The It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air (IAAUCA) initiative began in 1995 in response to State and local transportation agencies' requests for commercial-quality public education materials to raise awareness about the connection between transportation choices, congestion and air quality. U.S. DOT and U.S. EPA developed a national initiative that, through partnerships with local communities and a national coalition called the Alliance for Clean Air and Transportation (ACAT), distributes messages and materials throughout the country. IAAUCA partners disseminate messages that encourage individuals to take action to improve air quality and reduce congestion. These messages are: maintain your vehicle; consolidate trips; and make more trips by transit, carpools, bicycling and walking. IAAUCA was designed to become a self-sustaining effort that would develop and disseminate a second generation of messages with limited Federal assistance. In the first phase of the initiative, three pilot communities, 14 demonstration communities, and close to 60 "materials-only" communities (places that requested the Resource Toolkit and other materials, however received no funding) used the IAAUCA materials and messages. Given communities' interest in the materials and services that were provided in the first phase of the initiative, in 2001 DOT and EPA began the second phase of the initiative. This phase is largely web-based and continues to serve the needs of our Community Partners and ACAT members by allowing easy dissemination of materials and a range of knowledge-exchange opportunities (both via the web and ACAT meetings). This new effort is currently providing materials and information to over 50 communities. Given the dramatic success of the second phase of IAAUCA, and the results of a 2001 GAO survey of MPOs which found they need help "educating the public and local officials on how their . . . transportation decisions affect air quality . . . (and) help to promote collaboration among these parties on ways to limit these effects," as well as DOT and EPA's belief that the Nation's transportation and air quality priorities have shifted over the past decade, a need now exists to research and create a second generation of materials. A pooled fund project would provide States and other organizations a unique opportunity not only to build on the proven success of the existing initiative, but also to support and actively address emerging transportation and air quality related priorities.

The goal of this effort is to assemble regional, State, and local agencies, FHWA, EPA and other interested parties to develop a second generation of IAAUCA messages and supporting materials and to do this in a manner consistent with the existing program so as to provide continuity and familiarity to the driving public. It is important to take advantage of the efficiencies of the program to disseminate the materials, expand partnership opportunities, and provide technical assistance to partners for ad placement, etc. This will be done by: 1) conducting market research and focus group tests to examine and refine the target audience and messages, 2) developing the second generation of IAAUCA advertisements and marketing materials for use by communities, 3) update the Resource Toolkit of technical guidance and recommended practices, and 4) develop and hold a training workshop to help communities launch the second generation of messages.

The exact scope of this project will be driven by available funds. A committee of interested partners would develop the scope of work and select the consultant to create the advertisements, which would include conducting market research, drafting and testing messages via focus groups, developing the creative (radio, T.V. and print materials, as well as supporting materials such as give-a-ways, and presentation slides), and using the website to house and disseminate all the materials, etc. Possible new messages could range from a modification of the existing IAAUCA messages to anti-idling, to green vehicles, to health benefits of using alternative transportation. Possible new services could include rush-hour radio advertisement sponsorships and pre/post campaign surveys.

Desired minimum commitment is $50,000 to $100,000/year for a minimum of 3 years. Level of commitment may vary. To enable a larger universe of organizations to contribute to this effort, FHWA has proposed this pooled fund effort, which allows various funds to be contributed including: * SPR, and PL (matching requirement waived) * CMAQ, NHS, STP and MG (with normal matching required) RD&T Transit * Other Federal agencies and their state counterparts, such as U.S. EPA, U.S. DOE, and U.S. Department of HHS-CDC * Other State and local organizations * Private sector organizations and foundation