119495 | Carbon Reduction Program UPWP

The Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) created under the BIL aims to reduce transportation greenhouse gas emissions by funding projects designed to reduce transportation emissions. The CRP will provide approximately $52 million and $31 million in funding annually to Pennsylvania and New Jersey respectively for fiscal years 2022-2026. Funds will be distributed across each state according to formulas set in the BIL. Under the program, state DOTs are required to develop a statewide Carbon Reduction Strategy in consultation with MPOs by November 15, 2023. The purpose of the Carbon Reduction Strategy is to identify and prioritize projects and strategies to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and inform the distribution of CRP funds. Broadly speaking, eligible CRP activities include projects and strategies that facilitate the use of single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) alternatives such as public transportation facilities, pedestrian facilities, bicycle facilities, and shared or pooled vehicle trips; facilitate the use of vehicles or modes of travel that result in lower transportation emissions per person-mile traveled (i.e., EVs, etc.); and facilitate approaches to reduce emissions from the construction of transportation assets.
This project will develop an overall approach to, and identify priorities for, CRP funding in consultation with PennDOT and NJDOT. Staff will provide outreach toward traditional regional transportation planning partners, and focus additional outreach to traditionally underserved and underrepresented populations in transportation planning, such as minority and low-income populations that face challenges engaging with the transportation planning process. This engagement will assist with the identification of projects and strategies that support the Justice40 Initiative, which establishes a goal that at least 40 percent of the benefits of federal investments in this program and others are distributed to disadvantaged communities. Other considerations include how CRP funds can be used in conjunction with (or flexed to) other Federal-aid apportioned programs with similar goals, such as CMAQ, to create appropriately scaled funding awards that meaningfully reduce carbon while achieving other regional planning goals.
Through tasks outlined in this project area, staff will develop a regional Carbon Reduction Strategy supportive to both Pennsylvania and New Jersey’s statewide Carbon Reduction Strategies. Given the limited amount of funding available, an important outcome of this effort will be to achieve some level of regional consensus on priority project categories and/or project types for funding. For example, the region may choose to prioritize specific shared priorities such as continued development of the regional sidewalk maintenance and street tree planting program, the expansion of EV charging infrastructure, or completion of transportation-focused bicycle infrastructure priority projects, among other projects.

No milestones are available for this project.