will be required to independently acquire the necessary data, the 10-
year undiscounted incremental costs to comply with this rule are $205.5 
million (Scenario 2). The total 10-year undiscounted cost is 
approximately 43 percent higher under Scenario 2 than under Scenario 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ Bureau of Labor Statistics Employee Cost Index, 2014.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The final rule's 10-year undiscounted cost ($144.0 million in 
Scenario 1 and $205.5 million in Scenario 2, both in 2014 dollars) 
decreased relative to the proposed rule ($165.3 million in Scenario 1 
and $224.5 million in Scenario 2, both in 2014 dollars). The FHWA made 
several changes that affected the cost estimate. These changes include 
updating costs to 2014 dollars from 2012 dollars and labor costs to 
reflect current Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. In addition, 
FHWA revised the final rule Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA), found in 
the docket of this final rulemaking, to reflect: (1) The elimination of 
three of the proposed performance measures (removing the proposed NHFP 
measure for percent of the Interstate congested and merging two 
proposed peak-hour travel time measures under NHPP with the proposed 
excessive delay measure under CMAQ Traffic Congestion into one measure 
under CMAQ); (2) the elimination of one of the proposed performance 
metrics (for the Total Emissions Reductions measure); (3) the 
elimination of costs for the Initial Performance Report, which State 
DOTs have already submitted to FHWA; (4) the addition of two new 
performance measures (Percent of Non-SOV Travel measure and the GHG 
measure; and (5) the adjustment of level of effort and number of 
affected entities consistent with the new requirements under the final 
rule and updated population estimates.
    The FHWA expects that the rule will result in significant benefits, 
although they are not easily quantifiable. Specifically, the rule will 
allow for more informed decisionmaking at a Federal, State, and 
regional level for NHS performance-, freight movement-, or congestion 
and emissions-related projects, programs, and policy choices. The rule 
will also yield greater accountability because MAP-21 mandated 
reporting increases visibility

[[Page 5976]]

and transparency. The data reported to FHWA by State DOTs will be 
available to the public and will be used to communicate a national 
performance story.
    The FHWA performed break-even analyses as the primary approach to 
quantify benefits. The FHWA identified four variables (or outcomes) for 
which to estimate break-even thresholds: (1) Number of passenger travel 
hours, (2) tons of transportation-related carbon dioxide emissions, (3) 
number of truck travel hours, and (4) kilograms of on-road mobile 
source emissions, comprising volatile organic compounds, nitrogen 
oxide, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide. The FHWA selected these 
variables because it is reasonable to assume that the performance 
measures will influence each of these variables relative to current 
baseline levels.
    FHWA assumes that there will be no overall change in the total 
amount of expenditure on highway projects by State DOTs and MPOs. 
Instead, FHWA assumes that States and MPOs will choose a different mix 
of projects or delay some projects, relative to what they would have 
done without the rule, in order to fund projects that help to meet 
performance goals. There will be some costs to delaying or foregoing 
some projects, but their will be benefits from projects that are 
prioritized to meet performance goals. To perform a breakeven analysis, 
FHWA considered both these benefits and costs and considered how large 
of a net gain in benefits would be needed to offset the costs of the 
rule.
    After identifying these variables, FHWA combined the final rule 
costs associated with the performance measures that will influence each 
variable. The FHWA expects that implementation of four of the rule's 
performance measures (the Travel Time Reliability measures, the PHED 
measure and the Percent of Non-SOV Travel measure) will influence 
passenger travel hours. The FHWA expects that implementation of the GHG 
measure will influence tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The FHWA 
expects that implementation of the Freight Reliability measure will 
influence number of truck travel hours. The FHWA expects that 
implementation of the performance measure for Total Emissions Reduction 
will influence kilograms of on-road mobile source emissions.
    Two variables (number of passenger travel hours and number of truck 
travel hours) are associated with performance measures whose costs 
differ under two scenarios feasible under the final rule; in Scenario 
1, FHWA provides travel time data to State DOTs, and in Scenario 2, 
State DOTs acquire the necessary data independently. To account for 
this, FHWA performed the break-even analyses twice for these two 
variables (i.e., once using Scenario 1 costs, and a second time using 
Scenario 2 costs). The costs associated with the remaining two 
variables (tons of carbon dioxide emissions and kilograms of on-road 
mobile source emissions) do not change under Scenarios 1 and 2; 
therefore, only one break-even threshold is calculated for each 
analysis. In all, FHWA presents six break-even thresholds: (1) Number 
of passenger travel hours under Scenario 1, (2) number of passenger 
travel hours under Scenario 2, (3) tons of carbon dioxide emissions, 
(4) number of truck travel hours under Scenario 1, (5) number of truck 
travel hours under Scenario 2, and (6) kilograms of on-road mobile 
source emissions.
    The results show that the rule must result in the reduction of 
approximately 3.7 million hours of passenger car travel under Scenario 
1 and 5.6 million hours under Scenario 2, 312,000 tons of carbon 
dioxide emissions, 980,000 hours of freight travel under Scenario 1 and 
1.6 million hours under Scenario 2, and 29 million kilograms of total 
on-road mobile source emissions over 10 years: To generate enough 
benefits to outweigh the cost of the rule. The FHWA believes that the 
benefits of this rule will surpass this threshold. Therefore, the 
benefits of the rule are anticipated to outweigh the costs.
    Relative to the proposed rule, the total number of hours of 
passenger travel time needed to be saved over the period of analysis 
increased for the break-even analysis covering the Travel Time 
Reliability measures and the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures. The 
undiscounted cost of these performance measures in the final rule 
decreased from $88.4 million over 11 years (in 2012 dollars) in the 
proposed rule to $86.1 million over 10 years (in 2014 dollars) in the 
final rule under Scenario 1. Under Scenario 2, costs increased from 
$123.9 million over 11 years (in 2012 dollars) in the proposed rule to 
$132.2 million over 10 years (in 2014 dollars) in the final rule. The 
Percent of Non-SOV Travel measure was added to the final rule, but the 
additional costs of this requirement were outweighed by the cost 
reductions associated with the removal of the peak-hour travel time 
reliability performance measures. For the final rule, FHWA added a 
break-even threshold for the GHG measure because it was not a part of 
the proposed rule. The undiscounted cost for Scenario 2 increased 
because a greater share of the travel time dataset costs under Sec.  
490.103 in Scenario 2 was attributable to these Travel Time Reliability 
measures and the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures. Specifically, the 
share of data requirements costs is driven by the proportion of 
performance measures in each break-even analysis, which for these 
performance measures increased from 60 percent in the proposed rule to 
75 percent in the final rule. In addition, moving from an 11-year 
period of analysis to a 10-year period of analysis affected the break-
even point. The average annual number of hours of travel that need to 
be reduced increased from approximately 350,000 in the proposed rule 
under Scenario 1 to 370,000 in the final rule, and from approximately 
500,000 in the proposed rule under Scenario 2 to 560,000 in the final 
rule.
    The threshold for the NHFP performance measure break-even analysis 
significantly decreased in the final rule. This change was largely due 
to the elimination of the proposed Average Truck Speed performance 
measure. The undiscounted cost of freight performance provisions in the 
final rule is $25.8 million (in 2014 dollars) under Scenario 1 and 
$41.1 million (in 2014 dollars) under Scenario 2, compared to $46.9 
million (in 2012 dollars) under Scenario 1 and $70.6 million (in 2012 
dollars) under Scenario 2 in the proposed rule. Average annual number 
of hours of travel that need to be reduced decreased from 168,044 in 
the proposed rule to 98,224 in the final rule under Scenario 1, and 
from 252,896 hours in the proposed rule to 156,874 hours in the final 
rule under Scenario 2.
    Regarding the break-even analysis for Total Emissions Reduction, 
units were changed from tons to kilograms based on revised rule 
language. The undiscounted costs of total emissions reduction decreased 
from $30.0 million (in 2012 dollars) in the proposed rule to $18.2 
million (in 2014 dollars) in the final rule. The average annual amount 
of total emissions to be reduced decreased from 4,417 short tons 
(approximately 4 million kilograms) in the proposed rule to 2.9 million 
kilograms in the final rule.
    Table 2 displays the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) A-4 
Accounting Statement as a summary of the cost and benefits calculated 
for this rule.

[[Page 5977]]



                                                          Table 3--OMB A-4 Accounting Statement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Estimates                                       Units
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Category                                                                    Year     Discount                         Source/  citation
                                        Primary             Low            High        dollar   rate  (%)   Period  covered
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        Benefits
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annualized Monetized ($ millions/ None...............  None.........  None.........         NA          7  NA..............  Not Quantified.
 year).                           None...............  None.........  None.........         NA          3  NA..............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annualized Quantified...........  None...............  None.........  None.........         NA          7  NA..............  Not Quantified.
                                  None...............  None.........  None.........         NA          3  NA..............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualitative.....................   More informed decision-making on congestion-, freight-, and air quality-related project,  Final Rule RIA.
                                        program, and policy choices; greater accountability due to mandated reporting,
                                       increasing visibility and transparency; enhanced focus of the Federal-aid highway
                                                      program on achieving balanced performance outcomes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                          Costs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annualized Monetized ($/year)...  Scenario 1:          .............  .............       2014          7  10 Years........  Final Rule RIA.
                                   $15,145,514;
                                   Scenario 2:
                                   $21,801,333.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Scenario 1:          .............  .............       2014          3  10 Years........  ...........................
                                   $14,717,670;
                                   Scenario 2:
                                   $21,082,985.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annualized Quantified...........  None...............  None.........  None.........       2014          7  10 Years........  Final Rule RIA.
                                  None...............  None.........  None.........       2014          3  10 Years........
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualitative
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transfers.......................                                                           None
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From/To.........................  From:..............                                      To:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Effects
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State, Local, and/or Tribal       Scenario 1:          .............  .............       2014          7  10 Years........  Final Rule RIA.
 Government.                       $14,768,979                                            2014          3  10 Years........
                                   Scenario 2:
                                   $21,795,847.
                                  Scenario 1:
                                   $14,347,569
                                   Scenario 2:
                                   $21,077,992.
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Small Business..................    Not expected to have a significant impact on a          NA         NA  NA..............  Final Rule RIA.
                                         substantial number of small entities
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

II. Acronyms and Abbreviations

------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Acronym or abbreviation                        Term
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AADT.............................  Annual Average Daily Traffic.
AADTT............................  Annual Average Daily Truck Traffic.
AASHTO...........................  American Association of State Highway
                                    and Transportation Officials.
ACS..............................  American Community Survey.
CAA..............................  Clean Air Act.
CFR..............................  Code of Federal Regulations.
CMAQ.............................  Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
                                    Improvement Program.
CO...............................  Carbon monoxide.
CO2..............................  Carbon dioxide.
DOT..............................  U.S. Department of Transportation.
EO...............................  Executive Order.
EIA..............................  Energy Information Agency, U.S.
                                    Department of Energy.
EPA..............................  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
FAST Act.........................  Fixing America's Surface
                                    Transportation Act.
FHWA.............................  Federal Highway Administration.
FPM..............................  Freight Performance Measurement.
FR...............................  Federal Register.
GHG..............................  Greenhouse gas.
HPMS.............................  Highway Performance Monitoring
                                    System.
HSIP.............................  Highway Safety Improvement Program.
HSP..............................  Highway Safety Plan.
IFR..............................  Interim Final Rule.
LOTTR............................  Level of Travel Time Reliability.
MAP-21...........................  Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st
                                    Century Act.
MPH..............................  Miles per hour.
MPO..............................  Metropolitan Planning Organizations.
NAAQS............................  National Ambient Air Quality
                                    Standards.
NCHRP............................  National Cooperation Highway Research
                                    Program.
NHFP.............................  National Highway Freight Program.
NHPP.............................  National Highway Performance Program.
NHS..............................  National Highway System.
NHTS.............................  National Household Travel Survey.
NHTSA............................  National Highway Traffic Safety
                                    Administration.
NOX..............................  Nitrogen oxide.
NPMRDS...........................  National Performance Management
                                    Research Data Set.
NPRM.............................  Notice of proposed rulemaking.
O3...............................  Ozone.
OMB..............................  Office of Management and Budget.
PM...............................  Particulate matter.
PHED.............................  Peak Hour Excessive Delay.
PHTTR............................  Peak Hour Travel Time Ratio.
PRA..............................  Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
PSL..............................  Posted Speed Limit.
RIA..............................  Regulatory Impact Analysis.
RIN..............................  Regulatory Identification Number.
SHSP.............................  Strategic Highway Safety Plan.
SME..............................  Subject matter experts.
SOV..............................  Single Occupancy Vehicle.
State DOTs.......................  State departments of transportation.
TMA..............................  Transportation Management Areas.
TMC..............................  Traffic Message Channel.
TTI..............................  Texas Transportation Institute.
TTTR.............................  Truck Travel Time Reliability.
U.S.C............................  United States Code.

[[Page 5978]]

 
VMT..............................  Vehicle miles traveled.
VOC..............................  Volatile organic compound.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Background

    The DOT implemented MAP-21's performance requirements through 
several rulemakings. As a summary, these rulemaking actions are listed 
below and should be referenced for a complete picture of performance 
management implementation. The summary below describes the main 
provisions in each rulemaking.
    On March 15, 2016, FHWA published a final rule (81 FR 13882) 
covering the safety-related elements of the Federal-aid highway 
performance measures rulemaking that included the following: (1) The 
definitions that are applicable to the new 23 CFR part 490; (2) the 
process to be used by State DOTs and MPOs to establish their safety-
related performance targets that reflect the safety measures; (3) a 
methodology to be used to assess State DOTs' compliance with the target 
achievement provision specified under 23 U.S.C. 148(i); and (4) the 
process State DOTs must follow to report on progress toward meeting or 
making significant progress toward safety-related performance targets. 
The final rule also included a discussion of the collective rulemaking 
actions FHWA intends to take to implement MAP-21 and FAST Act 
performance related provisions. Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register, FHWA published a second performance measures final rule which 
includes the following: (1) Final national performance management 
measures for the condition of NHS pavements and bridges; (2) the 
process to be used by State DOTs and MPOs to establish their pavement 
and bridge condition related performance targets that reflect the final 
measures; (3) the process State DOTs must follow to report on progress 
toward meeting or making significant progress toward meeting pavement 
and bridge condition related performance targets; (4) a methodology to 
be used to assess State DOTs' compliance with the target achievement 
provision specified under 23 U.S.C. 148(i); and (5) the minimum levels 
for the condition of pavement on the Interstate System and bridges 
carrying the NHS, which includes on- and off-ramps connected to the 
NHS.
    The FHWA published the third national performance management 
measures NPRM on April 22, 2016, 81 FR 23806. In this NPRM, FHWA 
proposed national measures for the remaining areas under 23 U.S.C. 
150(c) that were not discussed under the first and second measure 
rules. The third rulemaking effort proposed performance measures to 
assess: (1) The performance of the Interstate System and non-Interstate 
NHS for the purpose of carrying out the NHPP; (2) freight movement on 
the Interstate System; and (3) traffic congestion and on-road mobile 
source emissions for the purpose of carrying out the CMAQ program. In 
addition, the NPRM proposed State DOT and MPO target establishment 
requirements for the Federal-aid highway program and performance 
progress reporting requirements and timing.
    When FHWA began implementation of MAP-21, the three related 
Federal-aid highway performance measure rules were proposed to be 
published at the same time to allow for a single, common effective date 
for all three rules. The process to develop and implement all of the 
Federal-aid highway performance measures required in MAP-21, however, 
has been lengthy. In light of this, each of the three Federal-aid 
highway performance measures rules will have individual effective 
dates. The FHWA expects that even though each rule sets its respective 
effective date, the compliance schedule for all the rules will be 
aligned through a common performance period and reporting requirements. 
A timeline for Biennial Performance Reports is shown in Figure 1 in 
Sec.  490.105(e)(1).
    Although FHWA believes that individual implementation dates will 
help State DOTs and MPOs transition to performance based planning, FHWA 
will provide guidance to State DOTs and MPOs on how to carry out the 
new performance requirements to lessen any potential burden of 
staggered effective dates.
    The FHWA also commits to assist State DOTs and MPOs as they take 
steps to manage and improve the performance of the highway system by 
implementing the new rules. As a Federal agency, FHWA is in a unique 
position to review and share strategies that can improve performance. 
The FHWA will continue to provide technical assistance, technical 
tools, and guidance to State DOTs and MPOs to assist them in making 
performance-based decisions. The FHWA intends to engage at a local and 
national level to provide resources and assistance to identify 
opportunities to improve performance and to assist State DOT and MPO 
compliance with the performance-related regulations. The FHWA technical 
assistance activities will include conducting national research 
studies, improving analytical modeling tools, identifying and promoting 
best practices, training classes and workshops, preparing guidance 
materials, and developing data quality assurance tools.

IV. Summary of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

    This NPRM was published on April 22, 2016 (81 FR 23806). The NPRM 
proposed a set of national measures for State DOTs to use to assess the 
performance of the Interstate and non-Interstate NHS for the purpose of 
carrying out the NHPP; to assess freight movement on the Interstate 
System; and to assess traffic congestion and on-road mobile source 
emissions for the purpose of carrying out the CMAQ Program.
    After consulting with State DOTs, MPOs, and other stakeholders and 
a review of nationally recognized reports, FHWA proposed eight national 
performance measures in these areas. To support the new measures, the 
NPRM proposed to establish standardized data requirements that 
prescribed State DOTs' travel time and emissions data practices. State 
DOTs and MPOs would use the National Performance Management Research 
Data Set (NPMRDS) to calculate the travel time and speed-related 
metrics, although the NPRM offered flexibility to State DOTs and MPOs 
to use alternative travel time datasets with FHWA's approval. For Total 
Emission Reduction measure, the NPRM required State DOTs and affected 
MPOs to use data included in the existing CMAQ Public Access System.
    The NPRM also proposed to establish the processes for State DOTs 
and MPOs to establish and report progress toward achieving targets, and 
the process for FHWA to determine whether State DOTs have made 
significant progress in achieving targets. The FHWA selected the 
measures, data requirements, and related processes proposed in the NPRM 
after preliminarily determining that they represented the best choices 
for achieving consistency among State DOTs and MPOs in compiling 
accurate system performance, freight movement, traffic congestion, and 
on-road mobile source emissions performance information, following 
processes for target setting, and reviewing progress toward targets. 
The FHWA expected the proposed measures to enhance accountability and 
support a strong national focus on maintaining and improving the 
condition and performance of the Nation's highways, while minimizing 
additional burden on State DOTs and MPOs and maintaining reasonable 
flexibility for State DOTs and MPOs as they manage risk, differing 
priorities, and fiscal constraints. Lastly, FHWA anticipated that the 
proposed

[[Page 5979]]

measures could be implemented in the timeframe required under MAP-21, 
without imposing excessive burden on State DOTs.

System Performance Measures

    The four system performance measures proposed in the NPRM were: (1) 
Percent of the Interstate System Providing for Reliable Travel; (2) 
Percent of the Interstate System Where Peak Hour Travel Times Meet 
Expectations; (3) Percent of the Non-Interstate NHS Providing for 
Reliable Travel; and (4) Percent of the Non-Interstate NHS Where Peak 
Hour Travel Times Meet Expectations.

System Performance Data Requirements and Metrics

    In the NPRM, FHWA proposed calculating the performance measures 
using two performance metrics: The LOTTR metric and the Peak Hour 
Travel Time Ratio (PHTTR) metric. Under the proposal, State DOTs and 
MPOs would be required to calculate these metrics for all applicable 
roadway segments for the applicable time periods and report them to 
FHWA annually.
    The NPRM also proposed that State DOTs coordinate with MPOs in 
order to establish and submit reporting segments to be used as the 
basis for calculating and reporting metrics to the FHWA and for State 
DOTs and MPOs to calculate the measures to assess Interstate System and 
non-Interstate NHS performance.

Calculation of System Performance Measures

    The FHWA designed the proposed system performance measures to 
reflect a percentage of the system, by length, operating at a specified 
level of performance. In the NPRM, FHWA proposed a threshold level that 
represented reliable travel to highway users of LOTTR of 1.50. This 
LOTTR level represented the difference between the longer travel times 
(80th percentile) observed on a roadway segment and those that are 
normal travel times (50th percentile). For PHTTR, a threshold level of 
1.50 represented peak hour travel times that meet expectations of State 
DOTs, MPOs, and local operating agencies. This PHTTR level represents a 
condition where observed (or estimated) travel times in large urbanized 
areas are no more than 50 percent higher than what would be desired for 
the roadway, as identified by the State DOT and MPO.

Freight Movement on the Interstate System Measures

    The two freight movement measures proposed in the NPRM were: (1) 
Percent of the Interstate System Mileage Providing for Reliable Truck 
Travel Time and (2) Percent of the Interstate System Mileage 
Uncongested.

Freight Movement on the Interstate System Data Requirements and Metrics

    The FHWA proposed determining performance measures for freight 
movement using two metrics: TTTR and the Average Truck Speed metrics. 
For the TTTR metric, FHWA proposed having the State DOTs use the same 
basic method as discussed for the LOTTR metric to calculate truck 
travel time reliability. State DOTs also would calculate the Average 
Truck Speed metric for each reporting segment, which would be derived 
from truck travel speeds contained in the NPMRDS travel time data set.

Calculation of Freight Movement on the Interstate System Measures

    The FHWA designed the proposed freight movement performance 
measures to reflect a percentage of the system, by length, operating at 
a specified level of performance. The NPRM proposed establishing the 
truck travel time reliability threshold at 1.50 to represent the level 
at which truck travel times become unreliable. This level represents a 
condition where travel time could be no more than 50 percent longer 
than what would be expected during normal travel time conditions. For 
average truck speed, the NPRM proposed that any travel speeds occurring 
below 50 mph would be representative of congested conditions for 
freight flow.

Traffic Congestion Measure

    The proposed traffic congestion measure was Annual Hours of 
Excessive Delay Per Capita.

Traffic Congestion Data Requirements and Metric

    The NPRM proposed one metric for traffic congestion: Total 
Excessive Delay (as measured in vehicle-hours) for each applicable 
reporting segment on the NHS. To develop the metric, the NPRM proposed 
that State DOTs with large urbanized areas that contain nonattainment 
or maintenance areas for any of the criteria pollutants under the CMAQ 
program use a travel time data set like NPMRDS (as is required for the 
system performance and freight movement performance measures). The NPRM 
proposed two threshold travel speeds to indicate when operating 
conditions have deteriorated to the point that excessive travel time 
delays would occur. Any measured travel speeds below the threshold 
would represent the operating condition level that would result in 
excessive delays. These thresholds were 35 mph for Interstates, 
freeways, or expressways and15 mph for all other NHS roadways.
    Using these thresholds and travel time segment lengths, a State DOT 
would determine the Excessive Delay Threshold Travel Time for each 
travel time segment to represent the time that it could take for a 
vehicle to traverse the reporting segment before excessive delay would 
occur. The excessive delay would be determined by comparing the 
recorded average travel time to the Excessive Delay Threshold Travel 
Time for the corresponding segment.

Calculation of Traffic Congestion Measure

    The proposed traffic congestion performance measure would be 
calculated by summing the total excessive delay of all reporting 
segments in the applicable area and then dividing this total by the 
population for the applicable area.

On-Road Mobile Source Emissions Measures

    The proposed on-road mobile source emissions measure was Total Tons 
of Emissions Reduced from CMAQ Projects for Applicable Criteria 
Pollutants and Precursors.

On-Road Mobile Source Emissions Data Requirements and Metric

    Under the NPRM, State DOTs and MPOs would calculate the annual 
emission reductions for projects reported to the CMAQ Public Access 
System in a Federal fiscal year. The metric would be calculated for 
each CMAQ-funded project and for each applicable criteria pollutant and 
precursor. The proposed method would convert the emissions reductions 
reported in the CMAQ Public Access System from units of kg per day to 
short tons per year. The emissions reductions would be summed for all 
projects within the applicable reporting area, by criteria pollutant or 
precursor, for a Federal fiscal year.

Calculation of On-Road Mobile Source Emissions Measure

    Under the NPRM, State DOTs and MPOs would calculate on-road mobile 
source emissions reductions by summing the annual tons of emissions 
reduced by CMAQ projects by criteria pollutant, using the 2- and 4-
years of available data from the Public Access System.

[[Page 5980]]

Potential GHG Performance Measure

    The NPRM also sought comment on whether and how to establish a 
CO2 emissions measure in the final rule. The NPRM posed 
questions to the public on how GHG emissions could be estimated and 
used to inform planning and programming decisions to reduce long term 
emissions. The NPRM indicated that a potential GHG emissions 
performance measure would be best measured as the total annual tons of 
CO2 from all on-road mobile sources. The FHWA asked for 
comment on the potential establishment and effectiveness of a GHG 
measure, and on various considerations in the design of a measure.

Performance Targets

    The NPRM described a process to be used by State DOTs and MPOs to 
establish quantifiable statewide performance targets to be achieved 
over a 4-year performance period, with the first performance period 
starting in 2018. In the NPRM, FHWA proposed that a State DOT or MPO 
could consider a number of factors (e.g., funding availability and 
local transportation priorities) that could impact the targets they 
ultimately establish. The FHWA discussed the statutory requirement that 
State DOTs establish 2- and 4-year targets for the eight national 
performance measures to assess performance of the Interstate and non-
Interstate NHS for the purpose of carrying out the NHPP, freight 
movement on the Interstate system, traffic congestion, and on-road 
mobile source emissions within 1 year after the effective date of the 
rule. The MPOs would establish targets by either supporting the State 
DOT's statewide target, or defining a target unique to the metropolitan 
planning area each time the State DOT establishes a target. In 
accordance with MAP-21, the NPRM proposed providing MPOs with an 
additional 180-day period to set targets following the date on which 
the State DOT established their targets.

State DOT and MPO Reporting

    The NPRM proposed that State DOTs submit biennial reports to FHWA 
on the condition and performance of the NHS. The FHWA proposed that 
State DOTs submit their targets in a baseline report at the beginning 
of each performance period and report progress in achieving targets at 
the midpoint and end of the performance period. State DOTs would be 
allowed to adjust their 4-year target at the midpoint of the 
performance period. The MPOs would not be required to provide separate 
reporting to FHWA. However, State DOTs and MPOs would need to agree on 
a reporting process as part of their Metropolitan Planning Agreements.

Determination of Significant Progress

    The NPRM proposed the method for FHWA to determine if State DOTs 
achieved significant progress toward their target based on an analysis 
of estimated condition/performance and measured condition/performance 
of each of the targets. If applicable, State DOTs could have the 
opportunity to discuss why targets were not achieved or significant 
progress was not made. If a State DOT failed to achieve significant 
progress, then the State DOT would be required to document in their 
next biennial performance report, and encouraged to document sooner, 
the actions they would undertake to achieve their targets.

V. Response to Comments

    This final rule is based on FHWA's review and analysis of comments 
received. The FHWA received 8889 letters to the docket, including 
letters from 43 State DOTs and local government agencies, more than 100 
associations and advocacy groups, over 7800 individuals and 
consultants, and various other government agencies as well as 3 letters 
cosigned by 19 U.S. Senators. Of all the letters to the docket, 95 
percent specifically addressed a request for a multimodal performance 
measures and greenhouse gas performance measure or both. Given the 
large number of comments received, FHWA has decided to organize the 
response to comments in the following manner. This section of the 
preamble provides a response to the most significant issues raised in 
the comments received, organized by summarizing and responding to 
comments that raise significant issues applicable to the NPRM and then 
those that raise issues applicable to specific subparts of the rule. 
Responses to all other comments (i.e., comments deemed less 
significant) are located in a separate comment/response document posted 
in the docket for this rulemaking.

A. Significant Issues Raised in Comments

    The following summarizes the most significant issues raised in the 
comments to the NPRM and describes how FHWA has addressed these issues. 
More specific detail regarding these issues is provided in the sections 
that follow (Sections V-B through V-F).
1. Summary of Significant Issues Raised in the Comments
    The NPRM Was Too Focused on Vehicle Travel Time--Many commenters 
expressed concern that 7 of the 8 proposed measures were based on 
vehicle travel time data.
    The Rule Needs to Account for All People--The largest volume of 
comments received expressed concern that the proposed measures did not 
appear to reflect the travel experience of all people using the system 
and, in particular, those that use public transportation, walk, or 
bike.
    The Rule Needs to Account for Multimodal Travel--Many commenters 
perceived that the proposed measures would encourage highway expansion 
and would not recognize strategies that provide for greater 
transportation choices.
    The Proposed Rule Was Overly Complex--Many State DOTs and MPOs 
raised concern with the complexity of the design of the measure 
calculations and asked for the method to be simplified.
    The Coordination Requirements in the NPRM Would be Difficult to 
Implement--Many State DOTs and MPOs expressed concern with the level of 
coordination required to agree on data sources, travel time 
expectations, and targets for urbanized areas.
    The Rule Should or Should Not Include a Greenhouse Gas Measure--
Comments were received both supporting and objecting to the inclusion 
of a GHG emissions measure in the final rule. Supporting comments came 
from thousands of individual citizens, several State DOTs, and hundreds 
of other organizations, including local governments, non-profits, and 
businesses. Comments against a GHG measure came from several State DOTs 
and 27 industry associations.
    The NPRM's Proposed Speed Thresholds Were Problematic--Commenters 
expressed concerns with the use of an absolute speed threshold to 
determine congested conditions and the use of a single threshold to 
define reliable conditions.
2. Summary of Major Changes Made in Response to These Comments
    The FHWA made a number of changes in the final rule in response to 
the comments received. These changes include the following:
    The FHWA revised the suite of measures to simplify the rule and 
reduce the burden of compliance. The final rule contains 7 measures. 
Four of these are derived from vehicle travel

[[Page 5981]]

times, compared to 7 in the NPRM, 3 of which reflect all people 
traveling on the system. More specifically, the final rule does not 
include one of the proposed measures that focused on freight congestion 
and merges three additional proposed measures (two under NHPP System 
Performance and one under CMAQ Traffic Congestion) into one new 
measure, focused on excessive delay experienced during peak hours that 
will be under CMAQ Traffic Congestion. In addition, the final rule 
includes two new measures:
    [ssquf] Under NHPP System Performance--The rule includes a new GHG 
measure to assess system performance, specifically the percent change 
in CO2 emissions from 2017, generated by on-road mobile 
sources on the NHS. State DOTs will be required to estimate 
CO2 emissions based on annual fuel sales, EIA published 
emission conversion factors, and the proportion of statewide VMT that 
occurs on the NHS. MPOs will be provided options as to how they 
calculate CO2 emissions. All State DOTs, and MPOs that have 
NHS mileage in their metropolitan planning area, will be required to 
establish targets and report on progress. State DOTs will report annual 
CO2 emissions every 2 years to FHWA in their Biennial 
Performance Report. The FHWA will assess every 2 years if the State DOT 
has made significant progress towards the achievement of their target.
    [ssquf] Under CMAQ Traffic Congestion--The rule includes a new 
measure to assess modal share percentage, specifically Percent of Non-
SOV, Travel, which includes travel avoided by telecommuting. A minimum 
option for doing so will be use of the American Community Survey 
``Journey to Work'' data. States and MPOs will be provided the 
opportunity to use localized surveys or measurements to report on this 
measure and will be encouraged to report any data not available in 
national sources today to FHWA (e.g., bike counts).
    The final rule simplifies the process. The FHWA simplifies the 
required data processing and calculation of the metrics. In general 
these steps include:
    [ssquf] Use of 15 minute travel time intervals instead of 5 minute 
intervals;
    [ssquf] Consistent time periods for all travel time-derived 
measures;
    [ssquf] Recognition of commercial data sets that could be pre-
approved by FHWA;
    [ssquf] Removal of the requirement to ``fill'' missing data with 
travel times at posted speed limits; and
    [ssquf] Use of all vehicle travel times, regardless of speed, to 
replace missing truck travel times.
    [ssquf] In addition, FHWA is committed to working with State DOTs 
and MPOs to establish a pooled fund effort to acquire services and 
tools that will help with the processing and analysis of data.
    The final rule modifies measures to address comments regarding the 
overreliance on vehicle travel times and the need to include multimodal 
travel. The final rule includes three measures that reflect the number 
of people traveling on the system, including two measures that have 
been modified so they are based on person-travel instead of vehicle 
travel, and a new multi-modal percent of non-SOV travel measure 
mentioned above. Specifically, the final rule changes the weighting of 
the Travel Time Reliability measures from system miles to person-miles 
traveled using overall occupancy factors from national surveys. It also 
changes the expression of the PHED measure to account for all travelers 
using the NHS based on volumes and occupancy factors for cars, buses, 
and trucks. The FHWA will provide occupancy factors based on national 
surveys and NTD data. State DOTs and MPOs may use more accurate local 
data if such data are available. The final rule creates the new Percent 
of non-SOV measure for CMAQ traffic congestion.
    Furthermore, FHWA will revisit this issue and consider approaches 
to more effectively consider multimodal performance in the measures 
after the completion of ongoing research regarding multimodal system 
performance measures in fall, 2018.
    The final rule addresses concerns with the use of absolute 
thresholds. The rule changes the proposed excessive delay threshold 
from 15/35 mph to 20 mph or 60 percent of the posted speed limit, 
whichever is greater. The rule encourages State DOTs to report the full 
extent of posted speed limits to the HPMS and requires that these be 
reported for applicable areas under the CMAQ Traffic Congestion 
measures. In addition, the rule changes the form of the Freight 
Reliability measure from one based on the percent of the system 
providing for reliable travel to an overall average truck reliability 
index for the Interstate. This change removes the 1.50 threshold in the 
definition of ``reliable travel'' for trucks and recognizes incremental 
improvements that could be made to improve reliability.
    The final rule addresses comments regarding applicability of the 
rule. Specifically, the rule revises the applicability of the CMAQ 
Traffic Congestion measures to begin with urbanized areas (in 
nonattainment or maintenance) with populations over 1 million in the 
first performance period (4 years begin in 2018) and then expands the 
applicability in the second reporting period (beginning in 2022) to 
urbanized areas (in nonattainment or maintenance) with a population 
over 200,000. Additionally, the final rule moves the date of measure 
applicability determination up 1 year earlier. The NPRM proposed that 
FHWA would determine measure applicability based on the most recent 
available data on October 1of the first year in the performance period. 
The final rule changes this to be October 1of the year before the 
beginning of a performance period. Finally, the final rule changes the 
use of the most recent decennial census population to determine measure 
applicability and to normalize the PHED measure to the most recent 
annual population estimate published by the U.S. Census.
    The final rule relaxes some CMAQ Emission Requirements. The rule 
revises the definition of ``Maintenance Area'' to exclude any areas 
that have completed their 20 year maintenance plan. It also removes the 
requirement to develop a ``metric'' (by rolling the metric step into 
the measure calculation) to simplify the process. In addition, under 
the final rule, States and MPOs can request their areas to be excluded 
from the CMAQ performance requirements at the midpoint of the 
performance period if they reach attainment status (or achieve their 20 
year maintenance plan).

B. Subpart A--General Information

1. Implementation Date Alignment and Coordination
    The Georgia DOT commented that implementation dates for NPRMs 
(Asset Management, Pavement and Bridge Performance Measures, etc.) 
related to the new Statewide and Metro Planning Rule should be aligned 
to ensure accuracy and consistency. The Florida Metropolitan Planning 
Organization Advisory Council recommended aligning the various 
reporting due dates. While each rulemaking may not be finalized at the 
same time, the commenter requested that FHWA set a future point in time 
when all reporting of measures will align. The Atlanta Regional 
Commission (ARC) also recommended aligning the schedule for safety, 
pavement, bridge, travel time reliability, peak hour travel time, 
freight movement, traffic congestion, and on-road mobile source 
emissions target setting and reporting into one consolidated rotation. 
The New York State Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations 
(NYSAMPO), Georgia Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, 
and American

[[Page 5982]]

Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) 
urged FHWA to use a single effective date for all three performance 
management rules.
    Although FHWA anticipated establishing one common effective date 
for the three performance management rules, the length of the 
rulemaking process made that approach impractical. Each rule has its 
own effective date. This approach allows FHWA, State DOTs, and MPOs to 
begin implementing some of the performance management requirements 
before all the rules are issued. In this final rule, FHWA aligned the 
performance periods (described in Sec.  490.105(e)(4)(i)) and State 
Biennial Performance Report due dates (described in Sec.  490.107) with 
the pavement and bridge condition measures for the second performance 
management rule in effort to consolidate reporting requirements. 
Throughout the process for all related performance management 
rulemakings (e.g., National Highway System Asset Management Plan,\6\ 
National Performance Management Measures for Pavement and Bridge 
Condition rule), FHWA has worked to coordinate the implementation dates 
for all of the rules for consistency and time alignment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ Final rule on ``Asset Management Plans and Periodic 
Evaluations of Facilities Repeatedly Requiring Repair and 
Reconstruction Due to Emergency Events'' (October 2016)--Federal 
Register Vol. 81, No. 205 RIN 2125-AF57, Docket No. FHWA-2013-0052: 
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-10-24/pdf/2016-25117.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Reporting and Implementation Dates
    The Michigan DOT, Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, and Ozarks 
Transportation Organization recommended designating the first 
performance period as a pilot period for the system performance 
measures. The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) 
recommended postponing target establishment requirements to the second 
performance period. The Orange County Transportation Authority, Oregon 
Metro Council and the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on 
Transportation, Texas DOT, and TRANSCOM urged that sufficient time 
needs to be provided in order to effectively and appropriately develop 
and deploy target setting and implementation processes. The New York 
City DOT recommended that FHWA should coordinate with MPOs and State 
DOTs to set a reasonable and achievable implementation timeline. The 
COMPASS requested postponing target setting until transportation 
agencies have had a chance to familiarize themselves with the NPMRDS 
data and to develop current and forecasted reliability and speed 
measures. The AASHTO and Iowa, Maryland, and New Jersey DOTs 
recommended that FHWA consider a phased approach which includes a 2-
year testing period following the effective date of the final rule to 
allow State DOTs and MPOs to develop ``non-binding targets'' in order 
to more fully understand the use of the data and the implications of 
those targets. The San Francisco County Transportation Authority 
recommended that FHWA should coordinate with MPOs and State DOTs to set 
a reasonable and achievable implementation timeline. The DOTs of Idaho, 
Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming and AASHTO suggested 
including ``waiver provisions of part 490, in whole or part, with or 
without time limits or other conditions, and/or extend deadlines, for 
good cause shown'' because they said that the new 23 CFR part 490 is a 
complex and multi-faceted rule so that there will be unanticipated or 
unusually difficult circumstances in its implementation. The New York 
State Association of MPOs noted that a separate NPRM on MPO 
Coordination and Planning Area Reform was issued jointly by FHWA and 
FTA on June 27 and said that the proposed rule addresses ``MPO 
geography.'' The New York State Association of MPOs recommended that 
consideration of the implementation of this rule be suspended until the 
MPO Coordination and Planning Area Reform rule becomes final.
    The FHWA appreciates the comments received regarding the 
implementation dates and reporting dates for this rule. However, MAP-21 
establishes the target establishment dates and reporting dates for this 
rule. State DOT target establishment ``not later than 1 year of the 
effective date of this rule'' in Sec.  490.105(e)(1) is based on a 
statutory requirement under 23 U.S.C. 150(d). The date for reporting 
progress toward targets of October 1, 2016, is also based on a 
statutory requirement under 23 U.S.C. 150(e), which requires State 
reporting ``not later than 4 years after enactment of MAP-21 and 
biennially thereafter.'' As indicated in the NPRM, FHWA believes the 
phase-in approach will allow sufficient time for State DOTs and MPOs to 
become more proficient in managing performance of non-Interstate 
roadways and congestion on the NHS in applicable urbanized areas as the 
coverage of the data becomes more complete in the NPMRDS. The FHWA 
retains in the final rule the phase-in requirement language in Sec.  
490.105(e)(7), (e)(8)(vi), and (f)(5)(vi) for the Non-Interstate NHS 
Travel Time Reliability measure in Sec.  490.507(a)(2) and the PHED 
measure in Sec.  490.707(a), respectively. This phase-in will only 
require State DOTs to establish 4-year targets for the first 
performance period for this rule (reported in the first State Biennial 
Performance Report) for non-Interstate NHS Travel Time Reliability 
measure and the PHED measure. Under this final rule, at the midpoint of 
the first performance period, State DOTs will have the option to adjust 
the 4-year targets they established at the beginning of the performance 
period in their Mid-Performance Period Progress Report (due in October 
2020). This option will allow State DOTs to consider more complete data 
in their decisions on the 4-year targets for non-Interstate NHS Travel 
Time Reliability and the PHED measures in applicable urbanized areas.
    The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning commented that the 
effective date of this regulation should be set 1 year after FHWA 
provides an NPMRDS data set with sample sizes for each epoch-TMC 
record. The commenter said that this timeline would allow time for 
agencies to determine which records have low sample sizes and collect 
probe data.
    The NPMRDS has been available since July 2013, and many State DOTs 
and MPOs have been using the NPMRDS for over 3 years. The final rule 
and schedule for baseline reports and target establishment clarify how 
much time there is to prepare the data. In general, State DOTs and MPOs 
will have approximately 18 months to process data before the first set 
of metric data is required to be submitted to FHWA. The FHWA has 
simplified several of the measures to reduce the calculation burden, 
thereby reducing the amount of time necessary for State DOTs or MPOs to 
prepare the data.
    The FHWA also acknowledges the comment regarding deferring 
implementation of this final rule until completion of the MPO 
Coordination and Planning Area Reform rulemaking. The FHWA plans to 
issue guidance on dealing with metropolitan planning area change during 
a performance period. The FHWA believes that the implementation 
timeline provided in this final rule provides sufficient lead time to 
accommodate any requirements that may arise out of a final MPO rule. 
So, the FHWA declines to defer the implementation of this rule.

[[Page 5983]]

3. Accessibility and Connectivity
    The FHWA received many comments \7\ urging FHWA to establish an 
accessibility performance measure. The California Association of 
Councils of Government (CALCOG) said that Federal databases should be 
made available to States and MPOs to support the monitoring of 
accessibility metrics. The Southern California Association of 
Governments (SCAG) said it currently measures accessibility by taking 
afternoon or PM peak period travel demand model results for the base 
and forecast years and identifying the percentage of commute or home-
based work trips that are completed within 45 minutes. The Delaware 
Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) recommended ``shorter 
multimodal journey-to-work travel time than average'' and ``number of 
jobs accessible within a given time budget'' as accessibility measure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ American Association On Health and Disability and the 
Lakeshore Foundation, American Council of Exercise, American Public 
Transportation Association, BikeWalkLee, California Association of 
Councils of Government, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning 
(CMAP), City of San Antonio, Delaware Valley Regional Planning 
Commission, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation 
Authority, Mid-Ohio Planning Commission, Mountainland Association of 
Governments, Utah Department of Transportation, Utah Transit 
Authority, Wasatch Front Regional Council, Nashville Area 
Metropolitan Planning Organization, NARC, National Coalition for 
Promoting Physical Activity, National League of Cities, National 
Recreation and Park Association, New York Bicycling Coalition, North 
Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization, Oregon Metro Council 
and the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation, Parks & 
Trails New York, Regional Transportation Alliance, Southern 
California Association of Governments, Southwest Energy Efficiency 
Project (SWEEP), Transportation for America (T4A), Trust for 
America's Health, Utah Transit Authority, as well as 1,114 citizen 
letter campaigns sponsored by National Complete Streets Coalition, 
150 citizen letter campaigns sponsored by T4A, and 11 citizen 
letters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FHWA recognizes that accessibility and connectivity are 
important aspects of successful transportation systems that serve all 
users. In addition to the comments described above, stakeholder 
comments on these issues during outreach before publication of the NPRM 
expressed a variety of views, including that the establishment of an 
accessibility measure might encourage greater consideration of non-auto 
travel modes like transit, carpooling, walking, and biking. The FHWA 
agrees that the time-based measures proposed in the NPRM, such as the 
traffic congestion excessive delay measure, may not capture modal 
options, modal usage, or better accessibility. As described above, the 
final rule establishes a modal share measure that will do much to 
address these concerns. While the final rule does not include a measure 
dedicated to directly assessing transportation connectivity or 
accessibility, the rule reflects a necessary balancing of performance 
management needs across a broad spectrum and implementation burdens on 
the State DOTs and MPOs.
    The FHWA is working on several fronts to address accessibility and 
connectivity issues outside of this rulemaking. The FHWA, in 
cooperation with FTA, is actively working with transportation operating 
agencies and planning organizations on efforts to understand and 
advance best practices in assessing and managing transportation network 
connectivity to improve public accessibility to essential services. 
Through the Department's Ladders of Opportunity initiatives, efforts 
are currently underway to evaluate how measures can be used to assess 
accessibility/connectivity.\8\ These initiatives will test different 
approaches to measure performance in this area that will help DOT 
better understand if and how accessibility and connectivity performance 
can be measured effectively at a local, State, and national level. The 
FHWA will use the results of these efforts to determine if a measure to 
assess accessibility/connectivity can be integrated into the Federal-
aid Highway Program's performance management requirements in the 
future.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ https://www.transportation.gov/opportunity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Definition of Mainline Highway
    Illinois DOT supports the definition of mainline highways to 
exclude ramps, shoulders, turn lanes, etc., but expressed concern that 
the NPMRDS does not exclude these parts of the transportation system. 
The commenter said that this will lead to extensive manual work to 
identify and remove these parts of the transportation system from the 
data it would have to use to comply with the proposed rule.
    Texas DOT commented that ``mainline highway'' includes the primary 
traveled portion of the roadway and excludes ramps, climbing lanes, 
shoulders and non-normally traveled pavement surfaces. The commenter 
said the definition would seem to include managed lanes or high 
occupancy toll lanes. According to Texas DOT, traffic on these lanes 
typically travels at a higher rate of speed, which may influence the 
travel time reliability and percent of the Interstate System mileage 
that is uncongested. Texas DOT inquired whether FHWA considered these 
lanes to be part of a ``mainline highway.'' Florida DOT suggested that 
TMC should have categories for general purpose lane, separated managed 
lane, separated collector/distributor, and ramp.
    The Washington State and New York State DOTs, NARC, and Portland 
Metro Region MPO commented that managed lanes may be omitted in system 
performance calculations. They stated that the proposed rule would 
likely mask benefits from HOV and HOT lanes, toll roads, transit, and 
other operational enhancements and could discourage investment in these 
best practices. The Washington State DOT and NARC requested that FHWA 
either seek a way to differentiate the data with the data provider or 
account for HOV, HOT, toll roads, and other managed lanes. The AASHTO 
commented that FHWA should allow State DOTs the flexibility to better 
address the significant role that managed lanes play in the operation 
of the transportation system, as many regions in the United States have 
implemented some aspect of management lanes. The AASHTO recommended 
that FHWA develop an approach in the final rule that allows, but does 
not require, State DOTs and MPOs to specifically address managed lanes 
on their roadway network either through an improved NPMRDS that 
distinguishes between general purpose and management lanes or through 
supplementary analysis that takes into account the benefits of the 
managed lanes. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation 
Authority and Southwest Energy Efficiency Project commented that the 
proposed measure for congestion focuses exclusively on vehicle speed, 
ignoring the significant role that public transit, high occupancy/
managed lanes, and active transportation have in reducing congestion 
and improving overall performance of the regional transportation 
system.
    The FHWA agrees that ramps should not be included in measure 
calculations or in the NPMRDS dataset as the travel time derived 
measures are only applicable to mainline roadways. The next procurement 
of the NPMRDS will have a requirement to report mainline NHS segments 
only. If any ramp segments appear in the NPMRDS, State DOTs and MPOs 
should notify FHWA so these ramp segments can be removed in future 
NPMRDS deliverables.
    The FHWA actively promotes managed lanes as a strategy for managing 
operations, which can include reducing congestion and increasing person 
throughput. However, at this time, it is difficult to delineate these 
lanes in both the segment and probe data. Lane-specific speed data are 
not available through the NPMRDS unless

[[Page 5984]]

the managed lane is listed as a separate NHS facility (i.e., different 
TMC code). In addition, not all probe data are able to accurately 
differentiate traffic speed by lane on a roadway. The FHWA does not 
believe it is possible, at this time, to uniformly separate managed 
lanes given the available data. If State DOTs have appropriate segment-
specific data for managed lanes, State DOTs may certainly track these 
and include this information in any reports. State DOTs or MPOs may use 
alternative data sources that include separate segments for managed and 
conventional lanes provided these data meet the requirements for 
equivalent data in section 490.103. State DOTs and MPOs are welcome to 
provide information on managed lanes in performance reports.
5. Data Processing and Conflation of Datasets
    Alaska, Arkansas, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, 
and Washington DOTs, AMPO, Georgia Association of MPOs, and many others 
asked FHWA to process the NPMRDS and develop a tool to calculate 
metrics. Many commenters made the same argument that the burden on 
States and MPOs is too great if they are each to process the NPMRDS 
themselves, and that this would represent a greatly inefficient 
duplication of effort. The AMPO and others agreed that processing the 
database nationally also would help ensure consistency across the 
country and thus aid in comparisons nationally. These commenters said 
that this processing should include all imputation needed to make the 
data set ready for calculations. Several commenters suggested that FHWA 
develop a Web-based tool for State DOTs and MPOs to process data and 
calculate the required metrics. Caltrans further suggested that Federal 
funding be made available for training. However, the New York 
Metropolitan Transportation Council suggested that States and MPOs 
should have the option, if they so choose, to do their own calculations 
of the required performance metrics and measures.
    Others, such as Virginia DOT and TRANSCOM, more generally requested 
technical assistance and support for States and MPOs in undertaking 
metric and measure calculation. Michigan DOT suggested a case study of 
what the process and outputs would look like. The Mayors Innovation 
Project would like to see commercially available tools to relate speed, 
modal network availability, and location to help assess not only speed 
but accessibility.
    Many comments noted the particular burden of handling the NPMRDS, 
processing and developing the metrics even if they did not call on FHWA 
to perform these tasks. Commenters expressed concern about not only the 
time and resources it would take but also if State DOT and MPO staff 
would even have the skills to perform these tasks at all. Many 
commenters were concerned that the NPRM required data from both Traffic 
Message Channel (TMC) networks (e.g., NPMRDS) and linear referencing 
systems (e.g., HPMS) and that these two datasets are not conflated. 
Commenters requested that either FHWA provide conflated datasets or a 
tool for States to use. The FHWA recognizes and appreciates the effort 
required to download, store, process, and analyze the data in the 
NPMRDS in order to calculate the metrics required in the rule (and this 
is taken into account in the RIA). Some organizations have expressed 
that they are ready and capable of providing technical services and 
online applications to process and analyze data. The FHWA believes that 
the most effective way to address the concerns regarding the challenges 
with conflating data sets (linking travel time data with other roadway 
information such as traffic volumes) is by having organizations that 
have the skills and resources to handle and process large data sets 
provide these services and tools to State DOTs, MPOs, and FHWA. The 
FHWA is committed to working with State DOTs and MPOs to set up a 
pooled fund approach to data processing, analysis, metric/measure 
calculation and reporting, and potentially additional analysis tools. 
The economies of scale of all interested parties working together 
should help alleviate burdens. In addition, the Advanced Transportation 
and Congestion Management Technologies program offers grants that could 
be used to support the collective need to provide technologies that 
could be used by State DOTs and MPOs to better manage system 
performance. The FHWA is using authorized funds under the new 
Performance Management Data Support Program (FAST Act Sec. 6028) to 
fund the acquisition of travel time data and to develop enhancements to 
the HPMS to support the data requirements of this rule.
    The FHWA anticipates that the next NPMRDS contract will include 
HPMS referencing for each TMC segment. This will simplify the process 
to conflate the travel time data to roadway information contained 
within the HPMS. The FHWA is also committed to help State DOTs and MPOs 
understand how they can most effectively process and analyze the travel 
time data sets. Technical support is already included in the NPMRDS 
contract where quarterly webinars are provided and technical assistance 
is offered on request. The FHWA intends to build on these services to 
support State DOT and MPO needs for assistance.
6. Population Estimates
    The Portland Metropolitan Region MPO recommended regional 
population be taken from Census-based annual estimates already obtained 
by MPOs for regional planning purposes from their own staff, reputable 
academic institutions, or qualified consultancies. The North Jersey 
Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) recommended using the most 
recent population estimate for the urbanized area. This commenter added 
that a constant population, as proposed, means that the only changes 
being measured and reported are the changes in delay; therefore, 
increases in delay associated with an increased population would not 
factor into the measure. The T4A also said that America's urban areas 
are witnessing large population shifts that have the opportunity to be 
omitted from two 4-year reporting cycles because of the reliance on 
decennial U.S. Census population estimates. This commenter requested 
discussion in the final rule for how States and MPOs could use 
population estimates from 5-year ACS estimates for each year reporting 
cycle.
    The Oregon and Washington State DOTs stated that the proposed 
language, to keep the population numbers used in the delay measure 
constant for the duration of the performance period, would give an 
inaccurate picture of congestion in fast-growing cities as more people 
use the roadways. The Washington State DOT requested that the delay 
measure be derived by dividing the total annual excessive delay by an 
estimated commuter population.
    The FHWA agrees with the comments that suggested the use of annual 
population estimates to determine measure applicability and to 
calculate the PHED measure. The FHWA believes that the use of annual 
estimates will provide for a more accurate estimation of population at 
the time when applicability determinations are made and when annual 
measures are calculated.
    Therefore, the final rule uses the most recent annual population 
estimate published by the U.S. Census Bureau (in lieu of Decennial 
Census population estimates) to compute the PHED measure and to 
determine which State DOTs and MPOs will be implementing

[[Page 5985]]

CMAQ traffic congestion measures (both PHED and non-SOV Travel). Please 
see discussion section for Sec. Sec.  490.709(g) and 490.105(e)(8)(iii) 
and (f)(5)(iii) for more details. To maintain consistency throughout 
all CMAQ measures, the final rule also uses the most recent annual 
population estimate published by the U.S. Census Bureau to determine 
which MPOs are required to develop and submit MPO CMAQ Performance Plan 
(Section 490.107(c)(3)).
7. Replacement of Missing Travel Time Data
    Several commenters expressed concern about replacing travel time 
data missing from the NPMRDS with imputed data. Chicago Metropolitan 
Agency for Planning stated that imputation should be avoided as it may 
lead to under- or over-reporting, depending on the level of congestion 
present, and suggested that if imputation is used, FHWA should apply 
consistent rules for the replacement of missing values for all 
measures. Ozarks Transportation Organization, Oregon Metro Council and 
the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation, Association of 
Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and Puget Sound Regional Council 
argued that imputation, while perhaps unavoidable, would increase 
inaccuracy in data sets.
    Some commenters, including North Jersey Transportation Planning 
Authority and Florida DOT, expressed general support for replacing 
missing travel time data with imputed data. Nebraska Department of 
Roads argued that the proposed restriction on using imputed data is 
inconsistent with the current use of estimates in the NPMRDS and 
further recommended that FHWA permit the use of estimates in 
alternative data sets. The AASHTO suggested that imputed data be 
smoothed and include information on whether the data were imputed at 
multiple confidence intervals. The commenter also recommended that in 
the future FHWA should require the provider(s) of NPMRDS data to follow 
recognized, industry-accepted methods for imputing incomplete or 
missing data. The New York State Association of Metropolitan Planning 
Organizations argued that the use of imputed data should be conditional 
on vendors providing details about the data (e.g., the methodology used 
to develop them).
    Many commenters expressed support for imputation based on sources 
other than speed limit data, arguing that the alternatives have tested 
well in the field and are more accurate, efficient, and sophisticated 
than speed limit data are, and recommended that FHWA allow States the 
flexibility to use such data from providers like HERE, INRIX, and 
TomTom. These commenters included DVRPC, New York State Association of 
Metropolitan Planning Organizations, AASHTO, and the State DOTs of 
Texas, Washington State, Oregon, Connecticut, New York, and 
Pennsylvania. The AMPO suggested that where observed data are 
unavailable, travel time interpolated between adjoining segments should 
be used instead of speed limit data. The Kentucky Transportation 
Cabinet recommended that, depending on the time of day for which data 
is required, imputation could involve either treating missing data as a 
maximum travel time or inserting historical data into the data set.
    The final rule provides State DOTs the flexibility to select and 
use an alternative data set to the NPMRDS provided the data are 
considered ``equivalent'' as defined in section 490.103(e). The FHWA 
has established these requirements to ensure, through FHWA approvals, 
that data from different data sources are nationally comparable. The 
FHWA recognizes the concern with the degree of missing data and 
outliers in the NPMRDS as it existed when the NPRM was published. The 
FHWA supports approaches to filling in missing data provided they are 
based on observed travel during the same timeframe and roadway 
location, which is typically referred to as path processing. The 
original contract for the NPMRDS only allowed point-based probes to be 
included in the dataset (i.e., that determine travel time based on the 
detection of a vehicle at one point in location). This method often 
recorded vehicles waiting at signalized intersections or missed them 
entirely during the detection period (5 minutes). The FHWA is currently 
updating the NPMRDS to allow for the determination of individual travel 
times during specified time intervals based on tracking the movement of 
single vehicles passing through a series of segments. This approach 
will maintain FHWA's desire to use observed travel times without the 
challenges associated with single point detection. The FHWA is 
confident that travel time providers will be able to provide data sets 
that follow this approach.
    To maintain consistency at a national level and to maintain an 
acceptable level of bias from the actual travel times occurring on the 
roadway throughout the year, FHWA discourages the use of methods to 
predict travel times based on historical trends or reference speeds. 
Consequently, to address concerns regarding the prohibition of the use 
of imputed travel times, FHWA has revised the final rule in section 
490.103(e)(5)(iii) to allow ``observed'' travel times that may be 
derived from travel times reported over a longer time period of 
measurement (path processing or equivalent). The final rule will not 
allow missing data to be filled with data that are imputed from 
historical data or predicted based on statistical analysis approaches.
8. Segment Lengths
    The AASHTO and Illinois DOT expressed concern that the NPMRDS TMC 
segments are not consistent lengths across months and years. To address 
this issue, AASHTO recommended that FHWA require the NPMRDS provider to 
maintain segment definitions existing at the start of the year 
throughout the year. Because under this scenario, new roads and 
interchanges would not show up in the NPMRDS until the year following 
their opening, AASHTO commented that this approach would allow some 
time for State DOTs to get familiar with how new facilities are being 
used by the traveling public before they need to set targets and report 
on their performance. The Illinois DOT commented that the changing TMC 
segments would result in having to maintain conflation across each 
month's data in order to be able to analyze the measures and complete 
the calculations. The commenter asserted that this would impact the 
measures for a segment over time as it would not be comparing similar 
segments across the 4-year reporting timeframe.
    The AASHTO, Illinois, Minnesota, and Georgia State DOTs, Florida 
Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council, Hampton Roads 
Transportation Planning Organization, Ozarks Transportation 
Organization, and Denver Regional Council of Governments recommended 
that FHWA allow State DOTs and MPOs flexibility to establish reporting 
segments that best reflect the needs of an individual State, which may 
be longer than the proposed limit of 1/2 mile for urban areas and 10 
miles for non-urban areas. For example, AASHTO and Florida Metropolitan 
Planning Organization Advisory Council said that the segments could be 
based on logical termini, such as intersecting NHS facilities or the 
start or end of an urbanized area. The AASHTO and Connecticut DOT 
asserted that the proposed maximum length of reporting segments (1/2 
mile in urbanized areas, 10 miles in non-urbanized areas) for a 
reliability measure are not consistent with prevailing practices in 
calculating travel time reliability measures (e.g., SHRP 2 Reliability 
Program).

