Sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the Transit Ozone-Reduction Strategies Toolbox provides a list of ozone-reduction strategies that transit agencies, in cooperation with FDOT or metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), can implement to reduce ozone emissions.
Consistent with the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implements the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone and other pollutants. EPA is expected to implement a lower NAAQS for ozone which may cause many communities in Florida and across the nation to be determined to be non-attainment. Implementation of the proposed NAAQS would require the state to revise its current State Implementation Plan (SIP) to reduce ozone concentrations in presumptive non-attainment areas to levels that would be in compliance with the standard.
Ozone builds up near the ground through chemical reactions involving volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the presence of sunlight. VOCs come from natural sources, such as trees; fuel combustion in engines, industrial and chemical operations; evaporation of solvents in consumer and commercial products; and evaporation of volatile fuels such as gasoline. Nitrogen oxides come from motor vehicles; off-road engines such as aircraft, locomotives and construction equipment; fossil-fuel burning power plants and other industrial facilities; and other sources of combustion, such as lawn and garden equipment.
Increased ozone concentrations in the air we breathe can cause airway irritation, breathing difficulties, aggravation of breathing disorders such as asthma, and permanent lung damage. It also interferes with plant processes such that it can make them more susceptible to disease and negatively impacting the appearance of plants.
As motor vehicles are a significant contributor to ozone pollution, transportation planners in nonattainment areas will need to address pollution from these sources. The Transit Ozone-Reduction Strategies Toolbox is intended to provide assistance to planners with transit-related strategies for ozone reduction. Several transit improvements implemented around the country have proven to be effective in helping to reduce ozone emissions.
The Ozone-Reduction Strategies for Transit Toolbox is a list of previously implemented strategies intended to assist transportation practitioners in determining which transit-related strategies for ozone reduction are applicable to a particular locality and to access the costs and benefits associated with implementing these strategies.
The Transit Ozone-Reduction Strategies Toolbox website is divided into five main components:
- Legal Implications
This component provides an overview of the legal implications the implementation of these strategies may have on transit development plans (TDPs), long range transportation plans (LRTPs), SIPs, transportation improvement plans (TIPs), and state transportation implementation plans (STIPs).
- Reference Materials
This component provides materials that will assist the user in making better use of the toolbox. This page contains an acronym list, a strategy list for quick reference, an Internet resource list, a bibliography, etc.
- Strategy Overview
This component contains strategy matrices which provide an overview of the strategies and the pros and cons of each strategy. They compare strategies by mode, cost effectiveness, funding source, etc.
- Strategies
This component contains detailed information regarding individual strategies. Each is available for download. These strategies have been collected from various transportation agencies across the country and are considered to be appropriate for implementation in Florida.
- Toolbox Report
This component allows users to download the toolbox report in its entirety. The report includes all reference materials, category tables, and strategies found throughout the toolbox website in a report format.