Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement
Description
FHWA’s CMAQ Toolkit is an online collection of strategies, case studies, and reference materials that helps transportation agencies use Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program funds effectively. Organized by project type—such as transit improvements, travel demand management, freight and diesel strategies, bicycle and pedestrian projects, traffic flow improvements, and alternative fuels—it describes how each strategy works, its air quality and congestion benefits, typical costs, and implementation considerations. The toolkit is designed to support states, MPOs, and local governments in selecting, designing, and communicating transportation projects that reduce emissions and improve air quality.
Questions this resource can help answer
Which strategies are likely to reduce emissions and congestion in my corridor or region?
What are examples of similar projects other agencies have implemented, and what did they learn?
How can I explain the air quality and mobility benefits of a proposed project to decision?makers or the public?
What complementary strategies could I add to strengthen a funding proposal or project package?
How do I use this resource?
To use FHWA’s CMAQ Toolkit, open the site and browse the project category that matches your need (e.g., transit, freight/diesel, bike/ped, traffic flow, travel demand management, alternative fuels). Within a category, click specific strategies to see short descriptions, expected emission and congestion benefits, typical costs, example projects, and implementation notes. Use these pages as a menu of options when programming CMAQ funds, developing project ideas, or explaining project benefits in plans and grant applications.
Pro tips
Start from your problem statement (e.g., diesel hotspots, recurring congestion, limited transit) and then match it to relevant strategy categories.
Use multiple related strategies together (e.g., transit + bike/ped + TDM) for stronger, more realistic project packages.
Pull language and examples directly from the toolkit for STIP/TIP entries, grant narratives, and public-facing fact sheets.
Pay attention to implementation considerations and “lessons learned” so you don’t just copy a strategy, but adapt it to your context.
Keep a short internal list of “go?to” strategies your agency uses often, with links to their toolkit pages for quick reference.
Resource information
Technical specifications
The CMAQ Toolkit is a curated synthesis of transportation emission?reduction strategies, drawing on FHWA guidance, research literature, past CMAQ?funded projects, and agency case studies. Strategies are grouped into logical categories (transit, freight, TDM, bike/ped, etc.) and each entry follows a consistent template: description of how the strategy works, summary of evidence on emission and congestion impacts, typical cost ranges, implementation and institutional considerations, and examples. While it doesn’t run models itself, the toolkit distills findings from modeling, evaluation studies, and real?world experience into concise, practitioner?oriented guidance to inform project selection and design.