[[Page 5986]]

Specifically, New York State Association of Metropolitan Planning 
Organizations proposed that FHWA permit urban travel time segments up 
to 5 miles in length. Requesting to see FHWA's research behind the 
proposed reporting segment length caps, Oregon and Washington State 
DOTs recommended that FHWA revise proposed Sec.  490.103(f) so as not 
to be misinterpreted as allowing longer groups of TMCs (one ``reporting 
segment'') if one of the TMCs within the group is longer than the 
threshold.
    The Great Lakes Regional Transportation Operations Coalition and 
University of Wisconsin-Madison Traffic Operations and Safety 
Laboratory recommended that FHWA remove the option to aggregate 
segments if using the NPMRDS, arguing that it is unnecessary, would 
involve extra work, and could invite a sort of gerrymandering where 
poorly performing TMCs can be bundled with better TMCs so measures meet 
targets. The Minnesota and New Jersey State DOTs, NJTPA, Metropolitan 
Council, and Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization requested 
a clarification on the treatment of segments that cross MPO and/or 
urbanized area boundaries. The NJTPA said that the proposed rule is 
unclear as to how reporting segments that cross MPO and/or urbanized 
area boundaries are to be handled. Moreover, it said that none of the 
measures that MPOs need to report at the MPO level mention how to 
handle reporting segments that cross an ``MPO boundary.''
    The NJTPA also urged FHWA to revise the rule to allow one set of 
reporting segments for the freight measures and another set of 
reporting segments for the remaining measures, reasoning that the 
standard for locating TMC segment endpoints is not standardized across 
commercial vendors. According to this commenter, the proposed rule 
would effectively require that, if a State opts to use an equivalent 
data set, it would have to use the TMC definitions used by HERE, the 
vendor that provides the NPMRDS. In order to clarify the default 
reporting segment in the event that States and MPOs do not agree, 
AASHTO, Illinois DOT, and Connecticut DOT recommended that FHWA revise 
the definition of ``reporting segment'' to say that a reporting segment 
is the segment set forth in the NPMRDS data set provided by FHWA (or an 
alternative data set used by the State) unless the State and any 
applicable MPO determine otherwise. New York State Association of 
Metropolitan Planning Organizations also recommended that the 
definition of ``reporting segment'' address the process of which agency 
defines reporting segments within the urbanized area or MPA, proposing 
that FHWA amend the proposed definition to state ``the State and MPOs 
cooperatively define . . . .'' Oregon and Washington State DOTs 
requested clarification regarding what type of documentation will be 
adequate for demonstrating coordination between State DOTs and MPOs for 
establishing reporting segments.
    The FHWA recognizes that changes in segment length can present 
challenges in metric calculation. Segment length changes in the NPMRDS 
can occur sometimes due to the provider splitting long segments or new 
roads/improvements necessitating changes in the segmentation. Although 
it will be difficult to lock in segment lengths for a full year, FHWA 
will work with the NPMRDS provider to limit segment changes and 
document any changes made. Also, the proposed Pooled Fund approach to 
processing/analysis could help alleviate this issue.
    In regard to aggregation, although there remains an option to join 
travel time segments into Reporting Segments of longer lengths, State 
DOTs are not required to take this action. The FHWA has retained the 
option to allow State DOTs to relate Travel Time Segments to their own 
roadway segmentation and to ensure travel time data are used at a 
sufficiently detailed level to provide useful metric calculations. In 
response to several comments asking if segments in urban areas could be 
longer than 0.5 miles, in this final rule, FHWA has changed the maximum 
length for reporting segments to one mile in urban areas, unless an 
individual Travel Time Segment is longer.
    The FHWA intends to develop guidance to assist State DOTs and MPOs 
in the processing of segments to calculate metrics. The final rule does 
not specify how segments that cross boundaries should contribute to the 
metric. It is anticipated that data processing guidance will recommend 
that segments should contribute to the metric only if the entire length 
of the segment is contained within the applicable area.
9. NHS Coverage in the NPMRDS Data
    The Great Lakes Regional Transportation Operations Coalition and 
University of Wisconsin-Madison Traffic and Safety Laboratory commented 
that NHS coverage in the NPMRDS changes with each static file change, 
which would alter the calculations. The commenter recommended that 
calculations be based on only those TMCs that exist in all static file 
versions within a year.
    The Illinois DOT commented that since NPMRDS TMC segments are not 
consistent lengths across months and years, it would be difficult to 
perform proper analysis because States would not be comparing similar 
segments across the 4-year reporting time frame. Ozarks Transportation 
Organization provided a similar comment and noted that the NPMRDS would 
need to be adjusted regularly in order to be used for performance 
measures and reporting.
    The FHWA will work with the NPMRDS contractor to make sure the NHS 
updates are reflected in the NPMRDS travel time data as soon as is 
possible. There are inherent delays in providing data on a system that 
can change, and FHWA has addressed the issues in the rule by making 
certain requirements consistent throughout a reporting period. Comments 
received in the second performance measure rulemaking (pavement and 
bridge conditions) suggested that the impact of measure outcomes due to 
variations of NHS limits from year to year are not sufficient enough to 
warrant locking in one definitive NHS limit for a full performance 
period. This final rule follows the same approach.
10. Travel Times
    Several commenters expressed support for travel times of 15 minutes 
(or longer), being used for the travel time-based measures. The 
commenters asserted that this would lead to, among other benefits, 
fewer bins with no data, reduced data storage burden, less effort 
required for quality control and quality assurance, and greater utility 
for members of the public interested in the data. Commenters argued 
that the higher level of granularity available in data from 5-minute 
bins, which provides more precision but not necessarily greater 
accuracy, does not confer enough additional benefits to justify the 
extra burden they would impose. Other commenters stated that due to low 
traffic volumes there may not be any travel time recorded in many 5-
minute segments.
    The NARC commented that if FHWA were to follow its recommendation 
for processing data centrally, FHWA could then obtain the data in 5-
minute (or even 1-minute) bins but provide them to States in 15-minute 
bins. The AASHTO expressed support for the use of 5-minute bins for 
national-level performance reporting but stated that data with higher 
temporal resolution (e.g., 1-minute bins) have benefits for other 
purposes such as research.

[[Page 5987]]

    Southeast Michigan Council of Governments expressed concern that 
for data on freight movements, 5-minute bins may not contain enough 
data points to maintain the anonymity of individual trucks. The Maine 
DOT commented that 60-minute bins would be better suited to its needs 
due to the limited and seasonal nature of its congestion and 
reliability issues as a rural State with low population density.
    The FHWA agrees with and appreciates the concerns raised by 
commenters on the challenges with using 5-minute temporal granularity 
in the calculation of travel time metrics. Using 15-minute time periods 
would significantly simplify data analysis in terms of the size of the 
data set; FHWA estimates that the data set would be reduced by 
approximately two-thirds. The FHWA received many comments noting the 
amount of missing data when using 5-minute time intervals. The FHWA 
conducted an analysis to compare the amount of missing data when using 
5-minute time periods to 15-minute time periods and determined that, 
for the segments analyzed, switching to 15-minute time periods improved 
data completeness by 25 percent to 30 percent for non-Interstate NHS 
segments; the resulting NHPP reliability measures differed by no more 
than 5 percent for Interstate highways. In addition, individual segment 
level LOTTR values were nearly identical, with an average difference of 
less than 1 percent for all of the segments evaluated. The assessment 
showed the greatest difference for the PHED measure, which was likely 
due to the prevalence of missing data at the 5- minute interval. The 
FHWA recognizes that larger time intervals reduce the level of 
specificity and granularity, but believes that the benefits of a more 
complete data set will allow for more accurate measure calculations. 
The FHWA does encourage the use of more granular time intervals (1 to 5 
minutes) to carry out segment level analysis to better identify 
strategies to address issues impacting roadway reliability and 
congestion, but this information is not required to be reported to 
FHWA.
11. Alternative Data Sets
    The AASHTO expressed support for FHWA's intent to make the NPMRDS 
available to State DOTs and MPOs for use in calculating performance 
measures and to allow States to use an alternate data set. Several 
State DOTs questioned FHWA's ability to continue to provide the NPRMDS 
data free of charge in the future raising concerns with the burden on 
State DOTs to acquire this data on their own if this were to happen. 
Commenters also expressed concerns with the costs associated with the 
development of alternate data sets that would comply with the proposed 
travel time data requirements.
    The NJTPA asked if equivalent travel time data sets can include 
data from different vendors or sources or both, as long as it satisfies 
FHWA requirements. For example, the commenter recommended that FHWA 
consider a ``hybrid'' or ``fused'' data set (such as the TRANSCOM 
``Data Fusion Engine'' travel time data set) that includes travel times 
from various agency sensors (e.g., BlueTOAD sensors, toll transponder 
readers, Sensys pucks) as well as commercial probe data. Iowa DOT asked 
if the requirement that data ``be populated with actual measured 
vehicle times and shall not be populated with travel times derived from 
imputed methods'' eliminates any specific alternative data sources 
(e.g., INRIX) from consideration.
    Several commenters requested detailed guidance on the approval 
process for using equivalent data sources in place of, or in 
conjunction with, the NPRMDS. In particular, the commenters asked what 
the approval process will look like, who will have the authority to 
grant the approval, how quickly the approval will be granted after a 
formal request is made, what information will be required for approval, 
what happens if FHWA does not approve the data set, and how frequently 
requests can be made by each State. The commenters also recommended 
that FHWA include in the final rule a time limit for such requests, 
stating that approval will be granted if no action is taken once the 
time limit expires. Rather than requiring State DOTs to get approval 
for alternate data sets, the Great Lakes Regional Transportation 
Operations Coalition and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Traffic 
Operations and Safety Laboratory suggested that it would be more 
efficient for a central entity (e.g., CATT Lab or TTI) to house and 
process travel time data, produce the metrics, and provide results to 
State DOTs and MPOs for use in target setting and reporting.
    The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, on behalf of the 
Partners Using Archived Operations Data, recommended that FHWA 
streamline the process to approve alternate data sets. Hampton Roads 
Transportation Planning Organization and the State DOTs of Virginia and 
Minnesota suggested that FHWA approve specific alternate data sets 
(such as INRIX and TomTom) rather than requiring each State to request 
approval for these sources.
    The FHWA believes that the use of the NPMRDS data set by all States 
and MPOs will promote national consistency among all of the measures. 
However, FHWA is willing to review commercially available travel time 
data sets to pre-approve those that are determined to be ``equivalent'' 
to the NPMRDS. The FHWA is not currently aware of any commercial data 
set that is ``equivalent,'' but requests that if a State DOT or MPO 
believes that an alternative data set is ``equivalent,'' then that 
State DOT or MPO should submit a request to FHWA. The FHWA appreciates 
that State DOTs and MPOs will need to know if a commercially available 
data set will be considered equivalent to the NPMRDS before financial 
resources are used to acquire data. Therefore, FHWA will consider 
alternative data set providers, on request by a State DOT or MPO, 
before their decision to use the data to meet the requirements of this 
final rule. If FHWA reviews a request and determines that the 
alternative data set is not ``equivalent,'' then the State DOT or MPO 
must use the NPMRDS data set. Finally, FHWA retained the proposed 
regulation to use a single travel time data set (NPMRDS or equivalent) 
for all travel time derived metrics in this final rule. The FHWA 
believes that, as the metrics apply to the same roadway segments with 
the same traffic, it is important to use the same data set to calculate 
the metrics.
    The FHWA intends to approve requests for alternate data sets in a 
timely manner such that the requested data set can be used by the State 
DOT beginning on January 1st of the year following the request. State 
DOTs should contact FHWA as soon as practical when considering 
alternate data sets to provide for sufficient time for the State DOT to 
acquire the data for use. The October 1st deadline is included in the 
final rule as the latest date the FHWA believes an alternate data set 
can be approved for use by the next calendar year. For clarification, 
in response to questioned raised by commenters, the final rule allows 
for alternate data sets to be combined with the NPMRDS in whole or in 
part to meet the travel time data requirements of this rule.
12. Corridors
    Several commenters expressed a preference for a corridor-based 
approach to evaluate system performance instead of a segment-based 
approach and system-wide performance measures. The New York State DOT 
requested that the final rule to focus on corridors,

[[Page 5988]]

particularly in urban areas where congestion is likely to occur, that 
are defined by States and MPOs in ways that are meaningful for State 
and regional planning. The Washington and Oregon DOTs use a corridor-
based approach that they assert allows the State to manage systems 
based on important functions and characteristics that will be missed by 
simply having urban/non-urban measures system-wide.
    As part of an internal evaluation of the performance measures, 
Purdue University compared segment-based results with a corridor-based 
approach. According to this commenter, the corridor-based results were 
consistent with the segment-based analysis in that Interstate routes 
tended to be more reliable, but the routes for which there were 
numerous individual segments with a number of high LOTTR or PHTTR 
values did not exhibit these high values in a corridor-based analysis.
    Oregon Metro Council and the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on 
Transportation urged FHWA to develop an integrated multimodal corridor 
approach to measuring person throughput and congestion that includes 
HOV lanes, public transit, and biking and walking facilities.
    The California Association of Councils of Government (CALCOG) and 
others commented that freight measures specifically should be focused 
at the corridor level.
    The FHWA recognizes that many State DOTs and MPOs use ``trips'' as 
the basis for reliability determination and fully supports that 
approach. However, that approach requires a working knowledge of how 
the system operates at a corridor level. Determining the length of 
analysis for these trips is not something that can easily be done in a 
nationally-consistent way. Instead, FHWA determined that looking at 
segment level performance was a satisfactory way to provide a 
consistent approach to measure system performance and traffic 
congestion in this rule. While State DOTs and MPOs are only required to 
assess progress on full system performance in this rule, State DOTs and 
MPOs may use the metrics to assess corridor-specific performance and 
use corridor-specific information to monitor progress, analyze trends, 
and establish targets.
13. Weather and Construction Impacts
    Several commenters expressed concern that extraordinary events such 
as non-recurring inclement weather, prolonged construction, large 
gatherings, and insufficient funding will make target setting difficult 
and will impede agencies' ability to achieve successful performance. 
Commenters requested FHWA take these events into account in the final 
rule.
    The AASHTO recommended that FHWA allow State DOTs and MPOs the 
flexibility to exclude from calculation and targets roadway segments 
for periods of inclement weather conditions using a consistent approach 
and data (e.g., National Weather Service reports and data archives).
    The Illinois DOT suggested reports should be based on the number of 
days and/or center-line miles of facilities that are under construction 
or impacted by weather in order to keep the data set whole. The NARC 
suggested that there should be an opportunity for MPOs and States to 
explain targets and results as part of the reporting protocol to 
address unique circumstances.
    The Mid-Ohio Planning Commission suggested including all 
extraordinary events, as all entities will undertake construction, and 
this measure would remain consistent with the bridge and pavement rule, 
which does not change factors for areas with more inclement weather. 
The Great Lakes Regional Transportation Operations Coalition and the 
University of Wisconsin-Madison Traffic Operations and Safety 
Laboratory reasoned that extraordinary events are in the far ``right 
tail'' of travel time distributions and would not affect the 80th 
percentile travel time.
    The FHWA believes that reliability measures should include travel 
times during weather- and construction-related events to ensure that 
the measure reflects the efforts by transportation agencies to maintain 
and improve roadway operations. The FHWA further believes that the 80th 
percentile travel time used in the calculation of the NHPP reliability 
metric will exclude a majority of the longest travel times that occur 
as a result of extreme congestion events. The variability in travel 
time resulting from construction operations and other events that 
impact traffic flow are expected to be included in the measure as 
operational improvements and management should be able to help 
alleviate impacts from these events. The FHWA modified the NHFP 
reliability measure to remove the threshold that would determine if a 
segment is providing for reliable travel. The FHWA believes that this 
change will minimize the impact that extreme weather events could have 
on the metric and measure outcome. The FHWA has also added a provision 
for all the travel time derived measures that allows removal of travel 
times from the metric calculations when the roadway is closed.
    The FHWA has retained the proposed provisions in section 
490.109(e)(5) that consider extenuating circumstances, allowing State 
DOTs to explain the factors they considered when establishing targets 
and the circumstances that may have impacted their ability to make 
progress in achieving those targets. The FHWA believes that these 
provisions will allow State DOTs to document the impact of extreme 
weather events on performance expectations and their ability to manage 
system performance.
14. Holidays
    The FHWA received several comments on whether holidays should be 
excluded from the travel time-based measures and requested that these 
exclusions be consistent across all travel time-based measures.
    The AMPO pointed out that there are issues with consistency in 
calendar coverage in the proposed rule; holidays were excluded in the 
PHTTR metric, but not in the LOTTR metric. The commenter expressed 
concern that these inconsistencies, if not clearly justified, have the 
potential to add confusion and increase the burden in implementing 
these measures. A consistent set of time periods would be easier to 
understand.
    Puget Sound Regional Council proposed that a consistent set of 
weekday time periods that excludes holidays would be easiest to 
understand.
    The AASHTO, echoed by New Jersey, Missouri, Washington DOTs and 
others, requested days to be grouped similarly (non-holiday weekdays, 
weekends, and holidays) and for any excluded holidays to be specified 
in the final rule. They also asked for guidance on how to manage 
holidays that fall on weekends and are observed on a weekday.
    The FHWA agrees with commenters that the burden required to 
identify and exclude holidays from the metric calculations is not 
warranted. The FHWA compared measure results with the inclusion and 
exclusion of holidays in the calculation. The analysis indicates that 
the inclusion of holidays in the travel time-based measures did not 
have a statistically significant effect on the annual metric and 
measure calculations. For this reason, the rule now requires that 
holidays be included when determining the metric.
15. Annual Reporting of Travel Time Metrics
    The Oregon and Washington State DOTs commented that annual 
reporting of LOTTR and PHTTR metrics is too burdensome.

[[Page 5989]]

    The FHWA recognizes the burden associated with the calculation of 
travel time based metrics, particularly in the first years of 
implementation. However, FHWA believes that through the development of 
standard processing routines the metrics can be calculated with a 
reduced burden. The proposed pooled fund effort should help alleviate 
the burden of annual reporting while providing consistent performance 
monitoring data for use in all performance management activities.
16. Establishing Performance Targets
    The Atlanta Regional Commission and the Florida Metropolitan 
Planning Advisory Council stated that they appreciate the flexibility 
provided to State DOTs and MPOs regarding the establishment of 
improving, constant, or declining targets and they asked that this 
implementation philosophy be carried forward to the final rule. Several 
commenters \9\ recommended that specific regulatory language be 
included in the final rule to confirm that State DOTs and MPOs are 
allowed to establish improving, constant, or declining targets.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \9\ AASHTO, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, 
Illinois, Montana, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming 
DOTs, and National Association of Regional Councils.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FHWA believes that State DOTs and MPOs have the discretion to 
establish their targets. The MAP-21 does not provide FHWA the authority 
to approve or reject State DOT or MPO established targets. The FHWA 
believes that this rule does not impair the ability of State DOTs and 
MPOs to establish constant or declining targets. Thus, FHWA believes 
that specific language describing potential target level scenarios in 
the regulatory language is unnecessary.
17. Target Establishment Frequency
    Several commenters \10\ stated that 2- year and 4-year timeframe 
will not reveal any meaningful progress toward targets or strategies 
implemented in that those timeframes. Others \11\ expressed concerns 
that ``over-emphasis on short-term over longer term targets may present 
an unintended obstacle to developing innovative, sustainable, and 
comprehensive solutions or to undertaking larger projects that can take 
many years to plan and implement.'' The New York State Association of 
MPOs stated that the biennial reporting would give a snapshot of 
performance, but would also not reflect the results of projects that 
have not been in place long enough for their impact to be measured. 
This commenter suggested that it may be useful to include in the report 
a list of projects implemented since the previous reports. The 
Pennsylvania DOT, COMPASS, and DVRPC recommended a broader time-horizon 
in the final rule. The AASHTO and several State DOTs \12\ recommended 
providing State DOTs and MPOs the opportunity to voluntarily set long-
term targets, not just 2- and 4-year targets, and to do so completely 
outside of the Federal regulatory framework. The Mid-Ohio Regional 
Planning Commission (MORPC), CMAP, and Portland Metropolitan Area MPO 
commented that targets should be established as part of each MPO's 
Metropolitan Transportation Plan development or update cycle.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \10\ COMPASS, New York State, Pennsylvania DOT, DVRPC, and New 
York State Association of MPOs,
    \11\ AMPO, New Jersey DOT, and NJTPA.
    \12\ Alaska, Connecticut, and Illinois,
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As stated in the NPRM, established targets (2-year and 4-year) 
would need to be considered as interim conditions/performance levels 
that lead toward the accomplishment of longer-term performance 
expectations in State DOT long-range statewide transportation plans and 
NHS asset management plans. In order to avoid confusion, FHWA used the 
term ``longer-term performance expectations'' in the NPRM to 
distinguish between longer-term targets and the interim anticipated 
condition/performance (i.e., 2-year and 4-year targets) toward those 
longer-term performance expectations. The FHWA recognizes the 
importance of using a longer time horizon for planning and programming 
projects that considers and evaluates temporal tradeoffs between 
feasible improvements for more efficient and effective investment 
decisions. The FHWA strongly recommends that State DOTs and MPOs 
consider longer time horizons, which look beyond 4 years (i.e., 
multiple performance periods), for planning and programming of 
projects, so identification and selection of those projects is guided 
by the longer term performance expectations. The purpose of the 
performance period is to measure and evaluate condition/performance, 
which should not be assumed to be a ``planning, programming, project 
delivery, data collection, data reporting'' cycle of individual 
improvement projects or a program of projects. Thus, the performance 
period and long-range planning (LRP) cycles look at different time 
periods and do not have to be aligned to be effective. Therefore, FHWA 
retains the proposed language in Sec.  490.105(e)(4) and (5) in this 
final rule.
18. Target Adjustment Schedule
    The Washington State and Oregon DOTs, AMPO, and Fairbanks Metro 
Area Transit System supported the proposed approach for allowing State 
DOTs to adjust an established 4-year target in the Mid Performance 
Period Progress Report. On the other hand, New York State Association 
of MPOs, State DOTs of South Dakota, Connecticut, Utah, and Alaska, and 
AASHTO recommended the flexibility to be able to adjust targets 
annually, if critical assumptions underlying performance targets have 
changed sufficiently to affect target values.
    The FHWA believes that MAP-21 gives FHWA the discretion to 
establish requirements for targets. The FHWA has determined that State 
DOTs or MPOs may establish any target to satisfy the requirements for 
the performance management measures. The FHWA believes State DOTs have 
the authority and flexibility to establish targets for the performance 
measures. However, FHWA does not believe MAP-21 provides State DOTs and 
MPOs the authority to adjust or revise targets at any time at their 
discretion. The FHWA believes that 23 U.S.C. 150 provides FHWA the 
authority to establish requirements for targets, and that some 
requirements must be established so that accountability and 
transparency are instilled in the performance management process. As 
discussed in the NPRM, the FAST Act amended the number of 
determinations \13\ in MAP-21 from ``two consecutive determinations'' 
to each determination, that FHWA will make on a State DOT target 
(determined that State DOT has not made significant progress towards 
achieving its target) before that State DOT is required to take 
action.\14\ In response to this change, FHWA felt that an approach is 
necessary to provide State DOTs the same opportunity to make 
significant progress for 4-year targets as for the 2-year targets. The 
FHWA believes that 4-year target adjustment through the Mid Performance 
Period Progress Report will provide that opportunity because the actual 
time horizon (the duration between the target reporting date and the 
date which a target is established for) for State DOTs to consider in 
establishing 2-year targets and adjusting 4-year targets will be the 
same. For example, the duration between 2-year target reporting (via 
Baseline Performance Period Report) and the

[[Page 5990]]

midpoint of a performance period (i.e., the date which 2-year targets 
are established for) will be the same as the duration between adjusted 
4-year target reporting (via Mid Performance Period Progress Report) 
and the end of a performance period (i.e., the date which 4-year 
targets are established for). In response to the comments suggesting 
annual target adjustment, the State Biennial Performance Reports has 
the appearance that State DOTs would consider 2-year time horizon for 
establishing a 2-year target or adjusting a 4-year target, as the 
biennial reporting frequency may suggest. However, as discussed above, 
the actual time horizon for establishing 2-year targets and adjusting 
4-year targets that State DOTs have to consider is much shorter than 2 
years. The FHWA feels that this frequency of adjustment allows a State 
DOT to address changes they could not have foreseen in the initial 
establishment of 4-year targets while still maintaining a sufficient 
level of control in the administrative procedure necessary to carry out 
these program requirements in an equitable manner. For this reason, 
FHWA retains the language in section 490.105(e)(6), as proposed in the 
NPRM.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ 23 U.S.C. 119(f)(7).
    \14\ 23 U.S.C. 119(f)(7)--Require to provide a description of 
the actions the State will undertake to achieve the targets in its 
biennial performance report.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

19. Ownership & Applicability of Measures/Targets
    The South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization, Coalition of 
Great Lakes Regional Transportation Operations, COMPASS, and AMPO 
stated that State DOTs and the MPOs do not have any direct control over 
the NHS.
    The statutory language in MAP-21 and the FAST Act apply the 
performance management requirements (23 U.S.C. 150), NHPP (23 U.S.C. 
119), and CMAQ (23 U.S.C. 149) to the NHS/Interstate System and not to 
``State DOT owned or operated'' Interstate System or ``State DOT owned 
or operated NHS.'' The MAP-21 does not provide unique definitions to 
the terms ``State'' or ``MPO'' for purposes of 23 U.S.C. 150, 119, 167, 
and 149, and thus these terms have the same meaning as defined 
elsewhere in Title 23 U.S.C. Accordingly, FHWA retains the language in 
section 490.105(d) which requires State DOTs and MPOs to establish 
targets for the entire NHS and Interstate System for the entire 
geographical area within the State or metropolitan planning area, 
regardless of ownership.
20. Fiscal or Calendar Year Based Performance Periods
    The Georgia DOT commented that some reporting requirements are 
based on the Federal fiscal year and others on a calendar year. The 
commenter said that this difference would create additional work for 
State DOTs and suggested one consistent reporting date, or that FHWA 
provide flexibility to align the Federal fiscal year or calendar year 
reporting dates. The Portland Metropolitan Area MPO and the Denver 
Regional Council of Governments commented that Federal fiscal year or 
calendar year reporting dates for different measures are inconsistent 
and confusing. On the other hand, State DOTs of Washington State, 
Connecticut, and Oregon, AASHTO, and Puget Sound Regional Council MPO 
supported the metric data requirements for CMAQ on-road mobile source 
emissions measures based on Federal fiscal year and all travel time 
related measures based on calendar years. The Puget Sound Regional 
Council added that utilizing the existing reporting framework for CMAQ 
projects simplifies the process for MPOs.
    In the NPRM, FHWA stated that the CMAQ on-road mobile source 
emissions measure establishment would rely on the existing processes 
State DOTs use to manage, track, and report projects as part of the 
CMAQ program. For this reason, FHWA elected to base the performance 
period for the on-road mobile source emissions measure on the Federal 
fiscal year to align with Federal fiscal year based reporting of the 
estimated emission reductions by State DOTs for CMAQ-funded projects 
through the CMAQ Public Access System. The FHWA believes that this 
approach provides the simplest and most effective means to implement 
the MAP-21 performance requirements for on-road mobile source 
emissions. As for all other measures (including the CMAQ traffic 
condition measures), calendar year-based data collection and reporting 
requirements specified in subparts E, F, and G are aligned with 
Calendar Year-based performance period. For these reasons, FHWA retains 
the language in section 490.105(e)(4)(i) unchanged. Although the 
performance period for the on-road mobile source emissions measure is 
different from all other measures, the reporting dates for condition/
performance, targets, progress, etc. required in section 490.107 for 
the on-road mobile source emissions measure are the same as all other 
measures in this rule.
21. Boundaries
    The Denver Regional Council of Governments commented that the 
geographic area application for each measure is confusing (urbanized 
area vs. transportation management area vs. metropolitan planning area) 
particularly in light of DOT's NPRM on ``MPO Coordination.'' \15\ The 
Connecticut and Arkansas DOTs commented that a greater consistency in 
boundaries is needed throughout this rule. The Arkansas DOT recommended 
a simpler, consistent boundary source be adopted in conjunction with 
State DOTs and MPOs, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding the 
definition of Metropolitan Planning Area in the context of the 
Metropolitan Planning Organization Coordination NPRM. The DOTs of 
Connecticut, Arkansas, and Maryland and AASHTO stated that, ``the 
urbanized area geography is not well understood and the specific use of 
it in calculating the congestion metric involves a significant learning 
curve that will take time to better understand.'' The National Capital 
Region Planning Commission stated that the urbanized area boundary 
determination process of the Census Bureau is not well understood and 
importantly does not appear to be based on transportation and mobility 
considerations within the urbanized area. The commenter added that the 
Census urbanized area does not align with jurisdictional boundaries, 
which in most places is where preliminary transportation project 
planning and programming decisions are made. Finally, this commenter 
said that the basic unit used for developing urbanized areas, census 
blocks, differs from the basic unit used by MPOs, Transportation 
Analysis Zones.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \15\ NPRM on ``Metropolitan Planning Organization Coordination 
and Planning Area Reform'', 81 FR 41473 (June 27, 2016).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The NJTPA requested a clarification on the treatment of segments 
that cross MPO and/or urbanized area boundaries. The commenter said 
that the proposed rule is unclear as to how reporting segments that 
cross MPO and/or urbanized area boundaries are to be handled. Moreover, 
the commenter said that none of the measures that MPOs need to report 
at the MPO level mention how to handle reporting segments that cross an 
MPO boundary.
    The FHWA clarifies that only the CMAQ traffic congestion measures 
in subpart G are applied to applicable \16\ urbanized areas for State 
DOTs and MPOs. All measures in other subparts in this rule are applied 
to State geographic

[[Page 5991]]

boundaries for State DOTs and metropolitan planning area boundaries for 
MPOs. The FHWA made the exceptions for traffic congestion measures 
because traffic congestion is more relevant in urbanized areas. Because 
the State geographic boundaries and the metropolitan planning area 
boundaries may include both urban and rural areas (and in different 
proportions), FHWA believes that the varying proportions of rural area 
(or road network in rural areas) would impact the statewide or 
metropolitan planning area -wide measures differently across the States 
and metropolitan planning areas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \16\ Urbanized areas with a population over one million for the 
first performance period and over 200,000 for the second and all 
other performance periods, that are, in all or part, designated as 
nonattainment or maintenance areas for ozone (O3), carbon 
monoxide (CO), or particulate matter (PM10 and 
PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) 
discussed in more detail under Section V Subpart G.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As a result, FHWA is applying the CMAQ traffic congestion measures 
to the areas selected based on uniform and consistent criteria, such as 
the U.S. Census Bureau in designating urbanized areas. The FHWA 
understands that urbanized areas may not be the unit of area for 
transportation project planning and programming decisions for some 
agencies. However, focusing on traffic congestion in urbanized areas 
will allow for the opportunity to significantly reduce traffic 
congestion on the NHS across the nation while reducing the burden for 
the State DOTs and MPOs to implement the traffic congestion measures in 
non-urbanized areas. The FHWA disagrees with the comments from DOTs of 
Connecticut, Arkansas, and Maryland and AASHTO stating that ``the 
urbanized area geography is not well understood.'' The FHWA believes 
that State DOTs are well aware of a need for consistency or geographic 
continuity in urbanized area boundaries for transportation planning 
purposes through FHWA issued guidance.\17\ The FHWA believes that State 
DOTs' detailed understanding of urbanized areas in planning is 
exhibited through State DOT reported data to HPMS.\18\ For this reason, 
FHWA retains sections 490.105(d)(2) and 490.703 for the urbanized areas 
as the scope of traffic congestion measures and their performance 
targets.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \17\ Highway Functional Classification Concepts, Criteria and 
Procedures (FHWA): https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/processes/statewide/related/highway_functional_classifications/section06.cfm.
    \18\ ``Urban Code'' Data Item in HPMS sections data.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

22. Unified Targets
    The AMPO commented that coordination across MPO boundaries is an 
important facet of the MPO planning process, but it is unclear that 
requiring single values and targets for entire (large) urbanized areas 
adds value. The commenter added that the proposed unified target for an 
urbanized area adds significantly to the reporting complexity and may 
confuse interpretation of results. The AMPO and Kentucky DOT expressed 
concern that State DOTs and MPOs may be reluctant to adopt targets for 
areas outside of their control. The Oregon, Washington State, and 
Delaware DOTs expressed concerns about potential ``time-intensive 
coordination requirements'' and the complexity of multi-agency 
coordination associated with establishing a unified urbanized target, a 
concerned echoed by the Connecticut DOT and the DVRPC. The Chicago 
Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) commented that, ``it is an 
inappropriate enlargement of the Federal role to require the 
establishment of identical performance targets in separate States . . . 
nor is the mechanism by which the States would coordinate to establish 
identical targets explained in the NPRM.'' The commenter added that the 
regulation would lead to a lowest common denominator approach to target 
setting. Other commenters agreed that the NPRM did not address how to 
resolve differences in target setting.
    The Mid-America Regional Council suggested that FHWA give this 
particular issue additional consideration to determine how to best 
facilitate agreement between parties where such agreement is required 
and integrate this thinking into the final rule. Several commenters 
recommended that measure applicability be limited to ``Metropolitan 
Planning Organization boundaries, or limit the reporting areas and 
targets to urbanized areas that fall within an MPO and/or a State.''
    The FHWA believes that closer coordination among all entities in an 
urbanized area is necessary because traffic congestion within each 
entity's geographic boundary urbanized area impacts the performance of 
the surrounding entities. A single, unified urbanized area target will 
foster a shared vision among State DOTs and MPOs of expectations for 
future condition/performance of the entire urbanized area and will 
ensure a jointly-owned target establishment process. More importantly, 
because the driving public does not concern itself with State or 
metropolitan planning area boundaries when it comes to traffic 
congestion, unified targets are crucial to communicate regarding 
traffic congestion for the entire urbanized area. The FHWA disagrees 
with CMAP's comment that this requirement is ``an inappropriate 
enlargement of the Federal role.'' A single, unified urbanized area 
target aligns with 23 U.S.C. 134(h)(2)(B)(i)(II) and 23 U.S.C. 
135(d)(2)(B)(i)(II), which require State DOTs and MPOs to coordinate in 
establishing consistent targets, to the maximum extent practicable.
    Because of the reasons above, FHWA retains the language proposed in 
NPRM Sec.  490.105(d)(2), (e)(8)(iii)(B), and (f)(5)(iii)(B). The FHWA 
recognizes that State DOTs and MPOs will need more time to coordinate 
in the target establishment process, so FHWA provides a phase-in of 
this requirement in Sec.  490.105(e)(8)(vi) and (f)(5)(vi), in the 
final rule, for the PHED measure in section 490.707(a).
23. CMAQ Measure Applicability
    The Florida Metropolitan Planning Advisory Council commented that 
those States in attainment need to remain exempt from traffic 
congestion measures and targets. The NJTPA commented that the traffic 
congestion measure applicability determination approach described in 
Sec.  490.105(e)(8)(i), (e)(8)(ii), (f)(5)(i), and (f)(5)(ii) may cause 
problems for a State DOT or MPO with a small amount of urbanized area 
NHS roadways within their boundaries. The commenter recommended that 
FHWA consider a minimum length of urbanized area NHS roadway for the 
measure applicability.
    The FHWA has emphasized a need for close coordination among all 
entities in an urbanized area because the traffic congestion within 
each entity's geographic urbanized area boundary impacts the 
performance of the surrounding entities in that urbanized area. The 
absence of any one of the surrounding entities in implementing traffic 
congestion measures will hinder establishing an effective and 
meaningful performance target for that urbanized area. For this reason, 
FHWA retains the language, as proposed in the NPRM, on the criteria for 
State DOT traffic congestion measure applicability in Sec.  
490.105(e)(8)(i) and (ii).
    The FHWA concluded that regardless of the NHS miles within an 
entity's geographic urbanized area boundary, the traffic congestion on 
those miles of NHS could impact the traffic congestion in the broader 
area. The FHWA considered a minimum length of NHS within an entity's 
geographic urbanized area boundary as a threshold in the applicability 
determination, but concluded that such an approach would be arbitrary. 
The FHWA thus retains the methodology and approach proposed in the NPRM 
for the traffic congestion measure applicability determination 
described in Sec.  490.105(e)(8)(i), (e)(8)(ii), (f)(5)(i), and 
(f)(5)(ii).

[[Page 5992]]

    Commenters also requested flexibility to revise applicability if 
nonattainment or maintenance designations change during the 4-year 
performance period. The Georgia DOT recommended making the 
determination of which State DOT and MPOs are subject to CMAQ measures 
1 year in advance of the State DOT Baseline Performance Period Report 
to provide some assurance and to avoid unnecessary resource expenditure 
based on assumptions.
    The FHWA agrees with the comment from Georgia DOT that 
applicability determination should be made earlier. The FHWA revises in 
the final rule \19\ the timing of determining which State DOTs and MPOs 
are required to implement CMAQ traffic congestion measures in Sec.  
490.707(a) and (b) and CMAQ on-road mobile source emissions measure in 
section 490.807. The applicability determination for all CMAQ measures 
will be made 1 year before when the State DOT Baseline Performance 
Period Report.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \19\ Section 490.105(e)(8)(iii)(D) through (F), (e)(8)(iv), 
(f)(5)(iii)(D) through (F) and (f)(5)(iv) for traffic congestion 
measures and Sec.  490.105(e)(9)(v) and (f)(5)(v) for on-road mobile 
source emissions measure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FHWA also agrees with the commenters on the flexibility to 
revise applicability if nonattainment or maintenance designations 
change during the 4-year performance period. As a result, FHWA has 
revised the rule to make section 490.809(c) inapplicable if U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency changes to the designations become 
effective 1 year before the State DOT Mid Performance Period Progress 
Report is due to FHWA. To be consistent with this change, FHWA revised 
Sec.  490.105(e)(8)(iii)(F), (e)(8)(v), (f)(5)(iii)(F), and (f)(5)(v) 
for the traffic congestion measures, and Sec.  490.105(e)(9)(v), 
(e)(9)(viii), and (f)(6)(v) for the on-road mobile source emissions 
measure.
24. Due Date for Initial Performance Reports
    Many commenters explained that they would not have adequate time to 
complete a comprehensive Initial State Performance Report by the 
October 2016 deadline and urged FHWA to delay or change the due date.
    The FHWA issued guidance \20\ on the Initial State Performance 
Report on August 31, 2016, to provide State DOTs the opportunity to 
comply with the statutory deadline for the first performance reporting 
under 23 U.S.C. 150(e). In this guidance, FHWA recognized that State 
DOTs would not have established targets for the measures in this rule. 
The FHWA simplified the reporting requirement by only requiring a 
description of the planned processes for target establishment and 
coordination with relevant MPOs and other agencies that will occur in 
the selection of targets. Therefore, FHWA removes the Initial State 
Performance Report requirement in this final rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \20\ FHWA Guidance: Initial State Performance Report: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpm/guidance/160831.cfm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

25. MPO Reporting
    The AASHTO and Connecticut DOT requested that individual MPOs 
submit their plans directly to FHWA, and the Denver Regional Council of 
Governments suggested that, ``it may be simpler for State DOTS to 
compile one statewide version . . . with input from the State's MPOs.''
    The FHWA maintained that the MPO is responsible for creating the 
plan and submitting it to the State DOT in a timely manner. The rule 
does not require more than one State DOT to attach CMAQ Performance 
Plans for MPOs whose metropolitan planning area crosses a State 
boundary. The FHWA believes that this minimizes the reporting burden 
for both State DOTs and MPOs, since a State DOT simply needs to receive 
the plan from the MPO and attach it to its biennial report; the State 
DOT is not required to create or modify the plan. Adding a requirement 
for MPOs to report to FHWA would be more burdensome, as most MPOs do 
not currently report to FHWA; under the CMAQ program, State DOTs report 
on projects for MPOs. For these reasons, FHWA retained the requirement 
in section 490.107(c)(3) for MPOs to submit their CMAQ performance 
plans to FHWA through the State DOT.
26. Optional Target Reporting
    The AASHTO and several State DOTs opposed to the requirement for 
State DOTs to report optional (additional--urbanized/non-urbanized 
area) targets to FHWA in FHWA-approved formats. They said that this 
requirement would force State DOTs to find a way to conduct additional 
planning without using words such as ``target,'' ``measure,'' or 
``performance management'' to avoid FHWA's reporting, recordkeeping, 
and other regulatory requirements. These commenters urged FHWA to 
remove the language requiring State DOTs to report boundaries, 
progress, etc. in section 490.105(e)(3).
    The FHWA proposed that targets established pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 
150(d)(2) (authorizing State DOTs to establish different performance 
targets for urbanized and rural areas) be considered ``optional'' or 
voluntary targets for State DOTs. The proposal would allow State DOTs 
to establish a target for any combination of urbanized areas and 
provided that FHWA would not assess the progress achieved for any such 
additional or optional targets. The FHWA interprets 23 U.S.C. 150(e)(3) 
to require that State DOTs report the additional targets and their 
progress in achieving these targets in their Biennial Performance 
Reports. As a result, FHWA did not modify Sec. Sec.  490.105(e)(3) and 
490.107(b)(1)(ii)(A), (b)(2)(ii)(B), and (b)(3)(ii)(B).
27. Significant Progress Determination
    The Oregon DOT suggested adding ``planned transportation corridor 
improvements'' to the list of extenuating circumstances for not 
achieving significant progress in section 490.109(e)(5)(i). Several 
commenters suggested that ``insufficient funding'' be added to the 
list. The Michigan DOT suggested adding the impact of economy on VMT 
because they said that transportation agencies have limited ability to 
influence the VMT changes due to economy on traffic congestion.
    The FHWA understands that there are many external factors that 
could impact the condition/performance and the State DOT's ability to 
make significant progress, including lack of funding. However, FHWA 
believes that the frequency of target establishment and State DOTs' 
ability to adjust 4-year targets at the mid-point of a performance 
period creates a relatively short forecast window that should allow 
State DOTs to consider the impacts of funding shortfalls and 
uncertainty (e.g., lack of funding for investment, cost escalation) in 
initial targets and any subsequent adjustments. Additionally, State 
DOTs must consider uncertainties 2 years in advance in the State 
Biennial Performance Report. As discussed in section 490.105(e)(6), the 
actual duration that State DOTs have to consider uncertainties is 
shorter than 2 years.
    The FHWA does not intend to use the significant progress 
determination process to be punitive or to encourage State DOTs to 
establish easy-to-achieve targets. Establishing targets and assessing 
progress is intended to encourage State DOTs and MPOs to establish 
data-supported targets that consider anticipated resources and 
potential uncertainties and to provide data-supported explanations of 
condition/performance changes. If a State DOT does not make significant 
progress because of lack of funding or other reasons, FHWA expects that 
State

[[Page 5993]]

DOT will provide data-supported explanations for not achieving 
significant progress. Transportation performance management is not just 
about making significant progress. It is about effectively 
communicating to Congress and the public how the ``planned 
transportation corridor improvements,'' how the absence of ``sufficient 
funding'' and other circumstances are impacting the condition/
performance of the transportation network. Moreover, FHWA believes the 
determination process must be meaningful and bring accountability to 
the program as MAP-21 and FAST Act intended. For these reasons, FHWA 
retains the language in section 490.105(e)(5)(i), as proposed in the 
NPRM.

C. Subpart E--National Performance Management Measures for the NHPP 
System Performance

1. Establishment of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Measure
    In the preamble to the NPRM, FHWA sought public comment on whether 
and how to establish a CO2 emissions performance measure in 
the final rule. The FHWA asked a series of questions regarding the 
design and implementation of a GHG emissions measure and whether one 
should be established. The FHWA stated that if GHG emissions were to be 
measured, FHWA believed the best measure would be the total annual tons 
of CO2 emissions from all on-road mobile sources. Finally, 
FHWA cited relevant research, including the FHWA publication, A 
Performance-Based Approach to Addressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
through Transportation Planning, published in December 2013 (available 
in the docket for this rulemaking).
    The FHWA received thousands of comments on whether or not to 
establish such a measure and how a measure should be designed and 
implemented. Supporting comments came from 91,695 citizens, 9 State 
DOTs, 24 MPOs, 19 U.S. Senators, 48 Members of the U.S. House of 
Representatives, over 100 cities, numerous local officials, over 100 
businesses, and over 100 public interest, non-profit and advocacy 
organizations. Some State DOTs and MPOs already use GHG emissions as a 
performance measure.
    Comments against a GHG emissions performance measure were submitted 
by 10 State DOTs, 2 MPOs, 5 U.S. Senators, 31 Members of the U.S. House 
of Representatives, and 27 transportation and infrastructure industry 
associations. Additionally, nine State DOTs and three industry 
associations requested that FHWA not establish any performance measures 
not explicitly stated in legislation.
    A number of the commenters in both groups addressed whether FHWA 
has the legal authority to establish a GHG measure and whether such 
measure could be established in this rulemaking.
    After careful consideration of the comments received, FHWA decided 
to establish a GHG emissions performance measure in this rule to 
measure environmental performance in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 
150(c)(3). Doing so will incorporate an important environmental aspect 
of system performance into the set of national performance measures, be 
responsive to public comments, improve transparency, and support the 
national transportation goal of environmental sustainability in the 
Federal-aid Highway Program and the national performance management 
program established in 23 U.S.C. 150. As highlighted in FHWA's 2013 
Conditions and Performance Report \21\ and its publication, A 
Performance-Based Approach to Addressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
through Transportation Planning,\22\ there are two main types of 
climate change risk affecting transportation infrastructure: Continued 
emissions of GHGs, such as CO2, that adversely affect the 
atmosphere, leading to climate change effects, and threats to the 
transportation system posed by climate change impacts (e.g., damaged or 
flooded facilities).\23\ In other words, the transportation system both 
contributes to climate change and suffers from the impacts of climate 
change (e.g., flooding, sea level rise). Reducing GHG emissions from 
the U.S. transportation sector will reduce the sector's impact on 
climate change, promote environmental sustainability, and help to 
protect the NHS from damage caused by climate change.\24\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \21\ FHWA 2013 Conditions and Performance Report (PDF Version), 
``Advancing Environmental Sustainability'' at 5-6 through 5-7. 
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/2013cpr/pdfs.cfm.
    \22\ A Performance-Based Approach to Addressing Greenhouse Gas 
Emissions through Transportation Planning, FHWA (December 2013) at 
iii-iv. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation/publications/ghg_planning/index.cfm.
    \23\ Extreme weather and other impacts related to GHG emissions, 
such as sea level rise, can harm, disrupt, and damage transportation 
systems, particularly through flooding, resulting in costly 
disruptions. For discussions of the potential disruptive effects of 
climate change on the transportation system, see also Impacts of 
Climate Change and Variability on Transportation Systems and 
Infrastructure: The Gulf Coast Phase 2, Task 3.2 Engineering 
Assessments of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Measures (FHWA 
and U.S. DOT Climate Change Center) (August 2014) at 273 (available 
as of September 14, 2016, at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/adaptation/ongoing_and_current_research/gulf_coast_study/phase2_task3/task_3.2/task2phase3.pdf; and Hampton 
Roads Climate Impact Quantification Initiative, Baseline Assessment 
of the Transportation Assets and Overview of Economic Analyses 
Useful in Quantifying Impacts, U.S. DOT (September 13, 2016) 
(available as of November 1, 2016 at http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60100/60161/Hampton_Roads_Climate_Impact_Initative.pdf.
    \24\ See, e.g., discussion in Section III(A) of CEQ's Final 
Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Consideration of 
Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Effects of Climate Change in 
National Environmental Policy Act Reviews (August 1, 2016). 
Available as of September 14, 2016, at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/guidance/guidecmaq.cfm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The GHG performance measure established in this rule is the same 
measure discussed in the NPRM: Total annual tons of CO2 
emissions from all on-road mobile sources. The FHWA designed the 
measure in a manner that uses existing data sources and minimizes 
burden on transportation agencies. Because FHWA is establishing the 
measure under 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(3), it applies to the NHS in all States 
and metropolitan planning areas. State DOTs will calculate the measure 
by multiplying motor fuel sales volumes already reported to FHWA by 
FHWA-supplied emissions factors of CO2 per gallon of fuel 
and percentage VMT on the NHS.
    A discussion of legal comments received and a synopsis of the 
comments and responses on questions FHWA posed in the NPRM follow.
Legal Questions
Authority To Establish a GHG Measure
    A number of commenters supported FHWA's legal authority to adopt a 
GHG performance measure in this rulemaking. Commenters pointed to the 
language in 23 U.S.C. 150(a) as evidence that performance management is 
not limited to the performance measures listed in 23 U.S.C. 150(c), but 
rather is intended to focus on achieving the national goals in 23 
U.S.C. 150(b). Commenters cited the national goal of environmental 
sustainability in 23 U.S.C. 150(b)(6) in supporting FHWA's legal 
authority. That provision states ``[i]t is in the interest of the 
United States to focus the Federal-aid highway program on the following 
national goals: * * * (6) Environmental sustainability.--To enhance the 
performance of the transportation system while protecting and enhancing 
the natural environment.'' Several commenters stated a GHG performance 
measure is within the statutory authorization of MAP-21, including the 
performance measure provision for on-

[[Page 5994]]

road mobile source emissions under the CMAQ program (23 U.S.C. 
150(c)(5)(B)). The commenters did not view the language as limited to 
the three pollutants specified in the CMAQ statute (i.e., ozone, PM, 
and CO).
    Some commenters pointed out that establishing a GHG performance 
measure would be consistent with other MAP-21 rulemakings. In 
particular, six members of the Senate Committee on Environment and 
Public Works pointed to the consistency between a GHG performance 
measure and provisions in FHWA's 23 U.S.C. 119(e) asset management 
rulemaking relating to current and future environmental conditions, 
including extreme weather events and climate change.
    Commenters supporting FHWA's legal authority for a GHG performance 
measure also cited a number of provisions in title 23 of the United 
States Code as authority for the GHG measure. These included 23 U.S.C. 
134(a)(1), 23 U.S.C. 134(c)(1), 23 U.S.C.134(h), 23 U.S.C. 135(d)(1), 
and 23 U.S.C. 101(b)(3)(G).
    Some commenters encouraged FHWA to interpret ``air pollution'' in 
23 U.S.C. 134(a)(1) in a manner consistent with the definition of ``air 
pollution'' under the Clean Air Act,\25\ which commenters felt would 
clearly bring GHG within the scope of 23 U.S.C. 134(a)(1) and under 
FHWA's authority. Commenters pointed to the CMAQ program as evidence of 
congressional intent to integrate the Clean Air Act into transportation 
planning. One commenter cited the Supreme Court decision in 
Massachusetts v. EPA, 547 U.S. 497, 528-29 (2007), for the principle 
that a GHG performance measure would not impermissibly conflict with 
the jurisdiction of other agencies, such as EPA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \25\ 42 U.S.C. 7602(g),
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    One commenter stated that the authorizing language in 23 U.S.C. 
150(c)(1) mandates that FHWA promulgate rules establishing performance 
measures and standards and in adopting that provision, Congress granted 
FHWA authority to promulgate rules establishing standards for 
performance management that apply to programs and objectives beyond 
those programs listed in 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(3)-(6). According to the 
commenter, the 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(2)(C) language limiting subsection 
150(c) performance measures to those described in that subsection does 
not apply to performance standards adopted pursuant to the authorizing 
language in subsection 150(c)(1). The commenter concluded that 23 
U.S.C. 150(c)(1) and 23 U.S.C. 135(d)(2) together give FHWA authority 
to establish standards for performance-based decisionmaking related to 
the national goals and planning objectives, including a GHG-related 
performance standard.
    A number of commenters stated FHWA has no authority to adopt a GHG 
performance measure because they interpreted language in 23 U.S.C. 
150(c)(2)(C) as barring the adoption of any measure not expressly 
listed in the statute. According to those commenters, the absence of a 
direct mention of GHG or climate change in the statute forecloses 
adoption of a GHG performance measure because 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(2)(C) 
states that in carrying out rulemaking for performance measures and 
standards, the Secretary shall limit performance measures ``to those 
described in this subsection.'' One commenter also took the position a 
GHG performance measure would not be related to any of the measures 
expressly listed in 23 U.S.C. 150(c). One commenter stated that, 
because a GHG measure would not be among the types of measures allowed 
by 23 U.S.C. 150(c), and because there is no ambiguity in the statute, 
adoption of a GHG measure would violate the separation of powers 
doctrine in the U.S. Constitution.
    Several commenters focused on the possibility of legal authority 
for promulgating a GHG performance measure stemming from the CMAQ 
provision in 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(5). Those commenters viewed the term 
``on-road mobile source emissions'' in 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(5) as limited 
in scope to actions that further the purposes of the CMAQ statute, 23 
U.S.C. 149. In their view, any performance measure under 23 U.S.C. 
150(c)(5) would have to relate to one or more of the three pollutants 
listed in the CMAQ statute, 23 U.S.C. 149. Those commenters pointed out 
that none of the three listed pollutants is a GHG. A few pointed to an 
FHWA response in its recent final rule for metropolitan and statewide 
planning as being an admission no authority exists for a GHG measure, 
citing 81 FR 34050, 34077 (May 27, 2016).
    Finally, some commenters suggested FHWA should not issue a GHG 
performance measure because other Federal offices and agencies have 
authority over such emissions and already are taking action in this 
area. They pointed to regulations adopted by the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration and EPA, as well as the recent issuance 
by the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) of National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidance on addressing GHGs.\26\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \26\ Final Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on 
Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Effects of Climate 
Change in National Environmental Policy Act Review, CEQ (August 1, 
2016). Available as of September 14, 2016 at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/guidance/guidecmaq.cfm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In response to the comments on FHWA's legal authority for a GHG 
performance measure, FHWA first acknowledges the concerns and views 
expressed by commenters on both sides of the question. Commenters' 
responses to the NPRM's request for comments on a GHG measure provided 
important information for FHWA to consider when developing the final 
rule. After reviewing and fully evaluating all of the comments, FHWA 
confirmed that it has legal authority to adopt the GHG performance 
measure contained in this rule. The FHWA disagrees with commenters who 
stated there is no legal authority under 23 U.S.C. 150 for a GHG 
performance measure. In 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(3)-(6), the statute defines 
the general topics of statutory concern to be addressed by performance 
measures and the related program statutes (e.g., condition of pavements 
on the Interstate and non-Interstate NHS for the purpose of carrying 
out 23 U.S.C. 119). While FHWA agrees performance measures adopted 
under 23 U.S.C. 150 must relate to the measures described in 23 U.S.C. 
150(c), the statute gives FHWA the discretion to determine the nature 
and scope of specific performance measures that will fulfill the 
statutory mandates in 23 U.S.C. 150(c). Contrary to the interpretation 
of some commenters, FHWA's response in the final planning rule, stating 
23 U.S.C. 150(c)(2)(C) ``precludes FHWA from establishing any national 
performance measures outside those areas identified in 23 U.S.C. 150'' 
(87 FR 34050, 34077) (emphasis added), conveyed this same point. 
Accordingly, in the three rulemakings to implement 23 U.S.C. 150, FHWA 
has adopted performance measures it determined were related to the 23 
U.S.C. 150(c)(3)-(6) areas of concern and the cited program statutes. 
The FHWA has not adopted any performance measure that falls outside of 
those statutory parameters. The GHG performance measure established in 
this rule is no exception.
    The FHWA is adopting the GHG performance measure under 23 U.S.C. 
150(c)(3), which calls for performance measures that the States can use 
to assess performance of the Interstate and non-Interstate NHS for the 
purpose of carrying out 23 U.S.C. 119. 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(3)(A)(ii)(IV)-
(V). Section

[[Page 5995]]

150(c)(3) does not impose any limitation on what type of NHS 
performance may be measured in rules promulgated under 23 U.S.C. 
150(c)(3)(A)(ii)(IV)-(V). Consistent with its long-standing practice, 
FHWA interprets ``performance'' of the Interstate and non-Interstate 
NHS in those provisions to include environmental performance. This 
interpretation is supported by the many title 23 provisions that make 
the environment an integral part of the Federal-aid Highway Program, 
such as the national goal of environmental sustainability in 23 U.S.C. 
150(b)(6), transportation planning provisions in 23 U.S.C. 134-135, and 
environmental provisions in 23 U.S.C. 109(c),(g),(h),(i), and (j).\27\ 
The FHWA interpretation also is supported by the many FHWA actions to 
treat the environment, and specifically sustainability and climate 
change, as part of system performance. Examples include:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \27\ In addition, a number of statutes outside title 23, such as 
NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), require consideration of the 
environment as part of developing and implementing infrastructure 
projects.

