Contact: Lori Irving
Tel.: 202-366-0660
FHWA 47-00

Federal Highway Administrator Kenneth R. Wykle today announced the release of the Transportation Conformity Reference Guide, a 453-page tool intended to facilitate compliance by state and local agencies with the transportation conformity requirements in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.

"The Clinton-Gore Administration is committed to preserving and improving air quality, and this reference guide will help transportation workers throughout the nation do that," Wykle said. "We appreciate the efforts of the numerous stakeholders who helped develop this reference guide."

The need for a reference guide stems from the requirement to integrate transportation and air quality planning - a requirement included in the CAAA of 1990, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.

The guide was prepared by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a diverse group of stakeholders.

The Reference Guide will be updated periodically on the FHWA website to include new information, guidance, court rulings, case studies, research findings, or approaches to meeting transportation conformity requirements. It is a reference manual and contains transportation conformity rules and relevant preamble language, questions and answers, and resource materials.

The guide is designed for both seasoned practitioners and newcomers to the transportation conformity process. Relevant materials and information needed for agencies to understand transportation conformity are included in an accessible and easy to read format.

The guide on CD ROM may be obtained from FHWA Division Offices and Resource Centers, FTA Regional Offices, state DOTs and metropolitan planning organizations. The guide also can be viewed or downloaded from the FHWA web site: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/conform.htm.