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CAPCOG’s Air Quality Program coordinates regional air quality planning and performs air quality technical research focusing on ground-level ozone and particulate matter pollution.
The program’s planning efforts include coordinating development and implementation of voluntary regional air quality plans, providing technical assistance to organizations that participate in the air quality plans, administering regional pollution reduction grants, and conducting air quality education and outreach to reduce emissions and exposure to air pollution.
Technical research efforts include air quality monitoring, emissions inventory development, data analysis, modeling, and pollution control strategy evaluation. The program is funded by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality grants and local communities. The program also supports the CAPCOG policy board, the Clean Air Coalition (CAC).
Regional Air Quality Plan
The 2019-2023 Regional Air Quality Plan is designed to help keep Central Texas’ air clean. The regional plan serves as a guide to maintain and improve outdoor air quality; reduce the impact of emissions; and mitigate health, environmental, economic and social impacts of regional air pollution.
Read the 2019-23 Regional Air Quality Plan.
Read the Regional Air Quality Plan Addendum.
The plan’s two key objectives are:
- to maximizing the probability of compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) region-wide; and
- minimizing health and environmental impacts of regional air pollution.
To achieve these objectives, the plan calls to
- Implement controls on nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions
- Conduct outreach, educate, and provide technical support to enhance NOx emission reductions
- Do outreach and education when air pollutants are high enough to be considered moderate or worse on the EPA’s Air Quality Index.
- Monitor ambient air
- Research and plan other air quality activities
- Advocate policy
Thirty-nine entities, including CAC members and other participating organizations, made tiered commitments to help protect air quality before the adoption of the plan.
Read the Regional Air Quality Plan.
Plan Addendum
The Clean Air Coalition updated the Regional Air Quality Plan in November 2021 to address particulate matter (PM) pollution which can be harmful to people’s health. The updates include several measures local governments, CAPCOG, and other organizations have made to cut PM pollution and increase awareness of high short-term PM levels when they occur. These steps should help reduce PM exposure within the region.
Read the Regional Air Quality Plan Addendum.
Monitoring & Reporting
Continuous Air Monitoring Stations (CAMS) collects data on pollution concentrations and meteorological conditions. CAPCOG and other organizations can use this data to determine compliance with air quality standards, validate air pollution modeling, measure air quality upwind and downwind of a particular source or area, track air quality trends, and notify the public of unhealthy air pollution levels, among other uses. To collect the data, CAPCOG operates eight continuous air quality monitors throughout the region, which provide supplement data to the four regulatory monitoring stations operated by TCEQ. CAPCOG’s monitoring contractors follow detailed quality assurance project plans to ensure a high level of data accuracy.
Read the Monitoring Network Plan for more information.
The following map shows the air quality monitors around the region and what they measure.
View a map of all Texas Air Quality Monitors including CAPCOG’s.
Annual Air Quality Report
Each ozone season, CAPCOG uses the monitoring data and prepares an annual report detailing the status of air quality in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown Metropolitan Statistical Area. The report also evaluates the contribution to the region’s high Ozone days and summarizes the status of emission reduction measures.
Read the Annual Air Quality Report.
Other Monitoring Projects & Reports
In addition to operating the continuous stationary air quality monitors, CAPCOG has done several projects to collect air pollution data and analyze it for air quality planning purposes, including temporary monitoring, surface mobile monitoring, aircraft-based monitoring, and discrete VOC canister sampling. Such information can be used to research potential new continuous monitoring station locations, measure pollution levels in areas not covered by existing monitors, measure impacts of particular source areas, measure the contribution of urban emissions on rural areas, determine trends in the composition of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere and more.
Air Quality Public Outreach & Education
CAPCOG manages the Air Central Texas (ACT) initiative, a public education outreach campaign that seeks to reduce exposure to air pollution in Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties. The campaign educates people and organizations about taking voluntary actions that decrease emissions and help the public to avoid exposure to high pollution levels when they occur. Through Air Central Texas, CAPCOG and its partners provide the public with information about Central Texas air quality, support existing air quality programs, and motivate the public to “Be Air Aware” when making their daily decisions.
Visit AirCentralTexas.org to learn more.
Learn more about why and how air pollution is harmful.
Like the campaign on Facebook or follow it on Twitter.
Signup for the Air Central Texas ozone season newsletter.
National Air Quality Awareness Week
National Air Quality Awareness Week is always the first week in May and is spearhead by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – National Weather Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Forest Service, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and U.S. Department of State – Environmental Protection Agency. The week promotes events that increase air quality awareness and encourage people to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) daily. The CAPCOG Air Quality Program traditionally coordinates a week-long social media campaign with the CAC partners to raise awareness of air quality throughout the region.