     The FHWA Strategic Plan, which embodies this view in 
its national system performance strategic goal: ``The Nation's 
Highway system provides safe, reliable, effective and sustainable 
mobility for all users.'' \28\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \28\ FHWA Strategic Plan (2008-2016). The FHWA first adopted the 
plan in 2008 (available as of September 14, 2016 at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/strategicplan.pdf). Since then, FHWA has updated 
the plan periodically, but the strategic goals and objectives have 
not changed. The FHWA did remove the sections outlining national 
strategies for achieving the agency's strategic goals. This was done 
because the national strategies may change from year-to-year. The 
current version of the FHWA Strategic Plan (2016) is available at 
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/fhplan.cfm (as of September 14, 
2016).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     The FHWA 2013 Conditions and Performance Report, which 
noted the transportation system is best able to reach peak 
performance when it can support economic competitiveness by 
providing adequate capacity and reliability while meeting 
sustainability goals.\29\ For those reasons, FHWA stated, 
transportation agencies are being held accountable for how well they 
address these issues along with safety and state of good repair. The 
Report discussed the need to address climate change as part of 
promoting sustainability. The report described sustainability as 
requiring action to address climate change effects both through the 
reduction of GHG emissions and by ensuring the transportation system 
can adapt to future conditions caused by climate change.\30\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \29\ FHWA 2013 Conditions and Performance Report (PDF Version) 
at 5-2. Available as of September 14, 2016, at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/2013cpr/.
    \30\ Id. at 5-6 through 5-7.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     FHWA's July 2013 guidance, Handbook for Estimating 
Transportation Greenhouse Gases for Integration into the Planning 
Process.\31\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \31\ Available as of September 14, 2016, at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation/publications/ghg_handbook/ghghandbook.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     FHWA's December 2013 guidance, A Performance-Based 
Approach to Addressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through 
Transportation Planning.\32\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \32\ Available as of September 14, 2016, at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation/publications/ghg_planning/ghg_planning.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     FHWA Order 5520, Transportation System Preparedness and 
Resilience to Climate Change and Extreme Weather Effects (December 
15, 2014),\33\ which states climate change and extreme weather 
events are a significant and increasing risk to the safety, 
reliability, effectiveness, and sustainability of transportation 
infrastructure and operations. The Order points to the costly and 
sometimes recurring damage to infrastructure from such climate 
change effects as sea level rise, resulting in a need to address 
potential effects of climate change in order to protect the 
integrity of the transportation system and to ensure the sound 
investment of taxpayer dollars.\34\
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    \33\ Available as of September 14, 2016, at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/orders/5520.cfm.
    \34\ See Section 3 of FHWA Order 5520 (December 15, 2014).
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     The Long Term Bridge Performance Program (enacted under 
SAFETEA-LU, Pub. L. 109-59, 119 Stat. 1144 (August 10, 2005)). The 
program defines bridge performance, in part, as a multifaceted issue 
that involves multiple components and depends on multiple factors, 
including varying conditions of climate, air quality, and soil 
properties.\35\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \35\ See Long-Term Bridge Performance Program Web site 
(available as of September 14, 2016, at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/programs/infrastructure/structures/ltbp/about.cfm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     The FHWA guidance on environmental performance in 
infrastructure development, construction, and maintenance.\36\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \36\ See, e.g., ``Improving Environmental Performance in 
Construction and Maintenance, FHWA Successes in Stewardship 
Newsletter (March 2005, available as of September 14, 2016, at 
https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/strmlng/newsletters/mar05nl.asp); ``Highways in the Coastal Environmental: Assessing 
Extreme Federal Highway Administration, Hydraulic Engineering'', 
FHWA Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. l 25- Vol. 2, Publication 
No. FHWA-NHI-14 (October 2014, available as of September 14, 2016, 
at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/hydraulics/pubs/nhi14006/nhi14006.pdf); ``Eco-Logical: An Ecosystem Approach to Developing 
Infrastructure Projects'', FHWA Environmental Review Toolkit 
(available as of September 14, 2016, at https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/ecological/eco_5.asp); Office of 
Infrastructure Research and Development Web page (available as of 
September 14, 2016, at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/offices/infrastructure/).

    Thus, as described in the NPRM for this rulemaking, FHWA already 
has taken steps to ``integrate climate analysis into the transportation 
planning process'' and to ``encourage[ ] transportation agencies to 
consider GHG emissions as part of their performance-based 
decisionmaking . . .'' 81 FR at 23830.
    Additional statutory support for a GHG measure may be found in 23 
U.S.C. 119, which is the program statute referenced in 23 U.S.C. 
150(c)(3). Section 119, enacted by MAP-21, sets forth the purposes of 
the NHPP, eligibilities for NHPP funding, purposes and requirements for 
State performance management (including asset management, significant 
progress and reporting requirements for performance measures), 
Interstate and bridge condition penalty provisions for falling below 
minimum conditions established by the Secretary, and environmental 
mitigation. Under the statute, the purposes of the NHPP include ``to 
provide support for the condition and performance of the [NHS].'' 23 
U.S.C. 119(b). The performance management provisions in 23 U.S.C. 
119(e) call for a performance-driven asset management plan that would 
``support progress toward the achievement of the national goals 
identified in section 150(b).'' The national goals in 23 U.S.C. 150(b) 
include environmental sustainability. The environmental sustainability 
goal is to be achieved by ``enhancing the performance of the 
transportation system while protecting and enhancing the natural 
environment.'' 23 U.S.C. 150(b)(6). By incorporating the environmental 
sustainability goal into 23 U.S.C. 119, the statute affirms 
environmental sustainability as part of the performance of the NHS 
addressed by 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(3). Measures for assessing the 
performance of the NHS for the purpose of carrying out 23 U.S.C. 119 
may include measures furthering the environmental sustainability 
national goal. The GHG performance measure falls within these 
parameters.\37\
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    \37\ Another national goal is congestion reduction (23 U.S.C. 
150(b)(3)). In some cases, reduction in GHGs and congestion 
reduction are linked. For a discussion of the relationship between 
GHG emissions and congestion, see Transportation's Role in Reducing 
U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Volume 1, Synthesis Report, USDOT 
Report to Congress (April 2010) (available as of September 14, 
2016), at http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/assets/Uploads/DOTClimateChangeReport-April2010-Volume1and2.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FHWA agrees with commenters who cited several provisions in 
title 23 (23 U.S.C. 101(b)(3)(G), 134(a)(1), 134(c)(1), 134(h), 
135(d)(1), and 135(d)(2)) in support of FHWA's authority to address GHG 
emissions in this rulemaking. Those provisions identify 
interrelationships among, and in some cases call for action related to, 
environment, energy conservation, infrastructure performance, 
resiliency, and performance-based decisionmaking:


[[Page 5996]]


     23 U.S.C. 101(b)(3)(G) is a transportation policy 
declaration that ``. . . transportation should play a significant 
role in promoting economic growth, improving the environment, and 
sustaining the quality of life . . .''.
     23 U.S.C. 134(a)(1) is a congressional statement of 
transportation planning policy that it is in the national interest 
``. . . to encourage and promote the safe and efficient management, 
operation, and development of surface transportation systems . . . 
while minimizing transportation-related fuel consumption and air 
pollution through metropolitan and statewide transportation planning 
processes identified in this chapter . . .''.
     23 U.S.C. 134(c)(1) requires metropolitan planning 
organizations to develop long range plans and transportation 
improvement programs to achieve the objectives in section 134(a)(1) 
through a performance-driven, outcome-based approach to planning.
     23 U.S.C. 134(h) defines the scope of the metropolitan 
planning process. Paragraphs (h)(1)(E) and (I), respectively, 
require consideration of projects and strategies that will ``. . . 
protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, 
improve the quality of life . . .'' and ``. . . improve the 
resiliency and reliability of the transportation system . . .''.
     23 U.S.C. 135(d)(1) defines the scope of the statewide 
planning process. Paragraphs (d)(1)(E) and (I) respectively, require 
consideration of projects, strategies, and services that will ``. . 
. protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, 
improve the quality of life . . .'', and ``. . . improve the 
resiliency and reliability of the transportation system . . .''.
     23 U.S.C. 135(d)(2) requires the statewide 
transportation planning process to ``. . . provide for the 
establishment and use of a performance-based approach to 
transportation decisionmaking to support the national goals 
described in section 150(b) of this title . . .''.

    In addition to the provisions listed above, the performance-based 
planning requirements in 23 U.S.C. 134(h)(2)(A) mirror the statewide 
provision in 23 U.S.C. 135(d)(2), stating the ``. . . planning process 
shall provide for the establishment and use of a performance-based 
approach to transportation decisionmaking to support the national goals 
described in section 150(b) of this title . . .''.
    Read together, these title 23 provisions make it clear that 
assessing infrastructure performance under 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(3) may 
properly encompass assessment of environmental performance, including 
GHG emissions and other climate-related matters. The fact that other 
Federal agencies have jurisdiction to act on those matters (in this 
case, climate change and GHGs) does not preclude FHWA from taking 
actions to help ensure the Federal-aid Highway Program fulfills its 
statutory objectives in title 23.
    With respect to comments regarding FHWA's authority to establish a 
GHG performance measure pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(5) (CMAQ), FHWA 
agrees such authority exists, but FHWA has chosen to adopt the measure 
under 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(3) (NHPP) because it is more consistent with 
FHWA's view that environmental performance is a key indicator of the 
success of the highway system, and because 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(3) permits 
the application of the measure to the entire NHS. The FHWA also agrees 
with commenters that FHWA has authority to establish performance 
standards pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(1) and that the performance 
standard authority is not subject to the limiting language in 23 U.S.C. 
150(c)(2)(C). However, this rulemaking is for performance measures, and 
FHWA does not believe it would be appropriate to use this rulemaking to 
establish a GHG emissions performance standard for States and MPOs.
Establishing a GHG Performance Measure in This Rulemaking
    Several commenters argued that, should FHWA decide to establish a 
GHG performance measure, it should do so through a separate rulemaking. 
They claimed that the NPRM did not provide sufficient detail about the 
type of measure FHWA might adopt for them to comment on the issue 
meaningfully. The FHWA disagrees. The NPRM clearly signaled that FHWA 
was considering a GHG performance measure, pointed out the substantial 
body of research and guidance that FHWA and others have developed on 
ways to incorporate GHGs into performance-based transportation planning 
and programs, requested comment on a series of questions about whether 
and how to establish a GHG performance measure, and identified a 
preferred approach if a measure was to be adopted. The FHWA received 
many substantive comments in response to these questions, including 
from those who claimed the need for another round of rulemaking. These 
comments included numerous suggestions on how to structure (and not 
structure) a GHG measure. The FHWA relied on these comments to refine 
the measure included in the final rule. The CO2 performance 
measure established in this rule is the same as that described in the 
NPRM and is consistent with elements recommended in several of the 
comments received. The detail and substance of information and 
suggestions received in response to the questions FHWA posed clearly 
show that interested parties were capable of providing, and in fact did 
provide, informed comments regarding the establishment of a GHG 
performance measure.
Discussion of Comments Received in Response to NPRM Questions
a. Should FHWA include a measure that measures Greenhouse Gases (GHG)?
    The FHWA's decision to establish a GHG measure is responsive to 
three major categories of comments:
    (1) Numerous commenters claimed that the set of performance 
measures proposed in the NPRM was too narrowly focused on the speed of 
vehicles moving through the system, to the detriment of other key 
aspects of system performance such as environmental performance, and 
the ability of people to reach a variety of destinations conveniently 
and affordably by multiple modes.\38\ The FHWA agrees that as sound 
policy, the set of national performance measures must cover multiple 
key aspects of performance, otherwise decisionmaking may not properly 
take into account important aspects of performance. In response, this 
final rule includes measures on GHG emissions and modal share and 
consolidates NPRM measures stakeholders perceived as duplicative.
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    \38\ See comments from New York State DOT, Nelson Nygaard, 
Sierra Club, Utah DOT, Association of Metropolitan Planning 
Organizations (AMPO), and the National Association of Regional 
Councils (NARC), as well as citizen letter campaigns sponsored by 
Transportation for America and Smart Growth America.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (2) Multiple commenters noted that a GHG measure would provide 
decisionmakers with better information about the transportation 
system's GHG emissions and a means for measuring progress. The State 
DOTs from California, Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota, Oregon, 
Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington submitted a joint 
letter supporting the creation of a measure specific to GHG emissions 
from the transportation sector. The National Association for Clean Air 
Agencies noted that performance measures create transparency and help 
policy makers to determine how their goals are most likely to be 
achieved. The FHWA agrees with these comments.
    (3) Numerous commenters \39\ argued that a GHG measure should be 
implemented because policies to reduce GHG pollution from 
transportation are essential to minimize the impacts from climate 
change, which include sea level rise and increased frequency and

[[Page 5997]]

severity of heat waves and heavy downpours that threaten human health, 
agriculture, the economy, and transportation.\40\ Reports from FHWA and 
the National Academy of Sciences detail negative impacts of climate 
change on the NHS.\41\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \39\ See for instance comments from Center for Neighborhood 
Technology, Natural Resources Defense Council, U.S. Public Interest 
Research Group.
    \40\ United States Government, National Climate Assessment, 
2014. http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/.
    \41\ U.S. Department of Transportation, Gulf Coast Study Phases 
I and II, 2008 and 2015. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/adaptation/ongoing_and_current_research/gulf_coast_study/.
    Federal Highway Administration, Climate Resilience Pilot 
Program: Outcomes, Lessons Learned, and Recommendations, 2016. 
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/adaptation/resilience_pilots/2013-2015_pilots/final_report/.
    The Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of 
Sciences, The Potential Impacts of Climate Change on US 
Transportation, 2008. http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/156825.aspx.
    Impacts include increases in flooding damaging roadways and 
disrupting travel, increases in heat waves degrading materials and 
impacting worker health and productivity, permafrost melt 
destabilizing roadways, changes in precipitation patterns leading to 
more landslides, drought conditions causing soil shrinkage and 
pavement cracking, as well as increased susceptibility to wildfires, 
causing road closures. Climate change increases the frequency and/or 
intensity of many extreme weather events that damage or disrupt 
transportation. Scenarios with lower greenhouse gas emissions in the 
future show lower negative impacts on the transportation system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FHWA agrees with these comments. Greenhouse gas emissions from 
the transportation sector recently surpassed those from electricity 
generation, making transportation the largest source of GHG emissions 
in the U.S.\42\ After decades of rapid increases, U.S. transportation 
carbon emissions are projected to remain relatively flat in the future, 
as future increases in freight and passenger travel are counterbalanced 
by stricter fuel economy standards for light-duty vehicles and new 
standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.\43\ Significantly 
greater reductions in transportation GHG emissions are needed to meet 
the near-term target of 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 and 
long-term trajectories of 80 percent or more by 2050 which would be 
consistent with the U.S. Midcentury Strategy for Deep Decarbonization 
and consistent with the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement.\44\ 
Achieving CO2 reductions of this magnitude will require 
actions such as reducing the growth in future travel activity and 
improving system efficiency, which are influenced by the planning 
activities and investment decisions of State DOTs and MPOs. A GHG 
measure emerged as a leading candidate for measuring the environmental 
aspect of the performance of the highway system during FHWA and 
stakeholder discussions in 2009.\45\ Subsequently, FHWA initiated a 
research project to investigate GHG measures that would align with 
performance-based planning and programming, as well as how State DOTs 
and MPOs could go about implementing such a measure. A number of FHWA 
stakeholders served on the expert panel that provided input into the 
development of the resulting research report, A Performance-Based 
Approach to Addressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Transportation 
Planning.\46\
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    \42\ U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Agency (EIA), 
http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/.
    \43\ U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Agency (EIA), 
Annual Energy Outlook, 2016. http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/tables_ref.cfm.
    \44\ U.S. Government, ``Fact Sheet: U.S. Reports its 2025 
Emissions Target to the UNFCCC,'' March 2015. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/31/fact-sheet-us-reports-its-2025-emissions-target-unfccc.
    U.S. Government, ``U.S. Mid-Century Strategy for Deep 
Decarbonization,'' November 4, 2016. https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/mid_century_strategy_report-final.pdf.
    \45\ American Association of State Highway and Transportation 
Officials (AASHTO) Standing Committee on Performance Management 
(SCOPM), ``Meeting Minutes,'' October 23, 2009. http://scopm.transportation.org/Documents/Minutesof10.09SCOPMMeeting.doc.
    \46\ FHWA, A Performance-Based Approach to Addressing Greenhouse 
Gas Emissions through Transportation Planning, December 2013, 
Acknowledgements section of report front matter. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation/publications/ghg_planning/ghg_planning.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FHWA disagrees with commenters that argued that FHWA should not 
include a GHG measure because they felt that State DOTs and MPOs have 
insufficient ability to impact GHG emissions. State DOTs and MPO 
recipients of Federal transportation funds have control or influence 
over many strategies that impact transportation GHG emissions. These 
strategies can be divided into four major groups: \47\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \47\ U.S. Department of Transportation, Report to Congress: 
Transportation's Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 
2010.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (1) System efficiency. These strategies optimize the operation, 
use, and maintenance of transportation networks, which in turn reduce 
GHG emissions per unit of travel. Relevant strategies include speed 
harmonization, speed limit reduction and enforcement, ramp metering, 
incident management, traveler information, traffic signal timing 
optimization, bottleneck relief, anti-idling ordinances, congestion 
pricing, and the improvement in freight intermodal connections.
    (2) Reducing the growth in VMT. These strategies reduce the need to 
travel, increase vehicle occupancies, and shift travel to more energy 
efficient options. Relevant strategies include integrated 
transportation and land use planning in coordination with local 
governments, public transportation and non-motorized transportation 
improvements and incentives, car sharing, employer-based strategies 
(such as telework), parking management and pricing, road pricing, and 
pay-as-you drive insurance.
    (3) Promoting alternative fuel vehicles. State DOTs and MPOs can 
help plan for the siting and deployment of electric vehicle charging 
stations, designate and promote alternative fuel corridors, promote 
workplace charging initiatives, and promote adoption of alternative 
vehicles within agency and private fleets.
    (4) Increasing vehicle fuel efficiency. State DOTs and MPOs can 
help bring to market higher efficiency vehicles and improve the 
performance of in-use vehicles. Relevant strategies include scrappage 
programs for low-mileage vehicles, feebates, heavy-duty vehicle 
retrofits, truck stop electrification, and eco-driver education and 
training.
    The FHWA disagrees with the American Petroleum Institute, which 
suggested that FHWA should not include a performance measure on GHG 
because transportation GHG emissions are regulated by fuel economy 
standards. Continued growth in VMT is expected to counterbalance 
improvements in fuel economy, and as such, fuel economy standards alone 
are insufficient to reach GHG goals.
    To allay some of the burden concerns raised by those arguing 
against a GHG emissions measure, FHWA has chosen a measure that relies 
on existing data and is straightforward to calculate. Limiting the 
measure to CO2 simplifies calculations (since unlike the 
other GHGs, it is emitted in direct proportion to the amount of fuel 
burned), while still capturing 95 percent of transportation GHGs.\48\ 
Limiting the measure to on-road emissions rather than full life cycle 
also simplifies analysis. The overall burden on State DOTs and MPOs is 
further reduced in the final rule by the elimination of the two NHPP 
peak hour performance measures and the truck congestion measure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \48\ U.S. Department of Transportation, Report to Congress: 
Transportation's Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 
2010. The other greenhouse gases from transportation are 
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), methane (CH4) and nitrous 
oxide (N2O).

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[[Page 5998]]

Should the measure address all on-road mobile sources or focus only on 
a particular vehicle type?
    All of the commenters who responded to this question favored a 
measure that addressed all on-road mobile sources. The FHWA agrees. 
This approach allows for a more comprehensive picture of the 
transportation system's contribution to emissions, from passenger 
vehicles to freight movement.
b. Should the measure be normalized by changes in population, economic 
activity, or other factors (e.g., per capita or per unit of gross state 
product)?
    Multiple commenters suggested that the measure examine both total 
emissions and be normalized by changes in population. Total emissions 
will need to be reduced to achieve GHG reduction goals; normalizing on 
a per capita basis acknowledges the fact that many States and regions 
are experiencing significant population growth. In addition to 
normalizing by population, the Texas DOT suggested normalizing by gross 
State product, port activity, State land mass, and consideration of the 
current built environment. Another commenter noted that a GHG 
performance measure indexed to gross State product or other economic 
indicators could rise or fall quickly based on economic trends that are 
difficult to predict, limiting its value in decisionmaking.
    The FHWA decided a total on-road CO2 measure (limited to 
travel on the NHS) is the best option. It makes assessment of progress 
toward performance management targets and national U.S. goals 
relatively easy. In contrast, CO2 per capita could be 
decreasing while total on-road CO2 is still increasing, 
failing to provide the total emissions data needed to understand and 
measure the performance goal of environmental sustainability.
    The FHWA notes that State DOTs and MPOs have discretion to use 
additional performance measures and may wish to normalize 
CO2 by total population as an additional useful indicator in 
their analyses. An FHWA research project identified light-duty vehicle 
CO2 emissions per capita as a helpful additional measure to 
combine with the total on-road emissions measure. The research project 
report also includes information on data sources and methodologies.\49\
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    \49\ FHWA, A Performance-Based Approach to Addressing Greenhouse 
Gas Emissions through Transportation Planning, December 2013.
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c. Should the measure be limited to emissions coming from the tailpipe, 
or should it consider emissions generated upstream in the life cycle of 
the vehicle operations (e.g., emissions from the extraction/refining of 
petroleum products and the emissions from power plants to provide power 
for electric vehicles)?
    Some commenters, including most of the MPO and State DOT 
commenters, recommended that the measure focus solely on tailpipe 
emissions, noting that tailpipes are the largest source of 
transportation emissions. These commenters noted that upstream fuel 
cycle emissions are more difficult to calculate and are largely outside 
the control of the transportation agency.
    Others, including the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Natural 
Resource Defense Council, the National Association for City 
Transportation Officials, and the New York City DOT recommended that 
the performance measure include emissions generated upstream.
    Several commenters, including the Sabin Center for Climate Change 
Law and the CMAP, recommended an intermediate approach to account for 
the electricity used to power electric vehicles.
    After considering these comments and balancing the factors, FHWA 
decided to limit the measure to on-road CO2 emissions for 
reasons of focus and simplicity.
    One difficulty with upstream emissions from petroleum extraction 
and refining is they vary by where and how the fuel is extracted. An 
option is to use the national average adjustment factor of 27 percent 
to account for the upstream fuel-cycle emissions.50 51 52 
This methodology can be helpful for understanding transportation's 
overall contribution to GHG emissions, but does not add value as a 
measure of State or MPO performance. Adjustments based on the national 
average fail to provide the type of differentiated information needed 
to capture the outcomes of State and MPO actions. A measure focused on 
tailpipe emissions simplifies the calculations and provides the type of 
specific information helpful to States and MPOs as they determine what 
measures to adopt to influence GHG outcomes.
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    \50\ The U.S. EPA published estimates of fuel-cycle greenhouse 
gas emissions in ``Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the U.S. 
Transportation Sector, 1990-2003.'' \1\ The U.S. EPA calculated a 
national average adjustment factor of 1.27 (or 27 percent).
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    The FHWA considered the comments supporting a measure that captures 
upstream emissions from electric cars, but declines to do so at this 
time because of the complexity it would add to the measure. Upstream 
emissions from electricity are more difficult to calculate because one 
must estimate the level of electricity consumed by electric vehicles. 
These data are not tracked separately and generally are estimated based 
on electric vehicle registration data. In addition, excluding upstream 
electricity emissions will preserve the rule's focus on on-road 
emissions. While FHWA has decided to exclude upstream emissions from 
the GHG measure in this rule, research indicates electric vehicles 
typically produce lower lifecycle GHG emissions than the average 
gasoline-based vehicle, even when using electricity from the highest 
carbon U.S. electricity grids.\51 52\ Transportation agency actions to 
encourage electric vehicle use (such as deployment of charging 
infrastructure, preferred use of High Occupancy Vehicle/express lanes 
for electric vehicles, etc.) will result in reduced overall 
CO2 emissions as well as reduced CO2 emissions in 
the tailpipe measure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \51\ Union of Concerned Scientists, Cleaner Cars from Cradle to 
Grave, 2015. http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/electric-vehicles/life-cycle-ev-emissions#.V_Ug2E2V_ct.
    \52\ Department of Energy, Emissions from Hybrid and Plug-in 
Vehicles, 2016. http://www.afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/electric_emissions.php.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    State DOTs may voluntarily report additional measures of 
CO2 performance, in addition to their baseline requirement. 
These additional measures, or variations, could include metrics for 
electric vehicle emissions, VMT-based estimates, and/or per capita 
emissions, among other options to test innovative reporting options. 
The FHWA's online reporting portal allows the State to attach 
supplemental information at their discretion.
d. Should the measure include non-road sources, such as construction 
and maintenance activities associated with Title 23 projects?
    Several commenters, including the Georgia and Minnesota DOTs, 
Denver Regional Council of Governments, and the San Francisco Municipal 
Transportation Agency, recommended that the measure be limited to 
tailpipe emissions. These commenters said that tailpipe emissions make 
up the majority of transportation emissions and that construction and 
maintenance emissions are more difficult to calculate. Other commenters 
recommended that tracking emissions from construction and maintenance 
of highway projects is desirable, but that emissions from

[[Page 5999]]

facility use (i.e., tailpipe emissions) warrant the largest share of 
attention and analysis.
    The FHWA agrees with commenters that the measure should be limited 
to tailpipe emissions. Accordingly, construction and maintenance 
emissions are not included in the CO2 emissions measure 
because of the complexity and burden it would add to the measure. The 
level of construction and maintenance emissions varies year to year 
based on project cycles. This means that grouping them with on-road 
vehicle emissions in a single performance measure would make it more 
difficult to analyze trends and ascertain progress. A separate measure 
for construction and maintenance CO2 emissions may be 
helpful, but FHWA is not adopting such additional measure in this 
rulemaking. The FHWA wishes to limit the performance management burden 
on State DOTs and MPOs by, in part, limiting the number of performance 
measures adopted in this rulemaking.
    However, FHWA encourages State DOTs and MPOs efforts to track and 
reduce construction and maintenance CO2 emissions. One tool 
for this is FHWA's Infrastructure Carbon Estimator (ICE) \53\ tool. 
These emissions can be included in other CO2 
emissions analyses that agencies may be conducting during 
the transportation planning process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \53\ FHWA, Infrastructure Carbon Estimator, http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation/tools/carbon_estimator/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

e. Should State-level CO2 emissions be estimated based on 
gasoline and diesel fuel sales, system use (vehicle miles traveled 
[VMT]), or other surrogates?
    Several commenters, including the DOTs of California, Colorado, 
Delaware, Virginia, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Wisconsin, and 
Minnesota, recommended that, at least in the short term, the measure 
should use fuel sales data to calculate CO2 emissions. They 
noted that CO2 is emitted in direct proportion to the amount 
of fuel burned and that States already report fuel sales data to FHWA. 
However, commenters noted some disadvantages of using fuel sales data: 
It is not available at finer geographic scales, such as the 
metropolitan level, and there are boundary issues with fuel purchased 
in one State but combusted in another State or region.
    Other commenters, including the Georgia DOT, Denver Regional 
Council of Governments, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, and the 
Center for Neighborhood Technology, recommended that the measure should 
use VMT as the basis for estimating CO2 emissions. They 
stated that using VMT data from travel demand models combined with the 
EPA MOVES \54\ model to estimate CO2 emissions based on 
travel distances, speeds, and operating conditions provide an accurate 
picture of on-road CO2 emissions in a State or region. In 
addition to calculating current emissions, this type of analysis is 
also helpful in understanding how State DOT and MPO investment 
decisions and policies, such as adding proposed new lane miles, can 
influence future CO2 emissions by altering inputs to the 
travel demand model. The commenters acknowledged, however, that many 
State DOTs and MPOs lack the modeling expertise and quality data needed 
to use a method that relies on a travel demand model in combination 
with MOVES.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \54\ The Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) is EPA's 
official model for estimating emissions from cars, trucks and 
motorcycles. http://www.epa.gov/otaq/models/moves/index.htm.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FHWA decided that for calculating the CO2 emissions 
performance measure, States will use a methodology that relies on fuel 
sales volumes. This method is simple, accurate, and relies on data that 
States already report to the agency. Commenters pointed out a fuel-
based measure would have minimal implementation costs as compared to a 
VMT-based measure, which would require transportation agencies to 
dedicate staff to the effort and incur new ongoing costs.
    Fuel-based methods typically rely on estimates of fuel sales and 
directly convert fuel use estimates into CO2 emissions 
estimates based on the carbon content of each fuel. The basic equation 
for estimating CO2 emissions using fuel sales is:

Fuel Consumed x CO2 emissions per unit of fuel = CO2 Emissions

The CO2 emissions factor depends on the fuel type (e.g., 
motor gasoline, diesel).

    The VMT-based methods rely on quantifying the amount of vehicle 
travel and then connecting this information to an estimate of 
CO2 emissions using emission factors or an emissions model. 
The basic equation for estimating emissions using VMT is:

VMT x CO2 per VMT = CO2 Emissions

However, to achieve an accurate picture and assess improvements, the 
process would have to use different emissions factors (typically 
presented in grams of CO2 per mile) for different vehicle 
types, classes within vehicle types, technology/fuels types, speeds, 
and operating conditions.

    For the GHG performance measure, State DOTs must use the fuel sales 
methodology for calculating State on-road CO2 on the NHS. 
However, in addition to the baseline requirement for State DOTs to 
report on-road CO2 on the NHS using a fuel sales 
methodology, State DOTs may voluntarily report CO2 emissions 
using alternative methods, such as VMT based methods. State DOTs would 
attach this as supplemental information in FHWA's online reporting 
portal.
    For metropolitan planning areas, MPOs and State DOTs are granted 
flexibility in how they calculate the required CO2 
performance measure. The FHWA adopted these different approaches 
because of: (1) The lack of data available on fuels sales at the 
metropolitan planning area level and (2) the need to ensure one 
consistent method for State DOT measures in order to understand 
national performance trends and to allow for a consistent approach to 
progress determinations.
    Methodologies available for calculating on-road NHS CO2 
emissions for metropolitan planning area include (in order of level of 
effort):
    Fuel-based Methods:
    If fuel sales volumes are available at the metropolitan planning 
area level, MPOs may use the same fuel-based method as outlined for the 
State DOTs (fuel volumes multiplied by emissions factors). The 
strengths of this method are that it is simple and consistent with the 
State method. There are limitations to this method. Fuel sales data are 
not usually available at the metropolitan planning area level. Also, 
fuel sales may not match well with actual travel activity in smaller 
geographic areas, as drivers may purchase fuel in one area and use it 
in another area. This is much more of a concern at the metropolitan 
planning area level than the State level since the metropolitan 
planning area is a smaller geographic unit.
    Another option is for MPOs to allocate GHG emissions based on 
metropolitan planning area share of NHS VMT. This is done by 
multiplying the statewide NHS on-road CO2 emissions by the 
percent of the State's NHS travel that occurs within the MPA. The 
strengths of this method are that it is simple, providing a rough 
estimate of the metropolitan planning area share of CO2 
emissions. However, this method does not account for differences 
between metropolitan areas and between metropolitan and rural areas in 
vehicle fleets, speeds, and operating

[[Page 6000]]

conditions. It will not accurately capture some types of strategies 
that the MPO may use to reduce CO2 emissions, such as 
traffic smoothing with roundabouts or advanced signal timing.
    VMT-based Methods:
    The MPOs may use VMT from HPMS and national average emissions 
factors per mile of travel. The strengths of this method are that it is 
simple and well-geared toward areas without network travel models. In 
addition, FHWA will provide emissions look-up tables by types of 
facilities and speed ranges reflecting national averages. The main 
limitation is that it does not account for the range of factors that 
vary in different locations and impact fuel consumption per mile of 
travel (and consequently CO2 emissions per mile of travel), 
such as vehicle fleet composition, and operating conditions.
    The MPOs also may use VMT from travel demand models combined with 
MOVES.\55\ The strengths of this method include that MPOs in air 
quality nonattainment and maintenance areas are already conducting this 
analysis and can include CO2 emissions in the MOVES output 
without additional effort. It provides robust and granular information 
on emissions. In addition to estimating current emissions, it is also 
well suited to support target-setting and analyze impacts of different 
transportation investment strategies on future emissions. However, some 
travel demand models are not sensitive to some CO2 emissions 
reduction strategies such as the implementation of intelligent 
transportation system (ITS) strategies and operational improvements, 
the provision of pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure, and mixed use 
development. For areas not already using MOVES, MPOs will need to 
assemble local data or rely on default data, (relying on default data 
reduces accuracy). Areas not already using MOVES will need to become 
familiar with how to use the tool. Information on MOVES training is 
available on EPA's MOVES Web page: https://www.epa.gov/moves/moves-training-sessions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \55\ Or EMFAC in California.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A third option is FHWA's Energy and Emissions Reduction Policy 
Analysis Tool (EERPAT). The EERPAT is an integrated modeling system 
designed specifically to evaluate strategies for reducing surface 
transportation GHG emissions. It uses emissions factors from MOVES. 
There are several strengths to this method. In addition to estimating 
current emissions, EERPAT is also well suited to target-setting and 
analyzing impacts of different transportation investment strategies on 
future emissions. It is sensitive to a number of strategies that are 
difficult to analyze using travel demand models, such as mixed use 
development, car sharing and provision of non-motorized infrastructure. 
The EERPAT can evaluate future changes in land use and is sensitive to 
external changes in the price of fuel. It can incorporate changes in 
vehicle technology, including the rebound effect from lower per-mile 
travel costs. It can be used to assess the overlapping effects of 
strategies applied in combination. The limitations of this method 
include the large number of model inputs required, some of which may be 
difficult to obtain. The EERPAT does not include a detailed 
representation of the transportation network, and has limited 
sensitivity to the impact of additional roadway and transit capacity.
    The FHWA's Handbook for Estimating Transportation Greenhouse Gases 
for Integration into the Planning Process provides step-by-step 
instructions on how to use these methods, as well as information on 
strengths and limitations of each. If MPOs have the technical capacity 
to use MOVES or EERPAT, FHWA encourages them to do so since they are 
more accurate.
f. Due to the nature of CO2 emissions (e.g., geographic 
scope and cumulative effects) and their relationship to climate change 
effects across all parts of the country, should the measure apply to 
all States and MPOs? Are there any criteria that would limit the 
applicability to only a portion of the States or MPOs?
    Nearly all commenters agreed that if a GHG measure were 
established, it should apply nationwide to all State DOTs and MPOs 
since all GHG emissions have the same impact on climate no matter where 
they are generated. The Air Pollution Control Division of the Colorado 
Department of Public Health and Environment recommended measuring 
performance on a statewide basis, not locally or regionally. The 
California DOT recommended that the measure apply and be reported by 
all States and that MPOs be encouraged to participate in target-setting 
discussions. Similarly, the North Front Range MPO suggested that the 
role of MPOs be limited to participating with State DOTs in target 
setting and development of reduction strategies.
    A building materials firm, CEMEX, suggested that efforts should 
focus on the roads with the most traffic and trucks, namely the NHS.
    After considering the comments received, FHWA decided that the 
measure should apply to the NHS in all States and MPOs. The measure is 
limited to CO2 emissions on the NHS since the measure is to 
assess the performance of the NHS, per 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(3)(A)(ii)(IV) 
and (V). Existing data do not differentiate the exact volumes of fuel 
burned on the NHS versus the volume of fuels burned on other roads. 
Therefore, States will use VMT data to calculate the portion of travel 
that occurs on the NHS versus other roads and use that proportion to 
estimate the proportion of CO2 emissions on the NHS.\56\ 
Table VM-3 Federal-Aid Highway Travel (Annual Vehicle-Miles), found in 
FHWA's Highway Statistics, supplies the needed VMT information.\57\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \56\ The FHWA recognizes that this is not a perfect proxy, as 
speeds, operating conditions, and vehicle types on the NHS differ 
from those on other roads and differ between States. However, in 
balancing the competing goals of simplicity and precision, FHWA 
believes that this approach provides actionable information that 
DOTs and MPOs can use in evaluating system performance and making 
decisions, without significantly increasing workloads.
    \57\ Available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics.cfm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

g. Would a performance measure on CO2 emissions help to 
improve transparency and to realign incentives such that State DOTs and 
MPOs are better positioned to meet national climate change goals?
    Several commenters noted that a CO2 performance measure 
would help transportation agencies examine trends and analyze the 
effectiveness of strategies in achieving their goals. They also noted 
that it would create transparency, allowing stakeholders and the public 
to see what goals are being set, how they are being pursued, and the 
results the measure produced. The State DOTs of California, Colorado, 
Delaware, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Vermont, and 
Washington recommended that FHWA work with States to develop a national 
climate change goal for transportation that aligns with the Paris 
Climate Change Agreement. These DOTs suggested that States should use a 
CO2 performance measure to drive decisions that help to meet 
or exceed the national goals under that agreement.
    The Georgia DOT noted that the performance measure's effect on 
transparency would depend on the transparency and complexity of the 
measure itself and the associated reporting requirements. A GHG measure 
could help align incentives with national climate change goals, but 
would be an additional factor to

[[Page 6001]]

consider in the tradeoff analysis conducted under a performance-based 
planning and programming approach.
    The FHWA agrees with these comments. The CO2 performance 
measure adopted in this rule can serve to advance the environmental 
performance of the NHS as well as to drive decisions that contribute to 
national GHG reduction goals, such as those described in the 
President's Climate Action Plan.\58\ The simplicity of the GHG 
performance measure and the reporting requirements will make it easier 
for States and MPOs to administer the measure and their targets, and to 
incorporate reduction strategies into their planning process and 
investment decisions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \58\ Executive Office of the President, The President's Climate 
Action Plan, June 2013. https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/image/president27sclimateactionplan.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Texas DOT suggested that any GHG emission reduction that State 
DOTs or MPOs could achieve would be small compared to the overall level 
of emissions. The FHWA notes that climate change results from the 
incremental addition of GHG emissions from millions of individual 
sources, which collectively have a large impact on a global scale. The 
totality of climate change impacts is not attributable to any single 
action, but is exacerbated by a series of actions, including actions 
taken under the Federal-aid Highway Program. Therefore, a statement 
that emissions from a proposed action represent only a small fraction 
of global emissions is essentially a statement about the nature of the 
climate change challenge \59\ and is not an appropriate basis for 
deciding whether or to what extent to consider CO2 emissions 
from transportation in the performance management framework.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \59\ Council on Environmental Quality, Final Guidance for 
Federal Department and Agencies on Consideration of Greenhouse Gas 
Emissions and the Effects of Climate Change in National 
Environmental Policy Act Reviews, 2016. https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/documents/nepa_final_ghg_guidance.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Publicly-available FHWA reports provide detailed guidance on how 
State DOTs and MPOs can include GHG emissions measures in performance 
management and how to estimate emissions levels.\60\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \60\ FHWA, A Performance-Based Approach to Addressing Greenhouse 
Gas Emissions through Transportation Planning, December 2013, 
Acknowledgements section of report front matter. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation/publications/ghg_planning/ghg_planning.pdf.
    FHWA, Handbook for Estimating Transportation Greenhouse Gases 
for Integration into the Planning Process, 2013. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation/publications/ghg_handbook/ghghandbook.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

h. The target establishment framework proposed in this rulemaking 
requires that State DOTs and MPOs would establish 2 and 4 year targets 
that lead to longer term performance expectations documented in longer 
range plans. Is this framework appropriate for a CO2 
emissions measure?
    Several commenters, including the California, Minnesota, and 
Washington DOTs, and the North Front Range MPO, recommended that the 
measure have 4- and 20-year targets. These commenters suggested that a 
2-year target may be too short to demonstrate significant changes to 
statewide CO2 emissions. They said that a 4-year, short-term 
target would align the CO2 measure with other national 
system performance measures and the 20-year long-term CO2 
performance target would align with the long-range planning timeline.
    Some commenters suggested targets align with other processes, such 
as the timing cycles for transportation improvement programs (TIPs) (4 
years), long range transportation plans (20 years), and air quality 
conformity analyses.
    The FHWA decided that making the CO2 measure consistent 
with the other NHPP performance measures would ease and streamline 
implementation. Even though a 2-year target is a very short timeframe, 
it can indicate progress toward a longer term goal and can reflect 
short-term actions such as operational improvements. Consistent with 
the other performance measures, for the CO2 measure, State 
DOTs must establish both 2- and 4-year targets. The MPOs are subject 
only to a 4-year target-setting requirement for CO2 
emissions and MPOs must either:

     Agree to plan and program projects so that the projects 
contribute toward the accomplishment of the relevant State DOT 
target for the performance measure; or
     Commit to a quantifiable 4-year target for the 
performance measure for their metropolitan planning area.

    In making this decision, FHWA does not discount the role of 
statewide and metropolitan long range transportation plans in 
performance management. These long range plans (20 years or more) 
include long-term expectations for the performance measures. The 
longer-term performance expectations are particularly important for 
CO2 emissions as many reduction strategies, such as 
integrated land use and transportation planning or provision of new 
public transit systems, take years to implement or show impacts.
    The FHWA also notes that the planning regulations relate directly 
to the performance management regulations. The long range (20-year) 
transportation plans must include the required performance measures and 
targets (including for CO2) and a system performance report 
that evaluates the condition and performance of the transportation 
system with respect to the performance targets. The short term (4-year) 
programming STIPs and TIPs must include a discussion of the anticipated 
effect of the STIP and TIP toward achieving the performance targets in 
the long range transportation plans. And for MPOs, the TIP must be 
designed such that once implemented, it makes progress toward achieving 
the performance targets in the long range plan.
    The relevant regulatory sections are:

     23 CFR 450.216(f)(1) and (2) and 450.324(f)(3) and (4) 
require that the long-range statewide transportation plan and the 
metropolitan transportation plans include a description of the 
performance measures and performance targets used in assessing the 
performance of the transportation system and that they also include 
a system performance report evaluating the condition and performance 
of the transportation system with respect to the performance 
targets.
     23 CFR 450.218(q) and 450.326(d) require that the STIP 
and TIP shall include, to the maximum extent practicable, a 
discussion of the anticipated effect of the STIP and the TIP toward 
achieving the performance targets in the long-range statewide 
transportation plan and the metropolitan transportation plans. Also, 
Sec.  450.326(c) requires that the TIP shall be designed such that 
once implemented, it makes progress toward achieving the performance 
targets in the metropolitan transportation plan.

    State DOTs and MPOs both have substantial flexibility in choosing 
targets. As with other performance targets for the performance 
management measures, targets are generally established based both on 
policy aspirations and on analysis indicating what is believed to be 
attainable. As such, when establishing their CO2 emissions 
targets, State DOT and MPO considerations likely would include these 
three factors:
    (1) Projections of business-as-usual future CO2 
emissions. The U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Agency 
(EIA) provides projections taking into account Federal fuel economy 
standards and current VMT projections. Some States have revenue 
forecasting models that project future fuel sales that can be used to 
project future emissions levels.
    (2) Policy goals. Twenty States have State-specific GHG emission 
reduction targets from statewide climate action

[[Page 6002]]

plans and/or State legislation.\61\ The U.S. has committed to reduce 
GHG emissions 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 and 80 percent 
or more by 2050.\62\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \61\ FHWA, Handbook for Estimating Transportation Greenhouse 
Gases for Integration into the Planning Process, 2013.
    \62\ U.S. Government, ``Fact Sheet: U.S. Reports its 2025 
Emissions Target to the UNFCCC,'' March 2015. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/31/fact-sheet-us-reports-its-2025-emissions-target-unfccc.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (3) Analysis of what is attainable. For the purposes of target-
setting, analyses of the potential effectiveness of various strategies 
may vary in level of effort and technical capabilities required. 
Options for analysis include:

     Using published information on the approximate 
magnitude of emissions reduction that can be expected from different 
strategies. The FHWA's Reference Sourcebook for Reducing GHG 
Emissions from Transportation Sources \63\ provides ranges of 
emission reductions as well as costs, barriers to implementation, 
example projects, and co-benefits.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \63\ Available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation/publications/reference_sourcebook/index.cfm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Using sketch planning or scenario planning tools.
     Using VMT from travel demand models and MOVES.
     Using EERPAT, FHWA's integrated modeling system 
designed specifically to evaluate strategies for reducing surface 
transportation GHG emissions.

    Note that while the rule requires State DOTs to use the fuel sales-
based method for calculating past year CO2 for national 
consistency reasons, they may use any variety of analytical methods for 
target-establishment. In fact, while fuel-sales methods are simpler and 
more accurate for calculating past CO2, VMT-based methods 
will generally be more helpful in projecting future emissions and 
analyzing reduction strategies. This is because VMT-based forecasting 
methods can model changes in transportation demand resulting from 
various strategies.
i. Should short term targets be a reflection of improvements from a 
baseline (e.g., percent reduction in CO2 emissions) or an 
absolute value?
    Many commenters recommended that targets be expressed as a percent 
change from a certain year. They indicated it may be difficult to grasp 
the meaning of an absolute number of metric tons of CO2. In 
contrast, decisionmakers and the public can more easily interpret a 
percent change and understand how it relates to existing State, 
national, and international GHG goals. It is common practice to express 
GHG goals as a percent reduction. The State DOTs of California, 
Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Vermont, 
and Washington recommended expressing the targets as percent reduction 
below a 2005 reference year to be consistent with the U.S. GHG 
reduction goals established under the Paris Climate Change Agreement. 
The Atlanta Regional Council suggested that CO2 targets be 
expressed as percent reductions below what would be achieved from fuel 
economy standards alone.
    The FHWA decided that the measure will be expressed as a percent 
change from 2017 NHS on-road CO2 levels. The FHWA agreed 
with commenters that a percent change provides more meaning and context 
to decisionmakers and the public than a certain number of metric tons 
of CO2. The FHWA agreed with commenters that a 2005 baseline 
would be in line with national goals. However, the size of the NHS 
materially changed after 2005 due to reclassification of roadways under 
MAP-21. The changes to the NHS, which began in 2012 and have continued 
in some States, are expected to stabilize by 2017. Using the 2017 
reference date avoids the type of significant data adjustment that 
would be needed if 2005 were used as the reference date. Using 2017 as 
the reference date for the GHG measure also makes the starting point 
for the GHG measure more compatible with the first baseline year used 
in other measures.
j. What data sources and tools are readily available or are needed to 
track and report CO2 emissions from on-road sources? What 
tools are needed to help transportation agencies establish targets for 
a CO2 emission measure?
    Commenters noted several data sources and tools are readily 
available:

     Annual fuel sales volumes by State;
     EIA data on CO2 emissions per gallon of 
fuel;
     VMT data in HPMS;
     CO2 emissions per mile of travel based on 
vehicle type, speed, and operating conditions available in EPA MOVES 
model \64\;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \64\ Or EMFAC in California.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Fleet composition from vehicle registration records; 
and
     Argonne National Laboratory's national Vision model and 
California's Vision model, which allow States to evaluate vehicle 
technology, fuel, and efficiency scenarios for meeting air quality 
and climate goals.
    Commenters also noted that the following tools and resources 
would be helpful:
     Tools and procedures to estimate GHG emissions and 
establish targets that are aligned with existing tools States and 
MPOs use in the planning process.
     Tools pre-populated with emissions factors.
     Tools to determine CO2 targets and 
understand the probable efficacy of potential emission reduction 
strategies.
     New air quality calculators that incorporate GHG 
emissions or revised existing calculators that include GHG 
emissions.
     Tools that would enable agencies to measure tailpipe 
CO2 emissions based on system use, including:
    [cir] Enhanced travel demand models for areas not sufficiently 
covered by existing models and new models that show the synergistic 
relationship between transportation and land use.
    [cir] Assistance developing MOVES inputs and running MOVES.
    [cir] Estimates of ``business as usual'' emissions in target 
years.

