At the July board meeting, the TPB approved six projects for Maryland Transportation Alternatives Set Aside Program (TAP) funding and six Maryland projects that will receive funding through the federal Carbon Reduction Program. Additional agenda items include announcement of the September Car Free Day Proclamation, and presentations of the District, Maryland, and Virginia Carbon Reduction Programs.

Meeting agenda, materials, and recording

Chair's Remarks

Chair Henderson announced that the TPB will host a Roadway Safety Forum in fall 2024. More information will be shared in the coming weeks.

ACTION ITEMS

Car Free Day Proclamation

The TPB approved a proclamation announcing September 23 as Car Free Day. Car Free Day is an annual event that encourages everyone living in the region to telework, try transit, bicycling, scootering, walking, or carpooling. This event corresponds with European Mobility Week and is one way to benefit the region through improved air quality, mobility, and energy conservation. Plan to participate in Car Free Day on September 23! Learn more at www.CarFreeMetroDC.org.

TPB Chair Christina Henderson and City of Alexandria Department of Transportation and Environmental Services GO Alex Manager and CFD Steering Committee Chair Josh Etim (COG/TPB)
 

FY 2025 Maryland Transportation Alternatives Set Aside Program

The TPB approved six projects for a total of $3.8 million in funding under the Maryland Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program (referred to as TA Set-Aside or TAP). Projects are smaller scale and support bicycle and pedestrian facilities, trails, safe routes to school (SRTS), community improvements, historic preservation, and environmental mitigation. The six projects are in the table below.

(COG/TPB)
 

Maryland DOT Carbon Reduction Program project approvals

In addition to the Transportation Set-Aside projects, the TPB also approved six Maryland projects to be included in the TPB’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). These projects will be funded through Maryland’s Carbon Reduction Program and are designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. MDOT, in consultation with TPB, selected projects consistent with the TPB’s greenhouse gas reduction strategies, such as improving walking and biking connections to high-capacity transit stations, completing the National Capital Trail Network, and expanding the region’s electric vehicle charging network.

The six Carbon Reduction Program projects approved for funding and for inclusion in the FY 2026 – 2029 TIP are listed below.

(COG/TPB)

For full descriptions of the Maryland TA Set-Aside Program and Carbon Reduction Program projects, see the July 17 news release.
 

INFORMATION ITEMS

Briefings on the District of Columbia and Virginia Carbon Reduction Programs

Maryland DOT’s Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) moved forward with project announcements on July 17 based on a competitive project application process. DDOT’s and VDOT’s proposed projects will be brought to the TPB for inclusion in the TIP at a later date.

The federal CRP requires that 65% of each state’s apportionment be obligated to areas based on the proportion of the state’s population residing in that area, and 35% may be spent anywhere throughout the state. Funds can be used for a variety of eligible projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions. DDOT and MDOT plan to reevaluate their project selection process after the first year of funding allocation.

DDOT’s carbon reduction strategy was adopted in late 2023. DDOT will conduct an internal call for projects, a preliminary project review, coordination with the TPB, and obligation of project funding. DDOT will request TPB approval of their final project selection for the first year of funding and anticipates project review, coordination, and selection to take place by late 2024 or early 2025.

Chair Christina Henderson asked for clarification about the internal call for projects and whether projects need to be existing projects that could meet funding requirements of the program. Meredith Soniat, DDOT Environmental Program Manager, explained that projects could be brand new or projects currently in development that have just not yet been funded.

VDOT Director of Sustainability Chris Berg provided an overview of the Commonwealth’s carbon reduction strategy, approved in November 2023. In Virginia, $36.8 million in existing projects have been identified and $12.9 million in new projects will be prioritized for funding. Existing projects that will use the funding are Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Commuter Connections & Transportation Demand Management, and Clean Air Partners. Other projects will receive redistributed CRP funding. Berg’s presentation—available on the July 17 meeting page—provides additional information on these redistributed funds and new projects.

City of Falls Church Councilmember David Snyder asked what type of public participation process was used when VDOT was developing and prioritizing the projects. Berg replied that public engagement occurred during development of the carbon reduction strategy, including a public webinar, survey, and the VDOT six-year improvement plan meeting. He noted that because the projects are existing, each project would have also undergone its own earlier public participation process.

TPB Vice Chair James Walkinshaw asked how the $18.1 million funding amount for the Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit listed in the CRP project table was determined, and does the amount amend or replace an earlier commitment from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Maria Sinner, VDOT Northern Virginia Assistant District Administrator, responded that the program monies released earlier for the BRT were Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funding; however, the CRP allows funding for the project to be obligated earlier, and VDOT plans to use the CRP funding toward the BRT project rather than use Fairfax County CMAQ funding that would be obligated at a later date.

Committee and Director’s Report Highlights

TPB Technical Committee, TPB Community Advisory Committee, Steering Committee, and Director’s reports are available on the July TPB meeting page.

Steering Committee and Director’s Report Highlights

Kanti Srikanth reported the following: 

On July 3, the TPB Steering Committee approved an amendment to the MPO’s FY 2025 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) and four amendments to the FY 2023 – 2026 TIP.

• The UPWP was amended to reduce the work program budget due to revised information from VDOT and Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT). The final revised budget total is $25,244,528.
   
• The TIP was amended to reflect the following:

District of Columbia

• New funding for a Rhode Island Avenue flood warning system at the CSX Underpass
• Additional funding for the William Howard Taft Memorial Bridge rehabilitation
• Additional funding for Districtwide roadway reconstruction including Oregon Avenue NW improvements between Military Road and Western Avenue
• Additional funding for the South Capitol Street Corridor
• Additional funding for quick release emergency repair and replacement of Kenilworth Ave (DC)-295 at Lane Place NE Pedestrian Bridge

Maryland

• Additional federal and state funding to the Maryland Transit Administration’s MARC facilities

Montgomery County

• Funding for Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation and Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation new transit projects and the purchase of replacement buses in Montgomery County and for a bridge replacement project in Prince George’s County
   
• Additional funding for a Community Project Funding Earmark (CPF) and local matching funds for the installation of solar power equipment on three parking garages in Montgomery County
   
• Additional funding and local match for new and replacement security cameras and related infrastructure in three parking garages in Montgomery County
   
• Additional funding and match for the purchase of replacement buses for Montgomery County Ride On Bus fleet
   
• Additional funding for the Livingston Road Bridge and matching funds for the replacement of a bridge over Piscataway Creek in the White Hall area of Prince George’s County

Virginia

• VDRPT funding and local match for the new DASH On-Route Electric Transit Bus Opportunity Charger project, pilot program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) planning, and local matching funds for the Duke Street Corridor planning activities
   
• Additional funding for the ongoing operation of Arlington County’s Commuter Assistance Program 

The Director’s report also included a letter of support for the proposal entitled Preparing for the Purple Line: An Anti-Displacement Plan submitted by the Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Transportation Administration (MDOT-MTA), and partners to the FY 2024 Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning (TOD Pilot Program).

NEXT MEETING

The next TPB meeting is scheduled for September 18 at 12:00 P.M. A YouTube livestream option is available for all TPB board meetings. To receive additional TPB updates in your inbox, subscribe to TPB News.