The TPB's May 18 meeting centered on approval of the 2022 update of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for the National Capital Region, comments on the Visualize 2045 Long-Range Transportation Plan updates, and discussion of on-road transportation-sector greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals and strategies. In addition, the TPB received a report on the draft Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program performance measure targets for 2022 - 2025.
Meeting Agenda, materials, and recording.
TPB approves the 2022 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for the National Capital Region
The TPB took action to approve the 2022 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Update. Andrew Meese, TPB Program Director, shared what’s new since the TPB’s earlier review of the draft plan at its March meeting, emphasizing that the plan takes into consideration the needs of cyclists and walkers of all ages and abilities through the concept of a low-stress network of pathways, dedicated lanes, and other on-road facilities, and also addresses increased e-bike usage and ongoing Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee monitoring of emerging cycling technology. The 2022 plan update and presentation are available on the May 18 TPB Meeting page.
This bicycle and pedestrian plan update draws from local bicycle and pedestrian and land-use plans, includes over 1,600 individual, locally prioritized projects, and highlights how bicycle and pedestrian planning priorities relate to the TPB’s priority areas: the National Capital Trail Network, Transit Access Focus Areas, and Equity Emphasis Areas. Over 1,800 miles of low-stress miles are part of the plan, of which 770 are part of the National Capital Trail Network, therefore 75 percent of the TPB area population would be within ½ mile of the low-stress network.
Recommendations in the plan include best practices for bicycle and pedestrian planning such as:
- Incorporating bicycle and pedestrian elements in planning and design policies
- Good bike and pedestrian design and accommodation in all transportation projects, facility design, and construction standards
- Improving interjurisdictional coordination to develop a continuous bicycle and pedestrian network
- Improving access for persons with disabilities
- Integrating bicycling and walking into the public transportation system
- Expanding regional bike sharing programs
- Developing pedestrian and bicycle safety education and enforcement programs in each local jurisdiction
- Using appropriate roadway widths, curb radii, crossing distances, and speeds
Visualize 2045: Comments on the Long-Range Transportation Plan Update, FY 2023-2026 TIP, and Air Quality Conformity Analysis
In preparation for the TPB’s final review of the draft Visualize 2045 Long-Range Transportation Plan Update, Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and Air Quality Conformity Analysis, Stacy Cook, TPB Transportation Planner, walked board members through the comments received during the April 1 - May 1 comment period.
Over 480 comments were received by email and 35 by comment form or letter. The majority of comments were received from individuals rather than organizations or committees. Overarching themes range from project-specific comments to general concepts:
- Opposition to and support for highway expansion and road widening
- Support for investment in sustainable, walkable communities and continued improvement for walking and biking in the region
- Stopping climate change and adopting a full slate of climate strategies
- Considering equity in transportation planning
Most project-specific comments centered on the Maryland I-270 Dynamically Managed Op Lanes Project. The TPB posted a clarification on the Maryland I-270 project on the Draft Plan page of the Visualize 2045 website in April to address ongoing questions about scope of the project.
Safety and multimodal approaches are a priority for several commenters. One resident of the region remarked,
“As a resident of the DC area, I am asking that you please approve the Visualize 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan without removing any projects. We cannot expect our region to be competitive for economic development if we do not invest in appropriate transportation infrastructure. We need to take an all‐of‐the‐above approach to transportation solutions that keep our region moving including investments in roadways, transit, bike, pedestrian, airport, and technology infrastructure.”
All comments received during the April comment period are available in the top section of the Visualize 2045 Get Involved page.
Now that comments have been gathered, what are the next steps? At its June 15 meeting, the TPB will be asked to:
- Adopt a resolution finding that the 2022 Update to Visualize 2045 and the FY 2023-2026 TIP conform with the requirements of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.
- Approve the 2022 Update to Visualize 2045 and the FY 2023-2026 TIP.
- Certify that the TPB is following the metropolitan planning organization process. Self-certification states that the TPB is addressing the major issues in the metropolitan transportation planning process in accordance with federal requirements as described under 23 CFR 450.336. The certification is signed by the TPB, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT), the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
Discussion about greenhouse gas reduction goals and strategies
A significant part of the May meeting focused on discussions about greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals for the region that would be specific to the on-road, transportation sector. TPB members held a climate change mitigation work session on the morning of May 18 as follow-up to the April 20 work session. The purpose of the May session was to reach agreement on recommendations for climate change mitigation actions, specific to the transportation sector, that the TPB could act on at its June 15 meeting and integrate into the 2022 update of Visualize 2045. Regional, non-sector specific GHG reduction goals have already been endorsed by both COG and TPB for 2030 and 2050. [1] Specifically, the actions include 1) adopting short- and long-term GHG reduction goals for the on-road sector and 2) finalizing the on-road GHG reduction strategies that the TPB would adopt as planning priorities.
Based on comments received from a TPB member survey and the April 20 work session and the April board meeting, Kanti Srikanth, TPB Staff Director, provided an overview of the status of the climate discussion and affirmed that there is TPB member agreement on adopting GHG goals for the on-road transportation sector. The TPB, by taking this adoption action, would be the first MPO in the country, according to staff research, to voluntarily adopt GHG goals for the transportation sector. However, while there is consensus on adopting transportation-sector goals, the reduction levels for these goals is still being debated by the TPB. TPB staff and its consultant identified three potential GHG reduction goal levels (below 2005 levels) for consideration:
Option A – Aspirational
On-road GHG reduction goal: 50 percent by 2030; 80 percent by 2050 (Identical to COG’s regional goals)
Option B – Ambitious
On-road GHG reduction goal: 32 percent by 2030; 80 percent by 2050 (Consistent with assumptions in COG’s Climate and Energy Action Plan) [2]
Option C – Pragmatic
GHG reduction goal: 23 - 29 percent by 2030; 80 percent by 2050 (Based on consultant research conducted in May)
Based on discussion and comment in the work session, no consensus was reached, since there were shares of work session attendees voicing support for each of the three transportation-sector goal values. The second step is adoption of transportation-sector GHG reduction strategies and assumed levels of implementation for those strategies. Seven strategies received plurality or majority support of members and are listed in the table below.