    The FHWA has developed a series of tools and resources to assist 
State DOTs and MPOs in developing and evaluating effective GHG 
emissions reduction strategies. More information is available at: 
www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation/. The FHWA will 
continue to update tools and provide technical assistance. To minimize 
workloads, FHWA will provide on its Web site the CO2 per 
gallon of fuel for all of the common motor fuels. In addition, FHWA 
will provide look-up tables with national averages of grams of 
CO2 per VMT for different speeds for the national average 
vehicle fleet.
    The FHWA recognizes that the measure of CO2 emissions 
chosen here--the percent change in tailpipe CO2 emissions on 
the NHS compared to the Calendar Year 2017 level--is imperfect. Data is 
not available to directly measure this, so we have chosen to measure 
this indirectly by calculating fuel sales and multiplying the 
associated CO2 emissions by the proportion of VMT that takes 
place on the NHS. This method results in a measure that is only 
partially affected by projects that reduce emissions on the NHS. For 
example, if there is a significant downturn in the economy and people 
choose to drive less, this would result in a reduction in the measure. 
If people choose to drive the same amount, but shift some of their 
driving to non-NHS roads, this would also result in a reduction in the 
measure. If gas prices fall temporarily and people drive more, this 
would result in an increase in the measure. In addition, the measure 
does not take account of upstream emissions, so if people shift to EVs, 
the higher upstream emissions associated with this would not be 
captured. For these reasons, FHWA will, in the future, re-evaluate this 
measure and consider whether data are available to more directly 
measure emissions effects of NHS projects

[[Page 6003]]

undertaken by States or MPOs. If more direct data sources are 
developed, FHWA may consider revising this measure.
k. How long would it take for transportation agencies to implement such 
a measure?
    Several commenters, including the State DOTs of California, 
Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Vermont, 
and Washington, suggested that transportation agencies could implement 
a fuel-based GHG measure in 1 to 2 years and that a VMT-based measure 
would take 3 to 5 years.
    The FHWA has chosen a fuel-based measure that can be implemented 
within the 1- to 2-year time frame cited by commenters. This is 
consistent with the timeframes established in this rule (first 
performance period starts on January 1, 2018, and targets are due in 
October 2018).
l. The FHWA Requests Data About the Potential Agency Implementation 
Costs and Public Benefits Associated With Establishing a CO2 
Emissions Measure
    Some commenters noted that a fuel-based measure would have minimal 
implementation costs, but that a VMT-based measure would require 
transportation agencies to dedicate staff to the effort and incur new 
ongoing costs. Commenters noted that the benefits of the rule would 
depend on the ambition of State DOTs and MPOs in setting targets and 
implementing strategies.
    The FHWA appreciates the responses submitted on this question and 
has considered these comments in preparing the rule. Please see the 
regulatory impact analysis for detailed information on economic costs.
2. Removal of Peak Hour Travel Time Reliability Measure
    Several commenters expressed concern that the proposed measures 
based on vehicle travel times are redundant and overly burdensome. Some 
suggested reducing the number of measures that rely on travel time in 
order to reduce the burden on transportation agencies, arguing that 
having seven metrics based on travel time data is redundant and 
provides little additional benefit. There were commenters in favor of 
removing the LOTTR, PHTTR, TTTR, freight congestion, and Excessive 
Delay measures, respectively. Several commenters suggested replacing 
the PHTTR measure with the Excessive Delay measure and vice versa.
    The measures proposed in the NPRM represented different aspects, 
but similar types, of performance. The FHWA based the proposed measures 
on the availability of existing data and feedback from stakeholder 
sessions early in the rulemaking process. After reviewing the comments, 
FHWA agreed that the number of measures should be reduced to minimize 
the burden to analyze data and establish targets and to simplify the 
method to determine metrics and measures. In this final rule, FHWA has 
reduced the number of measures that rely on travel time from seven to 
four. The four measures will be used to assess reliability (both for 
all vehicles and trucks) and delay experienced by all travelers during 
peak hours.
    Commenters were most critical of the PHTTR measure. Many questioned 
the usefulness of this measure and raised concerns about the many 
aspects of the measure. Commenters also discussed the similarities 
between the PHTTR and Excessive Delay measures, which many felt created 
an unnecessary complication and added burden. In response to these 
comments, FHWA consolidated the proposed NHPP PHTTR measures and the 
CMAQ Excessive Delay measure into one measure under the CMAQ program: 
Peak Hour Excessive Delay (PHED). Discussion of these changes to the 
Excessive Delay measure can be found in the Response to Comments 
Section for subpart G. The rule now weights all but one of the four 
travel time derived measures (i.e., truck reliability) to reflect the 
impact of performance on all travelers. Reducing the number of travel 
time derived measures will still allow for the assessment of 
reliability and congestion at the State, urbanized area, and national 
levels.
3. NHPP Reliability
a. Reliability--Use of Traffic Volumes Versus People Traveling
    Many commenters supported using volume data to weight the LOTTR 
measure. The NACTO suggested modifying the LOTTR to include transit 
movement weighted by ridership. The Oregon Metro Council and the Joint 
Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation suggested including hourly 
volumes (the same used for the proposed CMAQ Traffic Congestion delay 
measure) in the calculation for LOTTR. The NJTPA also suggested volumes 
for LOTTR modifications and proposed using occupancy estimates to 
weight by person volumes, not just vehicle volumes. Many commenters 
felt that the proposed measures were too focused on vehicle delay and 
wrongly ignore person throughput. The Washington State House of 
Representatives commented that congestion should be measured on 
reliability, or whether or not a trip takes the same amount of time 
from day to day, rather than delay. Focusing on driver delays creates a 
one dimensional vision of congestion and ignores alternative modes of 
transportation that people use to travel through a corridor, and 
reliability would be a better measure to ensure that people can count 
on a consistent commute day to day, no matter what mode of 
transportation they use.
    Commenters also stated that the NPRM required traffic volumes to be 
used in the calculation of the CMAQ Excessive Delay measure, but not 
the NHPP Reliability Measure. The NJTPA states the incorporation of 
person and goods volumes in the reliability and delay metrics would 
improve their perspective. The FHWA agrees with these comments and 
believes that the NHPP Reliability measures would be improved by 
weighting the metrics with volumes. This change will put a greater 
emphasis on roadway segments where reliability deficiencies are 
impacting the greatest number of people using the system. The final 
rule requires the measure to be weighted by annual traffic volumes, 
which puts the focus on the most heavily travelled roads.
    In the NPRM, FHWA was concerned about the absence of data regarding 
actual traffic volumes for the level of roadway coverage and 
granularity needed (entire NHS and 5-minute temporal granularity). The 
FHWA believed including volume would require actual volume counts every 
5 minutes for every NHS road segment, data which do not currently 
exist. In the final rule, FHWA has decided to use annual average daily 
traffic (AADT) to weight segments in the calculation of the measure, 
rather than use them in the metric calculation, the approach rejected 
in the NPRM. The FHWA maintained that the CMAQ Excessive Delay measure 
(new Peak Hour Excessive Delay), which applies to fewer entities, apply 
hourly traffic volumes for each segment.
    To account for the movement of people rather than just vehicles in 
these measures, the measure will also be weighted by area wide/
statewide occupancy factors. The FHWA will develop occupancy factors 
for both metropolitan and statewide areas based on national survey 
results, such as NHTS. Using both traffic volume and occupancy factors 
as weights in the calculation of the reliability measure

[[Page 6004]]

will allow the measure to reflect the percentage of all people 
experiencing reliable conditions. The measure will be more sensitive to 
congestion in areas where there are more person-miles traveled, which 
FHWA believes is an appropriate way to measure reliability for 
investment decisionmaking. In addition, in recognition of the evolving 
ability to accurately measure person throughput and the impact of 
multimodal travel, FHWA plans to revisit the measures related to 
reliability and congestion after Fall 2018 when FHWA's multimodal 
research study is expected to be completed.
b. Applicability of the Non-Interstate NHS NHPP Reliability Measure
    The FHWA received several comments regarding the applicability of 
the NHPP non-Interstate NHS reliability measure, including restricting 
the measure to urbanized areas or to areas with populations of at least 
1 million. These commenters argued that narrower applicability would 
reduce the cost and burden of data analysis on smaller, rural States.
    The Oregon Metro Council and the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on 
Transportation commented that FHWA should apply the travel time 
reliability measures to the entire NHS.
    The FHWA acknowledges that rural roadways may only have limited 
reliability issues, but such problems can and do occur as a result of 
weather events, special events, tourist attractions, etc. The FHWA 
believes it is important to understand when and where reliability 
problems on both urban and rural segments of the non-Interstate NHS 
occur. The FHWA analyzed the burden on State DOTs and MPOs with rural 
and urban NHS networks and found that the level of change needed to 
justify the cost of compliance is achievable. The FHWA is committed to 
provide technical assistance and support to State DOTs. In addition, 
FHWA is interested in working with State DOTs and MPOs to lead a pooled 
fund effort to acquire resources to provide services and tools to 
minimize the resource demands to process and analyze data.
c. Excluding Weekends From LOTTR Calculations
    Several commenters questioned the inclusion or exclusion of 
weekends in the LOTTR measure, arguing that exclusion of certain days 
should be consistent across all travel time-based measures. The 
Delaware DOT commented that in resort areas, Fridays should be 
considered weekends and should not be included in LOTTR calculations.
    The FHWA evaluated the impact of including weekends in the 
calculation of the reliability metric, finding that for Interstate 
roadways, the maximum LOTTR value typically occurred during the weekday 
or was similar during both weekdays and weekends. However, for non-
Interstate NHS roadways, including weekend travel times resulted in 
reliability measures that were 5 percent to 7 percent worse than 
measures derived solely from weekday travel times. These data indicate 
that weekend travel impacts reliability for a sufficient portion of the 
system to warrant the inclusion of weekends in the metric calculation. 
System performance should be assessed during times of most use of the 
NHS system, which in many cases includes the weekend daytime periods. 
In many urban areas and areas with special events, there can be 
reliability issues even on the weekends. Including weekends will allow 
DOTs and MPOs to more fully monitor segments with reliability issues 
and monitor how they change year-to-year.
d. Time Periods for LOTTR Calculation
    The FHWA received eight comments on the use of shorter time periods 
for the LOTTR calculation (e.g., individual hours rather than 6 a.m. to 
10 a.m.). The AASHTO and others noted that the time period proposed in 
the NPRM highlights inconsistency in travel times within the time 
period bins rather than from day to day. This methodology could lead to 
segments reported as unreliable according to the LOTTR measure, while 
they may be considered reliable when using trip based reliability. The 
NYSAMPO noted that the longer peak periods mask the occurrence of 
reliability problems. The New Jersey DOT and NJTPA stated that the 
large time periods for analysis would be appropriate if people could 
shift their commute times within the period, but since most people 
cannot, the time periods are too long. The Southeast Michigan Council 
of Governments requested flexibility to report the highest values for 
each individual hour within the peak periods rather than a ratio 
accounting for all 4 hours. The Oregon Metro Council proposed a 
formula-based method to determine each agency's time periods to avoid 
mixing peak and off-peak travel time observations in the denominators 
of key metrics, which would obscure cross-regional comparison.
    The FHWA recognizes that there are many approaches to measuring 
reliability and related congestion measures. The FHWA carried out a 
number of analysis runs using travel time data for a mix of States and 
urbanized areas to evaluate the impact of reducing the number of time 
periods below the four that were proposed and shortening the duration 
of time periods to eliminate the ``tails'' where traffic tends to build 
up and reduce. The results from these runs showed that a sufficient 
number of roadway segments exhibited unreliable travel times during the 
midday and weekend time periods. In addition, FHWA found that 
shortening the time periods (to reduce ``tails'') resulted in similar 
outcomes as compared to the proposed time periods (less than 1 percent 
difference). The FHWA retained the four proposed time periods (AM peak, 
midday, PM peak, and weekend) and the duration of each time period. In 
this final rule, the 14 hours are broken down into four time periods: 
(1) Weekday mornings (6 a.m. to 10 a.m.); (2) weekday afternoons (4 
p.m. to 8 p.m.); (3) midday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.); and (4) weekends (6 
a.m. to 8 p.m.). The FHWA believes that evaluating the hours when the 
system is most frequently in use, defined as 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, is 
the best approach to assess reliability problems. The FHWA analyzed 
suggestions from commenters that showed there are reliability problems 
on certain sections of roadways during all of those time periods (with 
more occurring during peak periods). The FHWA also assessed if the 
longer time blocks (4 to 14 hours) proposed in the NPRM measured 
variability across the time period instead of variability from day-to-
day at the time period throughout the year. Commenters were concerned 
that the variability in travel times at the ``tails'' of the longer 
time periods would control the reliability metric. The FHWA found no 
significant difference (results within 1 percent) between using the 
proposed time blocks to using 1-hour time blocks over the same time 
period (i.e., comparing one block of 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. to 4 time 
blocks each 1 hour in length from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.). For this 
reason, FHWA decided to maintain the time blocks proposed in the NPRM 
in the final rule.
e. Use of 1.50 Threshold To Determine Reliable Segments
    Several commenters expressed a desire to establish different 
thresholds for urban and rural roadways and based on segment length. 
These commenters explained that travelers tend to view the reliability 
of their travel based on a full trip and not the individual short 
segments that make up the trip. They suggested that the final rule 
include different thresholds for different TMC

[[Page 6005]]

lengths, since they could vary by more than 10 miles in length.
    The NJTPA, TRANSCOM, AMPO and others expressed concern about the 
use of pass/fail threshold noting that incremental improvements in 
reliability would not be recognized until the LOTTR dropped below 1.50. 
These commenters argued that the use of a ``sharp'' cutoff threshold 
could bias investment decisions, encouraging State DOTs and MPOs to 
focus only on those segments that are close to the 1.50 threshold, even 
though optimal improvement may be on segments with much higher LOTTR 
values.
    The FHWA appreciates and acknowledges these comments and considered 
alternative approaches to the proposed method. The FHWA ultimately 
elected to retain the approach to utilize a 1.50 threshold to reduce 
complexity in the calculation method. An alternative approach would 
have required varying threshold levels for different segments and the 
inclusion of more graduated levels of reliability, which FHWA felt 
would unnecessarily complicate the measure calculation and reporting 
process. The FHWA encourages State DOTs to discuss how investment 
strategies have resulted in incremental improvements to the reliability 
of the system in their Biennial Performance Report. In addition, FHWA 
has revised the Truck Reliability measure so that it is a weighted 
average of all segment level reliability ratios that will reflect all 
changes in reliability levels.

D. Subpart F--National Performance Management Measures for Freight 
Movement on the Interstate

1. Removal of Truck Congestion Measure
    In the NPRM, FHWA proposed two measures of freight movement on the 
Interstate under 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(6): Truck Travel Time Reliability 
(TTTR) and Truck Congestion. Many commenters felt that the 50 mph speed 
threshold to define congestion for the Percent of the Interstate System 
Mileage Uncongested proposed in the NPRM is unreasonable and should be 
eliminated. Suggestions included:

 Making the threshold more flexible for each reporting 
entity
 Using some other variable such as population density
 Changing to a lower value such as 35 mph
 Changing to a percentage of the posted speed limit
 Making the threshold a function of population density, 
lanes, or ADT
 Rather than using thresholds, providing credit for 
incremental improvements.

    The FHWA eliminated the performance measure for Percent of the 
Interstate System Mileage Uncongested; the TTTR Index is the only 
freight-specific performance measure adopted in this rule. The FHWA 
recognizes that the use of a single speed threshold as compared to an 
annual average of speed would not be an effective measure to assess 
uncongested conditions. Changing the measure to consider the factors 
expressed through comments would be complicated and overly burdensome 
to implement.
2. Consistency Between All-Vehicle and Freight Reliability Measures
    Many commenters provided suggestions to better align the proposed 
reliability measure for the NHPP that reflects the travel of all 
vehicles and the proposed freight reliability measure that reflects the 
travel of trucks. The suggestions raised by commenters are discussed 
below and, in general, addressed a desire to: Remove the freight 
reliability measure, better align time periods with the two reliability 
measures, reconsider the longest travel time considered in the metric, 
and reconsider the threshold to define reliable travel time.
    Many State DOTs and MPOs commented that all-vehicle and freight 
reliability measures should be consistent since trucks and cars are 
travelling on the same roads and improving reliability on a roadway 
benefits all vehicle types. Commenters noted that the NPRM uses data 
from the all vehicle travel time dataset to complete missing truck data 
in NPMRDS. Several State DOTs and MPOs also commented that separate 
measures created a perception that freight was being prioritized over 
passenger vehicles. Several commenters suggested that the proposed 
freight performance measures focus on peak period travel times or peak 
period congestion, with some suggesting focusing on corridors or 
bottlenecks and aggregating the data into 15-minute intervals and 
longer segments. If the intent is to show the off-peak freight flows, 
then FHWA should provide further guidance or focus the measure only on 
off-peak periods. If this is not the intent then there should not be 
two separate reliability measures. In addition, some commenters 
suggested that the measure evaluate peak seasonal performance rather 
than annual averages for freight facilities serving agricultural 
regions. Other commenters suggested that the final rule consider the 
use of peak periods and adding a fifth time period from 8 p.m.-6 a.m. 
daily. As with the LOTTR, commenters suggested that the TTTR measure be 
computed separately for each single hour within the proposed time 
period and the measure should be the hour with the lowest percent 
reliable for the time period of interest.
    The AASHTO and several State DOTs and MPOs commented that they do 
not agree with using the 95th percentile travel time for freight. Many 
questioned the justification for use of the 95th percentile, with some 
noting that it is too stringent. In response, some commenters, 
including AASHTO, AMPO, TRANSCOM, and several State DOTs suggested 
using the 80th percentile to be consistent with the LOTTR measure for 
all vehicles. The NARC and others suggested allowing State DOTs and 
MPOs flexibility to set the threshold. Other commenters did not specify 
the percentile, but requested that the percentile chosen be consistent 
with the all vehicles measure or that FHWA provide a rationale for why 
the thresholds are different. The AASHTO, along with Washington, 
Oregon, and Connecticut DOTs and Nebraska Department of Roads agreed 
with using the 50th percentile travel time as the normal truck travel 
time for the reliability measure. The FHWA considered commenters' 
suggestions, and in particular, FHWA assessed the need for separate:

     Travel times--all vehicles and trucks;
     time periods--6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 24 hours a day; and
     percentile to represent the longest travel times--80th, 
95th, or other percentile.

    In addition, FHWA considered the utility of using a 1.50 threshold 
as an indicator of reliable travel time performance, an issue that was 
raised for both freight and all vehicle measures.
    As a result of this assessment, FHWA concluded that a separate 
reliability measure is needed to assess freight movement on the 
Interstate, but revised the measure to address comments about the 1.50 
threshold and periods of analysis. A separate freight reliability 
measure will more accurately reflect the performance of the Interstate 
system as perceived by shippers and suppliers as the measure considers 
factors that are unique to this industry such as the use of the system 
during all hours of the day and the need to consider more extreme 
impacts to the system in planning for on-time arrivals. The FHWA 
believes that these changes simplify the calculation and addresses the 
concerns regarding the higher standard of performance proposed for 
truck reliability.

[[Page 6006]]

    In addition to the data requirement changes discussed previously 
(i.e., the use of 15 minute time periods and longer allowable segment 
lengths), FHWA simplified the truck reliability calculation by 
simplifying the method to utilize all-vehicle travel times when truck 
travel times are missing and using consistent time periods to those 
used for the all vehicle reliability measure. The FHWA retained the 
requirement to use truck travel times as the basis for the metric 
calculation to more accurately depict how freight is moving on the 
Interstate system as FHWA has consistently found the truck travel times 
to be slower than all vehicle travel times in the NPMRDS data set. The 
FHWA revised the truck reliability measure to use 5 time periods, 4 of 
which are used in the all vehicle reliability measure. These time 
periods cover 24-hours, broken into AM peak (6 a.m. to 10 a.m.), mid-
day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), and PM peak (4 p.m. to 8 p.m.) periods for 
Mondays through Fridays, weekends (6 a.m. to 8 p.m.), and overnights 
for all days (8 p.m. to 6 a.m.). Aligning the time periods to the all 
vehicle time periods simplifies the analysis. Including all times 
recognizes the flow of freight during all hours of the day and also 
considers freight shippers that attempt to plan routes that optimize 
travel time and, when possible, attempt to avoid peak hours in major 
congested areas. The FHWA believes that the 5th time period is needed 
to consider travel times during overnight hours as shippers and 
suppliers rely on the system to support on time delivery needs 24-hours 
a day.
    In response to comments, FHWA compared metric and measure results 
using the 80th percentile and the 95th percentile travel times. This 
analysis showed minimal differences in the reliability measure for the 
Interstate System using the 80th and 95th percentiles; however, metric 
results were considerably different at the roadway segment level. The 
FHWA believes that the 95th percentile travel time needs to be 
considered in the freight measure to account for the events that could 
impact on time delivery as shippers, carriers, and receivers desire on-
time/just-in-time delivery of goods and plan their trips by building in 
enough time to meet delivery requirements. For these reasons, FHWA 
elected to maintain the 95th percentile in the truck reliability 
calculation.
    The FHWA appreciates the concerns raised by commenters regarding 
the different standard used for freight and all vehicles measure and 
agree that, as proposed, this difference would put a priority on the 
freight metric in decisionmaking. To address this concern, FHWA removed 
the 1.50 reliability threshold. As in the NPRM State DOTs will still 
report a reliability ratio (comparison of the 95th and 50th percentile 
travel times) for individual segments of roadway. However, as a result 
of the removal of the 1.50 threshold, FHWA will not assess if the 
roadway segment (as expressed by the reliability ratio) is providing 
for ``reliable'' travel times. The new measure is designed to use the 
reliability ratio of each segment, using the worst reliability ratio of 
all 5 time periods, to calculate an overall average truck reliability 
of the entire Interstate system. The Interstate system will be 
represented with one reliability ratio for trucks that will be used by 
State DOTs and MPOs to establish targets. State DOTs and MPOs will use 
the roadway segment level reliability ratios, considering the time 
periods where reliability problems are exhibited, to identify 
strategies that can be implemented to improve the overall reliability 
ratio for the Interstate system. The new measure can be used as an 
indicator of the travel time variability considered by shippers and 
suppliers. The change also allows for incremental improvements to be 
recognized in the measure outcome, which was a concern raised by many 
commenters in the design of the proposed reliability measures.
3. Relationship Between the Freight Measure Provisions and the National 
Freight Program and State Freight Planning
    The California Association of Councils of Government requested that 
the rulemaking clarify the relationship between the freight measures 
and the FAST Act rulemaking on Interim National Multimodal Freight 
Network, particularly with regard to FAST Act freight funding programs, 
including FASTLANE.
    The Connecticut and Texas DOTs noted that the rule does not outline 
how the proposed critical urban and critical rural freight corridors, 
required to be developed under FAST Act, will be integrated into the 
NPMRDS dataset. There is concern that this integration will require 
substantial effort and resources by State DOTs.
    The Nebraska and Texas State DOTs commented that there is no need 
to establish additional reporting requirements for freight bottlenecks 
because bottlenecks and performance measures will be addressed in the 
State's freight plan required in 49 U.S.C. 70202 and thus a separate 
report seems redundant. The Texas DOT suggested that reporting on 
multimodal bottlenecks can be done by including a section in a State 
freight plan.
    The FHWA recognizes that the FAST Act made a number of substantive 
changes in the freight area, including establishing two new funding 
programs. These new programs did not change the requirement under 23 
U.S.C. 150(c) to assess freight movement on the Interstate System. One 
of the new funding programs is the National Highway Freight Program to 
improve the efficient movement of freight on the National Highway 
Freight Network (NHFN). The statute requires FHWA to establish the 
NHFN, which consists of the following components: The Primary Highway 
Freight System (PHFS), Critical Rural Freight Corridors (CRFC), 
Critical Urban Freight Corridors (CUFC), and those portions of the 
Interstate System that are not part of the PHFS. Therefore, the NHFN 
includes the entirety of the Interstate system--the same system used to 
assess freight movement in this rule. Although NHFP funding eligibility 
is limited to projects on the PHFS, CRFC, and CUFC (which may not 
include the full Interstate System in a State), FHWA does not believe 
that this should limit the applicability of the measure in the rule to 
assess freight movement. Other program funding, such as the National 
Highway Performance Program, may be used for projects to improve both 
freight performance on the entire Interstate System.
    The NPMRDS includes travel times for the full Interstate System. 
State DOTs and MPOs will have the data they need in the NPMRDS to meet 
the freight measure requirements in this rule. There is no requirement 
for State DOTs and MPOs to supplement the NPRMDS with travel time data 
to represent roadways on the NHFN that are not on the Interstate 
System.
    The performance management statute requires State DOTs to 
biennially submit performance reports (i.e., State Biennial Performance 
Reports in Sec.  490.107) that include freight bottleneck analyses. A 
good source for these analyses is the State freight plan under 49 
U.S.C. 70202, which is required by the FAST Act in order to obligate 
NHFP funding after December 4, 2017. There can be coordination between 
the bottleneck reporting for performance measures and freight plans; 
however, the timing for the State Biennial Performance Reports and 5-
year updates to State freight plan is different. In recognition of this 
similar requirements, FHWA will allow State DOTs to refer to the State 
freight plan bottleneck analysis in their State Freight

[[Page 6007]]

Plan to meet the freight bottleneck reporting requirements of 23 U.S.C. 
150(e) if the freight plan has been updated since the previous State 
Biennial Performance Report.
4. Weighting by Truck Volume
    The Virginia and Minnesota DOTs, Oregon Metro Council, Metropolitan 
Council, and the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation 
recommended weighting the reliability measures by applicable vehicle 
volumes. The Oregon Metro Council and Joint Policy Advisory Committee 
on Transportation also provided details in their comment on how to 
weight the reliability measure by volume and recommended FHWA support 
and fund a better means of obtaining vehicle classification volume 
data.
    The AASHTO and several State DOTs opposed weighting the measures by 
truck volumes, because it would create additional work to calculate the 
measure.
    The FHWA considered the comments suggesting that the freight 
reliability measure be weighted by truck volumes. Putting a lesser 
weight on a segment of the Interstate that is avoided by freight 
shippers due to poor performance would be contrary to the intent for 
the performance measure.
    The reasoning for weighting, as noted by several commenters, is 
that it would more strongly emphasize sections of roadway that carry 
higher truck volumes. The FHWA evaluated the impact of weighting by 
truck volumes and concluded that for the Interstate System, to which 
this measure only applies, providing for reliable travel times is 
equally important across the full system, regardless of the level of 
use by trucks. If the freight performance measure is applied to a range 
of roadway functional classifications other than the Interstate System, 
then weighting the measure for truck volume would be more important in 
determining which roadways serve as major freight routes.
    The FHWA further concluded that some shippers monitor the 
performance of the roadway system and avoid segments of the Interstate 
when conditions could impact on time delivery. The FHWA's analysis of 
Interstate corridors showed that, in some cases, areas with poor 
reliability tended to have lower truck volumes, indicating that the 
practice of avoiding segments to achieve on time delivery could impact 
the effectiveness of the measure if it were weighted by truck volumes.
    For these reasons, the freight performance measure will not be 
weighted by truck volumes.
5. Vehicle Classes
    The AASHTO and New York State Association of Metropolitan Planning 
Organizations recommended that FHWA define freight as combination 
trucks (FHWA classes 8-13). The AASHTO mentioned that this group of 
vehicles is representative of most significant freight activity on 
Interstates. The AASHTO also recommended that the NPMRDS only include 
the data for those classes. The Connecticut DOT recommended that FHWA 
define freight as combination trucks (FHWA classes 8-13) and require 
that NPMRDS dataset only include those classes. The Delaware DOT noted 
that NPMRDS only includes certain classes of trucks and questioned 
whether this is accurate.
    The FHWA concluded the comments do not require a change to the 
rule. The data set includes a sample of fleet vehicles. A range of 
trucks is included, but data are more heavily sampled toward Interstate 
truck traffic, which would include FHWA vehicle classes 8-13. The FHWA 
will provide additional guidance on what vehicle classes are included 
in the NPMRDS dataset.
6. Definition of Freight Bottlenecks
    Many commenters noted that the 50 mph speed threshold to define 
congested conditions for freight movement was not an effective 
indicator of ``freight bottleneck.'' A freight bottleneck can result 
from a combination of features, including capacity constraints, highway 
interchanges, locations with geometric constrains, bridges with 
clearance or weight limitations, or steep-grades. Also, significant 
bottlenecks to freight movement are often off the Interstate and the 
NHS, such as arterial streets, intermodal connectors, and first and 
last miles to freight origins and destinations. The AASHTO and a number 
of agencies suggested the term ``freight bottleneck'' be changed to 
``truck freight bottleneck'' for clarification since it only applies to 
truck traffic, and not to other modes such as rail or waterway.
    The definition of ``freight bottleneck'' has been changed to 
``truck freight bottleneck'' and revised to provide a general 
description that allows State DOTs to determine where truck freight 
bottlenecks are occurring based upon individual context. The definition 
also does not limit the location to the Interstate. Each State DOT will 
need to define what constitutes bottlenecks based upon the specific 
context of the State and the local impediments that each State 
experiences with regard to freight movement.

E. Subpart G--National Performance Measures for CMAQ Program--Traffic 
Congestion

1. Excessive Delay Measure
a. Applying Peak Hours to Excessive Delay Measure To Create Peak Hour 
Excessive Delay
    The Response to Comments section for subpart E describes FHWA's 
rationale for consolidating the PHTTR measure and Excessive Delay 
measure from the NPRM into a new CMAQ Traffic Congestion measure: Peak 
Hour Excessive Delay (PHED). The PHED measure applies peak hours to the 
original Excessive Delay measure in order to focus on traffic 
congestion experienced during peak hours in applicable urbanized areas. 
Other aspects of the original Excessive Delay measure were also changed 
in response to comments, as explain in the following sections.
b. Peak Hour Time Periods
    Originally, these comments related to the peak hours defined in the 
PHTTR measure. The FHWA has included this discussion of peak hour 
comments under the CMAQ Traffic Congestion section because the peak 
hour designation now applies to the Excessive Delay measure. The AASHTO 
requested the inclusion of 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and the Hampton Roads 
Transportation Planning Organization requested 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Other 
commenters requested that FHWA maintain consistency between the hours 
used in the LOTTR and PHTTR measure.
    The FHWA agrees that consistency in the time periods for all travel 
time measures would simplify the approach to calculate the measures and 
reduce the amount of data needed for the calculation of all measures. 
The FHWA also recognizes that different areas experience peak periods 
at different times of the day. For this reason, FHWA has adjusted and 
provided flexibility in defining the time periods for the PHED measure 
to be more consistent with the reliability measures. The FHWA felt that 
it was important to keep the time periods within 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 
ensure for consistency in the all of the measures at a national level. 
The adjustments in the final rule added a 4th hour to both the morning 
and afternoon peak periods. The morning period has been extended to 10 
a.m. and to provide flexibility to State DOTs and MPOs, two options 
have been provided to expand the afternoon period--starting earlier to

[[Page 6008]]

begin at 3 p.m. or extending later to end at 8 p.m.
c. Traffic Volume Profiles
    In the NPRM, FHWA required State DOTs and MPOs to develop hourly 
volumes based on actual vehicle counts or AADT. Several commenters were 
concerned that traffic volume data may not be accurate at the 
granularity required in the NPRM and suggested FHWA fund better volume 
data collection if data collected by State DOTs and others are not 
adequate.
    The commenters also requested more information about developing 
hourly volume profiles from actual vehicle counts or AADT. Some 
commenters suggested FHWA take AADT information from each State's HPMS 
submittal and develop traffic volume profiles by time of day and day of 
the year at a 5-minute bin level \65\ for each reporting segment or 
make traffic volumes available in the NPMRDS data set so State DOTs and 
MPOs could calculate average daily vehicle hours of delay.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \65\ The FHWA has changed the time bins to 15 minutes for the 
final rule, but the comments reflected the 5 minute bins proposed in 
the NPRM.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FHWA has reduced the number of hourly volumes that need to be 
estimated to just the peak hours (i.e., 8 hours daily), requiring only 
peak hour factors to be used to estimate volumes. The FHWA will provide 
guidance on appropriate methodologies for estimating the hourly volumes 
for use in this measure.
d. Person Throughput Versus Vehicle Throughput
    The FHWA received thousands of comments in favor of making the 
PHTTR more person-focused. The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, 
Conservation Colorado, and the National League of Cities suggested 
using average vehicle occupancy and transit ridership to measure 
person-hours of excessive delay. The Virginia DOT suggested that the 
National Transit Database (NTD) could provide data on transit vehicle/
bus occupancy, while default values could be used for vehicle occupancy 
where no data is available. The COMPASS stated that a road mileage-
based measure can be counterproductive and encouraged FHWA to measure 
impacts in terms of people instead. The AASHTO and the Maryland DOT 
cited both the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) data as a good 
representation of actual vehicle occupancy and the Census 
Transportation Planning Products program that develops robust work-
based trip data. With these data sources, the highway delay metric 
could be normalized by the number of workers commuting by car.
    As with the NHPP reliability measures, FHWA agrees with these 
comments and believes that the PHED measure would be improved if it 
represents the cumulative delay of all people using the NHS and not 
just the delay experienced by vehicles. The FHWA believes that this 
approach will encourage the improvement of corridors that have higher 
person throughput. For this reason, the PHED metric in the final rule 
requires the use of average vehicle occupancy (AVO) factors for cars, 
buses, and trucks and hourly traffic volumes to calculate person-hours 
of excessive delay. The FHWA recognizes the variations in AVO among and 
within urbanized areas and the challenges in obtaining segment-level 
AVOs. Therefore, to support this approach, FHWA will establish AVO 
factors for State DOTs and MPOs to use for each applicable urbanized 
area using the National Transit Database for buses and national 
surveys, such as the American Community Survey, for cars. The FHWA also 
recognizes that urbanized areas may have more specific AVO data, and 
the final rule provides flexibility for State DOTs and MPOs to 
substitute these data.
e. Thresholds
    The FHWA received many comments disagreeing with the selection of 
the 35 mph threshold for freeways and 15 mph threshold for other NHS 
roadways. Commenters noted that these thresholds do not adequately 
reflect different circumstances across the country and, in particular, 
urban areas. Additionally, AASHTO and the Connecticut and Washington 
DOTs warned that States may have an incentive to focus a project on a 
reporting segment that is just slightly over the set thresholds instead 
of the areas that need it the most in order to impact the final number 
of hours of excessive delay.
    Commenters were also concerned that information about the 
Functional Class of each segment may not be available in HPMS or 
NPMRDS, and that this could make assigning speed thresholds to 
different roads challenging. Commenters requested various changes, 
including using 50 or 60 percent of the posted speed limit (PSL) and 
leaving the speed threshold to be set by the State DOTs or MPOs.
    The FHWA agrees that the use of absolute thresholds may not be 
appropriate for all areas and that it would be more appropriate to use 
a threshold based PSL provided this threshold does not exclude speeds 
that have been demonstrated to generate emissions that adversely impact 
air quality. The Washington State DOT conducted analysis on the optimal 
travel speed to maximize throughput for its State highways and 
determined that the optimal flow speed was roughly 70-85 percent of 
PSL. Speeds in this range would have optimal spacing between vehicles 
while speeds less than 70 percent of the posted speed limit are 
considered congestion. Speeds less than 60 percent of the posted speed 
limit are considered to be severe congestion by Washington State DOT. 
Additionally, FHWA found in previous analysis that emissions rates in 
grams per mile for criteria pollutants are typically higher at lower 
speeds (i.e., 0-20 mph).\66\ The FHWA believes that a 20 mph speed 
threshold connects traffic congestion to criteria pollutants. At speeds 
higher than 20 mph, emissions are significantly lower.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \66\ ICF for FHWA, Multi-Pollutant Emissions Benefits of 
Transportation Strategies, 2006. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/air_quality/conformity/research/mpeb.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As a result, FHWA has revised the excessive delay threshold in the 
final rule to be 60 percent of PSL, with a minimum limit of 20 mph. The 
60 percent of PSL threshold was selected based on comment suggestions, 
and the limit of 20 mph was selected based on speed levels that have 
been associated with emission impacts on air quality. This speed 
threshold applies to all Functional Classes of roadways, removing the 
need to identify the Functional Class of each segment. The FHWA 
recognizes that PSLs are not provided in the NPMRDS dataset. The FHWA 
will make provisions within the HPMS to capture PSL as a field that can 
be populated for the full extent of the NHS. The FHWA encourages State 
DOTs to report PSLs for all NHS segments in the HPMS. The FHWA believes 
it is important for State DOTs and MPOs to collect and report posted 
speed limit to understand operating expectations of the NHS.
f. Use of Population for Normalization
    The AASHTO and several State DOTs expressed concern over the per 
capita denominator in the Excessive Delay Per Capita measure, stating 
that it inaccurately assigns excessive delay to all people in all 
urbanized areas, rather than just the highway drivers who are impacted. 
The commenters further argued that urbanized areas with high levels of 
Interstate through traffic will have misleadingly high values because 
the delay is being experienced by

[[Page 6009]]

travelers from outside the urbanized area. The commenters suggested 
that the measure be normalized by commuters using a personal vehicle on 
the roadway network. Furthermore, the Connecticut and Texas DOTs, and 
AASHTO commented that the proposed excessive delay measure would 
produce misleading measure trends when using incomplete data and when 
no imputation is used. The AASHTO and WSDOT recommended that FHWA 
divide annual excessive delay by the estimated commuter population 
rather than overall population to get a more realistic idea of how the 
people experiencing the delay are affected.
    The Atlanta Regional Commission suggested that the congestion 
measure should be scaled on observed or estimated travel demand (e.g., 
peak period person throughput, number of peak period trips, peak period 
VMT). The travel demand also could be gauged in multiple levels: NHS 
travel demand only, total vehicle travel demand (beyond the NHS), or 
even total travel demand (e.g., number of peak period trips occurring 
across all modes). The commenter recommended that HPMS data on annual 
VMT by functional class could be used. The Delaware DOT urged that FHWA 
use an estimate of how far people travel to work, while the Delaware 
Valley Regional Planning Commission recommended that the annual hours 
of excessive delay per capita should not be based upon total 
population, but rather should be limited to commuters using a personal 
vehicle on the NHS roadway network during the time periods it is being 
measured (i.e., morning and evening peak periods). The Georgia DOT 
suggested FHWA use Annual Hours of Excessive Delay per thousands or 
millions.
    In response, FHWA compared different methods to normalize the 
measure in areas that rely heavily on highways and others that provide 
several modes of transportation. The FHWA found that population was as 
effective as other methods to normalize the measure and found that, in 
areas where travelers tend to use non-highway transportation modes, the 
measure did not unfairly bias the outcome in the area's favor. In 
addition, population data are readily available in national data 
sources. For these reasons, FHWA retained the use of population in the 
final rule to normalize the measure. The FHWA feels that other 
approaches to normalize the measure would add unnecessary complication 
to the method. The FHWA plans to revisit this measure after the 
completion of its multimodal research study in Fall 2018.
g. Census Annual Population Estimates in Lieu of Decennial Values
    Several commenters commented on the proposed methodology for the 
traffic congestion performance measure, which uses the population in 
the area to develop a ``per capita'' estimate. The Illinois DOT claimed 
that using the per capita denominator for the Total Excessive Delay per 
Capita overestimates the users of the NHS System. The North Jersey 
Transportation Planning Authority recommended using the most recent 
population estimate for the urbanized area instead of the decennial 
values. The Texas DOT stated that using the most recent U.S. Decennial 
Census (i.e., 2010 population numbers that are already 6 years old) for 
reporting until 2022 or 2023 when the 2020 Census is available will 
have a negative impact on the urbanized areas of Texas with regard to 
``per capita'' metrics.
    The T4A requested discussion in the final rule of how State DOTs 
and MPOs could use population estimates from 5-year ACS estimates for 
each-year reporting cycles. The commenter also stated the importance of 
normalizing the excessive delay measure by dividing the calculation by 
the total population for the State or MPO, allowing all transportation 
users to be accounted.
    The FHWA agrees with the use of annual population estimates as 
opposed to the decennial census populations to normalize the excessive 
delay measure. Using annual estimates will more accurately account for 
population shifts in large urban areas that are not captured through 
the decennial census. For this reason, FHWA has revised the approach to 
determining the population in the final rule for both the PHED per 
capita measure and to determine urbanized areas that are applicable to 
the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures (both PHED and non-SOV Travel). As 
suggested in the comments, FHWA is requiring annual population 
estimates to be determined using U.S. Census estimates (i.e., most 
recent ACS 5-year estimate). The most recent annual population estimate 
as of one year before the Baseline Performance Report is due is to be 
used to determine urbanized areas that are applicable to the CMAQ 
Traffic Congestion PHED measure. These areas will remain applicable for 
the full duration of the performance period, regardless of population 
changes that may occur within the period (4-year time period). The FHWA 
feels that keeping the applicable areas for the duration of the 
performance period is important to simplify the implementation of the 
requirements. The most recent annual population estimate will be used 
each time the PHED per capita measure is calculated. The FHWA believes 
that this approach responds to the concerns regarding population shifts 
in large areas.
    The FHWA does not agree that the populations should be determined 
for specific times of the day or days of the week as suggested by some 
commenters due to the complexity of implementing such a method.
h. Outliers in Speed Data
    The Oregon and Washington State DOTs commented that since the null 
and outlier procedure for the excessive delay measure was not the same 
as the system performance or freight measures, they assumed that for 
the excessive delay measure, 5minute bins with no recorded travel times 
as well as those data points over 300 seconds will be excluded. The 
State DOTs recommended that the procedures for all outlier and null 
data be consistent in the final rule. The AASHTO expressed concern over 
the excessive delay calculation, which is compounded by outliers in the 
dataset. The AASHTO argued that the proposed descriptions of equations 
can create the opportunity for unstable calculations; that is, that the 
delay may be grossly overestimated on the interplay of the length of 
each segment, the evaluation period, and the speeds. This could lead to 
overestimates of delay during periods of very low speeds or road 
closures if volume limiting is not used. The AASHTO stated that this 
instability can be addressed with maximums of delay that relate to the 
length of reporting period. The AASHTO further stated that the outliers 
in NPMRDS further compound this issue; however, a gapless or imputed 
data set would not be immune to the volume problems.
    The FHWA evaluated the impact of applying an outlier threshold to 
the final travel time derived measures and found that the effect of 
excluding very slow and very fast speeds on the outcome measures did 
not warrant the burden that would be required to remove outliers. 
Although the removal of outliers had the greatest effect on the 
excessive delay measure (as this measure cumulates all excessive travel 
times), the use of allowable techniques, such as path processing, to 
smooth out point probe sources will reduce the occurrence of outliers 
in the data set. For this reason, FHWA removed the requirement to 
exclude outliers from the travel time data set.
    In the NPRM, FHWA limited the travel time for a given segment to 
300

[[Page 6010]]

seconds, equivalent to 5 minutes. This ensured that excessive delay 
could not exceed the length of the time period. Since 15 minute bins 
are now used instead of 5 minute bins, FHWA changed this maximum to 900 
seconds. Since there is no outlier removal, all 15 minute bins with 
travel times will be used and subject to the 900 second limitation. The 
FHWA encourages State DOTs and MPOs to share their strategies using 
volume limiting techniques to address concerns when extremely slow 
speeds exist. The FHWA in the final rule allows removal of any travel 
time data in the calculation that could have been recorded with the 
roadway was closed.
2. Decision To Include a Multimodal Measure
    Tens of thousands of commenters, through campaigns from T4A, 
American Heart Association, and others, raised concerns about the 
vehicle-focused nature of the 8 measures proposed in the NPRM. Many 
asserted that determining the performance of the NHS and the impact of 
congestion relies on an understanding of the entire surface 
transportation system, including all available modes of travel. 
Commenters explained that considering pedestrians, bicyclists, public 
transit riders, and other travelers in transportation decisions, 
provides a fuller picture of system performance, encourages policies 
that reduce traffic congestion, and helps meet the goal of efficient 
investment of Federal transportation funds. They asserted that these 
transportation modes, while often local in implementation and reach, 
deserve recognition in a national performance measure because they 
contribute to transportation efficiency and reliability, promote public 
safety and health, improve the livability and walkability of urban 
neighborhoods, improve environmental sustainability, and reduce costs 
for the travelling public. One commenter noted that the vehicle-focused 
approach in the NPRM disadvantages low-income communities where vehicle 
ownership rates are often lower compared to suburban and rural areas.
    Commenters discussed multimodal benefits generally, but also 
specifically in the context of traffic congestion. Many argued that 
non-SOV modes should be explicitly included in a measure to reflect 
emissions avoided by these modes. Commenters suggested making the NHPP 
Reliability and CMAQ Excessive Delay measures more multimodal by 
including buses in average vehicle occupancy. Many commenters expressed 
support for a new, separate multimodal congestion performance measure. 
Many commenters provided suggestions for the design of such a 
multimodal measure, including:

     Non-single occupancy vehicle mode share
     Percent of NHS mileage with a transit alternative to 
driving
     Ratio of transit passenger miles traveled to vehicle 
miles travelled
     Shorter multimodal journey-to-work travel time than 
average
     Number of jobs accessible within a given time budget
     Avoided delay provided by public transportation
    Commenters suggested many possible data sources that could be used 
to calculate a measure, including the American Community Survey (ACS), 
National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), National Transit Database 
(NTD), General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS), regional vehicle 
capacity, and pedestrian and bicycle counts (e.g., from the Travel 
Monitoring Analysis System (TMAS)). One commenter identified planning 
tools State DOTs could use to determine the impact of multimodal 
transportation, including the TDM Effectiveness Evaluation Model 
(TEEM), TDM Assessment Procedure (TDMAP), Trip Reduction Impacts of 
Mobility Management Strategies (TRIMMSTM), and Project Evaluation 
Toolkit (PEToolkit). Commenters suggested FHWA leverage existing 
datasets and data collection efforts and work with partners such as the 
Transportation Research Board, the U.S. Census Bureau, and FTA to 
enhance existing datasets or develop a multimodal dataset.
    In the NPRM, FHWA noted the data limitations that constrain 
creating and requiring a multimodal performance measure and presented 
specific questions to better understand what could be implemented in 
this final rule. A number of the measures suggested by commenters still 
present significant challenges in national data collection and 
analysis. The FHWA recognizes that robust multi-modal system 
performance measurement requires additional research and development, 
and is engaged in a significant research project, Multimodal System 
Performance Measure Research and Application, to identify more ideal 
multi-modal system performance measure(s) and the data required to 
calculate them. However, commenters also provided more information to 
FHWA to better understand how some State DOTs and MPOs may have other 
data available to measure modal share more accurately at a local level. 
The FHWA now believes that nationally consistent data, as well as these 
more detailed local sources, make it possible to create a basic 
assessment of multimodal system performance through the measure of the 
portion of non-SOV travel. A more detailed discussion of the data 
elements of this measure is available in the next section. The FHWA 
will revisit the measures related to multimodal travel following the 
completion of its research study in the Fall of 2018.
    After reviewing these comments, FHWA has decided to include a new 
multimodal measure, the portion of non-SOV travel, as a CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion measure. The FHWA believes non-vehicular modes play an 
important role in reducing levels of criteria pollutants in urbanized 
areas, and because transportation in urbanized areas is inherently 
multimodal, it is important to account as much as possible for the 
options that are available to travelers in those urbanized areas. This 
measure will help carry out the CMAQ program, as the program recognizes 
investments that increase multimodal solutions and vehicle occupancy 
levels as strategies to reduce both criteria pollutant emissions and 
congestion. The measure adopted in this rule is the percent of non-SOV 
travel. The measure includes modes that are included in the ACS Journey 
to Work data, which generally includes all modes that are not SOV and 
include travel avoided by teleworking.
    Based on the comments, FHWA provides three options for State DOTs 
and MPOs to calculate modal share. The first option is use of the 
American Community Survey Journey to Work mode share data (updated 
annually to every 3 years depending on size of urbanized area). These 
data are nationally consistent, but have limitations in creating a 
comprehensive picture of multimodal travel. The second option is for 
State DOTs and MPOs to use locally specific surveys, which may be more 
accurate than the ACS. The third option is for State DOTs and MPOs to 
use volume counts for each mode to determine the percent non-SOV 
travel. While use of the second or third options may result in 
reporting that is not nationally consistent, FHWA believes that any of 
these data sources (national or local) can be used to create a 
meaningful non-SOV mode share measure. Including these options also 
encourages States and MPOs to develop and use the local measurement 
methods to help build a more accurate national picture of mode use in 
the United States.

[[Page 6011]]

    Non-SOV travel may include travel via carpool, van, public 
transportation, commuter rail, walking, or bicycling, as well as 
telecommuting.
    The applicability of the CMAQ Modal Share measure is the same as 
for the CMAQ Peak Hour Excessive Delay measure. The FHWA decided to use 
the same geographic applicability because FHWA views these two CMAQ 
Traffic Congestion measures as complimentary, yet different, as both 
yield important information useful to understanding traffic congestion 
and the methods available to address it.
3. Data for Multimodal Measure
    The Oregon and Washington State DOTs suggested that FHWA use the 
American Community Survey (ACS) for transit or multimodal-related data. 
Other commenters suggested using ACS data to gain a baseline of 
regional average vehicle occupancy and then coupling that with 
technology-based methods to measure AVO and per-person throughput along 
roadways. The Oregon Metro Council and the Joint Policy Advisory 
Committee on Transportation suggested adding journey-to-work mode share 
data from the ACS as a measure under subpart G to complement the annual 
per-capita VMT measure. The T4A suggested that FHWA should work with 
the U.S. Census Bureau to improve the ACS so that it reflects trip 
purpose and multimodal trips, which work could in turn inform 
improvements to the NHTS.
    Some commenters explained that they do not have robust, reliable 
data for surface modes other than highways, transit, commuter rail, and 
passenger rail. In Maryland, for example, these data are available only 
in the urbanized areas affected by the congestion performance measures. 
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission stated that FHWA 
should improve the hourly volume estimation as proposed for the 
excessive delay measure calculation, because accounting for volumes 
would be very helpful for project prioritization and would also set the 
stage for bringing in transit passenger volumes and eventually 
bicyclist and pedestrian volumes. The Florida DOT described its 
approach for analysis of volumes from continuous traffic count 
stations. The New York State DOT cited the challenges of developing 
hourly traffic volume data for use in the proposed performance measures 
and noted that their State's program is on a 3-year cycle (as required 
by HPMS) and not the 2-year cycle described in this rulemaking. The 
FHWA agrees with the many commenters that suggested using the ACS data 
to measure modal share because the data are readily accessible to all 
potential users and is nationally consistent. The FHWA adopted this 
approach because it agrees that some State DOTs and MPOs do have the 
capability today to count different modes of travel. The FHWA also 
recognizes the limitations of using a survey-based data set and has 
provided additional options for State DOTs and MPOs to calculate this 
measure. State DOTs and MPOs are not required to use mode counts, nor 
are they required to submit them to FHWA. The FHWA acknowledges the 
importance of a nationally consistent data to compare urbanized areas, 
but also recognizes that mode count data is an area of ongoing 
development and could help spur the development of improved measures in 
the future. The FHWA also believes that increasing the quality and 
quantity of non-vehicular mode observations is useful in developing a 
complete perspective on the entire transportation system. As a result, 
State DOTs and MPOs have the option of using survey-based or count data 
to calculate this measure. For State DOTs and MPOs that choose to use 
count data, FHWA encourages but does not require that these data are 
voluntarily submitted to FHWA via national sources or databases (such 
as TMAS, NTD, and/or GTFS-RT).
4. Applicability of the CMAQ Traffic Congestion Measures
    In the NRPM, FHWA requested comments on whether the CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion measure should apply to smaller urbanized areas, including 
those with populations over 200,000. In response, most commenters--
including AASHTO, 9 State DOTs, National Association of Regional 
Councils (NARC), NYSAMPO, and the Association of General Contractors--
supported applying the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures to urbanized 
areas in nonattainment or maintenance areas with a population of more 
than 1 million. Some commenters in support of a population threshold of 
1 million argued this is consistent with congressional intent to 
require only those MPOs serving areas with more than 1 million people 
to prepare a CMAQ performance plan (see 49 U.S.C. 149(1)). They also 
argue it would limit the burden of compliance to those areas most 
likely to experience congestion.
    Two commenters supported population thresholds below 1 million. The 
T4A supported a population threshold of 200,000, noting that 23 U.S.C. 
149(l) requires a performance plan for mega-regions with more than 1 
million people, but does not supersede 23 U.S.C. 150(c). The commenter 
added that title 23 makes a distinction between areas above and below a 
population of 200,000, which could be applied to this measure. The 
Natural Resources Defense Council stated that the restriction on 
congestion measurement to areas with a population over 1 million is 
arbitrary and unwarranted and should be removed.
    The NARC and NYSAMPO also expressed concern about the applicability 
of urbanized area as the appropriate geography. The NYSAMPO further 
expressed concern about the relationship of this requirement to the 
separate NPRM on MPO Coordination.
    The final rule revised the applicability of the CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion measures to urbanized areas in nonattainment or maintenance 
areas with a population of more than one million, before expanding to 
areas with a population over 200,000 for the second and all subsequent 
performance periods. First, FHWA believes there is public benefit to 
expanding over time the applicability of the CMAQ measures to 
additional cities and will help to contribute to achieving the national 
goal of congestion reduction. The FHWA believes Congress's special 
emphasis on MPOs located in transportation management areas, which are 
urbanized areas with over 200,000 in population, is informative in this 
regard. Congress determined these areas need to address congestion 
issues, and, under 23 U.S.C. 134(k) Congress has required these MPOs to 
address congestion management through a process that provides for 
effective management and operation of new and existing transportation 
facilities, including development of congestion management plans. The 
FHWA expects that expanding the applicability of these measures will 
lead to better planning and operational decisionmaking, especially with 
respect to congestion management. Applying these measures to this 
broader group of urbanized areas will contribute valuable information 
to the congestion management process under 23 U.S.C. 134(k)(3)(A) and 
is consistent with the DOT Beyond Traffic initiative to address 
congestion, including in metropolitan areas.
    Expanding the applicability of these measures in subsequent 
performance periods to urbanized areas of 200,000 people or more will 
yield a larger pool of potential benefits from evaluations of mode 
share and reductions in peak hour excessive delay as States MPOs and 
Cities respond to the CMAQ performance measures. Additionally, sharing 
best practices among a larger

[[Page 6012]]

pool of urbanized areas may lead to innovative strategies to reduce 
peak hour excessive delay and to estimate or count transportation trips 
on all modes. As part of the Modal Share measure, State DOTs and MPOs 
are encouraged to report data not currently available in national 
sources (e.g., pedestrian or bike counts) to FHWA, and expanding the 
applicability of these measures will improve the quality and quantity 
of these data nationwide.
    Recognizing that these smaller urbanized areas may need more time 
to implement this requirement because many may not have the same level 
of experience or resources to consider these issues as do larger 
urbanized areas, FHWA decided to provide these smaller urbanized areas 
more time to implement the measure. The phase-in period will give 
smaller MPOs time to understand the measure, what is necessary to 
calculate the measure, and how setting targets will work. The phase-in 
period will reduce the overall burden for State/MPO coordination with 
respect to target setting for both of the CMAQ Traffic Congestion 
measures. The PHED measure has also been simplified to require less 
coordination and less data (i.e., only requiring data during peak 
hours) than the proposed excessive delay measure in the NPRM. Although 
the Modal Share measure is new, one option uses widely available ACS 
data and is simple to calculate.
    The FHWA believes that urbanized areas should be the boundary used 
to define applicable areas, as these areas are used in practice today 
to define the minimum planning scope of metropolitan areas. The FHWA 
acknowledges the comment regarding deferring a decision on the area of 
applicability of these measures until completion of the NPRM on MPO 
Coordination and Planning Area Reform. The FHWA declines to defer the 
decision in this rule. This rule provides sufficient lead time to 
accommodate any coordination or decisionmaking requirements regarding 
the applicability of the CMAQ PHED measure that may arise out of a 
final MPO rule.

