Purpose of Toolbox
The purpose of the toolbox is to provide transit agencies and MPOs with a decision-making tool for selecting potential ozone-reduction strategies that can be incorporated into conformity plans. For the purposes of this toolbox, the term MPO includes Transportation Planning Organizations (TPOs) and Transportation Planning Associations (TPAs).
Strategy Selection
Individual strategies were selected through the review of an extensive amount of already conducted and published research. Strategies were selected for inclusion based on four criteria:
- Ozone-reduction abilities (i.e., a strategy must reduce ozone pollution to be included).
- Applicability to transit (i.e., the strategy must relate directly or indirectly to transit),
- Applicability to transit operations (e.g., ozone pollution can be generated by printers and copiers. There are strategies that can be implemented to mitigate the affects of ozone pollution from printers and copiers, but the toolbox does not include information on ozone-reduction strategies that do not affect transit operations).
- Applicability to Florida (i.e., each strategy must be implementable in Florida).
Toolbox Setup
The toolbox was designed as a series of individual tools (i.e., ozone-reduction strategies). Each strategy is a stand-alone document that can be downloaded and used individually. To aid in the use of the strategies, several resources have been designed. These resources either make the strategies easier to understand or assist in identifying applicable strategies.
While designed to be stand-alone documents, the strategies and resources have been combined into one large report that is available for download under the Toolbox Report tab. In this format, the toolbox is easily printed for use as a hard copy. When viewed electronically, it can also be searched for particular key words.
Regulatory Context
The Transit Ozone-Reduction Strategies Toolbox was designed as EPA was determining the final NAAQS for ozone. For an update on the status of the current ozone regulations and conformity issues, please visit EPA’s website, http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution/.
Toolbox Application
Every effort has been made to provide up-to-date and relevant information. As the new ozone standards come into effect, more information will become available. Please note that the examples of ozone-reduction reaped from these strategies as provided in the Benefits, Costs, and Cost Effectiveness section of the strategies are presented as examples. Individual results achieved from implementing these strategies may vary.
It is also important to note that strategies used in combination may not achieve cumulative results. In other words, if strategy one typically reduces ozone production by one unit and strategy two reduces ozone production by one unit, it cannot necessarily be expected that implementing both will lead to a two-unit reduction in ozone production. The two strategies may result in lower than two units of ozone reduction or higher than two units of ozone reduction.
Project performance depends on where and how strategies are implemented. The level of emissions reduction and cost varies by metropolitan area. The benefits and costs of ozone-reduction strategies are dependent upon the transportation system already in place, current air quality levels, the mitigation strategies already being undertaken, the combinations of the strategies at work, and the physical or geometric environment where implemented. In other words, the benefits achieved from various strategies will not be the same from place to place.
Some strategies may decline in usefulness over time. For instance, as transit vehicles are designed to be less and less polluting, replacing them with newer, more technologically-advanced transit vehicles will result in less reduction in ozone pollution. The reduction in pollution benefits can make these strategies less cost effective as well.
As technology improves, the cost effectiveness of emissions reduction strategies tends to decrease for those strategies that encourage the use of alternative transportation. As personal automobiles are manufactured to meet higher and higher emissions standards, the benefit of converting individual trips to non-SOV trips is reduced. More and more drivers will have to convert to alternative modes to achieve the same reduction in emissions.
Most of the data provided in this report are based on modeled results as opposed to actual results. Modeled emissions reductions can overstate the benefits (i.e., emissions reductions) as compared to actual results.