1997 U.S. Code
Title 23 - HIGHWAYS
CHAPTER 1 - FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAYS
Sec. 149 - Congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program

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§149. Congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program

(a) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish a congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program in accordance with this section.

(b) Eligible Projects.—Except as provided in subsection (c), a State may obligate funds apportioned to it under section 104(b)(2) for the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program only for a transportation project or program if the project or program is for an area in the State that was designated as a nonattainment area under section 107(d) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7407(d)) during any part of fiscal year 1994 and—

(1)(A) if the Secretary, after consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, determines, on the basis of information published by the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to section 108(f)(1)(A) of the Clean Air Act (other than clauses (xii) and (xvi) of such section), that the project or program is likely to contribute to—

(i) the attainment of a national ambient air quality standard; or

(ii) the maintenance of a national ambient air quality standard in an area that was designated as a nonattainment area but that was later redesignated by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency as an attainment area under section 107(d) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7407(d)); or

(B) in any case in which such information is not available, if the Secretary, after such consultation, determines that the project or program is part of a program, method, or strategy described in such section;

(2) if the project or program is included in a State implementation plan that has been approved pursuant to the Clean Air Act and the project will have air quality benefits;

(3) the Secretary, after consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, determines that the project or program is likely to contribute to the attainment of a national ambient air quality standard, whether through reductions in vehicle miles traveled, fuel consumption, or through other factors; or

(4) to establish or operate a traffic monitoring, management, and control facility or program if the Secretary, after consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, determines that the facility or program is likely to contribute to the attainment of a national ambient air quality standard.

No funds may be provided under this section for a project which will result in the construction of new capacity available to single occupant vehicles unless the project consists of a high occupancy vehicle facility available to single occupant vehicles only at other than peak travel times. In areas of a State which are nonattainment for ozone or carbon monoxide, or both, and for PM–10 resulting from transportation activities, the State may obligate such funds for any project or program under paragraph (1) or (2) without regard to any limitation of the Department of Transportation relating to the type of ambient air quality standard such project or program addresses.

(c) States Without a Nonattainment Area.—If a State does not have a nonattainment area for ozone or carbon monoxide under the Clean Air Act located within its borders, the State may use funds apportioned to it under section 104(b)(2) for any project eligible for assistance under the surface transportation program.

(d) Applicability of Planning Requirements.—Programming and expenditure of funds for projects under this section shall be consistent with the requirements of sections 134 and 135 of this title.

(Added Pub. L. 93–87, title I, §142(a), Aug. 13, 1973, 87 Stat. 272; amended Pub. L. 102–240, title I, §1008(a), Dec. 18, 1991, 105 Stat. 1932; Pub. L. 102–388, title III, §380, Oct. 6, 1992, 106 Stat. 1562; Pub. L. 104–59, title III, §319(a)(1), (b), Nov. 28, 1995, 109 Stat. 588, 589; Pub. L. 104–88, title IV, §405(a)(2), (b), Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 956, 957.)

References in Text

The Clean Air Act, referred to in subsecs. (b)(1)(A), (2) and (c), is act July 14, 1955, ch. 360, 69 Stat. 322, as amended, which is classified generally to chapter 85 (§7401 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Section 108(f)(1)(A) of the Act is classified to section 7408(f)(1)(A) of Title 42. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 7401 of Title 42 and Tables.

Amendments

1995—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–59, §319(a)(1)(A), in introductory provisions, inserted “if the project or program is for an area in the State that was designated as a nonattainment area under section 107(d) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7407(d)) during any part of fiscal year 1994 and” after “project or program”.

Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 104–59, §319(a)(1)(B), substituted “contribute to—” and cls. (i) and (ii) for “contribute to the attainment of a national ambient air quality standard; or”.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 104–59, §319(b)(1), struck out “or” at end.

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 104–88, §405(b)(1), inserted “or” after semicolon at end.

Pub. L. 104–59, §319(b)(2), substituted a semicolon for period at end.

Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 104–88, §405(b)(2), substituted a period for “; or” at end.

Pub. L. 104–59, §319(b)(3), as amended by Pub. L. 104–88, §405(a)(2), added par. (4).

1992—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–388 inserted at end “In areas of a State which are nonattainment for ozone or carbon monoxide, or both, and for PM–10 resulting from transportation activities, the State may obligate such funds for any project or program under paragraph (1) or (2) without regard to any limitation of the Department of Transportation relating to the type of ambient air quality standard such project or program addresses.”

1991—Pub. L. 102–240 substituted section catchline for one which read: “Truck lanes” and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Secretary may approve as a project on any Federal-aid system the construction of exclusive or preferential truck lanes.”

Effective Date of 1995 Amendment

Amendment by section 405(b) of Pub. L. 104–88 effective Jan. 1, 1996, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as an Effective Date note under section 701 of Title 49, Transportation.

Section 405(a) of Pub. L. 104–88 provided that the amendment made by that section is effective Nov. 28, 1995.

Effective Date of 1991 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 102–240 effective Dec. 18, 1991, and applicable to funds authorized to be appropriated or made available after Sept. 30, 1991, and, with certain exceptions, not applicable to funds appropriated or made available on or before Sept. 30, 1991, see section 1100 of Pub. L. 102–240, set out as a note under section 104 of this title.

Effect of Limitation on Apportionment

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for each of fiscal years 1996 and 1997, amendment by section 319(a)(1) of Pub. L. 104–59 not to affect any apportionment adjustments under section 1015 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, Pub. L. 102–240, see section 319(c) of Pub. L. 104–59, set out as a note under section 104 of this title.

Congestion Pricing Pilot Program

Section 1012(b) of Pub. L. 102–240, as amended by Pub. L. 104–59, title III, §325(e), Nov. 28, 1995, 109 Stat. 592, provided that:

“(1) The Secretary shall solicit the participation of State and local governments and public authorities for one or more congestion pricing pilot projects. The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with as many as 5 such State or local governments or public authorities to establish, maintain, and monitor congestion pricing projects.

“(2) Notwithstanding section 129 of title 23, United States Code, the Federal share payable for such programs shall be 80 percent. The Secretary shall fund all of the development and other start up costs of such projects, including salaries and expenses, for a period of at least 1 year, and thereafter until such time that sufficient revenues are being generated by the program to fund its operating costs without Federal participation, except that the Secretary may not fund any project for more than 3 years.

“(3) Revenues generated by any pilot project under this subsection must be applied to projects eligible under such title.

“(4) Notwithstanding sections 129 and 301 of title 23, United States Code, the Secretary shall allow the use of tolls on the Interstate System as part of a pilot program under this section [amending section 129 of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 129 of this title], but not on more than 3 of such programs.

“(5) The Secretary shall monitor the effect of such projects for a period of at least 10 years, and shall report to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives every 2 years on the effects such programs are having on driver behavior, traffic, volume, transit ridership, air quality, and availability of funds for transportation programs.

“(6) Of the sums made available to the Secretary pursuant to section 104(a) of title 23, United States Code, not to exceed ,000,000 shall be made available each fiscal year to carry out the requirements of this subsection. Not more than ,000,000 of such amounts shall be made available to carry out each pilot project under this section.”

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 117 of this title.