F. Subpart H--National Performance Measure for the CMAQ Program--On 
Road Mobile Source Emissions

1. General Comments
    Several commenters expressed support for the proposed on-road 
mobile source emissions performance measure. Other commenters expressed 
support for FHWA's overall approach of using emission reductions by 
pollutant for the performance measure for on-road mobile source 
emissions. One commenter argued that the nation's transportation system 
is responsible for roughly 23 percent of the country's emissions and 
any regulations that require State DOTs to monitor emissions released 
by automobiles will help reduce emissions drastically, and another 
recommended that FHWA develop a measure of emissions per person trip 
for non-freeway NHS roads. Several commenters urged FHWA to incorporate 
GHG emissions reduction reporting into the on-road mobile source 
emissions performance measure.
    After careful consideration of these comments, FHWA retained the 
CMAQ on-road mobile source emissions measure, with some modifications 
as explained in response to specific comments. The FHWA decided after 
reviewing all the comments regarding a GHG measure to apply it to 
performance of the NHS in all States and MPOs under NHPP.
2. Concerns About MPO Targets and Reporting
    Because the proposed on-road mobile source emissions measure did 
not include a provision for State DOTs to approve MPO emission 
reduction targets, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet expressed 
concern that the rule would allow an MPO to attempt to force a 
disproportionate amount of CMAQ funds to be awarded to its area by 
setting an overly aggressive target and recommended that targets for 
the on-road mobile source emissions measure should only be required for 
State DOTs and not MPOs, with a provision for State DOTs to concur with 
MPO targets. The Oregon DOT suggested that States have flexibility in 
determining the appropriate target setting entity, whether it is a 
State DOT or the MPOs.
    The FHWA believes that State DOTs and MPOs have the authority to 
establish their targets at their discretion. Moreover, MAP-21 does not 
provide FHWA the authority to approve or reject State DOT or MPO 
established targets. No changes were made in response to these 
comments.
3. Applicability
    Several commenters, including AASHTO and several State DOTs, 
recommended that FHWA revise the proposed on-road mobile source 
emissions performance measure so that it only applies to urban areas 
with populations of over 1 million. The AASHTO expressed concern that 
smaller urban areas may not have the capacity (resources and staffing) 
to address the on-road mobile source emissions measure. Further, 
AASHTO, Connecticut DOT, and Washington DOT commented that limiting the 
on-road mobile source emissions measure to urban areas with over 1 
million populations would be consistent with congressional intent, 
because the requirement to prepare a CMAQ performance plan is limited 
by statute to MPOs serving areas of over 1 million in population. The 
Washington State DOT and Oregon DOT also reasoned that because smaller 
urban areas do not receive large amounts of CMAQ funding, those MPOs 
may use multiple years' allocations to fund a single project, which 
would result in such MPOs having no reportable benefits for certain 
years and give a false impression that an MPO failed to meet a target. 
Further, these commenters expressed concern that setting realistic 
targets may prove challenging for smaller MPOs that have a limited 
sample size of past projects. The North Central Texas Council of 
Governments and several State DOTs recommended that reporting areas be 
consistent between CMAQ congestion and on-road mobile source emissions 
performance measures in order to make reporting simpler. Specifically, 
the State DOTs recommended that the on-road mobile source emissions 
measure be modified so that it would apply to the same areas as the 
CMAQ congestion measure in the NPRM, only in urbanized areas with a 
population of over one million in nonattainment or maintenance areas 
for criteria pollutants under the CMAQ program. The commenters argued 
that this approach would allow for consistency with Congress's decision 
to limit the requirement for the preparation of a CMAQ performance plan 
to areas of over one million in population.
    In contrast, Oregon Metro Council and the Joint Policy Advisory 
Committee on Transportation urged FHWA to apply the on-road mobile 
source emissions performance measure to all CMAQ program recipients, 
regardless of size of population.
    Several State DOTs and AASHTO argued that tying emissions reduction 
to expenditures for apportionments for the entire CMAQ program will 
result in a negative effect on a State's statutorily given right to 
utilize flexible funding, which would contradict the purpose of the 
flexibility provision of 23 U.S.C. 149. As a result, they stated that 
490.803 should apply only to non-flexible CMAQ funds. The AASHTO, 
Connecticut DOT, and Montana DOT urged FHWA not to require emissions 
data reporting as to flexible CMAQ funds, because requiring such 
reporting could indirectly pressure States to

[[Page 6013]]

forego the flexibility provided by Congress. The Mississippi DOT urged 
FHWA to make concessions for rural areas and reduce or eliminate CMAQ 
reporting requirements for non-urban areas, and Oregon DOT asked that 
rural areas be exempt from the on-road mobile source emissions measure 
as the major contributors to the pollutions in such areas tend to be 
from road dust and topographical effects.
    Since all ozone, carbon monoxide, or particulate matter 
nonattainment and maintenance areas, regardless of size, are eligible 
to receive CMAQ funds and all CMAQ funded projects must demonstrate an 
emissions reduction, FHWA has concluded that the emissions measure 
should apply to all such areas regardless of population. In contrast to 
the CMAQ PHED and Modal Share measures, the emissions measure does not 
raise significant challenges to achieve a fair balance between the 
benefits of the measure and the burden of applying it. The burden for 
reporting on this measure is easier than for the CMAQ traffic 
congestion measures, since the emissions measure data come from an 
existing database used since 1992. The FHWA has not made any changes in 
the final rule based on these comments.
    Additionally, States with rural areas designated nonattainment or 
maintenance may obligate CMAQ funds in those areas. Therefore, they 
should also be subject to this measure. The FHWA has not made any 
changes in the final rule based on this comment. Finally, FHWA agrees 
that Congress provided the areas with flexible funds the ability to use 
those CMAQ dollars on CMAQ or Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) 
eligible projects. The FHWA does not agree, however, that this measure 
should be limited only to mandatory CMAQ projects. There is enough 
flexibility in how a State DOT or MPO establishes its target that it 
can account for any flexible funds it plans to spend on STBG eligible 
projects at that time. Therefore, FHWA has not made any changes in the 
final rule based on this comment.
4. Applicability of New Standards
    One commenter encouraged FHWA to acknowledge the importance of good 
air quality in borderline nonattainment areas in the air quality 
performance measure, and another expressed concern that as the NAAQS 
become more stringent over time, the workload for State DOTs and MPOs 
to comply with the performance measure will increase because more 
nonattainment areas will be designated. Others suggested the rule build 
in a later deadline for such cases and provide specific authority for a 
waiver to be granted to affected States and MPOs in terms of 
deadlines--when an area is newly designated as nonattainment, so that 
it can have more time in setting targets relevant to the affected area. 
Alternatively, GDOT recommended that nonattainment and maintenance 
designation for the baseline performance period be as of October 1, 
2017 (one year in advance of first baseline report). The GDOT noted 
that given significant uncertainty over designation and revocation 
timeframes experienced over many years, this baseline would provide 
some assurances and, hopefully, avoid unnecessary resource expenditure 
based on assumed designations before October 2018.
    The FHWA does not agree that special consideration or a waiver is 
needed for newly designated nonattainment areas. Potential areas have 
sufficient notice that they may be designated nonattainment. Therefore, 
States do not need more time to meet the performance measure 
requirements than afforded the other areas to establish targets. In 
addition, FHWA has clarified in the final rule that the baseline 
nonattainment and maintenance area designations should be based on area 
status as of October 1, 2017.
5. Reporting
    Several commenters requested clarity on the timeframe for reporting 
emissions reductions. Several commenters suggested that emission 
reduction benefits for CMAQ-funded projects should be reported after 
the project has been completed and is open for use, rather than the 
first time CMAQ funding is obligated for the project. Others argued 
that the proposed on-road mobile source emissions measure reporting 
timing would be disadvantageous for smaller urban areas, because such 
MPOs sometimes use multiple years' allocations to fund a single 
project, which could give the false impression that an MPO failed to 
meet a target if there were no reportable emissions reductions for 
certain years. These commenters also asked FHWA to clarify the year to 
which the first March 1 and July 1 due dates apply.
    Some commenters suggested that limiting emissions reductions 
benefits to a single year would understate the actual benefits realized 
because the life of the benefits last as long as the project, which can 
be from 1 year (e.g., operations) to decades (e.g., built facilities, 
locomotive repower projects). For this reason, they recommended that 
FHWA add two fields to the CMAQ Public Access System--one for year open 
to service (or completion year) and one for expected service life, 
which would allow the benefits for a given project to count beginning 
in the year open to service and continue to be counted as long as the 
service life has not been exceeded. They said this approach would avoid 
the complication that would result from the use of advance construction 
to initiate projects if the rule relied on the first year of obligation 
as the emissions reduction benefits trigger. The commenters also 
suggested that FHWA consider a moving average for emissions reductions 
to smooth out the uneven implementation of projects, arguing that in 
some years a target would be exceeded while no benefits may be realized 
in other years. The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations 
and Fairbanks Metropolitan Area Transport System suggested that it may 
be better to report benefits on a project specific basis.
    The California Association of Councils of Government et al. 
requested guidance regarding how States and MPOs should reconcile 
variations in emissions model outputs over time solely due to emissions 
model updates. Regarding the first performance report, AASHTO and 
Connecticut DOT asked if the emission reduction assigned at the time 
the project was entered would be the target value or if the projects 
need to be recalculated using current emissions modeling, emission 
factors, etc. to determine whether the target was met.
    To keep this measure simple and consistent with the current CMAQ 
reporting requirements, a project's estimated emissions reductions are 
only for the first year of full operation. The information is entered 
in the CMAQ Public Access system only for the first year the project 
has funds obligated to avoid double counting benefits. The FHWA 
understands this approach may result in taking credit for a project in 
a performance period before it becomes operational, but believes the 
simplicity of this process is appropriate. The March 1 deadline for 
State DOTs to enter their CMAQ project information in the CMAQ Public 
Access System is not a new deadline. The CMAQ Program Guidance includes 
this same date for entering project information for the previous fiscal 
year. Therefore, this date applies now and will continue to apply with 
this final rule. The July 1 date is a new deadline for FHWA to ensure 
all information is in the CMAQ Public Access System. This due date will 
apply on July 1 after this final rule is effective.
    The FHWA clarifies that there is no requirement to recalculate the 
emissions entered into the CMAQ Public Access

[[Page 6014]]

System or to make adjustments to emissions estimates previously entered 
into the Public Access System when U.S. EPA approves new models. States 
or MPOs that believe they would not be able to meet a target due to a 
change in the models can adjust the target at the performance period's 
mid-point or explain in their final performance report why they were 
unable to meet their targets due to model-based emissions estimate. The 
FHWA has not made any changes in the final rule based on these 
comments.
6. Concerns Related to Quantification of Emissions
    Some commenters expressed concerns relating to quantifying 
emissions for certain projects such as fiber installation and traffic 
monitoring. Another commenter stated that transit projects may not 
demonstrate as much emissions reduction as heavy-duty engine 
replacement projects, even though additional transit service may be 
necessary to address regional and corridor congestion.
    Several commenters asked that FHWA continue to give State DOTs 
discretion to determine if quantitative CMAQ reporting is required, or 
expressed support for not being required to quantify emissions benefits 
in every situation, or argued in favor of States having the ability to 
update information in the CMAQ database. However, several others 
commented that they do not want to have to update their emissions 
because it would not be a good use of resources.
    The Oregon DOT and Washington State DOT disagreed with requiring 
CMAQ projects that fund operations improvements or are aimed at 
increasing person throughput to show a reduction in emissions, 
reasoning that latent demand often replaces any capacity made available 
by operational improvements. The Georgia DOT requested that FHWA 
provide guidance for establishing targets, because targets could be 
different by project types and limit/extent, and asked if the single 
target would reflect the total emission reductions of all projects in 
the nonattainment area during the 2- and/or 4-year timeframe. 
Expressing concern that 2- and 4-year targets will be difficult to set 
based on current information in the CMAQ Public Access System, Oregon 
DOT recommended that FHWA carry out additional research to determine 
how to successfully implement the on-road mobile source emissions 
measure.
    Under the CMAQ program, State DOTs and MPOs have the discretion to 
fund projects where it is not possible or easy to quantify the 
emissions benefit. However, these projects will not be accounted for in 
this performance measure since by the nature of the project, it is not 
possible to quantify the emissions benefit. Further, FHWA appreciates 
the concerns raised with respect to lifecycle benefits, but in order to 
keep the CMAQ reporting system simple and easy to use, it does not 
require the calculation of life cycle emissions benefits.
    States and MPOs must use projects in the 4 years prior to the first 
performance year as a basis for establishing a target for the first 
performance period. The projects entered into the System during the 2- 
and 4-year performance period will be taken as is to calculate the 
measure. If a State or MPO felt they would not be able to meet a 
target, they could adjust the target at the mid-point of the 
performance period or explain in their final performance report why 
they were unable to meet their targets. The FHWA has not made any 
changes in the final rule based on these comments.
7. Application Beyond CMAQ Projects
    The majority of commenters on this topic expressed concern over 
limiting the on-road mobile source emissions measure to only those 
projects that receive CMAQ funding. One argued it would be inefficient, 
another that emissions reductions from all recipients of CMAQ dollars 
should be assessed, and another that the best opportunity to reduce 
emissions comes from operations and capital projects. The Nashville 
Area MPO and T4A recommended that total emissions reductions be 
measured for areas designated as nonattainment or maintenance for 
ozone, carbon monoxide, or particulate matter and that targets under 
this measure should be set to consider all capital and operational 
opportunities to reduce emissions, not just those that receive CMAQ 
funding. Another noted that projects tend to have multiple funding 
sources. Other commenters recommended that the targets under the on-
road mobile source emissions performance measure consider all 
transportation projects and not just CMAQ-funded projects, or that as 
emission reductions become more easily estimated, the measure could be 
expanded to all projects. One commenter encouraged FHWA to focus on 
successful actions States are taking rather than from where funding is 
coming. Another recommended that emission reductions should be assessed 
at the State or region scale.
    In contrast, AASHTO and others expressed support for the proposal 
that the on-road mobile source emissions performance measure not apply 
to States and MPOs that do not contain any portions of a nonattainment 
area. The Virginia DOT further recommended that FHWA consider a region-
wide air quality measure, as CMAQ projects are generally a small subset 
of transportation projects. The AASHTO, Connecticut DOT, and Montana 
DOT urged FHWA not to require emissions data reporting as to flexible 
CMAQ funds, because requiring such reporting could indirectly pressure 
States to forego the flexibility provided by Congress.
    The FHWA does not agree this measure should extend beyond the CMAQ 
program since the performance measure, as defined in 23 U.S.C. 
150(c)(5), is specifically tied to the CMAQ program. The FHWA also does 
not agree that the measure should apply to all States or regions that 
receive CMAQ funds or that the emissions benefits included should 
extend beyond the CMAQ program. As noted in the NPRM, attainment areas 
are allowed flexibility in spending their CMAQ funds whereby projects 
are not required to adhere to specific CMAQ eligibility requirements. 
While there are many projects funded with monies beyond the CMAQ 
program that result in an emissions benefit, the performance measure, 
as defined in 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(5), is specifically tied to CMAQ 
program. The purpose of the CMAQ program is to fund transportation 
projects or programs that contribute to the attainment or maintenances 
of the NAAQS in nonattainment or maintenance areas. The FHWA has not 
made any changes in the final rule based on these comments.
8. Attainment Definition--Removal of Areas Beyond 20-Year Maintenance 
Plan
    Oregon DOT suggested that an area should be considered attainment 
if it has reached the end of its 20-year maintenance plan.
    The FHWA agrees that when an area reaches the end of its 20-year 
maintenance plan for an applicable pollutant, the CMAQ performance 
reporting requirement should no longer apply. Changes were made to the 
definition of ``maintenance area'' in section 490.101 and to the data 
requirements in section 490.809(c).
9. Modification of Emissions Information at 2-Year Report
    The Connecticut DOT recommended that FHWA allow revisions to the 
applicability of the on-road mobile source emissions performance 
measure to certain criteria pollutants if the NAAQS designation status 
changes

[[Page 6015]]

during the 4-year performance period, especially at the 2-year 
midpoint.
    The Oregon Metro Council and the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on 
Transportation expressed concern that the proposed rule was unclear 
about how to address delay and cancellation of projects funded by CMAQ 
in the emissions reduction reporting. In particular, this commenter 
asked about procedures for removing the emissions reductions already 
accounted for in previous reporting to ensure that emission reduction 
credit is not taken for a project that continues to get slipped and 
carried over from one year to the next.
    The FHWA agrees that flexibility should be provided to areas if 
their designations change during the 4-year performance period. The 
FHWA has revised the language in Sec.  490.809(c) so that nonattainment 
and maintenance areas will be revised if an area is no longer 
nonattainment or maintenance, for any pollutants in Sec.  490.803.
10. Concerns About the CMAQ Public Access System Data; Use of Observed 
Data and Other Alternative Methods
    Some commenters expressed concerns with data deficiencies in the 
CMAQ Public Access System that should be corrected before reliance on 
its use for the on-road mobile source emissions performance measure. 
For example, AASHTO and Connecticut DOT commented that the inability to 
de-obligate an entry was a deficiency in the User Profile and Access 
Control System (UPACS) that needs to be corrected to meet the 
requirements of the on-road mobile source emissions performance 
measure. The AASHTO, Oregon DOT, and Connecticut DOT expressed concern 
that emissions reductions often are estimated differently by different 
MPOs and that sometimes even similar projects within an agency have 
vastly different estimates. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for 
Planning warned that it will be difficult to ensure data quality 
submitted for performance reports because projects in the database have 
not matched up well with local project descriptions, which is in part a 
result of the local programmer (often the MPO) submitting data to the 
State, which then repackages it for submission to the Public Access 
System. Others commented that because the UPACS/Public Access System is 
intended to track emissions reductions benefits, it is not well suited 
to evaluate attainment of targets. One commenter noted that adding 
health impact information for each pollutant would be useful to 
decisionmakers. Another recommended that FHWA provide a workbook to 
input more environmental information into the CMAQ Public Access System 
(e.g., population density, traffic congestion, extreme weather events). 
The Pennsylvania DOT recommended that the emission reduction 
performance measure should be based on cost-effectiveness.
    Several commenters sought clarification on various issues related 
to calculating emissions reductions for purposes of the proposed on-
road mobile source emissions performance measure, and various 
alternative methods or improvements to the UPACS/CMAQ Public Access 
System were suggested.
    The Oregon Metro Council and the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on 
Transportation expressed concern that the proposed on-road mobile 
source emissions performance measure does not meet the same standards 
as other performance measures because it is not based on observed data.
    The Oregon DOT and Washington State DOT commented that collecting 
emissions data on a project-by-project basis through vehicle probing or 
other means would be cost-prohibitive and take years to collect enough 
data to use. Others recommended that FHWA create a look-up table that 
it would update periodically and which lists emission reductions that 
may be expected for a range of smaller projects. Similarly, Oregon DOT 
suggested that FHWA consider ways to quantify some projects that 
nationwide tend to have missing data.
    While FHWA is aware that this measure is based on estimated 
emissions reduction, not measured or observed emissions, the tools to 
do otherwise are not available, and the time needed to measure the 
change in emissions from every CMAQ project would be not be 
practicable. State DOTs and MPOs have been strongly encouraged to 
quantitatively report their emission benefits for all CMAQ projects 
since 1992. The first modules of FHWA's tool kit of best practices are 
already available, and additional modules now under development will be 
available before the first performance period. No changes were made in 
response to these comments.
11. Applicability of Measure to All Criteria Pollutants and Precursors
    The United States Green Building Council commented that MPOS should 
be required to measure the criteria air pollution of their plans and 
subsequently work to reduce criteria pollutant levels. Another 
suggested that the on-road mobile source emissions performance measure 
should allow States and MPOs to include emissions reductions from CMAQ 
projects for all criteria pollutants (and their precursors), regardless 
of the type of attainment/nonattainment areas in which the project is 
located. This commenter reasoned that it may be difficult to separate 
out reductions that only pertain to the specific nonattainment and 
maintenance areas, particularly for regional or statewide CMAQ 
projects.
    Several commented that no other non-CMAQ pollutants should be added 
to the on-road mobile source emissions performance measure. 
Specifically, Oregon DOT recommended that FHWA limit defined pollutants 
and not include open ended definitions that have the potential to 
expand performance measure burdens under this rule due to actions by 
another agency. The Connecticut DOT commented that subpart H 
performance targets only should be set for criteria pollutants for 
which a State currently reports emissions reductions.
    The FHWA agrees that it is not always easy to determine the 
emissions benefits for some projects by nonattainment or maintenance 
area. However, to the extent an area wants to take credit for the 
emissions reductions for a statewide project, they should use the best 
tools available to determine which portion of that project benefits 
their area. This problem is not new to the CMAQ program or even 
regional emissions analyses under transportation conformity that must 
account for the emissions of all projects within a nonattainment or 
maintenance area. Therefore, FHWA has not made any changes in the final 
rule based on this comment.
12. Use of Standard System Versus Metric System To Measure Emissions
    The AASHTO and Connecticut DOT recommended that FHWA change the 
protocol for the CMAQ Public Access System from the metric system (kg/
day) to standard (lbs/day) for consistency to life of the project cost 
effectiveness. Others recommended that emission reduction benefits be 
compared in tons per annualized days to allow a fair comparison between 
projects that may have a varied number of effective days. The 
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations commented that 
converting the kilograms per day emissions data to tons per year does 
not provide any new information about the performance of the project or 
how it compares to other projects. Rather than having the measure be 
expressed in short tons per year, one commenter suggested that the 
measure should be

[[Page 6016]]

expressed in total number of short tons of pollutant removed over the 
2- and 4-year periods. This commenter also recommended that the 
equation given in section 490.813(b) should be modified to add a 
parameter for the number of years or the regulation should provide an 
additional equation for the 4-year calculation.
    The FHWA agrees with the concerns raised about the proposed metric 
and therefore has removed that conversion from the emissions measure 
calculation in section 490.813(b). This change also results in a change 
in the units for the emissions measure in section 490.813.

VI. Section-by-Section Discussion of the General Information and 
National Performance Management Measures; Assessing Performance of the 
National Highway System, Freight Movement on the Interstate System, and 
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program

A. Subpart A--General Information

Discussion Section of Sec.  490.101 Definitions
    The FHWA made the following changes and additions to the 
definitions proposed in the NPRM.
    American Community Survey (ACS)--A definition was added to describe 
a data source that is needed to support new required measure 
components. The ACS is being identified as a source of information to 
acquire data on travel choices to journey to work in urban areas.
    Freight bottlenecks--The definition of ``freight bottleneck'' has 
been changed to ``truck freight bottleneck'' and revised to provide a 
general description that allows State DOTs to determine based upon 
individual context. The definition also does not limit the location to 
the Interstate. Each State will need to define what constitutes 
bottlenecks based upon the specific context of the State and the local 
impediments that each State experiences with regard to freight 
movement.
    Maintenance area--FHWA has amended the definition of maintenance 
area to exclude areas that reach the end of their 20-year maintenance 
period for the purposes of part 490.
    National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS)--the 
definition of the NPMRDS was revised to clarify that only mainline 
highway portions of the NHS are included in the data set. In addition, 
the definition was revised to change the interval of travel times from 
5 to 15 minutes.
    Non-SOV Travel--a definition was added for travel occurring on 
modes other than driving alone in a motorized vehicle and includes 
travel that is avoided by telecommuting. This definition was added as 
the term, ``non-SOV Travel,'' is used within the regulatory text as an 
indicator of transportation mode choice.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.103 Data Requirements
    The FHWA made the following changes regarding Data Requirements.
    Throughout the final rule the timing for determination of measure 
applicability has been changed from ``at the time when the State 
Baseline Performance Period Report is due'' to ``one year before the 
time when the State Baseline Performance Period Report is due.'' In 
Sec.  490.103(c), State DOTs must use the nonattainment and maintenance 
boundaries based on the most recent EPA designations at the time that 
is ``one year before'' the State Baseline Performance Report is due. As 
discussed in the change to the definition of ``maintenance'' areas, EPA 
designations of maintenance areas that have reached the end of their 
20-year maintenance period will not be applicable to the requirements 
of subpart H.
    The FHWA revised the equivalent data requirements under section 
490.103(e)(5)(ii) to clarify that the equivalent data set only is 
required to include travel time data for the ``mainline highways'' on 
the NHS. In addition, Sec.  490.103(e)(5)(ii) was revised to include 
travel times at a maximum of 15 minute intervals. The temporal 
granularity of the average travel times in the equivalent data was 
reduced from the proposed 5 minute interval level to 15 minutes.
    In section 490.103(e)(5)(iii), for equivalent data sets, travel 
must be observed and may be derived from travel times over longer time 
periods (known as path processing or equivalent).
    Text was added in Sec.  490.103(f)(1) to clarify that it is 
acceptable to use the NPMRDS Travel Time Segments as the Reporting 
Segments by stating that it is optional to create new Reporting 
Segments.
    The FHWA revised Sec.  490.103(f)(2) to increase the maximum length 
of reporting segments in urban areas from \1/2\ mile to 1 mile (unless 
an individual Travel Time segment is longer).
    In Sec.  490.103(g) of the NPRM, FHWA proposed that the State DOT 
would submit its reporting segments for the NHS and the desired travel 
times for applicable \67\ reporting segments to HPMS no later than 
November 1, prior to the beginning of the calendar year in which they 
will be used for travel time data collection. The FHWA also proposed 
that these reported reporting segments would be used throughout the 
performance period. The FHWA felt that a 2-step data reporting (first 
step is reporting segments and desired travel times and second step is 
reporting metric data for corresponding reporting segments) along with 
constant reporting segments throughout the performance period is 
necessary to ensure consistency between data sets at the time of target 
establishment and subsequent progress evaluations. Since this final 
rule removes the proposed Peak Hour Travel Time measures in section 
490.507, travel time data sets could change (NPMRDS to/from an 
equivalent data set) during a performance period, and removing the 
requirements to maintain constant NHS limits during a performance 
period in section 490.105(d)(3), FHWA believes the first step of data 
reporting unnecessary. Accordingly, FHWA removes, in the final rule, 
the proposed reporting requirement for reporting segments and desired 
travel times prior to the beginning of the calendar year in which they 
will be used for travel time data collection in Sec.  490.103(g). The 
FHWA believes that eliminating this reporting step will reduce the 
burden on the State DOTs. As a result, FHWA moves the requirement for 
documentation of the State DOT and applicable MPOs coordination and 
agreement on the travel time data set in Sec.  490.103(g)(4) in the 
NPRM to Sec.  490.103(f)(4) in the final rule. The FHWA also moves the 
requirement for the reporting segments in an equivalent data be 
referenced by HPMS location referencing standards in Sec.  
490.103(g)(5) in the NPRM to Sec.  490.103(e)(5)(i) in the final rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \67\ Reporting segments on NHS located within urbanized areas 
with populations over 1 million for the proposed Peak Hour Travel 
Time measures.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Section 490.103(g) has been revised in this final rule. In this 
section, State DOTs are encouraged to report the Posted Speed Limits 
for the full extent of the NHS via HPMS as this data is needed for 
State DOTs to identify the occurrence of excessive delays.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.105 Establishment of Performance 
Targets
Section 490.105(d)(3) and (e)(3)(i)--Maintaining Urbanized Area 
Constant Throughout a Performance Period
    In section 490.105(d)(3), FHWA removes the requirement for 
maintaining urbanized area constant throughout a performance period. 
The FHWA made this change because the requirements for NHS limits 
constant

[[Page 6017]]

throughout a performance period was eliminated in the final rule for 
the second performance management measures. In addition to consistency 
between NHS limits data and urbanized area data, FHWA believes State 
DOTs and MPOs will have sufficient time to adopt updated U.S. Census 
decennial census data in their target establishment/adjustment since 
the NHS and urbanized area data used for travel time data collection 
for a calendar year will have a 2-year time lag. For example, 2015 NHS 
limits and urbanized area data collected is reported in 2016 to HPMS 
and that data will be used for travel time data collection in 2017. 
Additionally, HPMS allows 2 years to adopt updated decennial census 
urbanized area data. So, FHWA believes that there will be adequate time 
between U.S. Census publications of decennial census urbanized area 
data and target establishment and adjustment. For these reasons, FHWA 
revises Sec.  490.105(d)(3) for removing the requirement for 
maintaining urbanized area constant throughout a performance period for 
the urbanized area specific targets, as provided in Sec.  
490.105(e)(8). For the same reason, the FHWA revises Sec.  
490.105(e)(3)(i) so that State DOTs no longer required to ``declare'' 
the boundaries used to establish each additional target and so that 
changes in urbanized area will be accounted for the additional targets, 
as described in Sec.  490.105(e)(3).
Section 490.105(e)(8)(i) and (ii) and (f)(5)(i) and (ii)--Urbanized 
Area Population Threshold for CMAQ Traffic Congestion Measures
    In section 490.703, FHWA revises the urbanized area population 
threshold for traffic congestion measures, in Sec.  490.707(a) and (b), 
from 1 million to 200,000. In response to the revision in section 
490.703, FHWA revises Sec.  490.105(e)(8)(i), (e)(8)(ii), (f)(5)(i), 
and (f)(5)(ii). In Sec.  490.105(e)(8)(i) and (f)(5)(i), the 1 million 
population threshold only applies to the first performance period 
(i.e., the performance period beginning on January 1, 2018). In Sec.  
490.105(e)(8)(ii) and (f)(5)(ii), the 200,000 population threshold 
applies to the second performance period (i.e., the performance period 
beginning on January 1, 2022) and all subsequent performance periods 
thereafter.
Sections 490.105(e)(8)(iii), (f)(5)(iii), and (f)(6)(iii), and 
490.107(c)(3)--Population Data Sources for CMAQ Measure Applicability 
Determination
    Total population of an urbanized area in section 490.713(b) in the 
final rule is revised from the Decennial Census population number to 
the most recent annual population estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau. 
Section 490.105(e)(8)(iii)(D) and (f)(5)(iii)(D) have been revised so 
that the data source for applicability determination and the measure 
computation are the same.
    To maintain consistency with the population data source for 
determining the applicability of the CMAQ traffic congestion measures, 
FHWA revises sections 490.105(f)(6)(iii) and 490.107(c)(3) to use the 
most recent annual population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau in 
determining which MPOs are required to submit MPO CMAQ Performance 
Plan.
Section 490.105(e)(8) & (9) and (f)(5) & (6)--CMAQ Measure 
Applicability Determination Timing and Methodology
    In paragraphs (e)(8)(iii)(D) through (F), (e)(8)(iv), 
(f)(5)(iii)(D) through (F) and (f)(5)(iv), FHWA revises the timing of 
determining which State DOTs and MPOs are required to implement traffic 
congestion measures in Sec.  490.707(a) and (b). The applicability 
determination for traffic congestion measures will be made 1 year 
before when the State DOT Baseline Performance Period Report.
    In paragraphs (e)(9)(v) and (f)(5)(v), FHWA revises the timing of 
determining which State DOTs and MPOs are required to implement on-road 
mobile source emissions measure in Sec.  490.807. The applicability 
determination for on-road mobile source emissions measure will be made 
1 year before when the State DOT Baseline Performance Period Report.
    In paragraphs (e)(8)(iii)(F), (e)(8)(v), (f)(5)(iii)(F), and 
(f)(5)(v) of this section, FHWA revises the requirements for the 
determination of nonattainment and maintenance areas to revisit the 
designations one year before the State DOT Mid Performance Period 
Progress Report is due to FHWA. Any urbanized areas that are determined 
at this point to be no longer in nonattainment or maintenance for a 
criteria pollutant included in section 490.703 will not be subject to 
the traffic congestion measure requirements for the remainder of the 
performance period.
    In paragraphs (e)(9)(v), (e)(9)(viii), and (f)(6)(v) of this 
section, FHWA revises the requirements for the determination of 
nonattainment and maintenance areas to revisit the designations one 
year before the State DOT Mid Performance Period Progress Report is due 
to FHWA. Any area within State boundary or metropolitan planning area 
that are determined at this point to be no longer in nonattainment or 
maintenance for any criteria pollutant included in section 490.803 will 
not be subject to the on-road mobile source emission measure 
requirements for the remainder of the performance period.
    In paragraphs (e)(8)(vi) and (f)(5)(vi) of this section, FHWA 
revises the phase-in for the establishment of urbanized area specific 
targets. The phase-in does not require State DOTs and MPOs to establish 
a 2-year target for the first performance period to provide time to 
build capacity and to acquire sufficient to calculate the new PHED 
measure in Sec.  490.707(a). The phase-in of urbanized area specific 
targets does not apply to the new non-SOV travel measure in Sec.  
490.707(b).
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.107 Reporting on Performance Targets
Section 490.107(a)(4)--Initial State Performance Report
    Section 490.107(a)(4) and (5) have been removed in this final rule.
Section 490.107(b)(1)(ii)(E)--NHS Limits for Targets
    The NHS limits for targets are removed from section 
490.107(b)(1)(ii)(E) and State are not required to include them in the 
State Baseline Performance Period Report. This requirement was removed 
as NHS limits will not be held constant for the duration of the 
performance period in the assessment of progress made by State DOTs to 
achieve targets. As discussed in the Pavement and Bridge Condition 
Performance Measure final rule, commenters felt that changes in NHS 
limits that may occur from year to year can be reasonably considered in 
the establishment of targets.
Section 490.107(b)(1)(ii)(E), (b)(2)(ii)(D), and (b)(3)(ii)(D)--
Reporting Congestion at Truck Freight Bottlenecks
    Section 490.107(b)(1)(ii)(E), (b)(2)(ii)(D), and (b)(3)(ii)(D) have 
been revised to clarify that States must document the location of 
freight bottlenecks with the State including those identified in the 
National Strategic Freight Plan. The section also sets forth the 
conditions under which a State Freight Plan may serve as the basis for 
identifying truck freight bottlenecks.
Section 490.107(b)(1), (2) and (3)--Reporting Metrics for GHG Measure
    As discussed in the discussion section for Sec.  490.511, State 
DOTs are required to report total annual on-road CO2 
emissions on the NHS and total annual on-road CO2 emissions, 
for the measure specified in Sec.  490.507(b), to FHWA as part of the 
State Biennial Performance Report. Accordingly, FHWA adds

[[Page 6018]]

Sec.  490.107(b)(1)(ii)(H), (b)(2)(ii)(J), and (b)(3)(ii)(I) in the 
final rule.
Section 490.107(b)(1)--Reporting Data Collection Method for the Percent 
Non-SOV Travel Measure
    As discussed in discussion section for Sec.  490.709, State DOTs 
are required to report in their Baseline Performance Period Report the 
data collection method that is used to determine the Percent non-SOV 
Travel measure, in section 490.707(b), for each applicable urbanized 
area in the State, as provided in section 490.709(f)(2). Accordingly, 
FHWA adds Sec.  490.107(b)(1)(ii)(I) in the final rule.
Section 490.107(c)(3)--MPO CMAQ Performance Plan Applicability 
Determination Timing
    In Sec.  490.107(c)(3), FHWA revises the timing of determining 
which MPOs are required to develop and report CMAQ Performance Plan. 
The applicability determination for the MPO CMAQ Performance Plan will 
be made 1 year before when the State DOT Baseline Performance Period 
Report. Also, FHWA revises Sec.  490.107(c)(3) so that nonattainment 
and maintenance areas to revisit the designations one year before the 
State DOT Mid Performance Period Progress Report is due to FHWA. Any 
area within metropolitan planning area, within an urbanized area with a 
population greater than 1 million, that are determined at this point to 
be no longer in nonattainment or maintenance for any criteria pollutant 
included in section 490.803 will not be subject to the MPO CMAQ 
Performance Plan for the remainder of that performance period.

B. Subpart E--National Performance Management Measures for the NHPP 
System Performance

Discussion Section 490.503 Applicability
    The FHWA removed the applicability language relating to Peak Hour 
Travel Time measures because those measures have been removed from the 
rule. The FHWA added a provision for the GHG measure in Sec.  
490.507(b), making it applicable to all mainline highways on the 
Interstate and non-Interstate NHS.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.505 Definitions
    The following changes were made to the definitions in section 
490.505 to address comments received.
    A definition has been established to define Greenhouse Gas as any 
gas that absorbs infrared radiation in the atmosphere. The definition 
further notes that ninety-five percent of transportation GHG emissions 
are carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuel. Other 
transportation GHG emissions are methane (CH4), nitrous 
oxide (N2O), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The definition 
also establishes the acronym, ``GHG,'' that is used throughout the 
section to refer to Greenhouse Gas. This definition has been added as a 
GHG measure is established in this section to assess system 
performance.
    The proposed definitions for Desired Peak Hour Travel Time, Peak 
Hour Travel Time, The Peak Period, and Peak Hour Travel Time Ratio were 
all removed from section as the measure of the percentage of the system 
meeting peak hour travel time expectations has been removed.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.507 National Performance Management 
Measures for System Performance
    The NHPP Reliability measure has been changed from, ``Percent of 
the Interstate System providing for Reliable Travel Times,'' to 
``Percent of person-miles travelled on the Interstate System that are 
reliable.'' This same change has been made for the non-Interstate NHS 
reliability measure. The proposed Peak Hour Travel Time measures were 
removed in the final rule.
    The FHWA added a GHG emissions performance measure in this section. 
The FHWA established the measure in a manner that utilizes existing 
data sources and minimizes burden on transportation agencies.
    The GHG emissions performance metric is on-road CO2 
emissions from vehicles operating on the NHS. The measure will be 
expressed as a percent change in CO2 from a reference year 
of 2017 levels in order to provide more meaning and context to 
decisionmakers and the public than a measure using a certain number of 
metric tons of CO2.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.509 Data Requirements
Section 490.509(a) Through (e)--Data Requirement for the Reliability 
Measures
    The FHWA removed the proposed requirement to replace missing travel 
times with travel time at posted speed limit for the NHPP Reliability 
measures and all other travel time derived measures in part 490. After 
further analysis of data and consideration of comments received, it was 
determined that, in cases where a considerable portion of the data was 
missing, the addition of the imputed travel times inaccurately skewed 
the measure results. In addition, FHWA believes that the occurrence of 
missing data will be reduced due to the greater prevalence of probes in 
the future, the allowance of path processing techniques to identify 
travel times, and the decreased temporal granularity of the 
measurements from 5 minutes to 15 minutes.
    In addition, FHWA has added paragraph (e) in this section to allow 
State DOTs to exclude any travel times that may have been collected 
while the roadway was closed.
    The FHWA added requirements to identify the data sources for both 
average annual daily traffic (AADT) volumes and average occupancy 
factors to support the data needs to adjust the NHPP Reliability 
measures to reflect person-miles of travel on the NHS. The HPMS has 
been identified as the data source for segment AADT, which is used to 
represent a full year of traffic volume by multiplying the average 
daily value by 365. Average occupancy factors will be determined and 
published by FHWA on its Web site from national surveys focused on 
household travel. The FHWA anticipates using the National Household 
Travel Survey (NHTS) to develop these factors for every State and large 
metropolitan areas. State DOTs, MPOs, and FHWA will be able to use the 
combination of total annual traffic volume, average occupancy factors, 
and length of reporting segment to weight the associated impact of 
reliability performance on all people traveling on the roadway 
annually.
Section 490.509(f) Through (h)--Data Requirements for the GHG Measure
    The data requirements for calculating the CO2 emissions 
performance measure are: (1) Emissions factors of CO2 per 
gallon of motor fuel, (2) annual motor fuel sales volumes, and (3) 
vehicle miles of travel on the NHS and on all roads. Data sources for 
each are readily available.
    The FHWA will post the applicable emissions factors annually by 
August 15 for use in calculating the performance measure for a range of 
fuels, based on U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) data.\68\ Examples 
of emissions factors are listed below for informational purposes:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \68\ U.S. Energy Information Agency, and http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=307&t=11.

[[Page 6019]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Fuel                    Pounds CO2         Kilograms CO2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
E10 (Gasoline with 10% ethanol).  18.95/gallon......  8.59/gallon.
Gasoline........................  19.60/gallon......  8.89/gallon.
Diesel..........................  22.40/gallon......  10.16/gallon.
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)....  54.60/McF (McF =    24.76/McF (McF =
                                   1,000 Cubic Feet).  1,000 Cubic
                                                       Feet).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    State DOTs already collect information on fuel sales for motor 
vehicle fuels and report it to FHWA. In order to provide maximum 
flexibility and promote ease of use, State DOTs may use either of the 
following sources for annual motor fuel sales information:

    1. Annual fuel sales volumes as posted August 15 for the 
previous year in FHWA's Highway Statistics in Table MF-21 ``Motor 
Fuel Use.'' \69\ Fuel sales are provided as a total number of 
gallons for combined gasoline/gasohol (gasoline ethanol blends such 
as E10), and special fuels (diesel, biodiesel, natural gas, etc.) 
combined. According to EIA, 95 percent of current gasoline sales are 
of E10 (ten percent blend of ethanol with gasoline).\70\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \69\ Note that the highway use fuel sales data in MF-21 includes 
only the fuel that is used to power on-road vehicles and does not 
include the fuel used for road construction or off-road activities 
such as powering lawn-mowers and construction equipment.
    \70\ www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=26092.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. The State DOT's fuel sales data the State DOT used to create 
the summary data included in FHWA's MF-21, if it allows for a great 
level of detail by fuel type. The FHWA encourages States to track 
sales at a more granular level and to use the appropriate emissions 
factor posted by FHWA for each sub-fuel. State DOTs shall make this 
data available to FHWA, upon request.

    Vehicle miles of travel on the NHS and on all roads by State are 
published in FHWA's Highway Statistics in Table VM-3 ``Vehicle Miles of 
Travel, by Federal-Aid Highways.'' For consistency, the measure uses 
the most recent published annual data as of August 15 of the year in 
which the metric is being calculated. For example, State DOTs will 
access the most recent data on August 15, 2018, to calculate the annual 
CO2 emissions on the NHS in 2017.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.511 Calculation of System Performance 
Metrics
Section 490.511(b) and (e)--Metric for Reliability Measures
    The FHWA changed the basic time period for the travel time 
reliability measure from 5 minutes to 15 minutes. The FHWA also 
clarified that reporting segment-level reliability metrics and related 
data can be reported by either NPMRDS TMC segment(s) or HPMS sections.
    The FHWA added information to be reported to HPMS along with the 
metric-related information, including directional AADT (the AADT in the 
direction of travel for the reporting segment) and a vehicle occupancy 
factor if not using the FHWA-supplied factor.
Sections 490.511(c), (d), and (f)--Metric for the GHG Measure
    State DOTs are required to calculate annual total tailpipe 
CO2 emissions on the NHS as the metric for the GHG measure. 
To calculate the CO2 emissions performance metric, State 
DOTs will use a methodology that relies on fuel sales volumes.
    In order to calculate total annual on-road CO2 
emissions, the total volume of each fuel sold is multiplied by the 
appropriate CO2 emission factors. The total CO2 
emissions for each fuel type are then summed. The CO2 
emissions measure is specific to the performance of the NHS. Therefore, 
it is necessary to estimate the portion of on-road CO2 
emissions attributable to the NHS by State.\71\ Existing data does not 
differentiate the exact volumes of fuel burned on the NHS versus the 
volume of fuels burned on other roads. Therefore, States will use the 
proportion of the State's VMT that occurs on the NHS as a proxy for the 
proportion of the State's on-road CO2 emissions on the 
NHS.\72\ State DOTs calculate on-road CO2 emissions on the 
NHS by multiplying on-road CO2 emissions by the proportion 
of NHS VMT out of total VMT.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \71\ Travel on the NHS accounts for approximately 55 percent of 
total U.S. VMT, varying by State.
    \72\ FHWA recognizes that this is not a perfect proxy, as 
speeds, operating conditions, and vehicle types on the NHS differ 
from those on other roads and differ between states. However, in 
balancing the competing goals of simplicity and precision, FHWA 
believes that this approach provides actionable information that 
DOTs and MPOs can use in evaluating system performance and making 
decisions, without significantly increasing workloads.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As fuel sales volumes are not generally available at the 
metropolitan area level, State DOTs and MPOs have flexibility on how 
they calculate on-road CO2 emissions for MPOs. Options range 
from simply using the MPO share of the State's VMT as a proxy for the 
MPO share of CO2 emissions, to more detailed analytical 
methods, such as using travel demand modeling and EPA's MOVES 
model,\73\ or using FHWA's EERPAT model. These methods are discussed in 
detail under Section V. An MPO also may use another methodology if the 
methodology is demonstrably valid and useful for CO2 
measurement. The use of a methodology not described in the rule does 
not require FHWA approval, but is subject to oversight.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \73\ Or EMFAC in California.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    State DOTs will report total annual on-road CO2 
emissions on the NHS (the GHG metric) and total annual on-road 
CO2 emissions (the step in the calculation prior to 
computing the GHG metric) to FHWA as part of the State Biennial 
Performance Report. State DOTs will report the 2017 on-road 
CO2 emissions on the NHS in the first Biennial Performance 
Report. State DOTs will use the 2017 reference value calculated for the 
first Biennial Performance Report in future Biennial Performance 
Reports unless FHWA posts on its Web site that there has been a change 
that warrants recalculation of the 2017 value, in which case the State 
DOT will provide an updated value in the next Biennial Performance 
Report. State DOTs will report the GHG metric and total annual 
CO2 emissions, every 2 years in their Biennial Performance 
Report for each of the preceding 2 calendar years. In doing this, the 
State DOT can either acquire the data needed for both years at once to 
calculate the metric, or they can calculate the metric each year. In 
either case, the State DOT will report both years to FHWA at one time 
in their Biennial Performance Report.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.513 Calculation of System Performance 
Measures
    Section 490.513(a) has been revised to more clearly identify that 
State DOTs and MPOs will calculate measures in this section for the 
purpose of carrying out the system performance related performance 
requirements of part 490 and that FHWA will calculate measures in this 
section for the purpose of making significant progress determinations 
and for reporting on system performance.

[[Page 6020]]

Section 490.513(a) Through (c)--Calculation of Reliability Measures
    Section 490.513 has been revised to change the measure calculation 
method to add in weighting for person-miles traveled. The NHPP 
Reliability measure is calculated by summing the product of the total 
annual traffic volume, the average occupancy factor, and the segment 
length for each reporting segment that is exhibiting a LOTTR below 1.50 
and comparing this, as a percentage, to the total person-miles traveled 
on the full system. This method has been designed to accommodate unique 
occupancy factors for each reporting segment if this information is 
available through data tables provided by FHWA as discussed in section 
490.509.
Section 490.513(d)--Calculation of the GHG Measure
    Total annual tons of CO2 emissions from on-road 
transportation sources on the NHS are expressed as a percent change 
from 2017, computed to the nearest tenth of a percent. This is in 
accordance with common practice of expressing GHG emissions goals in 
terms of a percent change from a certain year.

C. Subpart F--National Performance Management Measures for Freight 
Movement on the Interstate

Discussion of Section 490.607 National Performance Management Measure 
To Assess Freight Movement on the Interstate System
    The FHWA has eliminated the performance measure for Percent of 
Interstate System Mileage Uncongested. The final and sole performance 
measure for freight will be Truck Travel Time Reliability Index, which 
represents the average reliability index of all reporting segments on 
the Interstate system.
Discussion of Section 490.609 Data Requirements
    Consistent with changes to sections 490.509 and 490.511(b), FHWA 
has revised the time bin intervals in this section from 5 to 15 
minutes. This rule also revises the approach to missing data, adopting 
a requirement that when truck travel times are not available in the 
travel time data set (data not reported, or reported as ``0'' or null) 
for a given 15 minute interval, the missing travel time will be 
replaced with an observed travel time that represents all traffic on 
the roadway during the same 15 minute interval (``all vehicles'' in 
NPMRDS nomenclature). Changes were also made to the method to replace 
missing truck travel times to remove the requirement to only allow all 
vehicle travel times to be used as a replacement for truck travel times 
when this time was less than or equal to the posted speed limit. The 
FHWA also added a provision allowing State DOTs to exclude time periods 
when an NHS roadway is closed.
Discussion of Section 490.611 Calculation of Freight Movement Metric
    First, as discussed in section 490.607, the Percent of the 
Interstate System Mileage providing for Reliable Truck Travel Time 
proposed in the NPRM has been renamed the Truck Travel Time Reliability 
(TTTR) Index. Second, the TTTR Index has been revised in several ways.
    The TTTR Index measure now includes five time period components to 
better consider the variability in travel times experienced by trucks 
during all hours of the day and throughout the year. These time periods 
were selected to be consistent with the time periods used to calculate 
the LOTTR as proposed in the NPRM and finalized in section 490.511. As 
discussed in Sec. Sec.  490.511 and 490.611, FHWA revised the data bins 
to use 15-minute intervals. The TTTR Index metrics are calculated as 
the ratio of the 95th percentile travel time divided by the 50th 
percentile travel time for each segment and each time period.
    The reporting of the metric has been revised to require the 
reporting of the TTTR Index, the 95th percentile travel time, and the 
50th percentile travel time for each of the five time periods for each 
reporting segment.
Discussion of Section 490.613 Calculation of Freight Movement Measure
    Section 490.613(a) has been revised to more clearly identify that 
State DOTs and MPOs will calculate measures in this section for the 
purpose of carrying out the freight related performance requirements of 
part 490 and that FHWA will calculate measures in this section for the 
purpose of making significant progress determinations and for reporting 
on freight performance.
    The method for calculating the freight performance measure has been 
changed from the proposed Percent of the Interstate System Mileage 
Providing for Reliable Truck Travel Times to a TTTR Index for the five 
time periods noted in Sec.  490.611. Instead of using a threshold for 
determining if a section of Interstate is reliable, as proposed in the 
NPRM, an index is calculated and averaged for the entire Interstate in 
the State. The average TTTR Index is calculated by multiplying the 
maximum TTTR Index metric of all 5 time periods for each reporting 
segment by the length of the reporting segment, then the sum of all 
segments is divided by the total length of Interstate to generate an 
average TTTR Index for the entire applicable area. This approach to 
calculating the measure will differentiate it from the NHPP Travel Time 
Reliability measure, and remove the expectation to maintain a TTTR 
below 1.50 to better recognize incremental improvements to system 
performance.

