The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published the System Performance: Highway and Freight, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Final Rule on January 18, 2017, with an effective date of May 20, 2017, followed by one year for implementation. State DOTs had until May 20, 2018 to initially set targets, with MPOs having up to 180 days following to either adopt the state targets or develop and set their own targets. In June and July 2018, the TPB set System Performance targets for the first time.
System Performance targets are set every four years for four groups of performance measures. Three of these groups have to do with Highway and Freight: 1) Interstate Travel Time Reliability (TTR), 2) National Highway System (NHS) TTR, and 3) Freight Reliability (Truck Travel Time Reliability (TTTR)). In addition, the group of the CMAQ Program includes performance measures for: 1) Peak Hour Excessive Delay (PHED), 2) Mode Share, and 3) Emission Reductions. Targets are set for two years and/or four years depending upon the performance measure. Targets set in 2018 are for the four-year performance period 2018 through 2021, generally but not always the calendar years. The 2-year targets are to be met by the end of 2019; the 4-year targets by the end of 2021. In 2020, the TPB will report on performance versus the 2-year targets. In 2022, the TPB will set new 2-year and 4-year targets for the performance period 2022-2025.