The quality of the Atlanta region’s air impacts public health and overall quality of life. Because vehicle emissions are a significant contributor to air pollution, air quality is a major consideration in the region’s transportation planning.
The Atlanta region must meet the continuously tightening air quality standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These standards focus on two primary pollutants: ozone, a gas that forms in the atmosphere from tailpipe emissions, smokestacks and other sources; and particulate matter, tiny bits of particles in the air produced by car and truck exhaust, power plants, manufacturing facilities and other sources. ARC uses a variety of tools to understand air quality in the Atlanta region.
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), is responsible for developing a Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to meet state and federal air quality standards.
The MTP, a long-range blueprint that guides future transportation investments, includes transportation projects that mitigate congestion or provide alternative mobility options to achieve these air quality standards.
The TIP, the short-term blueprint that guides current transportation investments, allocates federal funds for use in the construction of the highest-priority projects in the MTP.
The Conformity Determination Report (CDR) is a required document that accompanies the MTP and TIP. The CDR demonstrates that the projects contained in the MTP and TIP conform to air quality standards. Whenever major changes are made to MTP or TIP project lists, a new CDR must be produced.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), along with the EPA, reviews the MTP to determine whether it conforms to air quality standards. If it does not, federal transportation funds could be withheld from the region.
The Transportation & Air Quality Committee (TAQC) is a 35-member body that serves as the transportation policy committee for the ARC Board and represents a 20-county area. TAQC meets monthly at the Atlanta Regional Commission.
View upcoming Transportation & Air Quality Committee meetings.
Unlike other gaseous air pollutants, ground level ozone is not directly emitted by a source. Ozone is formed when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) react with extreme sunlight. Sources of VOCs and NOx include coal-fired power plants, gas stations, natural sources and gasoline-powered vehicles.
In the short term, ozone can impact the respiratory system, causing irritation to the nose, throat and lungs. The long-term effects of ozone can be compared to repeated sunburns and can lead to permanent scarring of lung tissue, loss of lung function, and reduced lung elasticity.
In Georgia, the ozone monitoring season runs from March 1 to October 31, when temperatures are highest. However, ozone can be a problem year-round for sensitive populations. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) collects ozone monitoring data in Georgia and establishes emissions budgets for the Atlanta region to attain EPA standards.
EPA’s current standard, set in 2015, for 8-hour ozone is 0.070 parts per million (ppm). A 7-county area of the Atlanta region was designated an “attainment area” as of November 16, 2022 for the 2015 ozone standard. The Atlanta region currently has met all National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone is under a maintenance area and plan for the 2015, 2008, and 1997 8-hour ozone standards.
Fine particulate matter (PM) is a term for particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air. PM originates from a variety of sources including diesel trucks, power plants, wood stoves and industrial processes. Health risks range from mild respiratory and cardiovascular issues to premature death from heart and lung disease.
In December 2012, EPA set a new annual standard of 12 micrograms per cubic meter, tightening the previous 1997 standards of 15 micrograms per cubic meter. By meeting the 2012 standard, the Atlanta region also satisfies the 1997 standard.
AREES spatially depicts air quality throughout the 20-county Atlanta region, focusing on particulate matter concentrations resulting from the transportation system.
In an effort to standardize best practices in evaluating CMAQ projects, the ARC developed a modular CMAQ emissions calculator. The tool highlights changes in NOx, VOC, PM2.5, and greenhouse gas emissions and, where applicable, vehicle hours of delay and vehicle miles traveled. It calculates benefits for 14 types of strategies including, but not limited to:
The CMAQ Calculator is applied in the TIP Project Evaluation Framework. The calculator is currently calibrated only for the Atlanta region but can be customized and adopted for other regions throughout the country.
Disclaimer: The calculator was developed by Texas A&M Transportation Institute, using data and input parameters specifically tailored to the Atlanta Region for use by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC); any subsequent use of the Calculator by anyone other than ARC shall be at the sole risk of the user.
The Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) tool for estimating emissions from highway vehicles. MOVES has been used in Georgia since 2010 and for all Atlanta area conformity determinations since 2013. MOVES3 is used to support The Atlanta Region’s Plan, which was adopted in February 2020.
ARC’s Strategic Partners are committed to fostering collaborative regional approaches that improve quality of life in metro Atlanta. Their support elevates ARC leadership programs, research and events throughout the year. Learn more.