D. Subpart G--National Performance Measures for CMAQ Program--Traffic 
Congestion

Discussion Section of Sec.  490.703 Applicability
    The FHWA has decided to phase-in this expansion of the 
applicability of the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures to medium-sized 
urbanized areas, recognizing that calculating the Peak Hour Excessive 
Delay (PHED) measure may be burdensome in the short term for some 
smaller urbanized areas in light of other new performance measure 
requirements.
    The CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures of PHED and Modal Share focus 
on addressing traffic congestion that contributes to air pollution in 
areas classified as in nonattainment or maintenance under the Clean Air 
Act. The final rule revises Sec. Sec.  490.703 and 490.105(e)(8)(i), 
(e)(8)(ii), (f)(5)(i), and (f)(5)(ii) so that the CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion measures in section 490.707 initially apply to the urbanized 
area with a population of more than 1 million that contains any part of 
nonattainment or maintenance areas, before expanding to nonattainment 
or maintenance areas with a population over 200,000 for the second and 
all subsequent performance periods.
    The FHWA also revised section 490.703 to base the applicability on 
urbanized area attributes (existence of NHS mileage, population, and 
attainment status). The proposed section in the NPRM applied the 
measure to the NHS. This was changed because the new non-SOV travel 
measure applies beyond the NHS.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.705 Definitions
    The FHWA limits the excessive delay measure to peak hours, which 
are revised from the peak hours in the Peak Hour Travel Time 
Reliability measure in the NPRM. The peak periods in the final rule 
include 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and to provide flexibility to State DOTs and 
MPOs to add a fourth hour (either 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. or 7:00 to 8:00 
p.m.) for the

[[Page 6021]]

afternoon peak period. The FHWA provides flexibility only within the 
6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. time period to be consistent with the dataset 
used in the reliability measure under section 490.103.
    FHWA revises the speed threshold in the final rule to be 60 percent 
of the posted speed limit with a minimum of 20 mph.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.707 National Performance Management 
Measures for Traffic Congestion
    In the NPRM, FHWA proposed excessive delay per capita as the 
measure of traffic congestion under CMAQ. This measure has been revised 
as described in section 490.705 to reflect the total peak hour 
excessive delay experienced by all travelers, normalized by the total 
population in the applicable area. In this final rule, the revised 
measure is peak hour excessive delay per capita.
    The FHWA revised section 490.707 in the final rule to include a new 
measure under the CMAQ program that reflects the percentage of non-
single occupancy vehicle trips taken by travelers within an urbanized 
area. This measure will help State DOTs and MPOs better understand the 
impact of lower-emission travel methods on their congestion profile and 
area air quality.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.709 Data Requirements
Discussion Section 490.709(a) Through (e)--Data Requirements for the 
Annual Hours of Peak Hour Excessive Delay Per Capita Measure
    The FHWA retained the data requirements to determine hourly traffic 
volumes proposed in the NPRM and added a new allowance in section 
490.709(c)(5) for travel times that represent periods when the roadway 
is closed.
    The FHWA added Sec.  409.709(d) and (e) in the final rule to 
establish the data needed to estimate the impact of travel time delay 
on all travelers. The method is used to group roadway traffic on the 
NHS into three types of vehicles, including: Trucks, buses, and cars 
and then estimates the total number people traveling by applying 
occupancy factors for these vehicles, respectively.
    Section 490.709(d) has been established to specify the allowable 
methods to determine the volume of buses, trucks, and cars as a 
percentage of daily traffic using each roadway segment. Two methods are 
specified that provide State DOTs the option of determining the 
percentage of the three vehicle groups based on annual traffic volume 
counts collected by continuous count stations or by using the average 
annual counts provided in the HPMS for each segment. State DOTs are 
required to distribute the traffic volumes to different directions of 
roadway when using the HPMS data to estimate volumes.
    Section 490.709(e) has been established to specify the allowable 
methods to determine vehicle occupancy factors for buses, trucks, and 
cars. State DOTs have the option to use occupancy factors provided by 
FHWA and/or develop occupancy factors that are more specific than those 
provided by FHWA. The latter will be useful when specific strategies 
are used to increase person throughput (e.g., construction of high 
occupancy lanes, dedicated bus lanes, ride sharing). The FHWA intends 
to develop default occupancy factors for each applicable urbanized area 
using bus ridership data provided in the NTD and car occupancy rates 
derived from national travel surveys, such as the NHTS and ACS. A 
default occupancy factor of 1.0 will be used for trucks. The FHWA 
intends to update these occupancy factors on a routine basis. To 
supplement the default occupancy factors, State DOTs and MPOs are 
provided the option to develop occupancy factors for sections of NHS 
roads where more specific data on vehicle occupancy is available. This 
option will be useful when specific strategies are used to increase 
person throughput such as the construction of high occupancy lanes, 
dedicated bus lanes, and ride sharing.
Discussion Section 490.709(f)--Data Requirements for the Percentage of 
Non-SOV Travelled Measure
    The FHWA revises section 490.709(f) in the final rule to include 
data requirements for the measure of non-SOV mode share. The FHWA 
provides State DOTs and MPOs with several data options for calculating 
this measure. One option is to use Table DP03 of the ACS for the urban 
area to estimate the total percent of non-SOV commuting to work travel 
in the urbanized area. A second option is for State DOTs or MPOs to use 
local surveys to estimate the percentage of non-SOV travel occurring in 
the urbanized areas. These surveys may focus on either household or 
work travel and must be conducted within the 2 years before the start 
of the performance period and be updated on at least a biennial 
frequency. A third option is for State DOTs and MPOs to estimate the 
percent of non-SOV travel based on volume measurements of actual use of 
each transportation mode, including but not limited to cars, bicycles, 
pedestrian travel, travel avoided by telework, and on-road bus transit. 
Use or development of the third option is encouraged by FHWA as it will 
provide the most accurate data for future use. State DOTs and MPOs have 
flexibility to determine which of these count methodologies to use and 
are required to report these methodologies to FHWA. State DOTs are also 
encouraged to report these use counts to currently available national 
data sources, including the Travel Monitoring Analysis System (TMAS).
    The FHWA revises section 490.709(g) that determines which State 
DOTs and MPOs are required to implement both CMAQ traffic congestion 
measures in Sec.  490.707(a) and (b). This determination will be based 
on the most recent annual populations published by the U.S. Census of 
urbanized areas available 1 year before the State DOT Baseline 
Performance Period Report is due to FHWA. As a result of this revision, 
Sec.  490.105(e)(8)(iii)(D) and (f)(5)(iii)(D) are revised in the final 
rule. As for computing the Annual Hours of Peak Hour Excessive Delay 
Per Capita in section 490.713(b), FHWA revises section 490.709(g) to 
state that the most recent annual population reported by the U.S. 
Census, at the time when the State DOT Biennial Performance Period is 
due to FHWA.
Discussion Section 490.709(h)--Population and Nonattainment and 
Maintenance Area Data Requirements for Both Traffic Congestion Measures
    The FHWA revises section 490.709(h) in the final rule to be 
consistent with the revised section 490.807(c), which includes the 
language that nonattainment and maintenance areas will be revised if 
changes to the designations made by EPA are effective 1 year before the 
State DOT Mid Performance Period Progress Report is due to FHWA. As 
discussed in section 490.101 maintenance areas that have reached the 
end of their 20-year maintenance period will not be subject to the 
requirements of this subpart.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.711 Calculation of Traffic Congestion 
Metrics
    The FHWA revised the metric for the Peak Hour Excessive Delay per 
capita measure to be a reflection of person hours of delay instead of 
vehicle hours of delay as proposed in the NPRM. The new metric, Total 
Peak Hour Excessive Delay (person-hours), is calculated for each 
reporting segment and reported annually to FHWA. There is no metric 
required for the Percent non-SOV travel

[[Page 6022]]

measure as segment level data is not available for this measure.
    The FHWA revises section 490.711(b)(1) for the peak period to 
include 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and to provide flexibility to State DOTs and 
MPOs to add a fourth hour (either 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. or 7:00 to 8:00 
p.m.) for the afternoon peak period consistent with the changes made to 
section 490.705. The FHWA provides flexibility within the 6:00 a.m. to 
8:00 p.m. time period to be consistent with the dataset used in the 
reliability measure under Sec.  490.103.
    The FHWA changed the length of the NPMRDS time bins from 5 minutes 
to 15 minutes. This also changed the maximum travel time segment delay 
from 300 seconds to 900 seconds. The hourly volume is thus divided by 
four instead of 12.
    The FHWA revised section 490.711(e) to express the PHED in person-
hours of delay by incorporating average vehicle occupancy (AVO) into 
the calculation of the delay metric. To incorporate AVO into the 
metric, State DOTs will refer to either the AVO information for cars, 
buses, and trucks provided by FHWA or their own AVO information along 
with information about the percentage of cars, buses, and trucks as a 
share of total AADT to calculate a weighted AVO. This weighted AVO will 
then be multiplied by the vehicle-hours of excessive delay to establish 
the total person-hours of excessive delay. The FHWA recognizes the 
variations in AVO among and within urbanized areas and the challenges 
in obtaining segment-level AVOs. The FHWA will provide AVO for cars, 
trucks, and on-road bus transit for applicable urbanized areas. The 
FHWA also recognizes that urbanized areas may have more specific AVO 
data and thus, provides flexibility for State DOTs and MPOs to 
substitute these data.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.713 Calculation of Traffic Congestion 
Measures
    Section 490.713(a) has been revised to more clearly identify that 
State DOTs and MPOs will calculate measures in this section for the 
purpose of carrying out the traffic congestion related performance 
requirements of part 490 and that FHWA will calculate measures in this 
section for the purpose of reporting on PHED performance.
    The method to calculate the Excessive Delay per capita measure 
proposed in the NPRM has been retained in the final rule for the PHED 
per capita measure as the changes to limit to peak hours and account 
for all travelers are contained within the metric calculation discussed 
in the section 490.711. The measure is calculated by summing the hours 
of excessive delay experienced by all travelers on all reporting 
segments by the most recent annual population estimate published by the 
U.S. Census for the applicable area.
    The FHWA revises the final rule to include a measure of non-SOV 
mode share, providing flexibility for State DOTs and MPOs to choose 
between three options for calculating this measure. When employing the 
option using ACS data to calculate the percent non-SOV travel, State 
DOTs and MPOs calculate the measure by subtracting the estimated 
percent SOV from 100 percent. When employing the option using data 
derived from local surveys, State DOTs and MPOs will report the results 
of their calculations (as a percent of non-SOV travel). When employing 
the option using data derived from system use measurements to calculate 
percent non-SOV travel, State DOTs and MPOs will divide the non-SOV 
volume by total volume, where non-SOV volume includes travel modes 
other than driving alone in a motorized vehicle, including travel 
avoided by teleworking.
    In addition, in recognition of expected improvements in the ability 
to accurately measure multimodal travel, FHWA plans to revisit this 
measure after the completion of FHWA's multimodal research study in 
Fall 2018.

E. Subpart H--National Performance Measure for the CMAQ Program--On 
Road Mobile Source Emissions

Discussion Section of Sec.  490.803 Applicability
    The performance measure is applicable to all States and MPOs with 
projects financed with funds from the 23 U.S.C. 149 CMAQ program 
apportioned to State DOTs for areas designated as nonattainment or 
maintenance for ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), or 
particulate matter (PM).
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.805 Definitions
    The proposed definitions of ``donut area'' and ``isolated rural 
nonattainment and maintenance areas'' were removed because those terms 
do not appear in the final regulation.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.809 Data Requirements
    Section 490.809(c) was revised to specify that the baseline 
nonattainment and maintenance area designations should be based on area 
status one year before the date that the State DOT Baseline Performance 
Period Report is due to FHWA, which means as of October 1, 2017, for 
the first State DOT Baseline Performance Period Report. The FHWA also 
revised the language in section 490.809(c) so that the nonattainment 
and maintenance areas will be revised if an area is no longer 
nonattainment or maintenance for any pollutant in section 490.803. This 
determination will be based on area status 1 year before the State DOT 
Mid Performance Period Progress Report is due to FHWA.
Discussion Section of Sec.  490.811 Calculation of Emissions Metric
    Section 490.811 as proposed in the NPRM was removed in response to 
comments.
Discussion Section of Former Sec.  490.813 Calculation of Emissions 
Measure
    Section 490.813 in the NPRM has been renumbered as Sec.  490.811 in 
the final rule, due to the deletion of proposed Sec.  490.811 regarding 
an emissions metric. The section was also revised due to the removal of 
the emissions metric as that resulted in a change in the units for the 
emissions measure in this section.

VII. Rulemaking Analyses and Notices

    The FHWA considered all comments received before the close of 
business on the comment closing date indicated above. The comments are 
available for examination in the docket FHWA-2013-0054 at 
www.regulations.gov.

A. Rulemaking Analysis and Notices Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory 
Planning and Review), Executive Order 13563 (Improving Regulation and 
Regulatory Review), and DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures

    The FHWA has determined that this action is a significant 
regulatory action within the meaning of Executive Order (E.O.) 12866 
and within the meaning of DOT regulatory policies and procedures due to 
the significant public interest in regulations related to performance 
management. It is anticipated that the economic impact of this 
rulemaking will not be economically significant within the meaning of 
E.O. 12866 as discussed below. This action complies with E.O.s 12866 
and 13563 to improve regulation. This action is considered significant 
because of widespread public interest in the transformation of the 
Federal-aid highway program to be performance-based, although it is not 
economically significant within the meaning of E.O. 12866. The FHWA is 
presenting an RIA (or regulatory impact analysis) in support of the 
final rule on Assessing Performance of the National Highway

[[Page 6023]]

System, Freight Movement on the Interstate System, and Congestion 
Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. The RIA evaluates the 
economic impact, in terms of costs and benefits, on Federal, State, and 
local governments, as well as private entities regulated under this 
action, as required by E.O. 12866 and E.O. 13563. However, the RIA did 
not attempt to directly quantify the changes from the improved 
decisionmaking. The estimated costs are measured on an incremental 
basis, relative to current NHS performance, freight movement, and 
traffic congestion and emissions reporting practices.
    The RIA estimated costs and benefits resulting from the final rule 
in order to inform policymakers and the public of its relative value. 
The complete RIA may be accessed from the docket (docket number FHWA-
2013-0054).
    The cornerstone of MAP-21's highway program transformation is the 
transition to a performance-based program. In accordance with the law, 
State DOTs will invest resources in projects to achieve performance 
targets that make progress toward national goal areas. The MAP-21 
establishes national performance goals for system reliability, freight 
movement and economic vitality, and environmental sustainability.
    This final rule establishes performance measures to assess the 
following: System performance on the Interstate System and non-
Interstate NHS for the purpose of carrying out the NHPP, freight 
movement on the Interstate, and traffic congestion and on-road mobile 
source emissions for the purpose of carrying out the CMAQ program. The 
three NHPP-related measures are (1) Percent of person-miles traveled on 
reliable Interstate System roadways, (2) Percent of person-miles 
traveled on reliable non-Interstate NHS roadways, and (3) Percent 
Change in Tailpipe CO2 Emissions on the NHS from the 
Calendar Year 2017. The performance measure to assess freight movement 
on the Interstate is Weighted Percent of the Interstate System Mileage 
providing for Reliable Truck Travel Times. The three measures to assess 
the CMAQ program includes two measures for traffic congestion: (1) 
Annual Hours of Peak-Hour Excessive Delay Per Capita and (2) Percent of 
non-Single Occupancy Vehicle (SOV) Travel--and one measure to assess 
on-road mobile source emissions--Total Emission Reductions for 
applicable criteria pollutants or precursors.
Estimated Cost of the Final Rule
    To estimate costs, FHWA assessed the level of effort, expressed in 
labor hours and categories, and the capital needed to comply with each 
component of the final rule. Level of effort by labor category is 
monetized with loaded wage rates to estimate total costs.
    Because there is some uncertainty regarding the availability of 
NPMRDS data for use by State DOTs and MPOs, FHWA estimated the cost of 
the final rule according to two scenarios. Under Scenario 1, FHWA 
assumes that it will provide State DOTs and MPOs with the required data 
from NPMRDS. Table 3 displays the total cost of the final rule under 
Scenario 1 for the 10-year study period (2017-2026). Total costs are 
estimated to be $144.0 million undiscounted, $106.4 million discounted 
at 7 percent, and $125.5 million discounted at 3 percent.

                             Table 3--Total Cost of the Final Rule Under Scenario 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                10-year total cost
                         Cost components                         -----------------------------------------------
                                                                   Undiscounted         7%              3%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 490.103--Data Requirements..............................     $20,329,609     $15,104,439     $17,776,941
    Intake and Process DOT Travel Time Data.....................      15,325,924      11,094,661      13,258,812
    NPMRDS Data Acquisition.....................................       3,600,000       2,606,093       3,114,444
    NPRMDS Data Training........................................         523,963         523,963         523,963
    NPMRDS Data Reconciliation..................................         879,722         879,722         879,722
Section 490.105-490.109--Reporting Requirements.................      90,533,557      67,705,203      79,346,012
    Document and Submit Description of Coordination Between            2,547,274       2,547,274       2,547,274
     State DOTs and MPOs........................................
    Establish and Update Performance Targets....................      36,356,497      27,788,508      32,168,577
    Reporting on Performance Targets Progress...................      35,446,842      25,738,285      30,683,726
    Prepare CMAQ Performance Plan...............................      14,887,674      10,810,080      12,887,165
    Assess Significant Progress Toward Achieving Performance           1,248,936         782,529       1,016,682
     Targets....................................................
    Adjust HPMS to Handle Data in TMC Format and Design Post-             26,182          24,469          25,420
     Submission Reports.........................................
    Data Processing (e.g., Data Verification)...................          20,152          14,058          17,168
Section 490.511--Calculation of Performance Metrics for NHS            5,681,474       4,088,067       4,902,708
 Performance....................................................
    Calculate LOTTR.............................................       2,711,510       1,938,066       2,333,323
    Calculate Annual Total Tailpipe CO2 Emissions on the NHS....       2,969,964       2,150,001       2,569,385
Section 490.513--Calculation of Performance Measures for NHS           3,266,268       2,371,668       2,827,368
 Performance....................................................
    Calculate Interstate and Non-Interstate NHS Travel Time            3,186,603       2,313,822       2,758,408
     Reliability Performance Measures...........................
    Calculate Percent Change in Tailpipe CO2 Emissions on the             79,665          57,846          68,960
     NHS Compared to the Calendar Year 2017 Level Performance
     Measure....................................................
Section 490.611--Calculation of Freight Movement Metric.........       1,611,187       1,207,755       1,414,654
    Calculate Truck Travel Time Reliability Index Metric........       1,611,187       1,207,755       1,414,654
Section 490.613--Calculation of Freight Movement Measure........       7,647,847       5,553,174       6,620,179
    Calculate Truck Travel Time Reliability Index Performance          7,647,847       5,553,174       6,620,179
     Measure....................................................
Section 490.711--Calculation of Traffic Congestion Metric.......       6,227,101       4,357,789       5,308,381
    Calculate Total Peak Hour Excessive Delay Metric............       6,227,101       4,357,789       5,308,381
Section 490.713--Calculation of Traffic Congestion Measures.....       6,015,878       4,056,117       5,045,792
    Calculate Annual Hours of Peak Hour Excessive Delay                5,917,257       3,989,623       4,963,074
     Performance Measure........................................
    Calculate Percent Non-SOV Travel Performance Measure........          98,621          66,494          82,718
Section 490.813--Calculation of Emissions Measure...............       2,660,121       1,931,539       2,302,671
    Calculate Total Emissions Reduction Performance Measure.....       2,660,121       1,931,539       2,302,671
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        Total Cost of Final Rule................................     143,973,042     106,375,750     125,544,706
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Totals may not sum due to rounding.


[[Page 6024]]

    Under Scenario 2, which represents ``worst case'' conditions, State 
DOTs will choose to independently acquire the necessary data. Table 4 
displays the total cost of the final rule under Scenario 2 for the 10-
year study period (2017-2026). Total costs over 10 years are estimated 
to be $205.5 million undiscounted, $153.1 million discounted at 7 
percent, and $179.8 million at 3 percent.

                             Table 4--Total Cost of the Final Rule Under Scenario 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                10-year total cost
                         Cost Components                         -----------------------------------------------
                                                                   Undiscounted         7%              3%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 490.103--Data Requirements..............................     $81,838,250     $61,852,128     $72,074,370
    Acquire Freight and General Traffic Data....................      51,000,000      38,327,684      44,809,156
    Adjust Contract for Freight-only Data.......................       9,000,000       6,763,709       7,907,498
    Remove Estimated Data Values from Database..................       3,405,761       2,559,508       2,992,339
    Intake and Process..........................................      17,028,804      12,797,542      14,961,693
    Data Training...............................................         523,963         523,963         523,963
    Data Reconciliation.........................................         879,722         879,722         879,722
Section 490.105-490.109--Reporting Requirements.................      90,533,557      67,705,203      79,346,012
    Document and Submit Description of Coordination Between            2,547,274       2,547,274       2,547,274
     State DOTs and MPOs........................................
    Establish and Update Performance Targets....................      36,356,497      27,788,508      32,168,577
    Reporting on Performance Targets Progress...................      35,446,842      25,738,285      30,683,726
    Prepare CMAQ Performance Plan...............................      14,887,674      10,810,080      12,887,165
    Assess Significant Progress Toward Achieving Performance           1,248,936         782,529       1,016,682
     Targets....................................................
    Adjust HPMS to Handle Data in TMC Format and Design Post-             26,182          24,469          25,420
     Submission Reports.........................................
    Data Processing (e.g., Data Verification)...................          20,152          14,058          17,168
Section 490.511--Calculation of Performance Metrics for NHS            5,681,474       4,088,067       4,902,708
 Performance....................................................
    Calculate LOTTR.............................................       2,711,510       1,938,066       2,333,323
    Calculate Annual Total Tailpipe CO2 Emissions on the NHS....       2,969,964       2,150,001       2,569,385
Section 490.513--Calculation of Performance Measures for NHS           3,266,268       2,371,668       2,827,368
 Performance....................................................
    Calculate Interstate and Non-Interstate NHS Travel Time            3,186,603       2,313,822       2,758,408
     Reliability Performance Measures...........................
    Calculate Percent Change in Tailpipe CO2 Emissions on the             79,665          57,846          68,960
     NHS Compared to the Calendar Year 2017 Level Performance
     Measure....................................................
Section 490.611--Calculation of Freight Movement Metric.........       1,611,187       1,207,755       1,414,654
    Calculate Truck Travel Time Reliability Index Metric........         196,486         183,632         190,763
Section 490.613--Calculation of Freight Movement Measure........       7,647,847       5,553,174       6,620,179
    Calculate Truck Travel Time Reliability Index Performance          7,647,847       5,553,174       6,620,179
     Measure....................................................
Section 490.711--Calculation of Traffic Congestion Metric.......       6,227,101       4,357,789       5,308,381
    Calculate Total Peak Hour Excessive Delay Metric............       1,843,947       1,260,566       1,556,458
Section 490.713--Calculation of Traffic Congestion Measures.....       6,015,878       4,056,117       5,045,792
    Calculate Annual Hours of Peak Hour Excessive Delay Per            5,917,257       3,989,623       4,963,074
     Capita Performance Measure.................................
    Calculate Percent of Non-SOV Travel Performance Measure.....          98,621          66,494          82,718
Section 490.813--Calculation of Emissions Measure...............       2,660,121       1,931,539       2,302,671
    Calculate Total Emissions Reduction Performance Measure.....       2,660,121       1,931,539       2,302,671
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        Total Cost of Final Rule................................     205,481,684     153,123,439     179,842,135
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Totals may not sum due to rounding.

    The costs in Tables 3 and 4 assume a portion of the estimated 409 
MPOs will establish their own targets, and the rest will adopt State 
DOT targets. It is assumed that State DOTs and MPOs serving 
Transportation Management Areas (TMA) \74\ will use staff to establish 
performance targets. Conversely, it is assumed that MPOs not serving a 
TMA will agree to plan and program projects so that they contribute 
toward the accomplishment of the relevant State DOT targets. Therefore, 
they will not incur any incremental costs. There are currently an 
estimated 201 MPOs serving TMAs.\75\ The FHWA made this assumption 
because larger MPOs may have more resources available to develop 
performance targets. The FHWA believes that this is a conservative 
estimate, as larger MPOs may elect not to establish their own targets 
for a variety of reasons, including resource availability.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \74\ A TMA is an urbanized area having a population of over 
200,000 or otherwise requested by the Governor and the MPO and 
officially designated by FHWA or FTA. 23 U.S.C. 134(k).
    \75\ The FHWA updated the estimated total number of MPOs to 409, 
which is less than the 420 MPOs used at the time that the NPRM was 
published. The estimated number of MPOs serving TMAs is now 201, 
less than the estimate of 210 in the NPRM. At the time the RIA was 
prepared for the NPRM, FHWA assumed that the 36 new urbanized areas 
resulting from the 2010 Census would have MPOs designated for them. 
In reality, some of the newly designated urbanized areas merged with 
existing MPOs, resulting in the designation of fewer new MPOs than 
expected.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The final rule's 10-year undiscounted cost ($144.0 million in 
Scenario 1 and $205.5 million in Scenario 2, in 2014 dollars) decreased 
relative to the proposed rule ($165.3 million in Scenario 1 and $224.5 
million in Scenario 2, in 2012 dollars). As discussed below, FHWA made 
a number of changes that affected cost.
General Updates
    In the final rule RIA, FHWA updated all costs to 2014 dollars from 
the 2012 dollars used in the proposed rule RIA. In addition, FHWA 
updated labor costs to reflect current BLS data. These general updates 
increased the estimated cost of the final rule relative to the proposed 
rule.
    The FHWA deferred the effective date from 2016 to 2017 and 
shortened the period of analysis from 11 years in the proposed rule to 
10 years in the final rule. All costs that related to activities

[[Page 6025]]

that were scheduled to begin in 2016 under the NPRM will now begin in 
2017, and costs are estimated for 10 years instead of 11 years to be 
consistent with the other two performance measure rulemaking RIAs. This 
reduction in the period of analysis led FHWA to remove the cost of the 
Initial Performance Report, which State DOTs have already submitted to 
the agency. Therefore, estimated costs of the final rule decreased 
relative to the proposed rule.
    The FHWA also updated the estimated total number of MPOs to 409, 
which is less than the 420 MPOs used at the time that the NPRM was 
published. The estimated number of MPOs serving TMAs is now 201, less 
than the estimate of 210 in the NPRM. The number of non-TMA MPOs is 
208, less than the estimate of 210 in the NPRM. At the time the RIA was 
prepared for the NPRM, FHWA assumed that the 36 new urbanized areas 
resulting from the 2010 Census would have MPOs designated for them. 
However, some of these newly designated urbanized areas merged with 
existing MPOs, resulting in the designation of fewer new MPOs than 
expected. The FHWA estimates that, on average, only the 201 larger MPOs 
serving TMAs will establish their own quantifiable performance targets. 
The FHWA also estimates that the 208 smaller MPOs serving non-TMAs will 
choose to agree to plan and program projects so that they contribute 
toward the accomplishment of State DOT NHS performance, freight 
movement, and traffic congestion and emissions condition-related 
performance targets. Therefore, only the 201 larger MPOs serving TMAs 
will incur costs to reprogram and upgrade their software to be able to 
perform calculations of the performance measures. The reduction in the 
number of MPOs decreased the estimated costs to comply with the 
requirements of the final rule relative to the proposed rule.
Other Updates
    In the final rule, FHWA eliminated three of the proposed 
performance measures (one of the proposed freight measures for percent 
of the Interstate congested and merging two proposed peak-hour travel 
time measures under NHPP with proposed excessive delay measure under 
CMAQ Traffic Congestion into one measure under CMAQ). In addition, the 
final rule does not include one of the proposed performance metrics 
(On-Road Mobile Source Emissions). At the same time, the final rule 
created two new performance measures (Percent of Non-SOV Travel and 
Percent Change in Tailpipe CO2 Emissions on the NHS Compared 
to the Calendar Year 2017 Level). Additionally, in the RIA, FHWA 
adjusted estimates for level of effort and number of affected State 
DOTs and MPOs to be consistent with the final rule requirements. On 
balance, these changes reduced the total estimated cost of the final 
rule relative to the proposed rule.
Break-Even Analysis
    Currently, State DOTs differ in the way they evaluate the 
performance of the NHS, freight movement, traffic congestion, and on-
road mobile source emissions. These differences hinder accurate 
analysis at the national level. The final rulemaking will not only 
establish uniform performance measures, but also will establish 
processes that (1) State DOTs and MPOs use to report measures and 
establish performance targets and (2) FHWA uses to assess progress that 
State DOTs have made toward achieving targets.
    Upon implementation, FHWA expects that the will rule will result in 
some significant benefits that are not easily monetized, but 
nonetheless deserve mention in this analysis. Specifically, the final 
rule will allow for more informed decisionmaking on traffic congestion-
, freight-, and air-quality-related project, program, and policy 
choices. The final rule also will yield greater accountability because 
the MAP-21-mandated reporting will increase visibility and 
transparency. In addition the final rule will help focus the Federal-
aid highway program on achieving balanced performance outcomes.
    The expected benefits discussed above (i.e., more informed 
decisionmaking, greater accountability, and the focus on making 
progress toward the national goal for infrastructure condition) will 
lead to an enhanced performance of the NHS due to reduced traffic 
congestion, improved freight movement, and reduced emissions. The 
benefits, while real and substantial, are difficult to forecast and 
monetize. Therefore, FHWA addresses this issue by using the break-even 
analysis method suggested by OMB Circular A-4. Break-even analyses 
calculate the threshold a specific variable must achieve in order for 
benefits to equal costs while holding every other variable in the 
analysis constant.
    The FHWA identified four variables (or outcomes) for which to 
estimate break-even thresholds: (1) Number of passenger travel hours, 
(2) tons of transportation-related carbon dioxide emissions, (3) number 
of truck travel hours, and (4) kilograms of on-road mobile source 
emissions, comprising volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxide, 
particulate matter, and carbon monoxide. The FHWA selected these 
variables because it is reasonable to assume that the performance 
measures will influence each of these variables relative to current 
baseline levels.
    After identifying these variables, FHWA combined the final rule 
costs associated with the performance measures that will influence each 
variable. The FHWA expects that implementation of four of the rule's 
performance measures (Percent of Person-Miles Traveled on the 
Interstate That Are Reliable, Percent of Person-Miles Traveled on the 
Non-Interstate NHS That Are Reliable, Annual Hours of Peak Hour 
Excessive Delay Per Capita, and Percent of Non-SOV Travel) will 
influence passenger travel hours. The FHWA expects that implementation 
of the performance measure for Percent Change in Tailpipe 
CO2 Emissions on the NHS Compared to the Calendar Year 2017 
Level will influence tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The FHWA expects 
that implementation of the performance measure for Truck Travel Time 
Reliability Index will influence number of truck travel hours. The FHWA 
expects that implementation of the performance measure for Total 
Emissions Reduction will influence kilograms of on-road mobile source 
emissions.
    The FHWA chose to present two of the break-even variables (number 
of passenger travel hours and tons of carbon dioxide emissions) 
together because the performance measure expected to improve tons of 
carbon dioxide emissions, Percent Change in Tailpipe CO2 
Emissions on the NHS Compared to the Calendar Year 2017 Level, is one 
of three performance measures used to assess the performance of the 
Interstate System and the non-Interstate NHS for the purpose of 
carrying out the National Highway Performance Program (NHPP). The other 
two performance measures under NHPP are Percent of Person-Miles 
Traveled on the Interstate That Are Reliable and Percent of Person-
Miles Traveled on the Non-Interstate NHS That Are Reliable, both of 
which are expected to influence passenger travel hours. In order to 
assess NHPP performance measures together, FHWA presents the break-even 
thresholds for these variables together. The remaining two performance 
measures included in the break-even analysis for number of passenger 
travel hours (Annual Hours of Peak Hour Excessive Delay Per Capita and 
Percent of Non-SOV Travel) assess

[[Page 6026]]

the CMAQ program but are expected to influence passenger travel hours.
    Two variables (number of passenger travel hours and number of truck 
travel hours) are associated with performance measures whose costs 
differ under two scenarios feasible under the final rule; in Scenario 
1, FHWA provides travel time data to State DOTs, in Scenario 2, State 
DOTs acquire the necessary data independently. To account for this, 
FHWA performed the break-even analyses twice for these two variables 
(i.e., once using Scenario 1 costs, and a second time using Scenario 2 
costs). The costs associated with the remaining two variables (tons of 
carbon dioxide emissions and kilograms of on-road mobile source 
emissions) do not change under Scenarios 1 and 2, therefore only one 
break-even threshold is calculated for each analysis. In all, FHWA 
presents six break-even thresholds: (1) Number of passenger travel 
hours under Scenario 1, (2) number of passenger travel hours under 
Scenario 2, (3) tons of carbon dioxide emissions, (4) number of truck 
travel hours under Scenario 1, (5) number of truck travel hours under 
Scenario 2, and (6) kilograms of on-road mobile source emissions.
    For the break-even analyses associated with passenger travel hours 
and tons of carbon dioxide emissions, FHWA summed the costs associated 
with the following final rule sections:
     Sections 490.103. Seventy-five percent of the total cost 
of complying with the data requirements;
     Section 490.105. Approximately 71 percent of the cost of 
establishing performance targets;
     Section 490.107. Approximately 71 percent of the cost of 
documenting and submitting a description of coordination between State 
DOTs and MPOs;
     Section 490.107. Approximately 71 percent of the cost of 
reporting performance targets;
     Section 490.107. Approximately 67 percent of the cost of 
preparing CMAQ performance plan;
     Section 490.107. Seventy-five percent of the cost of 
adjusting HPMS and processing data;
     Section 490.109. Cost of assessing significant progress 
for NHPP measures;
     Section 490.511. The cost of calculating the system 
performance metrics;
     Section 490.513. The cost of calculating the system 
performance management measures;
     Section 490.711. Cost of calculating the traffic 
congestion metric; and
     Section 490.713. Cost of calculating the traffic 
congestion measure.
    Table 5 presents the savings in passenger travel hours and carbon 
dioxide emissions that the final rule under Scenario 1 would need to 
save in order to be cost-beneficial (i.e., FHWA provides NPMRDS data to 
State DOTs). The results represent two break-even points: (1) The 
passenger car travel time (in hours) that will need to be saved in 
order to justify the costs, and (2) the amount of carbon dioxide 
emissions (in tons) that will need to be saved in order to justify the 
costs. The analysis shows that the final rule will need to result in 
the reduction of approximately 370,000 hours of passenger car travel 
time, or 3.7 million hours over 10 years, as well as 31,000 tons of 
carbon dioxide emissions, or 312,000 tons over 10 years. To provide 
context, private commuters in 471 urban areas across the United States 
experience 6.9 billion hours of travel delay per year.\76\ The EPA data 
indicates that the transportation sector emitted approximately 1.74 
billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2014.\77\ As a result, the reduction 
represents a less than 0.01 percent decrease in the amount of travel 
delay per year for major U.S. urban areas and in the average annual 
amount of carbon dioxide emissions from the transportation sector.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \76\ Texas A&M Transportation Institute, ``2015 Urban Mobility 
Scorecard,'' 2014, Table 2, p. 25. http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/tti.tamu.edu/documents/mobility-scorecard-2015.pdf.
    \77\ In 2014, the transportation sector accounted for 1.74 
billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the EPA's 
Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Explorer.

     Table 5--Break-Even Analysis of NHPP and CMAQ Traffic Congestion Performance Measures Under Scenario 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                  Average annual
                                                                      Average        Number of       number of
                                                   Undiscounted   commuter value     hours of        hours of
                                                   10-year costs  of time ($ per    travel that     travel that
                                                                       hour)        need to be      need to be
                                                                                      reduced         reduced
                                                               a               b       c = a / b      d = c / 10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Passenger Travel Hours..........................     $86,069,537          $23.42       3,674,733         367,473
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Undiscounted       Average        Number of    Average annual
                                                   10-year costs   emission ton   emissions tons     number of
                                                                       cost        needed to be   emissions tons
                                                                     ($ per ton)      reduced      needed to be
                                                                                                      reduced
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carbon dioxide emissions........................     $13,906,452          $44.53         312,302          31,230
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Table 6 presents the results from the break-even analysis under 
Scenario 2 (i.e., State DOTs independently acquire the necessary data). 
The results represent two break-even points: (1) The passenger car 
travel time (in hours) that will need to be saved in order to justify 
the costs, and (2) the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (in tons) 
that will need to be saved in order to justify the costs. The analysis 
shows that the final rule will need to result in the reduction of 
approximately 560,000 hours annually, or 5.6 million hours over 10 
years as well as 31,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, or 312,000 
tons over 10 years. To provide context, private commuters in 471 urban 
areas across the United States experience 6.9 billion hours of travel 
delay per year.\78\ The EPA data indicates that the transportation 
sector emitted approximately 1.74 billion tons of

[[Page 6027]]

carbon dioxide in 2014.\79\ As a result, the reduction represents a 
less than 0.01 percent decrease in the amount of travel delay per year 
for major U.S. urban areas and in the average annual amount of carbon 
dioxide emissions from the transportation sector.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \78\ Texas A&M Transportation Institute, ``2015 Urban Mobility 
Scorecard,'' 2014, Table 2, p. 25. http://d2dtl5nnlpfr0r.cloudfront.net/tti.tamu.edu/documents/mobility-scorecard-2015.pdf.
    \79\ In 2014, the transportation sector accounted for 1.74 
billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the EPA's 
Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Explorer.

     Table 6--Break-Even Analysis of NHPP and CMAQ Traffic Congestion Performance Measures Under Scenario 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                  Average annual
                                                                      Average        Number of       number of
                                                   Undiscounted   commuter value     hours of        hours of
                                                   10-year costs  of time ($ per    travel that     travel that
                                                                       hour)        need to be      need to be
                                                                                      reduced         reduced
                                                               a               b       c = a / b      d = c / 10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Passenger travel hours..........................    $132,201,018          $23.42       5,644,314         564,431
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Undiscounted       Average      Total number   Average annual
                                                   10-year costs   emission ton    of emissions      number of
                                                                       cost       tons that need  emissions tons
                                                                     ($ per ton)   to be reduced   that need to
                                                                                                    be reduced
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carbon dioxide emissions........................     $13,906,452          $44.53         312,302          31,230
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Please refer to the Summary Report for details on the methodology used in the analysis.

    Relative to the proposed rule, the thresholds for the NHS 
performance break-even analysis increased in the final rule. 
Specifically, under Scenario 1, the number of annual hours of reduction 
in passenger car travel time increased from approximately 350,000 in 
the proposed rule to approximately 370,000 in the final rule. Under 
Scenario 2, the number of annual hours of reduction in passenger car 
travel time increased from approximately 500,000 in the proposed rule 
to 560,000 in the final rule. The break-even points increased primarily 
due to the addition of the Percent of Non-SOV Travel performance 
measure. No break-even point was estimated for carbon dioxide emissions 
in the proposed rule stage because the relevant performance measure, 
Percent Change in Tailpipe CO2 Emissions on the NHS Compared 
to the Calendar Year 2017 Level, was added to the final rule.
    For the break-even analyses associated with improving freight 
performance, the costs associated with the following final rule 
sections are summed together to estimate the total cost of provisions 
aimed at reducing freight congestion:

     Section 490.103. Twenty-five percent of the cost of 
obtaining data requirements;
     Section 490.105. Approximately 14 percent of the cost 
of establishing performance targets;
     Section 490.107. Approximately 14 percent of the cost 
of documenting and submitting a description of coordination between 
State DOTs and MPOs;
     Section 490.107. Approximately 14 percent of the cost 
of reporting performance targets;
     Section 490.107. Twenty-five percent of the cost of 
adjusting HPMS and processing data;
     Section 490.109. Cost of assessing significant progress 
for NHFP measure;
     Section 490.611. Cost of calculating freight movement 
metric; and
     Section 490.613. Cost of calculating freight movement 
measure.

    Table 7 presents the results from the freight movement break-even 
analysis under Scenario 1. The results represent the freight travel 
time (in hours) that will need to be saved in order to justify the 
costs. The analysis shows that the final rule will need to result in 
the reduction of approximately 98,000 hours annually, or 982,000 hours 
over 10 years. To provide context, truck drivers in 498 urban areas 
across the United States experience 353 million hours of travel delay 
per year.\80\ This reduction represents a 0.03 percent decrease in the 
amount of travel delay per year for major U.S. urban areas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \80\ Texas A&M Transportation Institute, ``TTI's 2012 Urban 
Mobility Report,'' 2011, Table 5, p. 43. https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/566377/2012-urban-mobility-report.pdf.

                    Table 7--Break-Even Analysis of NHFP Performance Measure Under Scenario 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                  Average annual
                                                                                     Number of       number of
                                                                   Average truck     hours of        hours of
                   Undiscounted 10-year costs                      value of time    travel that     travel that
                                                                   ($ per hour)     need to be      need to be
                                                                                      reduced         reduced
A                                                                              B       c = a / b      d = c / 10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$25,752,858.....................................................          $26.22         982,239          98,224
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 6028]]

    Table 8 presents the results from the freight movement break-even 
analysis under Scenario 2 (i.e., State DOTs independently acquire the 
necessary data). The results represent the freight travel time (in 
hours) that will need to be saved in order to justify the costs. The 
analysis shows that the final rule will need to result in the reduction 
of approximately 157,000 hours annually, or 1.6 million hours over 10 
years. To provide context, truck drivers in 498 urban areas across the 
United States experience 353 million hours of travel delay per 
year.\81\ This reduction represents a 0.04 percent decrease in the 
amount of travel delay per year for major U.S. urban areas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \81\ Texas A&M Transportation Institute, ``TTI's 2012 Urban 
Mobility Report,'' 2011, Table 5, p. 43. https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/566377/2012-urban-mobility-report.pdf.

                    Table 8--Break-Even Analysis of NHFP Performance Measure Under Scenario 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                  Average annual
                                                                                     Number of       number of
                                                                   Average truck     hours of        hours of
                   Undiscounted 10-year costs                      value of time    travel that     travel that
                                                                   ($ per hour)     need to be      need to be
                                                                                      reduced         reduced
A                                                                              B       c = a / b      d = c / 10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$41,130,019.....................................................          $26.22       1,568,738         156,874
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Please refer to the Summary Report for details on the methodology used in the analysis.

    Relative to the proposed rule, the thresholds for the freight 
performance break-even analysis decreased in the final rule. 
Specifically, under Scenario 1, the number of annual hours of reduction 
in freight travel time decreased from approximately 140,000 in the 
proposed rule to 98,000 in the final rule. Under Scenario 2, the number 
of annual hours of reduction in freight travel time decreased from 
250,000 in the proposed rule to 160,000 in the final rule. The break-
even points decreased primarily due to the elimination of the Average 
Truck Speed performance measure.
    For the break-even analysis associated with the performance measure 
for Total Emissions Reduction, the costs associated with the following 
final rule sections are summed together to estimate the total cost of 
provisions aimed at reducing total emissions:

     Section 490.105. Approximately 14 percent of the cost 
of establishing performance targets;
     Section 490.107. Approximately 14 percent of the cost 
of documenting and submitting a description of coordination between 
State DOTs and MPOs;
     Section 490.107. Approximately 14 percent of the cost 
of reporting performance targets;
     Section 490.107. Approximately 33 percent of the cost 
of preparing CMAQ performance plan;
     Section 490.811. Cost of calculating emissions metric; 
and
     Section 490.813. Cost of calculating emissions measure.

    Tables 9, 10, and 11 present the results from the total emissions 
break-even analysis. The costs associated with the Total Emissions 
Reduction performance measure are identical under Scenario 1 and 
Scenario 2 because State DOTs would not need data from NPMRDS. 
Therefore, FHWA presents one set of results. The results represent the 
amount of emissions (in kilograms) that will need to be reduced in 
order to justify the costs. To calculate the cost of a kilogram of 
emissions, the analysis used the following inputs:

                         Table 9--Inputs for Calculating Cost per Kilogram of Emissions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       Passenger         Percentage of     Societal cost  of       Weighted
            Emission               consumption rate       ``emission       emissions ($ per       ``emission
                                    (grams per VMT)       kilogram``           long ton)          kilogram``
                                                   A    b = a / [Sigma]a                   C             d = b c
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC).               1.034               9.289               $1.46               $0.14
Nitrogen Oxide (NOX)............               0.693               6.226                5.96                0.37
Particulate Matter                            0.0041               0.037              325.88                0.12
 (PM[ihel2].[ihel5])............
Carbon Monoxide (CO)............                 9.4              84.448                0.00                0.00
    Cost of an Emission Kilogram                                                                            0.63
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Based on this cost per kilogram, the analysis shows that the final 
rule will need to result in the reduction of approximately 2.9 million 
kilograms annually, or 29.1 million kilograms over 10 years. To provide 
context, data from the EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards 
indicate that highway vehicles emitted 2 billion kilograms of VOCs, 4.1 
billion kilograms of NOX, 0.2 billion kilograms of 
PM2.5, and 20.2 billion kilograms CO in 2014.\82\ This 
reduction represents approximately 0.01 percent of total annual 
national emissions of these pollutants.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \82\ EPA, ``Air Pollutant Emissions Trends Data,'' Average 
Annual Emissions. https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-inventories/air-pollutant-emissions-trends-data.

[[Page 6029]]



  Table 10--Break-Even Analysis of Total Emissions Reduction Performance Measure Using Emission Kilogram Metric
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                Average annual
                                                       Average emission        Number of           number of
             Undiscounted 10-year costs                kilogram cost ($        emissions           emissions
                                                         per long ton)     kilograms needed    kilograms  needed
                                                                             to be reduced      to  be reduced
a                                                                      B           c = a / b          d = c / 10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$18,244,195.........................................               $0.63          29,119,356           2,911,936
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This amount was split into specific emissions reductions in 
volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter 2.5, and 
carbon monoxide. Table 11 shows these reductions.

  Table 11--Calculation of Average Annual Required Emissions Reduction
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average annual number of emissions kilograms needed to be reduced
------------------------------------------------------------------------
VOC Kilograms.............................                       270,498
NOX Kilograms.............................                       181,291
PM2.5 Kilograms...........................                         1,073
CO Kilograms..............................                     2,459,074
                                           -----------------------------
    Total ``Emission'' Kilograms..........                     2,911,936
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Relative to the proposed rule, the thresholds for the total 
emissions break-even analysis decreased in the final rule. 
Specifically, the reduction in total emissions decreased from 4,400 
emission tons (approximately 4 million kilograms \83\) in the proposed 
rule to 2.9 million emission kilograms in the final rule. The break-
even points decreased primarily due to the elimination of the 
performance metric for on-road mobile source emissions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \83\ Using a conversion rate of 1 U.S. ton = 907.185 kilograms.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Responses to Public Comments on the NPRM's Regulatory Impact Analysis
    A number of State DOTs, MPOs, and other organizations provided 
comments on the regulatory impact analysis for the NPRM.\84\ In terms 
of benefits, the Association for Commuter Transportation, an advocacy 
group, expressed support and asserted that the costs of the rule are 
minimal relative to the planning process used to determine how to spend 
nearly $50 billion a year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \84\ Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Denver 
Regional Council of Governments, Association for Commuter 
Transportation, Michigan Department of Transportation, Montana 
Department of Transportation, New York Metropolitan Transportation 
Council, Oregon Department of Transportation, Sarasota/Manatee 
Metropolitan Planning Organization, Washington State Department of 
Transportation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Michigan and Montana DOTs and Sarasota/Manatee MPO claimed that 
the costs of the rule do not justify the benefits. As described in 
Section 5 of the RIA, FHWA believes that the final rule will result in 
many benefits (both qualitative and quantitative). Through five break-
even analyses, FHWA demonstrates the levels of change needed to justify 
the costs of the rule. The full analysis is available in the docket of 
this final rulemaking.
    The AMPO asserted that the rule will require MPOs to adjust current 
operations to accommodate new roles and responsibilities. The final 
rule for Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning; 
Metropolitan Transportation Planning (Docket No. FHWA-2013-0037) 
accounts for activities unique to this planning process, including 
specific items suggested by this commenter. The FHWA considered the new 
roles and responsibilities MPOs would face under the final rule, 
separately from costs related to the planning process so as not to 
double count effort, and estimated the associated costs in this final 
rule's RIA. For a detailed description of the analysis, see Section 4 
of the RIA found in the docket of this rulemaking.
    The Denver Regional Council of Governments and the New York 
Metropolitan Transportation Council suggested that FHWA underestimated 
the costs of the rule. Under the final rule, MPOs are not required to 
provide separate reporting to FHWA, but must agree on a reporting 
process with State DOTs and report certain requirements to the State. 
The final rule for Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation 
Planning; Metropolitan Transportation Planning (Docket No. FHWA-2013-
0037) accounts for activities unique to this planning process. The 
FHWA, however, has estimated the costs for State DOTs and MPOs to 
prepare and submit reports as well as the costs of all other provisions 
specific to this final rule. For a detailed analysis, see Section 4 of 
the RIA.
    Two commenters questioned FHWA's estimate of the cost of data 
requirements. The Oregon Department of Transportation and the 
Washington State Department of Transportation requested more details 
from FHWA on the costs of obtaining NPMRDS if FHWA does not provide the 
data to State DOTs. Due to uncertainty regarding the long-term funding 
of NPMRDS, FHWA estimated the costs of this rule under two scenarios: 
One in which NPMRDS data are made available to State DOTs and another 
in which State DOTs must acquire their own data. Based on interviews 
with Federal and State DOT SMEs, FHWA confirmed that the data required 
for calculating performance metrics and measures are readily accessible 
from the NPMRDS or equivalent data sources. Use of NPMRDS or other data 
sources would constitute an incremental burden on State DOTs in the 
form of sharing data, training staff, acquiring and processing data, 
and other processes. The level of this burden would depend on each 
individual State DOT's existing level of

[[Page 6030]]

sophistication in current roadway traffic data analysis. For a detailed 
analysis, see Section 4 of the RIA.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    In compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act (Pub. L. 96-354, 
5 U.S.C. 601-612), FHWA has evaluated the effects of this action on 
small entities and has determined that the action would not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
The final rule addresses the obligation of Federal funds to State DOTs 
for Federal-aid highway projects. The rule affects two types of 
entities: State governments and MPOs. State governments do not meet the 
definition of a small entity under 5 U.S.C. 601, which have a 
population of less than 50,000.
    The MPOs are considered governmental jurisdictions, and to qualify 
as a small entity they would need to serve less than 50,000 people. The 
MPOs serve urbanized areas with populations of 50,000 or more. As 
discussed in the RIA, the rule is expected to impose costs on MPOs that 
serve populations exceeding 200,000. Therefore, the MPOs that incur 
economic impacts under this proposed rule do not meet the definition of 
a small entity.
    I hereby certify that this regulatory action would not have a 
significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.

C. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

    The FHWA has determined that this action does not impose unfunded 
mandates as defined by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. 
L. 104-4, March 22, 1995, 109 Stat. 48). This rule does not include a 
Federal mandate that may result in expenditures of $151 million or more 
in any 1 year (when adjusted for inflation) in 2012 dollars for either 
State, local, and tribal governments in the aggregate, or by the 
private sector. Additionally, the definition of ``Federal mandate'' in 
the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act excludes financial assistance of the 
type in which State, local, or tribal governments have authority to 
adjust their participation in the program in accordance with changes 
made in the program by the Federal Government. The Federal-aid highway 
program permits this type of flexibility.

D. Executive Order 13132 (Federalism Assessment)

    The FHWA has analyzed this action in accordance with the principles 
and criteria contained in Executive Order 13132. The FHWA has 
determined that this action does not have sufficient federalism 
implications to warrant the preparation of a federalism assessment. The 
FHWA has also determined that this action does not preempt any State 
law or State regulation or affect the States' ability to discharge 
traditional State governmental functions.

E. Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review)

    The regulations implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding 
intergovernmental consultation on Federal programs and activities apply 
to this program. Local entities should refer to the Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning and 
Construction, for further information.

F. Paperwork Reduction Act

    Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501, et 
seq.), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the OMB for each 
collection of information they conduct, sponsor, or require through 
regulations. The DOT has analyzed this action under the PRA and has 
determined that this rulemaking contains collection of information 
requirements for the purposes of the PRA.
    This rule provides definitions and outlines processes for 
performance elements of this final rule. Some burdens in this rule 
would be realized in other reporting areas as described below. The PRA 
activities that are already covered by existing OMB Clearances have 
reference numbers for those clearances as follows: HPMS information 
collection, OMB No. 2125-0028 with an expiration of May 2019 and CMAQ 
Program OMB 2125-0614 with an expiration date of August 2018. Any 
increase in PRA burdens caused by MAP-21 and the FAST Act in these 
areas will be addressed in PRA approval requests associated with those 
rulemakings.
    This rulemaking requires the submittal of performance reports. The 
DOT has analyzed this final rule under the PRA and has determined the 
following:
    Respondents: Approximately 262 applicants consisting of State DOTs 
and MPOs.
    Frequency: Biennially.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: Approximately 416 hours to 
complete and submit the report.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Approximately 65,312 hours 
annually.

G. National Environmental Policy Act

    The FHWA has analyzed this action for the purpose of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), 
and has determined that this action would not have any effect on the 
quality of the environment and meets the criteria for the categorical 
exclusion at 23 CFR 771.117(c)(20).

H. Executive Order 12630 (Taking of Private Property)

    The FHWA has analyzed this action under Executive Order 12630, 
Governmental Actions and Interference with Constitutionally Protected 
Property Rights. The FHWA does not anticipate that this action would 
affect a taking of private property or otherwise have taking 
implications under Executive Order 12630.

I. Executive Order 12988 (Civil Justice Reform)

    This action meets applicable standards in sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) 
of Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform, to minimize litigation, 
eliminate ambiguity, and reduce burden.

J. Executive Order 13045 (Protection of Children)

    We have analyzed this rule under Executive Order 13045, Protection 
of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks. The FHWA 
certifies that this action would not cause an environmental risk to 
health or safety that might disproportionately affect children.

K. Executive Order 13175 (Tribal Consultation)

    The FHWA has analyzed this action under Executive Order 13175, 
dated November 6, 2000, and believes that the action would not have 
substantial direct effects on one or more Indian tribes; would not 
impose substantial direct compliance costs on Indian tribal 
governments; and would not preempt tribal laws. The rulemaking 
addresses obligations of Federal funds to State DOTs for Federal-aid 
highway projects and would not impose any direct compliance 
requirements on Indian tribal governments. Therefore, a tribal summary 
impact statement is not required.

L. Executive Order 13211 (Energy Effects)

    The FHWA has analyzed this action under Executive Order 13211, 
Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, 
Distribution, or Use. The FHWA has

[[Page 6031]]

determined that this is not a significant energy action under that 
order and is not likely to have a significant adverse effect on the 
supply, distribution, or use of energy. Therefore, a Statement of 
Energy Effects is not required.

M. Executive Order 12898 (Environmental Justice)

    The E.O. 12898 requires that each Federal agency make achieving 
environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and 
addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human 
health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and 
activities on minorities and low-income populations. The FHWA has 
determined that this rule does not raise any environmental justice 
issues.

N. Privacy Impact Assessment

    The FHWA continues to assess the privacy impacts of this rule as 
required by section 522(a)(5) of the FY 2005 Omnibus Appropriations 
Act, Public Law 108-447, 118 Stat. 3268 (December 8, 2004) [set out as 
a note to 5 U.S.C. 552a].
    The FHWA has selected the use of the new NPMRDS as the data source 
to calculate the metrics for the travel time/speed based measures to 
ensure consistency and coverage at a national level. This private 
sector data set provides average travel times derived from vehicle/
passenger probe data traveling on the NHS. The FHWA recognizes that 
probe data is an evolving field and we will continue to evaluate the 
privacy risks associated with its use.

O. Regulation Identifier Number

    An RIN is assigned to each regulatory action listed in the Unified 
Agenda of Federal Regulations. The Regulatory Information Service 
Center publishes the Unified Agenda in April and October of each year. 
The RIN number contained in the heading of this document can be used to 
cross-reference this action with the Unified Agenda.

List of Subjects in 23 CFR Part 490

    Bridges, Highway safety, Highways and roads, Incorporation by 
reference, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2017, under authority 
delegated in 49 CFR 1.85.
Gregory G. Nadeau,
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
    In consideration of the foregoing, FHWA amends 23 CFR part 490 as 
follows:

PART 490--NATIONAL PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT MEASURES

0
1. The authority citation for part 490 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  23 U.S.C. 134, 135, 148(i), and 150; 49 CFR 1.85.

0
2. Revise subpart A to read as follows:

Subpart A--General Information

Sec.
490.101 Definitions.
490.103 Data requirements.
490.105 Establishment of performance targets.
490.107 Reporting on performance targets.
490.109 Assessing significant progress toward achieving the 
performance targets for the National Highway Performance Program and 
the National Highway Freight Program.
490.111 Incorporation by reference.


Sec.  490.101  Definitions.

    Unless otherwise specified, the following definitions apply to this 
part:
    American Community Survey (ACS) is a national level ongoing survey 
from the U.S. Census Bureau that includes data on jobs, occupations, 
educational attainment, transportations patterns, and other topics of 
the Nation's population.
    Attainment area as used in this part is defined in Sec.  450.104 of 
this chapter, Transportation Planning and Programming Definitions.
    Bridge as used in this part is defined in Sec.  650.305 of this 
chapter, the National Bridge Inspection Standards.
    Criteria pollutant is any pollutant for which there is established 
a NAAQS at 40 CFR part 50. The transportation related criteria 
pollutants per 40 CFR 93.102(b)(1) are carbon monoxide, nitrogen 
dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter (PM10 and 
PM2.5).
    Full extent means continuous collection and evaluation of pavement 
condition data over the entire length of the roadway.
    Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) is a national level 
highway information system that includes data on the extent, condition, 
performance, use, and operating characteristics of the Nation's 
highways.
    Mainline highways means the through travel lanes of any highway. 
Mainline highways specifically exclude ramps, shoulders, turn lanes, 
crossovers, rest areas, and other pavement surfaces that are not part 
of the roadway normally traveled by through traffic.
    Maintenance area as used in this part is defined in Sec.  450.104 
of this chapter, Transportation Planning and Programming Definitions. 
For the purposes of this part, areas that have reached the end of their 
20-year maintenance period \1\ are not considered as maintenance areas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The maintenance period in CAA Section 175A (42 U.S.C. 7505a) 
requires the submittal of two maintenance plans totaling 20 years, 
unless the applicable implementation plan specifics a longer 
maintenance period. The end of the maintenance period is 20-years 
from the effective date of the re-designation to attainment and 
approval of the first 10-year maintenance plan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Measure means an expression based on a metric that is used to 
establish targets and to assess progress toward achieving the 
established targets (e.g., a measure for flight on-time performance is 
percent of flights that arrive on time, and a corresponding metric is 
an arithmetic difference between scheduled and actual arrival time for 
each flight).
    Metric means a quantifiable indicator of performance or condition.
    Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) as used in this part is 
defined in Sec.  450.104 of this chapter, Transportation Planning and 
Programming Definitions.
    Metropolitan Planning Area as used in this part is defined in Sec.  
450.104 of this chapter, Transportation Planning and Programming 
Definitions.
    National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) as used in this part 
is defined in Sec.  450.104 of this chapter, Transportation Planning 
and Programming Definitions.
    National Bridge Inventory (NBI) is an FHWA database containing 
bridge information and inspection data for all highway bridges on 
public roads, on and off Federal-aid highways, including tribally owned 
and federally owned bridges, that are subject to the National Bridge 
Inspection Standards (NBIS).
    National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS) means a 
data set derived from vehicle/passenger probe data (sourced from Global 
Positioning Station (GPS), navigation units, cell phones) that includes 
average travel times representative of all traffic on each mainline 
highway segment of the National Highway System (NHS), and additional 
travel times representative of freight trucks for those segments that 
are on the Interstate System. The data set includes records that 
contain average travel times for every 15 minutes of every day (24 
hours) of the year recorded and calculated for every travel time 
segment where probe data are available. The NPMRDS does not include any 
imputed travel time data.
    Nonattainment area as used in this part is defined in Sec.  450.104 
of this chapter, Transportation Planning and Programming Definitions.

