Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program
Applications are traditionally due to the MPO in August of each year and forwarded to the Iowa Department of Transportation in October of each year. However, due to the recent passage of MAP- 21 the Iowa Department of Transportation is postponing the application process until January 2013.
The purpose of Iowa’s Clean Air Attainment Program (ICAAP) is to help finance transportation projects and programs that result in attaining or maintaining the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) with a focus on volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and, under certain conditions, particulate matter (PM-2.5 and PM-10). VOC and NOx contribute to ground-level ozone (O3) formation. The ICAAP reflects the spirit of the U.S. Congress in its effort to reduce motor vehicle congestion and realize the goals of the 1990 CAAA.
The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) created the ICAAP in 1994 and modeled it after the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program.
The primary purpose of the CMAQ program is to provide funds to states for transportation improvement projects and program that will assist their designated nonattainment areas and maintenance areas attain the NAAQS for O3, CO, and, under certain conditions.
ICAAP funds are awarded to project and programs with the highest potential for reducing transportation-related congestion and air pollution, thereby maintaining Iowa’s clean air quality. Examples of eligible activities under the program are proposals that improve motor vehicles traffic flow, public transit service and intermodal freight movement, reduce traffic congestion and single-occupant vehicle travel; and help finance the purchase of publicly owned alternative fuel vehicles and bicycle and pedestrian facilities and programs.
The Iowa DOT administers the ICAAP on a statewide competitive application basis and awards federal funds to those proposals with the highest potential for reducing transportation-related air pollution and congestion. The Iowa DOT has held the ICAAP funding level at $4.7 million per year.
Eligibility
Applications for ICAAP funding may be submitted by public entities such as cities, counties, public transit agencies, MPOs, RPAs, and state and federal agencies. Private non-profit organizations and individuals may also apply for ICAAP funding, but their applications must be co-sponsored by a public entity.
Proposed ICAAP projects or programs must conform to MPO and RPA regional transportation planning processes and plans, and the MPOs and RPAs must certify such conformance. Applications for ICAAP proposals that cross regional boundaries should include certifications from all affected RPAS or MPOs.
Each ICAAP proposal must have a minimum total project cost of $20,000 to be eligible for funding assistance and the proposed projects and programs should fit into one or more of the following categories:
Traffic Flow Improvements
Planning and Project Development Activities
Travel Demand Management Strategies
Transit Improvements
Shared-Ride Activities
Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities and Programs
Intermodal Freight
Alternative Fuels
Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance (I&M) Programs
Outreach Activities
SIP Transportation Projects and Programs
Transportation Control Measures
Other Projects and Programs
Letter of Intent
An ICAAP letter of intent is submitted by each project sponsor for their project(s) or program(s) to the MPO. The letter of intent states the desire of the project sponsor to submit an application the Iowa DOT for ICAAP funds. Each letter of intent should contain the following:
Project Name
Project Category
Brief description of the project or program
Total project cost
Funding Request
The ICAAP letter of intent is due to the MPO office July 23, 2010.
Application
The project sponsor prepares and submits its original ICAAP application and seven copies to the MPO staff. If the project sponsor has multiple applications in a given funding year, the sponsor must rank the applications according to priority, from highest to lowest.
The project application must include an official written certification from the sponsor’s and any joint sponsor’s governing authority declaring that the sponsor will upon project completion: 1) properly maintain and operate the proposed project or program for public use during the project’s useful life, and 2) commit the necessary local matching funds to implement the project.
The ICAAP application is due to the MPO office August 20, 2010.
The MPO will review the applications for : (1) completeness; (2) financial feasibility of the ICAAP proposal; and, (3) conformity of the proposal with the MPO’s regional transportation planning process, adopted Horizon Year 2035 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, and Implementation and Management of Congestion Management System Strategy Activities. For each eligible application the MPO will adopt a formal resolution declaring the sponsor’s proposed project(s) or program(s) conforms to the regional transportation planning process and plan and, if applicable, the congestion management plan, inserting the resolution into the completed application materials.
After the MPO approval, the MPO staff will transmit the submitted applications, including the MPO resolution, to the local Iowa DOT District 1 Planner before the October 1, 2010, deadline. More information is available from the Iowa DOT.
Number of Projects and Funding
Overall: 149 projects ($80.2 million) have been awarded from 1995-2010.
MPO: 63 projects ($39,188,433) have been awarded from 1995-2010.
Type of ICAAP Projects Awarded
Overall
Category
% of Projects
# of Projects
Funding
% of Funding
Traffic Signals
28.2
42
$14.4 million
17.9
Transit-Related
26.2
39
$15.3 million
19.1
Intersection Improvements
23.5
35
$19.1 million
23.8
Corridor Improvements
12.1
18
$23.7 million
29.6
Planning, ITS, Trail
6.0
9
$1.0 million
1.3
Rail-Related
4.0
6
$6.7 million
8.3
MPO
Category
% of Projects
# of Projects
Funding
% of Funding
Traffic Signals
29.2
19
$9,204,786
23.5
Transit-Related
35.4
23
$7,444,053
19.0
Intersection Improvements
20.0
13
$7,918,587
20.2
Corridor Improvements
12.3
8
$13,794,481
35.2
Planning, ITS, Trail
1.5
1
$426,526
1.1
Rail-Related
1.5
1
$400,000
1.0
Entity
# of Projects
Altoona
3
Ankeny
6
Clive
7
Des Moines
16
Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority
20
Urbandale
6
West Des Moines
4
Windsor Heights
2
CIRTPA
Entity
# of Projects
Indianola
1
Jasper County
1 (Rail-Related, $400,000)