How much air quality benefit is there from lowering the speed limit by 5 miles per hour?
A. Environmental Protection Agency’s MOBILE5 is the federal required motor vehicle emission model used in North Central Texas. After performing a technical analysis on the region’s roadway system using MOBILE5, the North Central Texas Council of Governments determined that a combination of reduced speed would benefit the region’s air quality without severely compromising the public’s safety on area roadways. The table below highlights the various scenarios tested during State Implementation Plan development. Ultimately, the 70 mph to 65 mph and 65 mph to 60 mph combination was the resulting choice.