[[Page 6032]]

    Non-SOV travel is defined as any travel mode other than driving 
alone in a motorized vehicle (i.e., single occupancy vehicle or SOV 
travel), including travel avoided by telecommuting.
    Non-urbanized area means a single geographic area that comprises 
all of the areas in the State that are not ``urbanized areas'' under 23 
U.S.C. 101(a)(34).
    Performance period means a determined time period during which 
condition/performance is measured and evaluated to: Assess condition/
performance with respect to baseline condition/performance; and track 
progress toward the achievement of the targets that represent the 
intended condition/performance level at the midpoint and at the end of 
that time period. The term ``performance period'' applies to all 
measures in this part, except the measures for the Highway Safety 
Improvement Program (HSIP) in subpart B of this part. Each performance 
period covers a 4-year duration beginning on a specified date (provided 
in Sec.  490.105).
    Reporting segment means the length of roadway that the State 
Department of Transportation (DOT) and MPOs define for metric 
calculation and reporting and is comprised of one or more travel time 
segments.
    Target means a quantifiable level of performance or condition, 
expressed as a value for the measure, to be achieved within a time 
period required by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
    Transportation Management Area (TMA) as used in this part is 
defined in Sec.  450.104 of this chapter, Transportation Planning and 
Programming Definitions.
    Travel time data set means either the NPMRDS or an equivalent data 
set that is used by State DOTs and MPOs as approved by FHWA, to carry 
out the requirements in subparts E, F, and G of this part.
    Travel time reliability means the consistency or dependability of 
travel times from day to day or across different times of the day.
    Travel time segment means a contiguous stretch of the NHS for which 
average travel time data are summarized in the travel time data set.
    Truck freight bottleneck, as used in this part, is defined as a 
segment of roadway identified by the State DOT as having constraints 
that cause a significant impact on freight mobility and reliability. 
Bottlenecks may include highway sections that do not meet thresholds 
for freight reliability identified in Sec.  490.613 or other locations 
identified by the State DOT. Causes may include recurring congestion, 
causing delays in freight movement, or roadway features that impact 
truck movements, such as steep grades, substandard vertical or 
horizontal clearances, weight restrictions, delays at border crossings 
or terminals, or truck operating restrictions.


Sec.  490.103  Data requirements.

    (a) In general. Unless otherwise noted in paragraphs (b) through 
(g) of this section, the data requirements in this section apply to the 
measures identified in subparts C through H of this part. Additional 
data requirements for specific performance management measures are 
identified in 23 CFR sections--
    (1) 490.309 for the condition of pavements on the Interstate 
System;
    (2) 490.309 for the condition of pavements on the non-Interstate 
NHS;
    (3) 490.409 for the condition of bridges on the NHS;
    (4) 490.509 for the performance of the Interstate System;
    (5) 490.509 for the performance of the non-Interstate NHS;
    (6) 490.609 for the freight movement on the Interstate System;
    (7) 490.709 for traffic congestion; and
    (8) 490.809 for on-road mobile source emissions.
    (b) Urbanized area data. The State DOTs shall submit urbanized area 
data, including boundaries of urbanized areas, in accordance with the 
HPMS Field Manual for the purpose of the additional targets for 
urbanized and non-urbanized areas in Sec.  490.105(e) and establishing 
and reporting on targets for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures in 
Sec.  490.707. The boundaries of urbanized areas shall be identified 
based on the most recent U.S. Decennial Census, unless FHWA approves 
adjustments to the urbanized area as provided by 23 U.S.C. 101(a)(34) 
and these adjustments are submitted to HPMS.
    (c) Nonattainment and maintenance areas data. The State DOTs shall 
use the nonattainment and maintenance areas boundaries based on the 
effective date of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
designations in 40 CFR part 81.
    (d) National Highway System data. The State DOTs shall document and 
submit the extent of the NHS in accordance with the HPMS Field Manual.
    (e) Travel time data set. Travel time data needed to calculate the 
measures in subparts E, F, and G of this part will come from the 
NPMRDS, unless the State DOT requests, and FHWA approves, the use of an 
equivalent data source(s) that meets the requirements of this section. 
The State DOT shall establish, in coordination with applicable MPOs, a 
single travel time data set (i.e., NPMRDS or equivalent data set) that 
will be used to calculate the annual metrics in subparts E, F, and G of 
this part. The same data source shall be used for each calendar year. A 
State DOT and MPO(s) must use the same travel time data set for each 
reporting segment for the purposes of calculating the metrics and 
measures. The use of equivalent data source(s) shall comply with the 
following:
    (1) State DOTs and MPOs shall use the same equivalent data 
source(s) for a calendar year;
    (2) The State DOT shall request FHWA approval for the use of such 
equivalent data source(s) no later than October 1st before the 
beginning of the calendar year in which the data source would be used 
to calculate metrics and FHWA must approve the use of that data source 
prior to a State DOT and MPO(s)'s implementation and use of that data 
source;
    (3) The State DOT shall make the equivalent data source(s) 
available to FHWA, on request;
    (4) The State DOT shall maintain and use a documented data quality 
plan to routinely check the quality and accuracy of data contained 
within the equivalent data source(s); and
    (5) If approved by FHWA, the equivalent data source(s) shall:
    (i) Be used by both the State DOT and all MPOs within the State for 
all applicable travel time segments and be referenced by HPMS location 
referencing standards; and
    (ii) In combination with or in place of NPMRDS data, include:
    (A) Contiguous segments that cover the mainline highways full NHS, 
as defined in 23 U.S.C. 103, within the State and MPO boundary; and
    (B) Average travel times for at least the same number of 15 minute 
intervals and the same locations that would be available in the NPMRDS;
    (iii) Be populated with observed measured vehicle travel times and 
shall not be populated with travel times derived from imputed (historic 
travel times or other estimates) methods. Segment travel times may be 
derived from travel times reported over a longer time period of 
measurement (path processing or equivalent);
    (iv) Include, for each segment at 15 minute intervals throughout 
the time periods specified in paragraphs (e)(5)(iv)(A) and (B) of this 
section for each day of the year, the average travel time, recorded to 
the nearest second,

[[Page 6033]]

representative of at least one of the following:
    (A) All traffic on each segment of the NHS (24 hours on Interstate; 
6 a.m. to 8 p.m. for non-Interstate NHS); or
    (B) Freight vehicle traffic on each segment of the Interstate 
System (24 hours);
    (v) Include, for each segment, a recording of the time and date of 
each 15 minute travel time record;
    (vi) Include the location (route, functional class, direction, 
State), length and begin and end points of each segment; and
    (vii) Be available within 60 days of measurement.
    (f) Reporting segments. State DOTs, in coordination with MPOs, 
shall define a single set of reporting segments of the Interstate 
System and non-Interstate NHS for the purpose of calculating the travel 
time-based measures specified in Sec. Sec.  490.507, 490.607, and 
490.707 in accordance with the following:
    (1) Reporting segments shall be comprised of one or more contiguous 
Travel Time Segments of same travel direction. State DOTs have the 
option to accept the Travel Time Segments in the NPMRDS as the 
reporting segments;
    (2) Reporting segments shall not exceed 1 mile in length in 
urbanized areas unless an individual Travel Time Segment is longer and 
10 miles in length in non-urbanized areas unless an individual Travel 
Time Segment is longer;
    (3) All reporting segments collectively shall be contiguous and 
cover the full extent of the directional mainline highways of the 
Interstate System and non-Interstate NHS required for reporting the 
measure; and
    (4) The State DOT and applicable MPOs shall document, in manner 
that mutually agreed upon by all relevant parties, the coordination and 
agreement on the travel time data set and the defined reporting 
segments.
    (g) Posted speed limit. State DOTs are encouraged to report the 
posted speed limits for the full extent of the NHS in their State via 
HPMS (HPMS Data Item ``Speed_Limit'').


Sec.  490.105  Establishment of performance targets.

    (a) In general. State DOTs shall establish performance targets for 
all measures specified in paragraph (c) of this section for the 
respective target scope identified in paragraph (d) of this section 
with the requirements specified in paragraph (e) of this section. The 
MPOs shall establish performance targets for all measures specified in 
paragraph (c) of this section for respective target scope identified in 
paragraph (d) of this section with the requirements specified in 
paragraph (f) of this section.
    (b) Highway Safety Improvement Program measures. State DOTs and 
MPOs shall establish performance targets for the Highway Safety 
Improvement Program (HSIP) measures in accordance with Sec.  490.209.
    (c) Applicable measures. State DOTs and MPOs that include, within 
their respective geographic boundaries, any portion of the applicable 
transportation network or area shall establish performance targets for 
the performance measures identified in 23 CFR sections--
    (1) 490.307(a)(1) and (2) for the condition of pavements on the 
Interstate System;
    (2) 490.307(a)(3) and (4) for the condition of pavements on the NHS 
(excluding the Interstate);
    (3) 490.407(c)(1) and (2) for the condition of bridges on the NHS;
    (4) 490.507(a)(1) and (2) for the NHS Travel Time Reliability;
    (5) 490.507(b) for the greenhouse gas (GHG) performance for the 
NHS;
    (6) 490.607 for the freight movement on the Interstate System;
    (7) 490.707(a) and (b) for traffic congestion; and
    (8) 490.807 for on-road mobile source emissions.
    (d) Target scope. Targets established by State DOTs and MPOs shall, 
regardless of ownership, represent the transportation network or 
geographic area, including bridges that cross State borders, that are 
applicable to the measures as specified in paragraphs (d)(1) and (2) of 
this section.
    (1) State DOTs and MPOs shall establish statewide and metropolitan 
planning area wide targets, respectively, that represent the condition/
performance of the transportation network or geographic area that are 
applicable to the measures, as specified in 23 CFR sections--
    (i) 490.303 for the condition of pavements on the Interstate System 
measures specified in Sec.  490.307(a)(1) and (2);
    (ii) 490.303 for the condition of pavements on the NHS (excluding 
the Interstate) measures specified in Sec.  490.307(a)(3) and (4);
    (iii) 490.403 for the condition of bridges on the NHS measures 
specified in Sec.  490.407(c)(1) and (2);
    (iv) 490.503(a)(1) for the Travel Time Reliability measures 
specified in Sec.  490.507(a)(1) and (2);
    (v) 490.503(b) for the GHG measure for the NHS specified in Sec.  
490.507(b);
    (vi) 490.603 for the Freight Reliability measure specified in Sec.  
490.607; and
    (vii) 490.803 for the Total Emissions Reduction measure identified 
in Sec.  490.807.
    (2) State DOTs and MPOs shall establish a single urbanized area 
target that represents the performance of the transportation network in 
each applicable area for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures, as 
specified in Sec.  490.703.
    (3) For the purpose of target establishment in this section and 
reporting targets and progress evaluation in Sec.  490.107, State DOTs 
shall describe the urbanized area boundaries within the State boundary 
in the Baseline Performance Period Report required by Sec.  
490.107(b)(1).
    (e) Establishment. State DOTs shall establish targets for each of 
the performance measures identified in paragraph (c) of this section 
for respective target scope identified in paragraph (d) of this section 
as follows:
    (1) Schedule. State DOTs shall establish targets not later than 
February 20, 2018, and for each performance period thereafter, in a 
manner that allows for the time needed to meet the requirements 
specified in this section and so that the final targets are submitted 
to FHWA by the due date provided in Sec.  490.107(b).
    (2) Coordination. State DOTs shall coordinate with relevant MPOs on 
the selection of targets in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 
135(d)(2)(B)(i)(II) to ensure consistency, to the maximum extent 
practicable.
    (3) Additional targets for urbanized and non-urbanized areas. In 
addition to statewide targets, described in paragraph (d)(1) of this 
section, State DOTs may, as appropriate, for each statewide target 
establish additional targets for portions of the State.
    (i) State DOTs shall describe in the Baseline Performance Period 
Report required by Sec.  490.107(b)(1) the boundaries used to establish 
each additional target.
    (ii) State DOTs may select any number and combination of urbanized 
area boundaries and may also select a non-urbanized area boundary for 
the establishment of additional targets.
    (iii) The boundaries used by the State DOT for additional targets 
shall be contained within the geographic boundary of the State.
    (iv) State DOTs shall evaluate separately the progress of each 
additional target and report that progress as required under Sec.  
490.107(b)(2)(ii)(B) and (b)(3)(ii)(B).
    (v) Additional targets for urbanized areas and the non-urbanized 
area are not applicable to the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures and the 
Total

[[Page 6034]]

Emissions Reduction measure in paragraphs (c)(7) and (8) of this 
section, respectively.
    (4) Time horizon for targets. State DOTs shall establish targets 
for a performance period as follows:
    (i) The performance period will begin on:
    (A) January 1st of the year in which the Baseline Performance 
Period Report is due to FHWA and will extend for a duration of 4 years 
for the measures in paragraphs (c)(1) through (7) of this section; and
    (B) October 1st of the year prior to which the Baseline Performance 
Report is due to FHWA and will extend for a duration of 4 years for the 
measure in paragraph (c)(8) of this section.
    (ii) The midpoint of a performance period will occur 2 years after 
the beginning of a performance period described in paragraph (e)(4)(i) 
of this section.
    (iii) Except as provided in paragraphs (e)(7) and (e)(8)(v) of this 
section, State DOTs shall establish 2-year targets that reflect the 
anticipated condition/performance level at the midpoint of each 
performance period for the measures in paragraphs (c)(1) through (7) of 
this section, and the anticipated cumulative emissions reduction to be 
reported for the first 2 years of a performance period by applicable 
criteria pollutant and precursor for the measure in paragraph (c)(8) of 
this section.
    (iv) State DOTs shall establish 4-year targets that reflect the 
anticipated condition/performance level at the end of each performance 
period for the measures in paragraphs (c)(1) through (7) of this 
section, and the anticipated cumulative emissions reduction to be 
reported for the entire performance period by applicable criteria 
pollutant and precursor for the measure in paragraph (c)(8) of this 
section.
    (5) Reporting. State DOTs shall report 2-year targets, 4-year 
targets, the basis for each established target, progress made toward 
the achievement of targets, and other requirements to FHWA in 
accordance with Sec.  490.107. State DOTs shall provide relevant MPO(s) 
targets to FHWA, upon request, each time the relevant MPOs establish or 
adjust MPO targets, as described in paragraph (f) of this section.
    (6) Target adjustment. State DOTs may adjust an established 4-year 
target in the Mid Performance Period Progress Report, as described in 
Sec.  490.107(b)(2). State DOTs shall coordinate with relevant MPOs 
when adjusting their 4-year target(s). Any adjustments made to 4-year 
targets established for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures in 
paragraph (c)(7) of this section shall be agreed upon and made 
collectively by all State DOTs and MPOs that include any portion of the 
NHS in the respective urbanized area applicable to the measures.
    (7) Phase-in of new requirements for Interstate System pavement 
condition measures and the non-Interstate NHS Travel Time Reliability 
measures. The following requirements apply only to the first 
performance period and to the measures in Sec. Sec.  490.307(a)(1) and 
(2) and 490.507(a)(2):
    (i) State DOTs shall establish their 4-year targets, required under 
paragraph (e)(4)(iv) of this section, and report these targets in their 
Baseline Performance Period Report, required under Sec.  490.107(b)(1);
    (ii) State DOTs shall not report 2-year targets, described in 
paragraph (e)(4)(iii) of this section, and baseline condition/
performance in their Baseline Performance Period Report; and
    (iii) State DOTs shall use the 2-year condition/performance in 
their Mid Performance Period Progress Report, described in Sec.  
490.107(b)(2)(ii)(A) as the baseline condition/performance. State DOTs 
may also adjust their 4-year targets, as appropriate.
    (8) Urbanized area specific targets. The following requirements 
apply to establishing targets for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures 
in paragraph (c)(7) of this section, as their target scope provided in 
paragraph (d)(2) of this section:
    (i) For the performance period that begins on January 1, 2018, 
State DOTs, with mainline highways on the NHS that cross any part of an 
urbanized area with a population more than 1 million within its 
geographic State boundary and that urbanized area contains any part of 
a nonattainment or maintenance area for any one of the criteria 
pollutants, as specified in Sec.  490.703, shall establish targets for 
the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures specified in Sec.  490.707(a) and 
(b).
    (ii) Beginning with the performance period that begins on January 
1, 2022, and all subsequent performance periods thereafter, State DOTs, 
with mainline highways on the NHS that cross any part of an urbanized 
area with a population more than 200,000 within its geographic State 
boundary and that urbanized area contains any part of a nonattainment 
or maintenance area for any one of the criteria pollutants, as 
specified in Sec.  490.703, shall establish targets for the CMAQ 
Traffic Congestion measures specified in Sec.  490.707(a) and (b).
    (iii) If required to establish targets for the CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion measures, as described in paragraphs (e)(8)(i) and/or (ii) 
of this section, State DOTs shall comply with the following:
    (A) For each urbanized area, only one 2-year target and one 4-year 
target for the entire urbanized area shall be established regardless of 
roadway ownership.
    (B) For each urbanized area, all State DOTs and MPOs that contain, 
within their respective boundaries, any portion of the NHS network in 
that urbanized area shall agree on one 2-year and one 4-year target for 
that urbanized area. In accordance with paragraphs (e)(5) and (f)(9) of 
this section, the targets reported by the State DOTs and MPOs for that 
urbanized area shall be identical.
    (C) Except as provided in paragraphs (e)(8)(iii)(F) and (e)(8)(v) 
of this section, State DOTs shall meet all reporting requirements in 
Sec.  490.107 for the entire performance period even if there is a 
change of population, NHS designation, or nonattainment/maintenance 
area designation during that performance period.
    (D) The 1 million and 200,000 population thresholds, in paragraphs 
(e)(8)(i) and (ii) of this section, shall be determined based on the 
most recent annual population estimates published by the U.S. Census 
available 1 year before when the State DOT Baseline Performance Period 
Report is due to FHWA.
    (E) NHS designations and urbanized areas, in paragraphs (e)(8)(i) 
and (ii) of this section, shall be determined from the data, contained 
in HPMS, 1 year before when the State DOT Baseline Performance Period 
Report is due to FHWA.
    (F) The designation of nonattainment or maintenance areas, in 
paragraphs (e)(8)(i) and (ii) of this section, shall be determined 
based on the effective date of U.S. EPA's designation under the NAAQS 
in 40 CFR part 81, as of the date 1 year before the State DOT Baseline 
Performance Period Report is due to FHWA. The nonattainment and 
maintenance areas shall be revised if, on the date 1 year before the 
State DOT Mid Performance Period Progress Report in Sec.  
490.107(b)(2)(ii) is due to FHWA, the area is no longer in 
nonattainment or maintenance for a criteria pollutant included in Sec.  
490.703.
    (iv) If a State DOT does not meet the criteria specified in 
paragraph (e)(8)(i) or (ii) of this section 1 year before when the 
State DOT Baseline Performance Period Report is due to FHWA, then that 
State DOT is not required to establish targets for the CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion measures for that performance period.
    (v) If the urbanized area, in paragraph (e)(8)(i) or (ii) of this 
section, does not

[[Page 6035]]

contain any part of a nonattainment or maintenance area for the 
applicable criteria pollutants, as specified in Sec.  490.703, 1 year 
before the State DOT Mid Performance Period Progress Report is due to 
FHWA, as described in paragraph (e)(8)(iii)(F) of this section, then 
that State DOT is not required to meet the requirements in Sec.  
490.107 for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures for that urbanized 
area for the remainder of that performance period.
    (vi) The following requirements apply only the Peak Hour Excessive 
Delay (PHED) measure in Sec.  490.707(a) to assess CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion in to the first performance period:
    (A) State DOTs shall establish their 4-year targets, required under 
paragraph (e)(4)(iv) of this section, and report these targets in their 
Baseline Performance Period Report, required under Sec.  490.107(b)(1).
    (B) State DOTs shall not report 2-year targets, described in 
paragraph (e)(4)(ii) of this section, and baseline condition/
performance in their Baseline Performance Period Report.
    (C) State DOTs shall use the 2-year condition/performance in their 
Mid Performance Period Progress Report, described in Sec.  
490.107(b)(2)(ii)(A) as the baseline condition/performance. The 
established baseline condition/performance shall be collectively 
developed and agreed upon with relevant MPOs.
    (D) State DOTs may, as appropriate, adjust their 4-year target(s) 
in their Mid Performance Period Progress Report, described in Sec.  
490.107(b)(2)(ii)(A). Adjusted 4-year target(s) shall be developed and 
collectively agreed upon with relevant MPO(s), as described in 
paragraph (e)(6) of this section.
    (E) State DOTs shall annually report metrics for all mainline 
highways on the NHS for all applicable urbanized area(s) throughout the 
performance period, as required in Sec.  490.711(f).
    (9) Targets for Total Emissions Reduction measure. The following 
requirements apply to establishing targets for the measures specified 
in paragraph (c)(8) of this section:
    (i) The State DOTs shall establish statewide targets for the Total 
Emissions Reduction measure for all nonattainment and maintenance areas 
for all applicable criteria pollutants and precursors specified in 
Sec.  490.803.
    (ii) For all nonattainment and maintenance areas within the State 
geographic boundary, the State DOT shall establish separate statewide 
targets for each of the applicable criteria pollutants and precursors 
specified in Sec.  490.803.
    (iii) The established targets, as specified in paragraph (e)(4) of 
this section, shall reflect the anticipated cumulative emissions 
reduction to be reported in the CMAQ Public Access System required in 
Sec.  490.809(a).
    (iv) In addition to the statewide targets in paragraph (e)(9)(i) of 
this section, State DOTs may, as appropriate, establish additional 
targets for any number and combination of nonattainment and maintenance 
areas by applicable criteria pollutant within the geographic boundary 
of the State. If a State DOT establishes additional targets for 
nonattainment and maintenance areas, it shall report the targets in the 
Baseline Performance Period Report required by Sec.  490.107(b)(1). 
State DOTs shall evaluate separately the progress of each of these 
additional targets and report that progress as required under Sec.  
490.107(b)(2)(ii)(B) and (b)(3)(ii)(B).
    (v) The designation of nonattainment or maintenance areas shall be 
determined based on the effective date of U.S. EPA's designation under 
the NAAQS in 40 CFR part 81, as of the date 1 year before the State DOT 
Baseline Performance Period Report is due to FHWA. The nonattainment 
and maintenance areas shall be revised if, on the date 1 year before 
the State DOT Mid Performance Period Progress Report in Sec.  
490.107(b)(2)(ii) is due to FHWA, the area is no longer in 
nonattainment or maintenance for a criteria pollutant included in Sec.  
490.803.
    (vi) Except as provided in paragraphs (e)(9)(vii) and (viii) of 
this section, the State DOT shall meet all reporting requirements in 
Sec.  490.107 for the entire performance period even if there is a 
change of nonattainment or maintenance area during that performance 
period.
    (vii) If a State geographic boundary does not contain any part of 
nonattainment or maintenance areas for applicable criteria pollutants 
and precursors, as specified in Sec.  490.803, 1 year before the State 
DOT Baseline Performance Period Report is due to FHWA, then that State 
DOT is not required to establish targets for Total Emissions Reduction 
measures for that performance period.
    (viii) If the State geographic boundary, in paragraph (e)(9)(ii) of 
this section, does not contain any part of the nonattainment or 
maintenance area for an applicable criteria pollutant or precursor, as 
specified in Sec.  490.803, 1 year before the State DOT Mid Performance 
Period Progress Report is due to FHWA as described in paragraph 
(e)(9)(v) of this section, then that State DOT is not required to meet 
the requirements in Sec.  490.107 for the Total Emissions Reduction 
measure for that applicable criteria pollutant or precursor for the 
remainder of that performance period.
    (f) MPO establishment. The MPOs shall establish targets for each of 
the performance measures identified in paragraph (c) of this section 
for the respective target scope identified in paragraph (d) of this 
section as follows:
    (1) Schedule. The MPOs shall establish targets no later than 180 
days after the respective State DOT(s) establishes their targets, as 
provided in paragraph (e)(1) of this section.
    (i) The MPOs shall establish 4-year targets, described in paragraph 
(e)(4)(iv) of this section, for all applicable measures, described in 
paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section.
    (ii) Except as provided in paragraph (f)(5)(vi) of this section, 
the MPOs shall establish 2-year targets, described in paragraph 
(e)(4)(iii) of this section for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion and Total 
Emissions Reduction measures, described in paragraphs (c) and (d) of 
this section as their applicability criteria described in paragraphs 
(f)(5)(i) and (ii) and (f)(6)(iii) of this section, respectively.
    (iii) If an MPO does not meet the criteria described in paragraph 
(f)(5)(i), (f)(5)(ii), or (f)(6)(iii) of this section, the MPO is not 
required to establish 2-year target(s) for the corresponding 
measure(s).
    (2) Coordination. The MPOs shall coordinate with relevant State 
DOT(s) on the selection of targets in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 
134(h)(2)(B)(i)(II) to ensure consistency, to the maximum extent 
practicable.
    (3) Target establishment options. For each performance measure 
identified in paragraph (c) of this section, except the CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion measures in paragraph (f)(5) of this section, and MPOs 
meeting the criteria under paragraph (f)(6)(iii) of this section for 
Total Emissions Reduction measure, the MPOs shall establish targets by 
either:
    (i) Agreeing to plan and program projects so that they contribute 
toward the accomplishment of the relevant State DOT target for that 
performance measure; or
    (ii) Committing to a quantifiable target for that performance 
measure for their metropolitan planning area.
    (4) MPOs serving a multistate planning area. Except as provided in 
the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures in paragraph (f)(5) of this 
section, and MPOs meeting the criteria under paragraph (f)(6)(iii) of 
this section, for Total Emissions Reduction measure, MPOs with planning 
areas extending

[[Page 6036]]

across State boundaries shall follow these requirements for each 
performance measure identified in paragraph (c) of this section:
    (i) For each measure, MPOs may choose different target 
establishment options, provided in paragraph (f)(3) of this section, 
for the portion of the planning area within each State.
    (ii) If MPOs choose the option to agree to plan and program 
projects to contribute toward State DOT targets, in accordance with 
paragraph (f)(3)(i) of this section, for a measure, then they shall 
plan and program projects in support of State DOT targets for the 
portion of the planning area within each State.
    (5) Urbanized area specific targets. The following requirements 
apply to establishing targets for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures 
in paragraph (c)(7) of this section, as their target scope provided in 
paragraph (d)(2) of this section:
    (i) For the performance period that begins on January 1, 2018, MPOs 
shall establish targets for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures 
specified in Sec.  490.707(a) and (b) when mainline highways on the NHS 
within their metropolitan planning area boundary cross any part of an 
urbanized area with a population more than 1 million, and that portion 
of their metropolitan planning area boundary also contains any portion 
of a nonattainment or maintenance area for any one of the criteria 
pollutants, as specified in Sec.  490.703. If an MPO with mainline 
highways on the NHS within their metropolitan planning area boundary 
cross any part of an urbanized area with a population more than 1 
million and that urbanized area contains any part of a nonattainment or 
maintenance area, for any one of the criteria pollutant as specified in 
Sec.  490.703, outside of its metropolitan planning area boundary, then 
that MPO should coordinate with relevant State DOT(s) and MPO(s) in the 
target establishment process for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures 
specified in Sec.  490.707.
    (ii) Beginning with the performance period that begins on January 
1, 2022, and all subsequent performance periods thereafter, MPOs shall 
establish targets for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures specified in 
Sec.  490.707(a) and (b) when mainline highways on the NHS within their 
metropolitan planning area boundary cross any part of an urbanized area 
with a population more than 200,000, and that portion of their 
metropolitan planning area boundary also contains any portion of a 
nonattainment or maintenance area for any one of the criteria 
pollutants, as specified in Sec.  490.703. If an MPO with mainline 
highways on the NHS within their metropolitan planning area boundary 
cross any part of an urbanized area with a population more than 200,000 
and that urbanized area contains any part of a nonattainment or 
maintenance area, for any one of the criteria pollutant as specified in 
Sec.  490.703, outside of its metropolitan planning area boundary, then 
that MPO should coordinate with relevant State DOT(s) and MPO(s) in the 
target establishment process for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures 
specified in Sec.  490.707.
    (iii) If required to establish a target for the CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion measures, as described in paragraphs (f)(5)(i) and/or (ii) 
of this section, MPOs shall comply with the following:
    (A) For each urbanized area, only one 2-year target and one 4-year 
target for the entire urbanized area shall be established regardless of 
roadway ownership.
    (B) For each urbanized area, all State DOTs and MPOs that contain, 
within their respective boundaries, any portion of the NHS network in 
that urbanized area shall agree on one 2-year and one 4-year target for 
that urbanized area. The targets reported, in accordance with 
paragraphs (e)(5) and (f)(9) of this section, by the State DOTs and 
MPOs for that urbanized area shall be identical.
    (C) Except as provided in paragraphs (f)(5)(iii)(F) and (f)(5)(v) 
of this section, MPOs shall meet all reporting requirements in Sec.  
490.107(c) for the entire performance period even if there is a change 
of population, NHS designation, or nonattainment/maintenance area 
during that performance period.
    (D) The 1 million and 200,000 population thresholds, in paragraph 
(f)(5)(i) and (ii) of this section, shall be determined based on the 
most recent annual population estimates published by the U.S. Census 
available 1 year before the State DOT Baseline Performance Period 
Report is due to FHWA.
    (E) NHS designations and urbanized areas, in paragraphs (f)(5)(i) 
and (ii) of this section, shall be determined from the data, contained 
in HPMS, 1 year before State DOT Baseline Performance Period Report is 
due to FHWA.
    (F) The designation of nonattainment or maintenance areas, in 
paragraph (f)(5)(i) and (ii) of this section, shall be determined based 
on the effective date of U.S. EPA's designation under the NAAQS in 40 
CFR part 81, as of the date 1 year before the State DOT Baseline 
Performance Period Report is due to FHWA. The nonattainment and 
maintenance areas shall be revised if, on the date 1 year before the 
State DOT Mid Performance Period Progress Report in Sec.  
490.107(b)(2)(ii) is due to FHWA, the area is no longer in 
nonattainment or maintenance for a criteria pollutant included in Sec.  
490.703.
    (iv) If an MPO does not meet the criteria specified in paragraph 
(f)(5)(i) or (ii) of this section at the time that is 1 year before 
when the State DOT Baseline Performance Period Report is due to FHWA, 
then that MPO is not required to establish targets for the CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion measure for that performance period.
    (v) If the portion of the metropolitan planning area boundary 
within the urbanized area, in paragraph (f)(5)(i) or (ii) of this 
section, does not contain any part of a nonattainment or maintenance 
area for the applicable criteria pollutants, as specified in Sec.  
490.703, at the time that is 1 year before when the State DOT Mid 
Performance Period Progress Report is due to FHWA, as described in 
paragraph (f)(5)(iii)(F) of this section, then that MPO is not required 
to meet the requirements in Sec.  490.107 for the CMAQ Traffic 
Congestion measures for that urbanized area for the remainder of that 
performance period.
    (vi) The following requirements apply only to the first performance 
period and the PHED measure to assess traffic congestion in Sec.  
490.707(a):
    (A) The MPOs shall not report 2-year targets, described in 
paragraph (f)(5)(iii)(A) of this section;
    (B) The MPOs shall use the 2-year condition/performance in the 
State DOT Mid Performance Period Progress Report, described in Sec.  
490.107(b)(2)(ii)(A) as baseline condition/performance. The established 
baseline condition/performance shall be agreed upon and made 
collectively with relevant State DOTs; and
    (C) The MPOs may, as appropriate, adjust their 4-year target(s). 
Adjusted 4-year target(s) shall be collectively developed and agreed 
upon with all relevant State DOT(s), as described in paragraph (f)(8) 
of this section.
    (6) Targets for the Total Emissions Reduction measure. The 
following requirements apply to establishing targets for the measure in 
paragraph (c)(8) of this section:
    (i) The MPO shall establish targets for each of the applicable 
criteria pollutants and precursors, specified in Sec.  490.803, for 
which it is in nonattainment or maintenance, within its metropolitan 
planning area boundary.
    (ii) The established targets, as specified in paragraph (e)(4) of 
this

[[Page 6037]]

section, shall reflect the anticipated cumulative emissions reduction 
to be reported in the CMAQ Public Access System required in Sec.  
490.809(a).
    (iii) If any part of a designated nonattainment and maintenance 
area within the metropolitan planning area overlaps the boundary of an 
urbanized area with a population more than 1 million in population, as 
of 1 year before the State DOT Baseline Performance Period Report is 
due to FHWA, then that MPO shall establish both 2-year and 4-year 
targets for their metropolitan planning area. The population threshold 
shall be determined based on the most recent annual population 
estimates published by the U.S. Census available 1 year before the 
State DOT Baseline Performance Period Report is due to FHWA.
    (iv) For the nonattainment and maintenance areas within the 
metropolitan planning area that do not meet the criteria in paragraph 
(f)(6)(iii) of this section, MPOs shall establish 4-year targets for 
their metropolitan planning area, as described in paragraph (f)(3) of 
this section.
    (v) The designation of nonattainment or maintenance areas shall be 
determined based on the effective date of U.S. EPA's designation under 
the NAAQS in 40 CFR part 81, as of the date 1 year before the State DOT 
Baseline Performance Period Report is due to FHWA. The nonattainment 
and maintenance areas shall be revised if, on the date 1 year before 
the State DOT Mid Performance Period Progress Report in Sec.  
490.107(b)(2)(ii) is due to FHWA, the area is no longer in 
nonattainment or maintenance for a criteria pollutant included in Sec.  
490.803.
    (vi) Except as provided in paragraphs (f)(6)(v) and (viii) of this 
section, MPOs shall meet all reporting requirements in Sec.  490.107(c) 
for the entire performance period even if there is a change of 
nonattainment or maintenance area or population during that performance 
period.
    (vii) If a metropolitan planning area boundary does not contain any 
part of nonattainment or maintenance areas for applicable criteria 
pollutants 1 year before when the State DOT Baseline Performance Period 
Report is due to FHWA, then that MPO is not required to establish 
targets for the Total Emissions Reduction measure for that performance 
period.
    (viii) If the metropolitan planning area boundary, in paragraph 
(f)(6)(i) of this section, does not contain any part of a nonattainment 
or maintenance area for the applicable criteria pollutants, as 
specified in Sec.  490.803, 1 year before the State DOT Mid Performance 
Period Progress Report is due to FHWA, as described in paragraph 
(f)(6)(v) of this section, then that MPO is not required to meet the 
requirements in Sec.  490.107 for the Total Emissions Reduction measure 
for that applicable criteria pollutant or precursor for the remainder 
of that performance period.
    (7) MPO response to State DOT target adjustment. For the 
established targets in paragraph (f)(3) of this section, if the State 
DOT adjusts a 4-year target in the State DOT's Mid Performance Period 
Progress Report and if, for that respective target, the MPO established 
a target by supporting the State DOT target as allowed under paragraph 
(f)(3)(i) of this section, then the MPO shall, within 180 days, report 
to the State DOT whether it will either:
    (i) Agree to plan a program of projects so that they contribute to 
the adjusted State DOT target for that performance measure; or
    (ii) Commit to a new quantifiable target for that performance 
measure for its metropolitan planning area.
    (8) Target adjustment. If the MPO establishes its target by 
committing to a quantifiable target, described in paragraph (f)(3)(ii) 
of this section or establishes target(s) for the Total Emissions 
Reduction measure required in paragraph (f)(6)(iii) of this section, 
then the MPOs may adjust its target(s) in a manner that is collectively 
developed, documented, and mutually agreed upon by the State DOT and 
MPO. Any adjustments made to 4-year targets, established for CMAQ 
Traffic Congestion measures in paragraph (f)(5)(i) or (ii) of this 
section, shall be collectively developed and agreed upon by all State 
DOTs and MPOs that include any portion of the NHS in the respective 
urbanized area applicable to the measure.
    (9) Reporting. The MPOs shall report targets and progress toward 
the achievement of their targets as specified in Sec.  490.107(c). 
After the MPOs establish or adjust their targets, the relevant State 
DOT(s) must be able to provide these targets to FHWA upon request.


Sec.  490.107  Reporting on performance targets.

    (a) In general. All State DOTs and MPOs shall report the 
information specified in this section for the targets required in Sec.  
490.105.
    (1) All State DOTs and MPOs shall report in accordance with the 
schedule and content requirements under paragraphs (b) and (c) of this 
section, respectively.
    (2) For the measures identified in Sec.  490.207(a), all State DOTs 
and MPO shall report on performance in accordance with Sec.  490.213.
    (3) State DOTs shall report using an electronic template provided 
by FHWA.
    (b) State Biennial Performance Report. State DOTs shall report to 
FHWA baseline condition/performance at the beginning of a performance 
period and progress achievement at both the midpoint and end of a 
performance period. State DOTs shall report at an ongoing 2-year 
frequency as specified in paragraphs (b)(1) through (3) of this 
section.
    (1) Baseline Performance Period Report--(i) Schedule. State DOTs 
shall submit a Baseline Performance Period Report to FHWA by October 
1st of the first year in a performance period. State DOTs shall submit 
their first Baseline Performance Period Report to FHWA by October 1, 
2018, and subsequent Baseline Performance Period Reports to FHWA by 
October 1st every 4 years thereafter.
    (ii) Content. The State DOT shall report the following information 
in each Baseline Performance Period Report:
    (A) Targets. 2-year and 4-year targets for the performance period, 
as required in Sec.  490.105(e), and a discussion, to the maximum 
extent practicable, of the basis for each established target;
    (B) Baseline condition/performance. Baseline condition/performance 
derived from the latest data collected through the beginning date of 
the performance period specified in Sec.  490.105(e)(4)(i) for each 
target, required under paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A) of this section;
    (C) Relationship with other performance expectations. A discussion, 
to the maximum extent practicable, on how the established targets in 
paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A) of this section support expectations documented 
in longer range plans, such as the State asset management plan required 
by 23 U.S.C. 119(e) and the long-range statewide transportation plan 
provided in part 450 of this chapter;
    (D) Urbanized area boundaries and population data for targets. For 
the purpose of establishing additional targets for urbanized and non-
urbanized areas in Sec.  490.105(e)(3) and the urbanized area specific 
targets in Sec.  490.105(e)(8), State DOTs shall document the boundary 
extent for all applicable urbanized areas based on information in HPMS;
    (E) Congestion at truck freight bottlenecks. The State DOT shall 
document the location of truck freight bottlenecks within the State, 
including those identified in the National Freight Strategic Plan. If a 
State has prepared a

[[Page 6038]]

State Freight Plan under 49 U.S.C. 70202, within the last 2 years, then 
the State Freight Plan may serve as the basis for identifying truck 
freight bottlenecks;
    (F) Nonattainment and maintenance area for targets. Where 
applicable, for the purpose of determining target scope in Sec.  
490.105(d) and any additional targets under Sec.  490.105(e)(9)(iv), 
State DOTs shall describe the boundaries of U.S. EPA's designated 
nonattainment and maintenance areas, as described in Sec. Sec.  
490.103(c) and 490.105(e)(9)(v);
    (G) MPO CMAQ Performance Plan. Where applicable, State DOTs shall 
include as an attachment the MPO CMAQ Performance Plan, described in 
paragraph (c)(3) of this section;
    (H) GHG metrics for the GHG measure. Total tailpipe CO2 
emissions for the calendar year 2017, as described in Sec.  
490.511(f)(1) and total tailpipe CO2 emissions for the 2 
preceding calendar years of the year in which Baseline Performance 
Period Report is due to FHWA, as described in Sec.  490.511(f)(2) for 
the GHG measure in Sec.  490.507(b); and
    (I) Data collection method for the Percent of Non-SOV Travel 
measure. Where applicable, State DOTs shall report the data collection 
method that is used to determine the Percent of Non-SOV Travel measure, 
in Sec.  490.707(b), for each applicable urbanized area in the State, 
as provided in Sec.  490.709(f)(2).
    (2) Mid Performance Period Progress Report--(i) Schedule. State 
DOTs shall submit a Mid Performance Period Progress Report to FHWA by 
October 1st of the third year in a performance period. State DOTs shall 
submit their first Mid Performance Period Progress Report to FHWA by 
October 1, 2020, and subsequent Mid Performance Period Progress Reports 
to FHWA by October 1st every 4 years thereafter.
    (ii) Content. The State DOT shall report the following information 
in each Mid Performance Period Progress Report:
    (A) 2-year condition/performance. The actual condition/performance 
derived from the latest data collected through the midpoint of the 
performance period, specified in Sec.  490.105(e)(4), for each State 
DOT reported target required in paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A) of this 
section;
    (B) 2-year progress in achieving performance targets. A discussion 
of the State DOT's progress toward achieving each established 2-year 
target in paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A) of this section. The State DOT shall 
compare the actual 2-year condition/performance in paragraph 
(b)(2)(ii)(A) of this section, within the boundaries and limits 
documented in paragraphs (b)(1)(ii)(D) and (E) of this section, with 
the respective 2-year target and document in the discussion any reasons 
for differences in the actual and target values;
    (C) Investment strategy discussion. A discussion on the 
effectiveness of the investment strategies developed and documented in 
the State asset management plan for the NHS required under 23 U.S.C. 
119(e);
    (D) Congestion at truck freight bottlenecks. Discussion on progress 
of the State DOT's efforts in addressing congestion at truck freight 
bottlenecks within the State, as described in paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(F) 
of this section, through comprehensive freight improvement efforts of 
State Freight Plan or MPO freight plans; the Statewide Transportation 
Improvement Program and Transportation Improvement Program; regional or 
corridor level efforts; other related planning efforts; and operational 
and capital activities targeted to improve freight movement on the 
Interstate System. If a State has prepared a State Freight Plan under 
49 U.S.C. 70202 within the previous 2 years, then the State Freight 
Plan may serve as the basis for addressing congestion at truck freight 
bottlenecks. If the State Freight Plan has not been updated since the 
previous State Biennial Performance Report, then an updated analysis of 
congestion at truck freight bottlenecks must be completed;
    (E) Target adjustment discussion. When applicable, a State DOT may 
submit an adjusted 4-year target to replace an established 4-year 
target in paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A) of this section. If the State DOT 
adjusts its target, it shall include a discussion on the basis for the 
adjustment and how the adjusted target supports expectations documented 
in longer range plans, such as the State asset management plan and the 
long-range statewide transportation plan. The State DOT may only adjust 
a 4-year target at the midpoint and by reporting the change in the Mid 
Performance Period Progress Report;
    (F) 2-year significant progress discussion for the National Highway 
Performance Program (NHPP) targets and the National Highway Freight 
Program (NHFP) target. State DOTs shall discuss the progress they have 
made toward the achievement of all 2-year targets established for the 
NHPP measures in Sec.  490.105(c)(1) through (5) and the Freight 
Reliability measure in Sec.  490.105(c)(6). This discussion should 
document a summary of prior accomplishments and planned activities that 
will be conducted during the remainder of the performance period to 
make significant progress toward that achievement of 4-year targets for 
applicable measures;
    (G) Extenuating circumstances discussion on 2-year Targets. When 
applicable, for 2-year targets for the NHPP or NHFP, a State DOT may 
include a discussion on the extenuating circumstance(s), described in 
Sec.  490.109(e)(5), beyond the State DOT's control that prevented the 
State DOT from making 2-year significant progress toward achieving NHPP 
or NHFP target(s) in paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(F) of this section;
    (H) Applicable target achievement discussion. If FHWA determined 
that a State DOT has not made significant progress toward the 
achievement of any 4-year NHPP or NHFP targets in the FHWA 
determination made after the State DOT submits the Full Performance 
Period Progress Report for the immediate prior performance period, then 
the State DOT shall include a description of the actions they will 
undertake to better achieve those targets as required under Sec.  
490.109(f). If FHWA determined under Sec.  490.109(e) that the State 
DOT has made significant progress for immediate prior performance 
period's 4-year NHPP or NHFP targets, then the State DOT does not need 
to include this description for those targets;
    (I) MPO CMAQ Performance Plan. Where applicable, State DOTs shall 
include as an attachment the MPO CMAQ Performance Plan, described in 
paragraph (c)(3) of this section; and
    (J) GHG metrics for the GHG measure. Total tailpipe CO2 
emissions for 2 preceding calendars years of the year in which the Mid 
Performance Period Progress Report is due to FHWA, as described in 
Sec.  490.511(f)(2), for the GHG measure in Sec.  490.507(b).
    (3) Full Performance Period Progress Report--(i) Schedule. State 
DOTs shall submit a progress report on the full performance period to 
FHWA by October 1st of the first year following the reference 
performance period. State DOTs shall submit their first Full 
Performance Period Progress Report to FHWA by October 1, 2022, and 
subsequent Full Performance Period Progress Reports to FHWA by October 
1st every 4 years thereafter.
    (ii) Content. The State DOT shall report the following information 
for each Full Performance Period Progress Report:
    (A) 4-year condition/performance. The actual condition/performance 
derived from the latest data collected through the end of the 
performance period, specified in Sec.  490.105(e)(4), for

[[Page 6039]]

each State DOT reported target required in paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A) of 
this section;
    (B) 4-year progress in achieving performance targets. A discussion 
of the State DOT's progress made toward achieving each established 4-
year target in paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A) or (b)(2)(ii)(E) of this 
section, when applicable. The State DOT shall compare the actual 4-year 
condition/performance in paragraph (b)(3)(ii)(A) of this section, 
within the boundaries and limits documented in paragraphs (b)(1)(ii)(D) 
and (E) of this section, with the respective 4-year target and document 
in the discussion any reasons for differences in the actual and target 
values;
    (C) Investment strategy discussion. A discussion on the 
effectiveness of the investment strategies developed and documented in 
the State asset management plan for the NHS required under 23 U.S.C. 
119(e);
    (D) Congestion at truck freight bottlenecks. Discussion on progress 
of the State DOT's efforts in addressing congestion at truck freight 
bottlenecks within the State, as described in paragraphs (b)(1)(ii)(F) 
and (b)(2)(ii)(D) of this section;
    (E) 4-year significant progress evaluation for applicable targets. 
State DOTs shall discuss the progress they have made toward the 
achievement of all 4-year targets established for the NHPP measures in 
Sec.  490.105(c)(1) through (5) and the Freight Reliability measure in 
Sec.  490.105(c)(6). This discussion shall include a summary of 
accomplishments achieved during the performance period to demonstrate 
whether the State DOT has made significant progress toward achievement 
of 4-year targets for those measures;
    (F) Extenuating circumstances discussion on applicable targets. 
When applicable, a State DOT may include discussion on the extenuating 
circumstance(s), described in Sec.  490.109(e)(5), beyond the State 
DOT's control that prevented the State DOT from making a 4-year 
significant progress toward achieving NHPP or NHFP targets, described 
in paragraph (b)(3)(ii)(E) of this section;
    (G) Applicable target achievement discussion. If FHWA determined 
that a State DOT has not made significant progress toward the 
achievement of any 2-year NHPP or NHFP targets in the biennial FHWA 
determination made after the State DOT submits the Mid Performance 
Period Progress Report for the performance period, then the State DOT 
shall include a description of the actions they will undertake to 
better achieve those targets as required under Sec.  490.109(f). If 
FHWA determined in Sec.  490.109(e) that the State DOT has made 
significant progress for the 2-year NHPP or NHFP targets for the 
performance period, then the State DOT does not need to include this 
description for those targets;
    (H) MPO CMAQ Performance Plan. Where applicable, State DOTs shall 
include as an attachment the MPO CMAQ Performance Plan, described in 
paragraph (c)(3) of this section; and
    (I) GHG metrics for the GHG measure. Total tailpipe CO2 
emissions for 2 preceding calendars years of the year in which the Full 
Performance Period Progress Report is due to FHWA, as described in 
Sec.  490.511(f)(2), for the GHG measure in Sec.  490.507(b).
    (c) MPO Report. The MPOs shall establish targets in accordance with 
Sec.  490.105 and report targets and progress toward the achievement of 
their targets in a manner that is consistent with the following:
    (1) The MPOs shall report their established targets to their 
respective State DOT in a manner that is documented and mutually agreed 
upon by both parties.
    (2) The MPOs shall report baseline condition/performance and 
progress toward the achievement of their targets in the system 
performance report in the metropolitan transportation plan in 
accordance with part 450 of this chapter.
    (3) The MPOs serving a TMA and meeting criteria, specified in Sec.  
490.105(f)(6)(iii), shall develop a CMAQ performance plan as required 
by 23 U.S.C. 149(l). The CMAQ performance plan is not required when the 
MPO meets the criteria specified in Sec.  490.105(f)(6)(vii) or (viii).
    (i) The CMAQ performance plan shall be submitted to FHWA by the 
State DOT, and be updated biennially on the same schedule as the State 
Biennial Performance Reports.
    (ii) For the CMAQ Traffic Congestion and Total Emissions Reduction 
measures in subparts G and H of this part, the CMAQ performance plan 
submitted with the State DOT's Baseline Performance Period Report to 
FHWA shall include:
    (A) The 2-year and 4-year targets for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion 
measures, identical to the relevant State DOT(s) reported target under 
paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A) of this section, for each applicable urbanized 
area;
    (B) The 2-year and 4-year targets for the Total Emissions Reduction 
measure for the performance period;
    (C) Baseline condition/performance for each MPO reported CMAQ 
Traffic Congestion targets, identical to the relevant State DOT(s) 
reported baseline condition/performance under paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(B) 
of this section;
    (D) Baseline condition/performance derived from the latest 
estimated cumulative emissions reductions from CMAQ projects for each 
MPO reported Total Emissions Reduction target; and
    (E) A description of projects identified for CMAQ funding and how 
such projects will contribute to achieving the performance targets for 
these measures.
    (iii) For the CMAQ Traffic Congestion and Total Emissions Reduction 
measures in subparts G and H of this part, the CMAQ performance plan 
submitted with the State DOT's Mid Performance Period Progress Report 
to FHWA shall include:
    (A) 2-year condition/performance for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion 
measures, identical to the relevant State DOT(s) reported condition/
performance under paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(A) of this section, for each 
applicable urbanized area;
    (B) 2-year condition/performance derived from the latest estimated 
cumulative emissions reductions from CMAQ projects for each MPO 
reported Total Emissions Reduction target;
    (C) An assessment of the progress of the projects identified in the 
CMAQ performance plan submitted with the Baseline Performance Period 
Report toward achieving the 2-year targets for these measures;
    (D) When applicable, an adjusted 4-year target to replace an 
established 4-year target; and
    (E) An update to the description of projects identified for CMAQ 
funding and how those updates will contribute to achieving the 4-year 
performance targets for these measures.
    (iv) For the CMAQ Traffic Congestion and Total Emissions Reduction 
measures in subparts G and H of this part, the CMAQ performance plan 
submitted with the State DOT's Full Performance Period Progress Report 
to FHWA shall include:
    (A) 4-year condition/performance for the CMAQ Traffic Congestion 
measures, identical to the relevant State DOT(s) reported condition/
performance reported under paragraph (b)(3)(ii)(A) of this section, for 
each applicable urbanized area;
    (B) 4-year condition/performance derived from the latest estimated 
cumulative emissions reductions from CMAQ projects for each MPO 
reported Total Emissions Reduction target; and
    (C) An assessment of the progress of the projects identified in 
both paragraphs (c)(3)(ii)(C) and (c)(3)(iii)(D) of this section toward 
achieving the 4-year targets for these measures.
    (4) If an MPO elected to establish a quantifiable target, as 
provided in

[[Page 6040]]

Sec.  490.105(f)(3)(ii), for the GHG measure in Sec.  490.507(b), then 
that MPO shall report a description of its measure calculation method 
to its State DOT in a manner that is documented and mutually agreed 
upon by both the State DOT and the MPO.


Sec.  490.109  Assessing significant progress toward achieving the 
performance targets for the National Highway Performance Program and 
the National Highway Freight Program.

