Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality

The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program provides federal funding for transportation projects and programs that reduce congestion and improve air quality.

Program Eligibility

An eligible project sponsor must be a local government in the Ogden-Layton or Salt Lake Urban Areas, the Utah Department of Transportation, or the Utah Transit Authority. Other entities can partner with eligible applicants.

Funds must be used for transportation projects which improve air quality within the Urban Area. Examples of eligible projects include:

Transportation control measures in the State Air Quality Implementation Plan (SIP);
Construction/purchase of new public transportation facilities and equipment;
Construction of bicycle or pedestrian facilities serving commuter transportation needs;
Promotion of alternative travel modes, including ridesharing;
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS); and
Certain traffic control measures, such as traffic signal coordination, intersection improvements, and incident management.

The funds may not be used for major road widening.

Funding

By population formula, the U.S. Department of Transportation currently apportions approximately $3,000,000 in CMAQ funds each year to the Ogden-Layton Urban Area and approximately $5,500,000 in the Salt Lake Urban Area. Funds are programmed over a six-year period and applicants currently will be applying for funds available in federal fiscal year 2031.

Letters of Intent

In order for the WFRC staff to recommend whether a sponsor should submit an application, the “Letter of Intent” must include the project name, project limits, a brief project description, and an estimated total project cost. A list of all the projects appropriately submitted will be distributed to members of the Councils of Governments (COGs) and will be reviewed by WFRC to determine program eligibility. This letter should be signed by the Mayor, County Commissioner, or executive director of the sponsoring agency.

Letters of Intent were due September 25, 2025.

Applications

Sponsors of eligible projects are required to submit for each project a new and/or updated:

These forms will be reviewed for completeness and supporting documentation. The projects will be evaluated using these reports, an on-site field review of each project, approved technical criteria, and other relevant professional considerations prior to presenting information to the Technical Advisory Committees for review and recommendation. The projects and the recommendations will then be presented to Trans Com for recommendation to the Regional Council.

Applications were due December 11, 2025.

Project Evaluation Concept Report

Concept Cost Estimate Form

Emissions Analysis Form

Project Evaluation

Projects submitted to compete for CMAQ funds are scored based on annual emissions reduction benefit divided by project cost. The length of the project’s effective life in years is included in the benefit/ cost calculation. Other benefits of a project such as safety, congestion relief, or synergy with other improvements, are also considered. Because the principal purpose of the CMAQ Program is to improve air quality by reducing mobile source emissions, applicants are encouraged to submit a project that will generate a significant air quality benefit. Examples of the air quality benefits from some past CMAQ-funded projects are included in this graph. Each project submitted is evaluated independently for its air quality benefit.