TPB members were asked to indicate their preference for Option 1 (high levels of implementation) or Option 2 (more modest, though yet very ambitious, levels of implementation). For example, under Option 1 (high levels of implementation), the assumed share of new light-duty vehicles sold in 2030 that would be electric vehicles (EVs) would be 100 percent. By contrast, under Option 2 (more modest levels of implementation), the assumed share of new light-duty vehicles sold in 2030 that would be EV would be 50 percent, which matches the current plan from the Biden Administration. [3]
The reduction goal percentages shown in the tables reflect goals for the region as a whole and not for each individual jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions may be able to exceed the adopted goals. It is anticipated that TPB staff will support board members in communicating, understanding, and identifying the requirements needed to reach these goals. For example, some requirements may involve development of new plans or programs and development of a system of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the region.
Beyond the seven strategies receiving support are seven additional strategies that, according to the TPB member survey, were deemed to require further study, and, thus, would likely be considered by the TPB in future discussions.
For details on goals, strategies, and work session discussions, useful resources are the Item 9 staff memo, dated May 12, and presentation posted on the May 18 TPB Meeting page and the May 18 TPB Climate Work Session page, which contains memos and staff research for both the April and May work sessions.
Charles Allen, District of Columbia Councilmember, urged TPB members to aim for an aspirational approach on GHG reduction goals similar to the approach taken when COG was establishing Equity Emphasis Areas: “I would urge us to go Option A – go aspirational – recognizing that this is going to be hard to achieve, but we have to push ourselves and not find what we feel most comfortable with but really push outside that comfort.”
TPB Chair Pamela Sebesky reflected on the regional nature of the discussion: “I hope that those who live closer to the Core and those of us that live further out are getting a better understanding of the challenges that each area faces. For instance, in my jurisdiction, if we don’t have road development or a third lane can go down 28 to get a bus down, that affects not just equity, but it affects the ability of people to get to their jobs; it affects great things. I would like to hope that we can all be inclusive and understanding of all of these challenges as we try to make these decisions that are not easy, and I’ll say that what I have heard consistently in the time that I’ve participated on this board is that everyone and every jurisdiction is interested in climate change and making these changes happen.”
At its June 15 meeting, the TPB will vote on approval of the 2022 update to Visualize 2045, the TIP, the Air Quality Conformity Analysis (which, by federal mandate, does not include GHG emissions), and will self-certify that the MPO is meeting all federal requirements. After that, the TPB will also be given the opportunity to take action on a set of on-road, transportation-sector GHG reduction goals and strategies to adopt as planning priorities.
CMAQ Program targets
When the GHG reduction discussion concluded, Eric Randall, TPB Transportation Engineer, presented a draft set of Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program 2022 - 2025 targets as part of the TPB’s federal performance-based planning and programming (PBPP) requirements. The TPB establishes CMAQ targets for the region and coordinates with the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, along with the Fredericksburg Area MPO and the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board to adopt the same targets due to how the urban area overlaps with the MPO areas.
- Peak Hour Excessive Delay (PHED)
- Mode Share (non-Single Occupancy Vehicle)
- Emissions Reductions - volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)
Targets are based on existing trends and exclude the coronavirus pandemic year 2020. The TPB is scheduled to adopt CMAQ traffic congestion and emissions reduction targets in June. More information, including target tables, are available in the Item 10 memo and presentation on the May 18 TPB Meeting page.
Committee and Director’s Reports
Technical Committee and Community Advisory Committee reports are available on the May 18 TPB Meeting page. The following key dates and activities were included in the Steering Committee and Director’s Reports:
- As a result of expanded funding for the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program under the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a TPB selection panel has recommended the addition of two new projects for the TA Set-Aside program for Northern Virginia: Ellicott Street (Occoquan Greenway Connection) in Prince William County that will connect historic Occoquan with a new regional trail and add curb ramps and crossings and the Safe Routes to School G Street Sidewalk project in Purcellville.
- The TPB’s Transportation Resiliency Webinar Series continues June 10 and July 15. Registration is open for the June 10 webinar “Break Down Barriers: Integrating Climate Resilience into Transportation Project Development & Design.”
- The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ (COG) Climate and Energy Leadership Awards program recognizes organizations that develop climate stewardship projects and programs that engage and serve the region’s underserved communities. COG is accepting applications for the 2022 awards through June 30.
The next TPB meeting is scheduled for June 15 at 12:00 P.M.
[1] COG and TPB endorsed regional, non-sector specific GHG reduction goals: 50 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050, compared to 2005 levels.
[2] “Metropolitan Washington 2030 Climate and Energy Action Plan” (Washington, D.C.: Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, November 18, 2020), https://www.mwcog.org/documents/2020/11/18/metropolitan-washington-2030-climate-and-energy-action-plan/.
[3] “Fact Sheet: The Biden-Harris Electric Vehicle Charging Action Plan,” Press Release (The White House, December 13, 2021), https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/13/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-electric-vehicle-charging-action-plan/.