    (a) In general. The FHWA will assess each of the State DOT targets 
separately for the NHPP measures specified in Sec.  490.105(c)(1) 
through (5) and the Freight Reliability measure specified in Sec.  
490.105(c)(6) to determine the significant progress made toward the 
achievement of those targets.
    (b) Frequency. The FHWA will determine whether a State DOT has or 
has not made significant progress toward the achievement of applicable 
targets as described in paragraph (e) of this section at the midpoint 
and the end of each performance period.
    (c) Schedule. The FHWA will determine significant progress toward 
the achievement of a State DOT's NHPP and NHFP targets after the State 
DOT submits the Mid Performance Period Progress Report for progress 
toward the achievement of 2-year targets, and again after the State DOT 
submits the Full Performance Period Progress Report for progress toward 
the achievement of 4-year targets. The FHWA will notify State DOTs of 
the outcome of the determination of the State DOT's ability to make 
significant progress toward the achievement of its NHPP and NHFP 
targets.
    (d) Source of data/information. (1) The FHWA will use the following 
sources of information to assess NHPP target achievement and condition/
performance progress:
    (i) Data contained within the HPMS on June 15th of the year in 
which the significant progress determination is made that represents 
conditions from the prior year for targets established for Interstate 
System pavement condition measures, as specified in Sec.  
490.105(c)(1);
    (ii) Data contained within the HPMS on August 15th of the year in 
which the significant progress determination is made that represents 
conditions from the prior year for targets established for non-
Interstate NHS pavement condition measures, as specified in Sec.  
490.105(c)(2);
    (iii) The most recently available data contained within the NBI as 
of June 15th of the year in which the significant progress 
determination is made for targets established for NHS bridge condition 
measures, as specified in Sec.  490.105(c)(3);
    (iv) Data contained within the HPMS on August 15th of the year in 
which the significant progress determination is made that represents 
performance from the prior year for targets established for the Travel 
Time Reliability measures, as specified in Sec.  490.105(c)(4);
    (v) On October 1st of the year in which the significant progress 
determination is made, the reported total tailpipe CO2 
emissions for the calendar year 2017 in the Baseline Performance Period 
Report, as described in Sec.  490.107(b)(1)(ii)(I), and the reported 
total tailpipe CO2 emissions in the State Biennial 
Performance Report, as described in Sec.  490.107(b)(2)(ii)(J) or 
(b)(3)(ii)(I), in the year in which the significant progress 
determination is made for GHG measure in Sec.  490.105(c)(5); and
    (vi) Baseline condition/performance data contained in HPMS and NBI 
of the year in which the Baseline Period Performance Report is due to 
FHWA that represents baseline conditions/performances for the 
performance period for the measures in Sec.  490.105(c)(1) through (4), 
and the HPMS data reported in the year in which Baseline Period 
Performance Report is due to FHWA and the total tailpipe CO2 
emissions reported in the Baseline Period Performance Report, as 
provided in Sec.  490.107(b)(1)(ii)(I), for the GHG measure in Sec.  
490.105(c)(5).
    (2) The FHWA will use the following sources of information to 
assess NHFP target achievement and condition/performance progress:
    (i) Data contained within the HPMS on August 15th of the year in 
which the significant progress determination is made that represents 
performance from the prior year for targets established for the Freight 
Reliability measure, as specified in Sec.  490.105(c)(6); and
    (ii) Baseline condition/performance data contained in HPMS of the 
year in which the Baseline Period Performance Report is due to FHWA 
that represents baseline condition/performance for the performance 
period.
    (e) Significant progress determination for individual NHPP and NHFP 
targets--(1) In general. The FHWA will biennially assess whether the 
State DOT has achieved or made significant progress toward each target 
established by the State DOT for the NHPP measures described in Sec.  
490.105(c)(1) through (5) and the Freight Reliability measure described 
in Sec.  490.105(c)(6). The FHWA will assess the significant progress 
of each statewide target separately using the condition/performance 
data/information sources described in paragraph (d) of this section. 
The FHWA will not assess the progress achieved for any additional 
targets a State DOT may establish under Sec.  490.105(e)(3).
    (2) Significant progress toward individual NHPP and NHFP targets. 
The FHWA will determine that a State DOT has made significant progress 
toward the achievement of each 2-year or 4-year applicable target if 
either:
    (i) The actual condition/performance level is better than the 
baseline condition/performance; or
    (ii) The actual condition/performance level is equal to or better 
than the established target.
    (3) Phase-in of new requirements. The following requirements shall 
only apply to the first performance period and only to the Interstate 
System pavement condition targets and non-Interstate NHS Travel Time 
Reliability targets, described in Sec.  490.105(e)(7):
    (i) At the midpoint of the first performance period, FHWA will not 
make a determination of significant progress toward the achievement of 
2-year targets for Interstate System pavement condition measures:
    (ii) The FHWA will classify the assessment of progress toward the 
achievement of targets in paragraph (e)(3)(i) of this section as 
``progress not determined'' so that they will be excluded from the 
requirement under paragraph (e)(2) of this section; and
    (iii) The FHWA will not make a determination of significant 
progress toward the achievement of 2-year targets for the Non-
Interstate NHS Travel Time Reliability measure.
    (4) Insufficient data and/or information. The FHWA will determine 
that a State DOT has not made significant progress toward the 
achievement of an individual NHPP or NHFP target if:
    (i) A State DOT does not submit a required report, individual 
target, or other information as specified in Sec.  490.107 for the each 
of the measures in Sec.  490.105(c)(1) through (6);
    (ii) The data contained in HPMS do not meet the requirements under 
Sec.  490.313(b)(4)(i) by the data extraction date specified in 
paragraph (d)(1) of this section for the each of the Interstate System 
pavement condition measures in Sec.  490.105(c)(1);
    (iii) The data contained in HPMS do not meet the requirements under 
Sec.  490.313(b)(4)(i) by the data extraction date specified in 
paragraph (d)(2) of this section for the each of the non-Interstate NHS 
pavement condition measures in Sec.  490.105(c)(2);

[[Page 6041]]

    (iv) A State DOT reported data are not cleared in the NBI by the 
data extraction date specified in paragraph (d)(3) of this section for 
the each of the NHS bridge condition measures in Sec.  490.105(c)(3); 
or
    (v) The data were determined insufficient, as described in 
paragraphs (e)(4)(ii) through (iv) of this section, in the year in 
which the Baseline Period Performance Report is due to FHWA for the 
measures in Sec.  490.105(c)(1) through (3).
    (5) Extenuating circumstances. The FHWA will consider extenuating 
circumstances documented by the State DOT in the assessment of progress 
toward the achievement of NHPP and NHFP targets in the relevant State 
Biennial Performance Report, provided in Sec.  490.107.
    (i) The FHWA will classify the assessment of progress toward the 
achievement of an individual 2-year or 4-year target as ``progress not 
determined'' if the State DOT has provided an explanation of the 
extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the State DOT that 
prevented it from making significant progress toward the achievement of 
a 2-year or 4-year target and the State DOT has quantified the impacts 
on the condition/performance that resulted from the circumstances, 
which are:
    (A) Natural or man-made disasters that caused delay in NHPP or NHFP 
project delivery, extenuating delay in data collection, and/or damage/
loss of data system;
    (B) Sudden discontinuation of Federal government furnished data due 
to natural and man-made disasters or sudden discontinuation of Federal 
government furnished data due to lack of funding; and/or
    (C) New law and/or regulation directing State DOTs to change metric 
and/or measure calculation.
    (ii) If the State DOT's explanation, described in paragraph 
(e)(5)(i) of this section, is accepted by FHWA, FHWA will classify the 
progress toward achieving the relevant target(s) as ``progress not 
determined,'' and those targets will be excluded from the requirement 
in paragraph (e)(2) of this section.
    (f) Performance achievement. (1) If FHWA determines that a State 
DOT has not made significant progress toward the achieving of NHPP 
targets, then the State DOT shall include as part of the next 
performance target report under 23 U.S.C. 150(e) [the Biennial 
Performance Report] a description of the actions the State DOT will 
undertake to achieve the targets related to the measure in which 
significant progress was not achieved as follows:
    (i) If significant progress is not made for either target 
established for the Interstate System pavement condition measures, 
Sec.  490.307(a)(1) and (2), then the State DOT shall document the 
actions it will take to achieve Interstate Pavement condition targets;
    (ii) If significant progress is not made for either target 
established for the Non-Interstate System pavement condition measures, 
Sec.  490.307(a)(3) and (4), then the State DOT shall document the 
actions it will take to to achieve Non-Interstate Pavement condition 
target;
    (iii) If significant progress is not made for either target 
established for the NHS bridge condition measures, Sec.  490.407(c)(1) 
and (2), then the State DOT shall document the actions it will take to 
to achieve NHS bridge condition target;
    (iv) If significant progress is not made for either target 
established for the Travel Time Reliability measures, Sec.  
490.507(a)(1) and(2), then the State DOT shall document the actions it 
will take to achieve the NHS travel time targets; and
    (v) If significant progress is not made for the target established 
for the GHG measure described in Sec.  490.507(b), then the State DOT 
shall document the actions it will take to achieve the target for the 
GHG measure.
    (2) If FHWA determines that a State DOT has not made significant 
progress toward achieving the target established for the Freight 
Reliability measure in Sec.  490.607, then the State DOT shall include 
as part of the next performance target report under 23 U.S.C. 150(e) 
[the Biennial Performance Report] the following:
    (i) An identification of significant freight system trends, needs, 
and issues within the State.
    (ii) A description of the freight policies and strategies that will 
guide the freight-related transportation investments of the State.
    (iii) An inventory of truck freight bottlenecks within the State 
and a description of the ways in which the State DOT is allocating 
funding under title 23 U.S.C. to improve those bottlenecks.
    (A) The inventory of truck freight bottlenecks shall include the 
route and milepost location for each identified bottleneck, roadway 
section inventory data reported in HPMS, Average Annual Daily Traffic 
(AADT), Average Annual Daily Truck Traffic (AADTT), Travel-time data 
and measure of delay, such as travel time reliability, or Average Truck 
Speeds, capacity feature causing the bottleneck or any other 
constraints applicable to trucks, such as geometric constrains, weight 
limits or steep grades.
    (B) For those facilities that are State-owned or operated, the 
description of the ways in which the State DOT is improving those 
bottlenecks shall include an identification of methods to address each 
bottleneck and improvement efforts planned or programed through the 
State Freight Plan or MPO freight plans; the Statewide Transportation 
Improvement Program and Transportation Improvement Program; regional or 
corridor level efforts; other related planning efforts; and operational 
and capital activities.
    (iv) A description of the actions the State DOT will undertake to 
achieve the target established for the Freight Reliability measure in 
Sec.  490.607.
    (3) The State DOT should, within 6 months of the significant 
progress determination, amend its Biennial Performance Report to 
document the information specified in this paragraph to ensure actions 
are being taken to achieve targets.


Sec.  490.111  Incorporation by reference.

    (a) Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part 
with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 
U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. To enforce any edition other than that 
specified in this section, FHWA must publish a notice of change in the 
Federal Register and the material must be available to the public. All 
approved material is available for inspection at the Federal Highway 
Administration, Office of Highway Policy Information (202-366-4631) 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, www.fhwa.dot.gov and 
is available from the sources listed below. It is also available for 
inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). 
For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-
741-6030 or go to http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.
    (b) The Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC 20590, www.fhwa.dot.gov.
    (1) Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) Field Manual, IBR 
approved for Sec. Sec.  490.103, 490.309, 490.311, and 490.319.
    (2) Recording and Coding Guide for the Structure Inventory and 
Appraisal of the Nation's Bridges, includes: Errata Sheet for Coding 
Guide 06/2011, Report No. FHWA-PD-96-001, December

[[Page 6042]]

1995, IBR approved for Sec. Sec.  490.409 and 490.411.
    (c) The American Association of State Highway and Transportation 
Officials, 444 North Capitol Street NW., Suite 249, Washington, DC 
20001, (202) 624-5800, www.transportation.org.
    (1) AASHTO Standard M328-14, Standard Specification for 
Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing, Inertial 
Profiler, 2014, 34th/2014 Edition, IBR approved for Sec.  490.309.
    (2) AASHTO Standard R57-14, Standard Specification for 
Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing, Standard 
Practice for Operating Inertial Profiling Systems, 2014, 34th/2014 
Edition, IBR approved for Sec.  490.309.
    (3) AASHTO Standard R48-10 (2013), Standard Specification for 
Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing, Standard 
Practice for Determining Rut Depth in Pavements, 2014, 34th/2014 
Edition, IBR approved for Sec.  490.309.
    (4) AASHTO Standard R36-13, Standard Specification for 
Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing, Standard 
Practice for Evaluating Faulting of Concrete Pavements, 2014, 34th/2014 
Edition, IBR approved for Sec.  490.309.
    (5) AASHTO Standard R43-13, Standard Specification for 
Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing, Standard 
Practice for Quantifying Roughness of Pavement, 2014, 34th/2014 
Edition, IBR approved for Sec.  490.311.

0
3. Add subpart E to read as follows:

Subpart E--National Performance Management Measures To Assess 
Performance of the National Highway System

Sec.
490.501 Purpose.
490.503 Applicability.
490.505 Definitions.
490.507 National performance management measures for system 
performance.
490.509 Data requirements.
490.511 Calculation of National Highway System performance metrics.
490.513 Calculation of National Highway System performance measures.


Sec.  490.501  Purpose.

    The purpose of this subpart is to implement the requirements of 23 
U.S.C. 150(c)(3)(A)(ii)(IV) and (V) to establish performance measures 
for State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs) and Metropolitan 
Planning Organizations (MPOs) to use to assess:
    (a) Performance of the Interstate System; and
    (b) Performance of the non-Interstate National Highway System 
(NHS).


Sec.  490.503  Applicability.

    (a) The performance measures are applicable to those portions of 
the mainline highways on the NHS as provided in paragraphs (a)(1) and 
(2) of this section (and in more detail in Sec.  490.507):
    (1) The Travel Time Reliability measures in Sec.  490.507(a) are 
applicable to all directional mainline highways on the Interstate 
System and non-Interstate NHS.
    (2) The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) measure in Sec.  490.507(b) is 
applicable to all mainline highways on the Interstate and non-
Interstate NHS.
    (b) [Reserved]


Sec.  490.505  Definitions.

    All definitions in Sec.  490.101 apply to this subpart. Unless 
otherwise specified in this subpart, the following definitions apply to 
this subpart:
    Greenhouse gas (GHG) is any gas that absorbs infrared radiation 
(traps heat) in the atmosphere. Ninety-five percent of transportation 
GHG emissions are carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil 
fuel. Other transportation GHGs are methane (CH4), nitrous 
oxide (N2O), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
    Level of Travel Time Reliability is a comparison, expressed as a 
ratio, of the 80th percentile travel time of a reporting segment to the 
``normal'' (50th percentile) travel time of a reporting segment 
occurring throughout a full calendar year.
    Normal Travel Time (or 50th percentile travel time) is the time of 
travel to traverse the full extent of a reporting segment which is 
greater than the time for 50 percent of the travel in a calendar year 
to traverse the same reporting segment.
    Travel time cumulative probability distribution means a 
representation of all the travel times for a road segment during a 
defined reporting period (such as annually) presented in a percentile 
ranked order as provided in the travel time data set. The normal (50th 
percentile) and 80th percentile travel times used to compute the Travel 
Time Reliability measures may be identified by the travel time 
cumulative probability distribution.


Sec.  490.507  National performance management measures for system 
performance.

    There are three performance measures to assess the performance of 
the Interstate System and the performance of the non-Interstate NHS for 
the purpose of carrying out the National Highway Performance Program 
(referred to collectively as the NHS Performance measures).
    (a) Two measures are used to assess reliability (referred to 
collectively as the Travel Time Reliability measures). They are:
    (1) Percent of the person-miles traveled on the Interstate that are 
reliable (referred to as the Interstate Travel Time Reliability 
measure); and
    (2) Percent of person-miles traveled on the non-Interstate NHS that 
are reliable (referred to as the Non-Interstate Travel Time Reliability 
measure).
    (b) One measure is used to assess GHG emissions, which is the 
percent change in tailpipe CO2 emissions on the NHS compared 
to the calendar year 2017 level (referred to as the GHG measure).


Sec.  490.509  Data requirements.

    (a) Travel time data needed to calculate the Travel Time 
Reliability measures in Sec.  490.507(a) shall come from the travel 
time data set, as specified in Sec.  490.103(e).
    (1) State DOTs, in coordination with MPOs, shall define reporting 
segments in accordance with Sec.  490.103(f). Reporting segments must 
be contiguous so that they cover the full extent of the mainline 
highways of the NHS in the State.
    (2) [Reserved]
    (b) State DOTs shall not replace missing travel times when data are 
not available in the travel time data set (data not reported, or 
reported as ``0'' or null) as specified in Sec.  490.511(b)(1)(v).
    (c) AADT needed to calculate the Travel Time Reliability measures 
will be used, as reported to HPMS in June of the reporting year, to 
assign an annual volume to each reporting segment. Annual volume will 
be calculated as:

Annual Volume = AADT x 365 days

    (d) The average occupancy factors for the State and/or metropolitan 
area (as applicable) needed to calculate Travel Time Reliability 
measures shall come from the most recently available data tables 
published by FHWA unless using other allowed data source(s).
    (e) If an NHS roadway is closed, the State DOT is not required to 
include those time periods for those segments of road in the 
calculations required for the Level of Travel Time Reliability (LOTTR) 
metric (see Sec.  490.511(a)(1)).
    (f) The FHWA will post on the FHWA Web site the tailpipe 
CO2 emissions factors State DOTs and MPOs shall use in the 
calculation.
    (g) Fuel sales information needed to calculate the GHG measure in 
Sec.  490.507(b) shall come from either of the following two sources:

[[Page 6043]]

    (1) The most recent final annual fuel sales data posted on the Web 
site by FHWA in Highway Statistics under ``Motor Fuel Use (MF-21)'' as 
of August 15th of the HPMS reporting year (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics.cfm); or
    (2) The State DOT's fuel sales data used to create the summary data 
included in FHWA's MF-21, if it allows for a greater level of detail by 
fuel type. State DOTs shall make this data available to FHWA, upon 
request.
    (h) Final annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT) needed to calculate 
the GHG measure in Sec.  490.507(b) shall come from the most recently 
available data posted by FHWA in Highway Statistics in Table VM-3, 
``Federal-Aid Highway Travel'' as of August 15th of the HPMS reporting 
year.


Sec.  490.511  Calculation of National Highway System performance 
metrics.

    (a) Two performance metrics are required for the NHS Performance 
measures specified in Sec.  490.507. These are:
    (1) Level of Travel Time Reliability (LOTTR) for the Travel Time 
Reliability measures in Sec.  490.507(a) (referred to as the LOTTR 
metric).
    (2) Annual Total Tailpipe CO2 Emissions on the NHS for 
the GHG measure in Sec.  490.507(b) (referred to as the GHG metric).
    (b) The State DOT shall calculate the LOTTR metrics for each NHS 
reporting segment in accordance with the following:
    (1) Data sets shall be created from the travel time data set to be 
used to calculate the LOTTR metrics. This data set shall include, for 
each reporting segment, a ranked list of average travel times for all 
traffic (``all vehicles'' in NPMRDS nomenclature), to the nearest 
second, for 15 minute periods of a population that:
    (i) Includes travel times occurring between the hours of 6 a.m. and 
10 a.m. for every weekday (Monday-Friday) from January 1st through 
December 31st of the same year;
    (ii) Includes travel times occurring between the hours of 10 a.m. 
and 4 p.m. for every weekday (Monday-Friday) from January 1st through 
December 31st of the same year;
    (iii) Includes travel times occurring between the hours of 4 p.m. 
and 8 p.m. for every weekday (Monday-Friday) from January 1st through 
December 31st of the same year; and
    (iv) Includes travel times occurring between the hours of 6: a.m. 
and 8: p.m. for every weekend day (Saturday-Sunday) from January 1st 
through December 31st of the same year.
    (2) The Normal Travel Time (50th percentile) shall be determined 
from each data set defined under paragraph (b)(1) of this section as 
the time in which 50 percent of the times in the data set are shorter 
in duration and 50 percent are longer in duration. The 80th percentile 
travel time shall be determined for each data set defined under 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section as the time in which 80 percent of the 
times in the data set are shorter in duration and 20 percent are longer 
in duration. Both the Normal and 80th percentile travel times can be 
determined by plotting the data on a travel time cumulative probability 
distribution graph or using the percentile functions available in 
spreadsheet and other analytical tools.
    (3) Four LOTTR metrics shall be calculated for each reporting 
segment; one for each data set defined under paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section as the 80th percentile travel time divided by the 50th 
percentile travel time and rounded to the nearest hundredth.
    (c) Tailpipe CO2 emissions on the NHS for a given year 
are calculated as follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.026

Where:

(Tailpipe CO2 Emissions on NHS)CY = Total 
tailpipe CO2 emissions on the NHS in a calendar year (to 
the nearest thousand tons);
T = the total number of on-road fuel types;
t = an on-road fuel type;
(Fuel Consumed)t = the quantity of total annual fuel consumed for 
on-road fuel type ``t'' (to the nearest thousand gallons);
(CO2 Factor)t = is the amount of CO2 released 
per unit of fuel consumed for on-road fuel type ``t'';
NHS VMT = annual total vehicle-miles traveled on NHS (to the nearest 
one million vehicle-miles); and
Total VMT = annual total vehicle-miles traveled on all public roads 
(to the nearest one million vehicle-miles).

    (d) For the GHG measure listed in Sec.  490.507(b), MPOs are 
granted additional flexibility in how they calculate the GHG metric. 
MPOs may use the MPO share of the State's VMT as a proxy for the MPO 
share of CO2 emissions, VMT estimates along with MOVES \2\ 
emissions factors, FHWA's Energy and Emissions Reduction Policy 
Analysis Tool (EERPAT) model, or other method the MPO can demonstrate 
has valid and useful results for CO2 measurement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ MOVES (Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator) is EPA's emission 
modeling system that estimates emissions for mobile sources at the 
national, county, and project level for criteria air pollutants, 
greenhouse gases, and air toxics. See https://www.epa.gov/moves.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (e) Starting in 2018 and annually thereafter, State DOTs shall 
report the LOTTR metrics, defined in paragraph (b) of this section, in 
accordance with HPMS Field Manual by June 15th of each year for the 
previous year's measures.
    (1) Metrics are reported to HPMS by reporting segment. All 
reporting segments where the NPMRDS is used shall be referenced by 
NPMRDS TMC(s) or HPMS section(s). If a State DOT elects to use, in part 
or in whole, the equivalent data set, all reporting segment shall be 
referenced by HPMS section(s); and
    (2) The LOTTR metric (to the nearest hundredths) for each of the 
four time periods identified in paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (iv) of 
this section: the corresponding 80th percentile travel times (to the 
nearest second), the corresponding Normal (50th percentile) Travel 
Times (to the nearest second), and directional AADTs. If a State DOT 
does not elect to use FHWA supplied occupancy factor, as provided in 
Sec.  490.507(d), that State DOT shall report vehicle occupancy factor 
(to the nearest tenth) to HPMS.
    (f) Starting in 2018 and biennially thereafter, State DOTs shall 
report, as required in Sec.  490.107, the GHG metrics, defined in 
paragraph (c) of this section. Specifically, the following GHG metric 
shall be reported in the State Biennial Performance Reports, as 
required in Sec.  490.107:
    (1) Total tailpipe CO2 emissions, as specified in 
paragraph (c) of this section, generated by on-road sources travelling 
on the NHS (the GHG metric), and total on-road CO2 emissions 
(the step in the calculation prior to

[[Page 6044]]

computing the GHG metric), in each of the following calendar years:
    (i) 2017 (reported in 2018, unless FHWA states on its Web site, 
noted in Sec.  490.509 (f), that there has been a change sufficient to 
warrant recalculation of the 2017 value); and
    (ii) The 2 years preceding the reporting years.
    (2) [Reserved]


Sec.  490.513  Calculation of National Highway System performance 
measures.

    (a) The NHS Performance measures in Sec.  490.507 shall be 
calculated in accordance with this section by State DOTs and MPOs to 
carry out the Interstate System and non-Interstate NHS performance-
related requirements of this part, and by FHWA to make the significant 
progress determinations specified in Sec.  490.109 and to report on 
system performance.
    (b) The Interstate Travel Time Reliability measure specified in 
Sec.  490.507(a)(1) shall be computed to the nearest tenth of a percent 
as follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.027

Where:

R = total number of Interstate System reporting segments that are 
exhibiting an LOTTR below 1.50 during all of the time periods 
identified in Sec.  490.511(b)(1)(i) through (iv);
I = Interstate System reporting segment ``i'';
SLi = length, to the nearest thousandth of a mile, of 
Interstate System reporting segment ``i'';
AVi = total annual traffic volume to the nearest single 
vehicle, of the Interstate System reporting segment ``i'';
J = geographic area in which the reporting segment ``i'' is located 
where a unique occupancy factor has been determined;
OFi = occupancy factor for vehicles on the NHS within a 
specified geographic area within the State/Metropolitan planning 
area; and
T = total number of Interstate System reporting segments.
(c) The Non-Interstate Travel Time Reliability measure specified in 
Sec.  490.507(a)(2) shall be computed to the nearest tenth of a percent 
as follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.028

Where:

R = total number of non-Interstate NHS reporting segments that are 
exhibiting an LOTTR below 1.50 during all of the time periods 
identified in Sec.  490.511(b)(1)(i) through (iv);
i = non-Interstate NHS reporting segment ``i'';
SLi = length, to the nearest thousandth of a mile, of 
non-Interstate NHS reporting segment ``i'';
AVi = total annual traffic volume to the nearest 1 
vehicle, of the Interstate System reporting segment ``i'';
j = geographic area in which the reporting segment ``i'' is located 
where a unique occupancy factor has been determined;
OFj = occupancy factor for vehicles on the NHS within a 
specified geographic area within the State/Metropolitan planning 
area; and
T = total number of non-Interstate NHS reporting segments.

(d) The GHG measure specified in Sec.  490.507(b) shall be computed to 
the nearest tenth of a percent as follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.029

Where:

(Tailpipe CO2 Emissions on NHS) CY = total 
tailpipe CO2 emissions on the NHS in a calendar year (to 
the nearest thousand tons); and
(Tailpipe CO2 Emissions on NHS) 2017 = total 
tailpipe CO2 emissions on the NHS in the calendar year 
2017 (to the nearest thousand tons).


0
4. Add subpart F to read as follows:

Subpart F--National Performance Management Measures To Assess 
Freight Movement on the Interstate System

Sec.
490.601 Purpose.
490.603 Applicability.
490.605 Definitions.
490.607 National performance management measures to assess freight 
movement on the Interstate System.
490.609 Data requirements.
490.611 Calculation of Truck Travel Time Reliability metrics.
490.613 Calculation of Freight Reliability measure.


Sec.  490.601  Purpose.

    The purpose of this subpart is to implement the requirements of 23 
U.S.C. 150(c)(6) to establish performance measures for State 
Departments of Transportation (State DOTs) and the Metropolitan 
Planning Organizations (MPOs) to use to assess the national freight 
movement on the Interstate System.


Sec.  490.603  Applicability.

    The performance measures to assess the national freight movement 
are applicable to the Interstate System.


Sec.  490.605  Definitions.

    The definitions in Sec.  490.101 apply to this subpart.


Sec.  490.607  National performance management measures to assess 
freight movement on the Interstate System.

    The performance measure to assess freight movement on the 
Interstate System is the: Truck Travel Time Reliability (TTTR) Index 
(referred to as the Freight Reliability measure).


Sec.  490.609  Data requirements.

    (a) Travel time data needed to calculate the Freight Reliability 
measure in Sec.  490.607 shall come from the travel time data set, as 
specified in Sec.  490.103(e).
    (b) State DOTs, in coordination with MPOs, shall define reporting 
segments in accordance with Sec.  490.103(f). Reporting segments must 
be contiguous so that they cover the full extent of the directional 
mainline highways of the Interstate in the State.
    (c) When truck travel times are not available in the travel time 
data set (data not reported, or reported as ``0'' or null) as specified 
in Sec.  490.611(a)(1)(ii) for a given 15 minute interval, State DOTs 
shall replace the missing travel time with an observed travel time that 
represents all traffic on the roadway during the same 15 minute 
interval (``all vehicles'' in NPMRDS nomenclature).
    (d) If an NHS roadway is closed, the State DOT is not required to 
include those time periods for those segments of

[[Page 6045]]

road in the calculations required for the Freight Reliability metric/
measure.


Sec.  490.611  Calculation of Truck Travel Time Reliability metrics.

    (a) The State DOT shall calculate the TTTR Index metric (referred 
to as the TTTR metric) for each Interstate System reporting segment in 
accordance with the following:
    (1) A truck travel time data set shall be created from the travel 
time data set to be used to calculate the TTTR metric. This data set 
shall include, for each reporting segment, a ranked list of average 
truck travel times, to the nearest second, for 15 minute periods of a 
24-hour period for an entire calendar year that:
    (i) Includes ``AM Peak'' travel times occurring between the hours 
of 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. for every weekday (Monday -Friday) from January 
1st through December 31st of the same year;
    (ii) Includes ``Mid Day'' travel times occurring between the hours 
of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for every weekday (Monday-Friday) from January 
1st through December 31st of the same year;
    (iii) Includes ``PM Peak'' travel times occurring between the hours 
of 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. for every weekday (Monday-Friday) from January 1st 
through December 31st of the same year;
    (iv) Includes ``Overnight'' travel times occurring between the 
hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. for every day (Sunday-Saturday) from January 
1st through December 31st of the same year; and
    (v) Includes ``Weekend'' travel times occurring between the hours 
of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. for every weekend day (Saturday-Sunday) from 
January 1st through December 31st of the same year.
    (2) The Normal Truck Travel Time (50th percentile) shall be 
determined from each of the truck travel time data sets defined under 
paragraph (a)(1) of this section as the time in which 50 percent of the 
times in the data set are shorter in duration and 50 percent are longer 
in duration. The 95th percentile truck travel time shall be determined 
from each of the truck travel time data sets defined under paragraph 
(a)(1) of this section as the time in which 95 percent of the times in 
the data set are shorter in duration. Both the Normal and 95th 
percentile truck travel times can be determined by plotting the data on 
a travel time cumulative probability distribution graph or using the 
percentile functions available in spreadsheet and other analytical 
tools.
    (3) Five TTTR metrics shall be calculated for each reporting 
segment; one for each data set defined under paragraph (a)(1) of this 
section as the 95th percentile travel time divided by the Normal Truck 
Travel Time and rounded to the nearest hundredth.
    (b) Starting in 2018 and annually thereafter, State DOTs shall 
report the TTTR metrics, as defined in this section, in accordance with 
the HPMS Field Manual by June 15th of each year for the previous year's 
Freight Reliability measures.
    (1) All metrics shall be reported to HPMS by reporting segments. 
When the NPMRDS is used metrics shall be referenced by NPMRDS TMC(s) or 
HPMS section(s). If a State DOT elects to use, in part or in whole, the 
equivalent data set, all reporting segment shall be referenced by HPMS 
section(s).
    (2) The TTTR metric shall be reported to HPMS for each reporting 
segment (to the nearest hundredths) for each of the five time periods 
identified in paragraphs (a)(1)(i) through (v) of this section; the 
corresponding 95th percentile travel times (to the nearest second) and 
the corresponding normal (50th percentile) travel times (to the nearest 
second).


Sec.  490.613  Calculation of Freight Reliability measure.

    (a) The performance for freight movement on the Interstate in Sec.  
490.607 (the Freight Reliability measure) shall be calculated in 
accordance with this section by State DOTs and MPOs to carry out the 
freight movement on the Interstate System related requirements of this 
part, and by FHWA to make the significant progress determinations 
specified in Sec.  490.109 and to report on freight performance of the 
Interstate System.
    (b) The Freight Reliability measure shall be computed to the 
nearest hundredth as follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.030

Where:

i = An Interstate System reporting segment;
maxTTTRi = The maximum TTTR of the five time periods in 
paragraphs (a)(1)(i) through (v) of Sec.  490.611, to the nearest 
hundredth, of Interstate System reporting segment ``i'';
SLi = Segment length, to the nearest thousandth of a mile, of 
Interstate System reporting segment ``i''; and
T= A total number of Interstate System reporting segments.

0
5. Add subpart G to read as follows:

Subpart G--National Performance Management Measure for Assessing 
the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program--
Traffic Congestion

Sec.
490.701 Purpose.
490.703 Applicability.
490.705 Definitions.
490.707 National performance management measure for traffic 
congestion.
490.709 Data requirements.
490.711 Calculation of Peak Hour Excessive Delay metric.
490.713 Calculation of Traffic Congestion measures.


Sec.  490.701  Purpose.

    The purpose of this subpart is to implement the requirements of 23 
U.S.C. 150(c)(5)(A) to establish performance measures for State DOTs 
and the MPOs to use in assessing CMAQ Traffic Congestion for the 
purpose of carrying out the CMAQ program.


Sec.  490.703  Applicability.

    The CMAQ Traffic Congestion performance measures are applicable to 
all urbanized areas that include NHS mileage and with a population over 
1 million for the first performance period and in urbanized areas with 
a population over 200,000 for the second and all other performance 
periods, that are, in all or part, designated as nonattainment or 
maintenance areas for ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), or 
particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).


Sec.  490.705  Definitions.

    All definitions in Sec.  490.101 apply to this subpart. Unless 
otherwise specified, the following definitions apply in this subpart:
    Excessive delay means the extra amount of time spent in congested 
conditions defined by speed thresholds that are lower than a normal 
delay threshold. For the purposes of this rule, the speed threshold is 
20 miles per hour (mph) or 60 percent of the posted speed limit, 
whichever is greater.
    Peak Period is defined as weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 
either 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. or 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. State DOTs and MPOs may 
choose whether to use 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. or 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.


Sec.  490.707  National performance management measures for traffic 
congestion.

    There are two performance measures to assess traffic congestion for 
the purpose of carrying out the CMAQ program (referred to collectively 
as the CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures. They are:
    (a) Annual Hours of Peak Hour Excessive Delay (PHED) Per Capita 
(referred to as the PHED measure); and
    (b) Percent of Non-SOV Travel.

[[Page 6046]]

Sec.  490.709  Data requirements.

    (a) Travel time data needed to calculate the PHED measure in Sec.  
490.707(a) shall come from the travel time data set, as specified in 
Sec.  490.103(e).
    (b) State DOTs, in coordination with MPOs, shall define reporting 
segments in accordance with Sec.  490.103(f). Reporting segments must 
be contiguous so that they cover the full extent of the directional 
mainline highways of the NHS in the urbanized area(s).
    (c) State DOTs shall develop hourly traffic volume data for each 
reporting segment as follows:
    (1) State DOTs shall measure or estimate hourly traffic volumes for 
Peak Periods on each weekday of the reporting year by using either 
paragraph (c)(1)(i) or (ii) of this section.
    (i) State DOTs may use hourly traffic volume counts collected by 
continuous count stations and apply them to multiple reporting 
segments; or
    (ii) State DOTs may use Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) 
reported to the HPMS to estimate hourly traffic volumes when no hourly 
volume counts exist. In these cases the AADT data used should be the 
most recently available, but not more than 2 years older than the 
reporting period (e.g., if reporting for calendar year 2018, AADT 
should be from 2016 or 2017) and should be split to represent the 
appropriate direction of travel of the reporting segment.
    (2) State DOTs shall assign hourly traffic volumes to each 
reporting segment by hour (e.g., between 8 a.m. and 8:59 a.m.).
    (3) State DOTs shall report the methodology they use to develop 
hourly traffic volume estimates to FHWA no later than 60 days before 
the submittal of the first Baseline Performance Period Report.
    (4) If a State DOT elects to change the methodology it reported 
under paragraph (c)(3) of this section, then the State DOT shall submit 
the changed methodology no later than 60 days before the submittal of 
next State Biennial Performance Report required in Sec.  490.107(b).
    (5) If an NHS roadway is closed, the State DOT is not required to 
include those time periods for the segment of road in the calculation 
required for this metric and measure.
    (d) State DOTs shall develop annual vehicle classification data for 
each reporting segment using data as follows:
    (1) State DOTs shall measure or estimate the percentage of cars, 
buses, and trucks, relative to total AADT for each segment using either 
paragraph (d)(1)(i) or (ii) of this section.
    (i) State DOTs may use annual traffic volume counts collected by 
continuous count stations to estimate the annual percent share of 
traffic volumes for cars, buses, and trucks for each segment; or
    (ii) State DOTs may use AADT reported to the HPMS to estimate the 
annual percent share of traffic volumes for cars, buses, and trucks, 
where:
    (A) Buses = value in HPMS Data Item ``AADT_Single_Unit'';
    (B) Trucks = value in HPMS Data Item ``AADT_Combination''; and
    (C) Cars = subtract values for Buses and Trucks from the value in 
HPMS Data Item ``AADT''.
    (iii) If a State DOT uses the data reported to the HPMS in 
paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of this section, then the data values should be 
split to represent the appropriate direction of travel of the reporting 
segment.
    (2) State DOTs shall report the methodology they use to develop 
annual percent share of traffic volume by vehicle class to FHWA no 
later than 60 days before the submittal of the first Baseline 
Performance Period Report.
    (3) If a State DOT elects to change the methodology it reported 
under paragraph (d)(2) of this section, then the State DOT shall submit 
the changed methodology no later than 60 days before the submittal of 
next State Biennial Performance Report required in Sec.  490.107(b).
    (e) State DOTs shall develop annual average vehicle occupancy (AVO) 
factors for cars, buses, and trucks in applicable urbanized areas using 
either method under paragraph (e)(1)(i) or (ii) of this section.
    (1) State DOTs shall measure or estimate annual vehicle occupancy 
factors for cars, buses, and trucks in applicable urbanized areas.
    (i) State DOTs shall use estimated annual vehicle occupancy factors 
for cars, buses, and trucks in urbanized areas provided by FHWA; and/or
    (ii) State DOTs may use an alternative estimate of annual vehicle 
occupancy factors for a specific reporting segment(s) for cars, buses, 
and trucks in urbanized areas, provided that it is more specific than 
the data provided by FHWA.
    (f) All State DOTs and MPOs contributing to the unified target for 
the applicable area as specified in Sec.  490.105(d)(2) shall agree to 
using one of the methods specified in paragraph (f)(1)(i), (ii), or 
(iii) of this section to identify the data that will be used to 
determine the Percent of Non-SOV Travel for the applicable urbanized 
area.
    (1) The data to determine the Percent of Non-SOV Travel measure 
shall be developed using any one of the following methods.
    (i) Method A--American Community Survey. Populations by predominant 
travel to commute to work may be identified from Table DP03 of the 
American Community Survey using the totals by transportation mode 
listed within the ``Commuting to Work'' subject heading under the 
``Estimate'' column of the table. The ``5 Year Estimate'' DP03 table 
using a geographic filter that represents the applicable ``Urban Area'' 
shall be used to identify these populations. The Percent of Non-SOV 
Travel measure shall be developed from the most recent data as of 
August 15th of the year in which the State Biennial Performance Report 
is due to FHWA.
    (ii) Method B--local survey. The Percent of Non-SOV Travel may be 
estimated from a local survey focused on either work travel or 
household travel for the area and conducted as recently as 2 years 
before the beginning of the performance period. The survey method shall 
estimate travel mode choice for the full urbanized area using industry 
accepted methodologies and approaches resulting in a margin of error 
that is acceptable to industry standards, allow for updates on at least 
a biennial frequency, and distinguish non-SOV travel occurring in the 
area as a percent of all work or household travel.
    (iii) Method C--system use measurement. The volume of travel using 
surface modes of transportation may be estimated from measurements of 
actual use of each transportation mode. Sample or continuous 
measurements may be used to count the number of travelers using 
different surface modes of transportation. The method used to count 
travelers shall estimate the total volume of annual travel for the full 
urbanized area within a margin of error that is acceptable to industry 
standards and allows for updates on at least a biennial frequency. The 
method shall include sufficient information to calculate the amount of 
non-SOV travel occurring in the area as a percentage of all surface 
transportation travel. State DOTs are encouraged to report use counts 
to FHWA that are not included in currently available national data 
sources.
    (2) State DOTs shall report the data collection method that is used 
to determine the Percent of Non-SOV Travel measure for each applicable 
urbanized area in the State to FHWA in their first Baseline Performance 
Period Report required in Sec.  490.107(b)(1). The State DOT shall 
include sufficient detail to understand how the data are

[[Page 6047]]

collected if either Method B or Method C are used for the urbanized 
area. This method shall be used for the full performance period for 
each applicable urbanized area.
    (3) If State DOTs and MPOs that contribute to an applicable 
urbanized area elect to change the data collection method reported 
under paragraph (f)(2) of this section, then each respective State DOT 
shall report this change in their next Baseline Performance Report 
required in Sec.  490.107(b)(1). The new method reported as a 
requirement of this paragraph shall not be used until the beginning of 
the next performance period for the Baseline Performance Report in 
which the method was reported to be changed.
    (g) Populations of urbanized areas shall be as identified based on 
the most recent annual estimates published by the U.S. Census available 
1 year before the State DOT Baseline Performance Period Report is due 
to FHWA to identify applicability of the CMAQ Traffic Congestion 
measures in Sec.  490.707(a) and (b) for each performance period, as 
described in Sec.  490.105(e)(8)(iii)(D) and (f)(5)(iii)(D). For 
computing the PHED measure in Sec.  490.713(b), the most recent annual 
population estimate published by the U.S. Census, at the time when the 
State DOT Biennial Performance Period Report is due to FHWA shall be 
used.
    (h) Nonattainment and maintenance area determinations for the CMAQ 
Traffic Congestion measures:
    (1) The CMAQ Traffic Congestion measures apply to nonattainment and 
maintenance areas. Such areas shall be identified based on the 
effective date of U.S. EPA's designations under the NAAQS in 40 CFR 
part 81, as of the date 1 year before the State DOT Baseline 
Performance Period Report is due to FHWA.
    (2) The nonattainment and maintenance areas to which the CMAQ 
Traffic Congestion measures applies shall be revised if, on the date 1 
year before the State DOT Mid Performance Period Progress Report is due 
to FHWA, the area is no longer in nonattainment or maintenance for a 
criteria pollutant included in Sec.  490.703.


Sec.  490.711  Calculation of Peak Hour Excessive Delay metric.

    (a) The performance metric required to calculate the measure 
specified in Sec.  490.707(a) is Total Peak Hour Excessive Delay 
(person-hours)(referred to as the PHED metric). The following 
paragraphs explain how to calculate this PHED metric.
    (b) State DOTs shall use the following data to calculate the PHED 
metric:
    (1) Travel times of all traffic (``all vehicles'' in NPMRDS 
nomenclature) during each 15 minute interval for all applicable 
reporting segments in the travel time data set occurring for peak 
periods from January 1st through December 31st of the same year;
    (2) The length of each applicable reporting segment, reported as 
required under Sec.  490.709(b);
    (3) Hourly volume estimation for all days and for all reporting 
segments where excessive delay is measured, as specified in Sec.  
490.709(c);
    (4) Annual vehicle classification data for all days and for all 
reporting segments where excessive delay is measured, as specified in 
Sec.  490.709(d); and
    (5) Annual vehicle occupancy factors for cars, buses, and trucks 
for all days and for all reporting segments where excessive delay is 
measured, as specified in Sec.  490.709(e).
    (c) The State DOT shall calculate the ``excessive delay threshold 
travel time'' for all applicable travel time segments as follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.031

Where:

Excessive Delay Threshold Travel Times = the time of 
travel, to the nearest whole second, to traverse the Travel Time 
Segment at which any longer measured travel times would result in 
excessive delay for the travel time segment ``'';
Travel Time Segment Lengths = total length of travel time 
segment to the nearest thousandth of a mile for travel time 
reporting segment ``''; and
Threshold Speeds = the speed of travel at which any 
slower measured speeds would result in excessive delay for travel 
time reporting segment ``.'' As defined in Sec.  490.705, the speed 
threshold is 20 miles per hour (mph) or 60 percent of the posted 
speed limit travel time reporting segment ``s,'' whichever is 
greater.

    (d) State DOTs shall determine the ``excessive delay'' for each 15 
minute bin of each reporting segment for every hour and every day in a 
calendar year as follows:
    (1) The travel time segment delay (RSD) shall be calculated to the 
nearest whole second as follow:

RSDs,b - Excessive Delay Threshold Travel Times and RSDs,b <= 900 
seconds
Where:

RSDs,b = travel time segment delay, calculated to the 
nearest whole second, for a 15-minute bin ``b'' of travel time 
reporting segment ``s'' for in a day in a calendar year. RSD(s)b not 
to exceed 900 seconds;
Travel times,b = a measured travel time, to the nearest 
second, for 15-minute time bin ``b'' recorded for travel time 
reporting segment ``s'';
Excessive Delay Threshold Travel Times = The maximum amount of time, 
to the nearest second, for a vehicle to traverse through travel time 
segment ``s'' before excessive delay would occur, as specified in 
paragraph (c) of this section;
b = a 15-minute bin of a travel time reporting segment ``s''; and
s = a travel time reporting segment.

    (2) Excessive delay, the additional amount of time to traverse a 
travel time segment in a 15-minute bin as compared to the time needed 
to traverse the travel time segment when traveling at the excessive 
delay travel speed threshold, shall be calculated to the nearest 
thousandths of an hour as follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.032


[[Page 6048]]


Where:

Excessive Delays,b = excessive delay, calculated to the 
nearest thousandths of an hour, for 15-minute bin ``b'' of travel 
time reporting segment ``s'';
RSDs,b = the calculated travel time reporting segment 
delay for fifteen minute bin ``b'' of a travel time reporting 
segment ``s,'' as described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section;
b = a fifteen minute bin of a travel time reporting segment ``s''; 
and
s = a travel time reporting segment.

    (e) State DOTs shall use the hourly traffic volumes as described in 
Sec.  490.709(c) to calculate the PHED metric for each reporting 
segment as follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.033

Where:

Total Excessive Delays (in person-hours) = the sum of the 
excessive delay, to the nearest thousandths, for all traffic 
traveling through single travel time reporting segment ``s'' on NHS 
within an urbanized area, specified in Sec.  490.703, accumulated 
over the full reporting year;
AVO = Average Vehicle Occupancy;
s = a travel time reporting segment;
d = a day of the reporting year;
TD = total number of days in the reporting year;
h = single hour interval of the day where the first hour interval is 12 
a.m. to 12:59 a.m.;
TH = total number of hour intervals in day ``h'';
b = 15-minute bin for hour interval ``h'';
TB = total number of 15-minute bins where travel times are recorded in 
the travel time data set for hour interval ``h'';
Excessive Delays,b,h,d = calculated excessive travel time, 
in hundredths of an hour, for 15 minute bin (), hour interval (h), day 
(d), and travel time segment (s), as described in paragraph (d)(2) of 
this section; and
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.034

Where the equation equals hourly traffic volume, to the nearest tenth, 
for hour interval ``h'' and day ``d'' that corresponds to 15-minute bin 
``b'' and travel time reporting segment ``s'' divided by 4. For 
example, the 9 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. minute bin would be assigned one 
fourth of the hourly traffic volume for the 9 a.m. to 9:59 a.m. hour on 
the roadway in which travel time segment is included;
    AVO = (PC x AVOC) + (PB x 
AVOB) + (PT x AVOT)

Where:

PC = the percent of cars as a share of total AADT on the 
segment as specified in Sec.  490.709(d);
PB = the percent of buses as a share of total AADT on the 
segment as specified in Sec.  490.709(d);
PT = the percent of trucks as a share of total AADT on 
the segment as specified in Sec.  490.709(d);
AVOC = the average vehicle occupancy of cars as specified 
in Sec.  490.709(e);
AVOB = the average vehicle occupancy of buses as 
specified in Sec.  490.709(e); and
AVOT = the average vehicle occupancy of trucks as 
specified in Sec.  490.709(e).

    (f) Starting in 2018 and annually thereafter, State DOTs shall 
report the PHED metric (to the nearest one hundredth hour) in 
accordance with HPMS Field Manual by June 15th of each year for the 
previous year's PHED measures. The PHED metric shall be reported for 
each reporting segment. All reporting segments of the NPMRDS shall be 
referenced by NPMRDS TMC or HPMS section(s). If a State DOT elects to 
use, in part or in whole, the equivalent data set, all reporting 
segments shall be referenced by HPMS sections.


Sec.  490.713  Calculation of Traffic Congestion measures.

    (a) The performance measures in Sec.  490.707 shall be computed in 
accordance with this section by State DOTs and MPOs to carry out CMAQ 
traffic congestion performance-related requirements of this part and by 
FHWA to report on traffic congestion performance.
    (b) The performance measure for CMAQ traffic congestion specified 
in Sec.  490.707, Annual Hours of Peak Hour Excessive Delay Per Capita 
(the PHED measure), shall be computed to the nearest tenth, and by 
summing the PHED metrics of all reporting segments in each of the 
urbanized area, specified in Sec.  490.703, and dividing it by the 
population of the urbanized area to produce the PHED measure. The 
equation for calculating the PHED measure is as follows:

[[Page 6049]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.035

Where:

Annual Hours of Peak Hour Excessive Delay per Capita = the 
cumulative hours of excessive delay, to the nearest tenth, 
experienced by all people traveling through all reporting segments 
during peak hours in the applicable urbanized area for the full 
reporting calendar year;
s = travel time reporting segment within an urbanized area, 
specified in Sec.  490.703;
T = total number of travel time reporting segments in the applicable 
urbanized area;
Total Population = total hours of excessive delay in Sec.  
490.711(e) for all people traveling through travel time reporting 
segment ``s'' during a calendar year (as defined in Sec.  
490.711(f)); and
Total Population = the total population in the applicable urbanized 
area from the most recent annual population published by the U.S. 
Census at the time that the State Biennial Performance Period Report 
is due to FHWA.

    (c) Calculation for the PHED measure, described in paragraph (b) of 
this section, and target establishment for the measure shall be phased-
in under the requirements in Sec.  490.105(e)(8)(vi) and (f)(5)(vi).
    (d) The performance measure for CMAQ traffic congestion specified 
in Sec.  490.707(b), Percent of Non-SOV Travel, shall be computed as 
specified in paragraphs (d)(1) through (3) of this section 
corresponding to the method reported by the State DOT to collect travel 
data for the applicable area under Sec.  490.709(f)(2).
    (1) Method A--American Community Survey. The Percent of Non-SOV 
Travel shall be calculated to the nearest tenth of a percent using the 
following formula:

    Percent of Non-SOV Travel = 100% - % SOV

Where:

Percent of Non-SOV Travel = percent of commuting working population, 
to the nearest tenth of a percent, that predominantly do not commute 
by driving alone in a car, van, or truck, including travel avoided 
by telecommuting; and
% SOV = percent estimate for ``Car, truck, or van--drive alone''.
    (2) Method B--local survey. The Percent of Non-SOV Travel shall be 
calculated using the data derived from local survey results as 
specified in Sec.  490.709(f)(1)(ii). The Percent of Non-SOV Travel 
measure shall be calculated to represent travel that is not occurring 
by driving alone in a motorized vehicle, including travel avoided by 
telecommuting, as a percentage of all surface transportation occurring 
in the applicable area. The Percent of Non-SOV Travel measure shall be 
calculated to the nearest tenth of a percent.
    (3) Method C--system use measurement. The Percent of Non-SOV Travel 
shall be calculated to the nearest tenth of a percent from the data 
collected from system use measurements as specified in Sec.  
490.709(f)(1)(iii) using the general form of the following formula:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.036


Where:
Percent of Non-SOV Travel = percentage of travel, to the nearest 
tenth of a percent, that is not occurring by driving alone in a 
motorized vehicle, including travel avoided by telecommuting
Volumenon-SOVVolume = Annual volume of person travel 
occurring while driving alone in a motorized vehicle; and
VolumeSOV = Annual volume of person travel occurring on 
modes other than driving alone in a motorized vehicle, calculated 
as:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.037


Where:
m = travel mode (modes other than driving alone in a motorized 
vehicle, including travel avoided by telecommuting);
Volume m = annual volume of person travel for each mode, 
``m''; and
t = total number of modes that are not driving alone in a motorized 
vehicle.

0
6. Add a new subpart H to read as follows:

Subpart H- National Performance Management Measures to Assess the 
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program--On-Road 
Mobile Source Emissions

Sec.
490.801 Purpose.
490.803 Applicability.
490.805 Definitions.
490.807 National performance management measure for assessing on-
road mobile source emissions for the purposes of the Congestion 
Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.
490.809 Data requirements.
490.811 Calculation of Total Emissions Reduction measure.


Sec.  490.801  Purpose.

    The purpose of this subpart is to implement the requirements of 23 
U.S.C. 150(c)(5)(B) to establish performance measures for State DOTs 
and the MPOs to use in assessing on-road mobile source emissions.


Sec.  490.803  Applicability.

    (a) The on-road mobile source emissions performance measure (called 
the Total Emissions Reduction- see Sec.  490.807) is applicable to all 
States and MPOs with projects financed with funds from the 23 U.S.C. 
149 CMAQ program apportioned to State DOTs for areas designated as 
nonattainment or maintenance for ozone (O3), carbon monoxide 
(CO), or particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
    (b) This performance measure does not apply to States and MPOs that 
do not contain any portions of nonattainment or maintenance areas for 
the criteria pollutants identified in paragraph (a) of this section.


Sec.  490.805  Definitions.

    All definitions in Sec.  490.101 apply to this subpart. Unless 
otherwise specified in this subpart, the following definitions apply in 
this subpart:
    On-road mobile source means, within this part, emissions created by 
all projects and sources financed with funds from the 23 U.S.C. 149 
CMAQ program.

[[Page 6050]]

Sec.  490.807  National performance management measure for assessing 
on-road mobile source emissions for the purposes of the Congestion 
Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.

    The performance measure for the purpose of carrying out the CMAQ 
Program and for State DOTs to use to assess on-road mobile source 
emissions is ``Total Emissions Reduction,'' which is the 2-year and 4-
year cumulative reported emission reductions, for all projects funded 
by CMAQ funds, of each criteria pollutant and applicable precursors 
(PM2.5, PM10, CO, VOC, and NOx) under the CMAQ 
program for which the area is designated nonattainment or maintenance.


Sec.  490.809  Data requirements.

    (a) The data needed to calculate the Total Emission Reduction 
measure shall come from the CMAQ Public Access System and includes:
    (1) The applicable nonattainment or maintenance area;
    (2) The applicable MPO; and
    (3) The emissions reduction estimated for each CMAQ funded project 
for each of the applicable criteria pollutants and their precursors for 
which the area is nonattainment or maintenance.
    (b) The State DOT shall:
    (1) Enter project information into the CMAQ project tracking system 
for each CMAQ project funded in the previous fiscal year by March 1st 
of the following fiscal year; and
    (2) Extract the data necessary to calculate the Total Emissions 
Reduction measures as it appears in the CMAQ Public Access System on 
July 1st for projects obligated in the prior fiscal year.
    (c) Nonattainment and maintenance area determinations for the CMAQ 
Total Emissions Reduction measure:
    (1) The CMAQ Total Emissions Reduction measure applies to 
nonattainment and maintenance areas. Such areas shall be identified 
based on the effective date of U.S. EPA's designations under the NAAQS 
in 40 CFR part 81, as of the date 1 year before the State DOT Baseline 
Performance Period Report is due to FHWA.
    (2) The nonattainment and maintenance areas to which the Total 
Emissions Reduction measure applies shall be revised if, on the date 1 
year before the State DOT Mid Performance Period Progress Report is due 
to FHWA, the area is no longer in nonattainment or maintenance for a 
pollutant included in Sec.  490.803.


Sec.  490.811  Calculation of Total Emissions Reduction measure.

    (a) The Total Emission Reductions performance measure specified in 
Sec.  490.807 shall be calculated in accordance with this section by 
State DOTs and MPOs to carry out CMAQ on-road mobile source emissions 
performance-related requirements of this part.
    (b) The Total Emission Reductions measure for each of the criteria 
pollutant or applicable precursor for all projects reported to the CMAQ 
Public Access System shall be calculated to the nearest one 
thousandths, as follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR18JA17.038



Where:
i = applicable projects reported in the CMAQ Public Access System 
for the first 2 Federal fiscal years of a performance period and for 
the entire performance period, as described in in Sec.  
490.105(e)(4)(i)(B);
p = criteria pollutant or applicable precursor: PM2.5, 
PM10, CO, VOC, or NOx;
Daily Kilograms of Emission Reductionsp,i = total daily 
kilograms, to the nearest one thousandths, of reduced emissions for 
a criteria pollutant or an applicable precursor ``p'' in the in the 
first year the project is obligated;
T = total number of applicable projects reported to the CMAQ Public 
Access System for the first 2 Federal fiscal years of a performance 
period and for the entire performance period, as described in Sec.  
490.105(e)(4)(i)(B); and
Total Emission Reductionp = cumulative reductions in 
emissions over 2 and 4 Federal fiscal years, total daily kilograms, 
to the nearest one thousandths, of reduced emissions for criteria 
pollutant or precursor ``p.''
[FR Doc. 2017-00681 Filed 1-12-17; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P