Biden-Harris administration committed to fighting climate change

Biden-Harris administration committed to fighting climate change

“A suggested rule [yesterday] of the Department of Transportation would require states to measure greenhouse gas emissions from their highway and transportation programs, then come up with plans to reduce that harmful pollution.” —NRDC writes† “Implementing these standards would help ensure the historic investments of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act are well done.” Below you will find more information from the US Ministry of Transport†

Thanks to Ministry of Transport†

WASHINGTON — [Yesterday]To further President Biden’s commitment to fight climate change and reduce costs for families, the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for states and municipalities to to detect greenhouse gases (GHG) and reduce emissions. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides more than $27 billion in federal funding to help the State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) meet their declining GHG targets. The new rule would take two important steps to combat climate change:

  1. Establish a national framework for tracking state progress by adding a new GHG performance management measure to the FHWA’s existing national performance measures to help states track performance and make more informed investment decisions.
  2. Create a flexible system where state DOTs and MPOs would set their own falling targets for road GHG emissions from highway driving on the National Highway System.

“With today’s announcement, we are taking a significant step forward in addressing transport’s share of the climate challenge, and we don’t have a moment to lose,” he said. United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg† “Our approach gives states the flexibility they need to set their own emissions reduction targets while providing them with resources from President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill to meet those targets and protect their communities.”

This proposed rule builds on and would add transparency to the work that 24 states and the District of Columbia are already doing under state laws setting greenhouse gas targets.

Transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gases in the US, and the Biden-Harris administration has proposed an integrated approach to reducing the sector’s emissions while making sure our economy works for all Americans. This includes using dual infrastructure bill funding to help state and local governments meet their greenhouse gas reduction targets, as well as efforts to help lower transportation costs for the American people through the Corporate Average Fuel Economy plan. standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which aim to make driving more affordable by increasing fuel consumption.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding is available through a variety of programs over five years, including but not limited to:

  • The Carbon Reduction Program will provide $6.4 billion in formula funding to states and local governments to develop carbon reduction strategies and fund a wide variety of projects designed to reduce carbon emissions from highway sources on the road.
  • The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formulation Program will provide $5 billion to states primarily through a legal formula to provide a​​ national electric vehicle charging networkan important step to make electric vehicle charging accessible to all Americans.
  • A Discretionary subsidy program for charging and refueling infrastructure will provide $2.5 billion in competitive funding to states and local governments to charge electric vehicles and build hydrogen, propane and natural gas infrastructure along designated alternative fuel corridors and in communities.
  • The Congestion Utility will provide $250 million in competitive funding to advance innovative, multimodal solutions to reduce congestion and related economic and environmental costs in the most congested U.S. metropolitan areas
  • The Reduction of truck emissions in port facilities program will provide $400 million in competitive financing to reduce truck idling and emissions in ports, including through improving port electrification.
  • BIL includes more than $5 billion for the Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emission Vehicle Programthat will ensure that our country’s transit systems address the climate crisis and work better for all of us.
  • BIL also raises $7.2 billion for the Transport alternatives set aside that can help state and local governments implement environmentally friendly pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects.
  • In addition, FTA’s $69 million Transit Oriented Development (TOD) program provides funding to local communities to integrate land use and transportation planning with new fixed conduction or core capacity transit capital investment projects. BIL is also expanding TOD funding opportunities through the Transport Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Programs (TIFIA) and the Financing for Railway Repair and Improvement (RRIF) programs.

In addition to new sources of funding that states can access through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, new and existing formula programs provide states and local governments with essential access to funding to encourage public transportation and other integrated land-use and transportation projects and strategies that reduce air pollution by giving Americans more climate-friendly options for travel, and help state and local governments meet the emissions reduction targets they should set for themselves under this proposed rule.

“Every state and local government in this country is seeing the impact of climate change on their communities and infrastructure. States have a critical role to play as we work across the country to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow those effects,” said Deputy Federal Road Administration Stephanie Pollack† “State laws already require 24 states and the District of Columbia to set targets and track their greenhouse gas emissions, and this proposed rule would scale this locally proven approach nationwide.”

This proposed rule would help move the transportation industry from the main source of emissions to the bulk of the solution, by standardizing practices many states have already adopted across the economy, making data comparable across states and metropolitan areas, and facilitating of better planning and outcomes for local communities.

The proposed rule is also consistent with the administration’s net-zero targets as set forth in the National Policy established under Executive Orders (EO) 13990,”Protecting public health and the environment and restoring science to tackle the climate crisis”, and EO 14008, “Tackling the climate crisis at home and abroad†

The proposed rule would require state DOTs and MPOs to report every two years on their progress toward meeting the declining goals they set, and for FHWA to assess whether significant progress has been made toward meeting those goals.

The proposed rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register next week. A signed copy of the document filed with the Federal Register for publication is available at: The website of the FHWA† A final rule may be published after FHWA has had an opportunity to review the submitted comments.


 


 

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