Yesterday, Ohio Governor Strickland announced that he has directed ODOT to partner in the Clean Fuel Initiative by using CMAQ funding to allow local communities to retrofit older deisel engines with clean diesel technology


Here is a link to the news release

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/news/2007/05-22-2007.htm

CMAQ stands for Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality. CMAQ program is intended to realign the focus of transportation planning toward a more inclusive, environmentally-sensitive, and multimodal approach to addressing transportation problems. Transportation projects that improve capacity improve air quality by reducing the time vehicles are idling in congested areas.

In 2005, Congress renewed the CMAQ program in SAFETEA-LU requires States and MPOs to give priority in distributing CMAQ funds to diesel engine retrofits, and other cost-effective emission reduction and congestion mitigation activities that provide air quality benefits. SAFETEA-LU and the CMAQ program are funded by the Federal Gas Tax.

Updating local community fleets is a noble cause that needs to be funded. The use of transportation dollars in this manner at a time when transportation budgets are stressed due to rising fuel costs. Updating transit bus fleets is a sensible use of these dollars. Other government fleets using these dollars amounts to a grab of gas tax dollars intended to fund transportation projects. This is similar to the State Highway Patrol being funded in this manner.

The next time you are sitting in traffic waiting for a long awaited road improvement, remember that your transportation tax dollars are being diverted for non transportation uses.