SOVCAPs are Single-Occupancy Vehicle Capacity Adding Projects – basically, the addition of new capacity to the roadway network. SOVCAP projects are particularly important in regions like Southwestern Pennsylvania that are designated as non-attainment areas for air quality. In non-attainment areas, SOVCAP projects can not receive federal funding beyond the Preliminary Engineering stage unless consistency with the regional CMP has been demonstrated.

It is the responsibility of the project sponsor to address consistency with the CMP as part of the environmental review for the SOVCAP project. For a SOVCAP designed to address congestion, the environmental document should identify CMP corridor(s) affected by the project, review the CMP strategies identified as appropriate for the affected corridor(s), indicate that capacity strategies are among the potential strategies identified for the affected corridor(s), indicate why other strategies cannot meet the need for the project, and include a commitment by the project sponsor or other agencies to implement other appropriate congestion management strategies in conjunction with the SOVCAP.

A new capacity project proposed to meet needs other than congestion (i.e. safety, system continuity, access to a particular site identified as a regional priority in SPC’s long-range transportation plan, etc.) may be considered consistent with the goals of the CMP if the SOVCAP has no adverse congestion impact on a CMP corridor. This technique for demonstrating consistency with the regional CMP should still be fully documented in the environmental document for the project.

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For more information about our Congestion Management program, contact Doug Smith at (412) 391-5590 x327 or e-mail dsmith@spcregion.org.

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