Review a previous CAPCOG National Air Quality Awareness Week proclamation.
Learn more about the awareness campaign.
Air Quality Grants
CAPCOG maintains a list of air quality related grants for various regional stakeholders — governments, nonprofits, business and even individuals. In some cases, CAPCOG can assist a partner entity with their applications to such grants or serve as a source for data to supports an application. CAPCOG has also served as an administrator for some air quality grants so the region could maximize its funding. In such cases, CAPCOG will announce the opportunities to area stakeholders.
Find air quality grant funding opportunities.
For More Information
Commute Solutions promotes commuting activities that increase the efficiency and use of existing roadways by reducing the amount of single occupant vehicle trips, decreasing the amount of vehicles traveling during peak congestion hours, shifting traffic from high-congestion roadways to low-congestion roadways, and increasing the use of public transit, carpooling, van pooling, walking, biking, and teleworking.
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has taken over the Commute Solutions program.
Find out about CAMPO and Commute Solutions.
Planning Commutes
By operating myCommuteSolutions.com, Commute Solutions provides residents living in the CAPCOG region with the opportunity to learn more about their commuting options. The site helps residents find carpooling partners, plan transit trips, map bike routes, and more. It also lets commuters log their commuter miles to see how much fuel they saved, how many calories they burned, or how they benefited the region’s air quality all while providing them incentives.
Track your commute with myCommuteSolutions.com.
Commuting Outreach and Education
A large portion of reducing traffic congestion on existing roadways is providing outreach and education about commuting and other activities such as teleworking. The Commute Solutions program manages CommuteSolutions.com to inform area residents, businesses, and government agencies about how they can benefit from other methods of transportation or use other alternatives to reduce traffic. The program also promotes its activities, news about commuting, and other general information on Twitter @CommuteSolution, and on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/commutesolutions.
Find you CommuteSolutions.com.
Follow Commute Solutions on Facebook.
Tweet Commute Solutions on Twitter.
Regional Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Coordinating Committee
The Regional TDM Coordinating Committee coordinates TDM activities within the CAPCOG region and assists, advises, and, if appropriate, provides materials that support the CAPCOG Commute Solutions program. The committee seeks to improve transportation outcomes in the region by educating people about their personal transportation decisions in areas of:
- reducing unnecessary vehicle trips;
- reducing unnecessary vehicle miles traveled;
- reducing the percentage of vehicle trips and miles using single-occupancy vehicles;
- reducing the number of vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled along congested roadways during peak congestion periods;
- expanding the awareness of and access to mobility options other than single occupancy vehicle commuting, particularly for mobility-challenged individuals and underserved areas;
- expanding access to jobs and workers to meet labor needs within the region,
- encouraging regional planning activities, policies, and programs that reduce personal transportation demand within the region in terms of trips or vehicle miles traveled; and
- coordinating TDM initiatives in the region.
| Criminal Justice Grant Process | PY2020 Regional Strategic Criminal Justice Plan | CJD PY2020 Funding Priorities |
| Criminal Justice Advisory Committee | CJD CAPCOG Region Data Packet for PY 2019 | Previous CJD Plan Years |
| Criminal Justice Resources | Other Criminal Justice Grants | CJAC PY2020 Policy Statement |
CAPCOG’s Criminal Justice Program is designated by the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division (CJD) for regional coordination efforts on the subject in the 10-county State Planning Region 12 area. The program provides technical assistance to applicants for CJD grant funding opportunities to include criminal justice, juvenile justice and victim services-related programming. CAPCOG’s Criminal Justice Program and Criminal Justice Advisory Committee review and update or create a regional strategic criminal justice plan annually. The program also facilitates the grant application scoring process through the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee. Each year application scoring done by the committee is based on local, regional and state priorities.
Plan Year 2021 | Office of the Governor, Criminal Justice Division, funding opportunities
The Plan Year (PY) 2021 will start in September with a Criminal Justice Advisory Committee Meeting and community stakeholder survey. Four stakeholders meetings in October will follow. Information about the survey and stakeholders meetings are below. Funding opportunities that CAPCOG helps administer for PY2021 include the following grant programs:
- General Victim Assistance Direct Service Program — Formerly General Victim Assistance Program (VOCA)
- Violence Against Women Justice and Training Program
- Juvenile Justice Grant Program
- Criminal Justice Program — Formerly Justice Assistance Grants (JAG)
The table below shows information about these four criminal justice funding opportunities as it is provided by the Office of the Governor’s egrants.gov websites. The links within the table are downloads from the egrants.gov. CAPCOG will update the table, links within the table and other grant information, such as future Request for Applications notices, as it is made available by CJD.
| Funding Opportunity | Details | Date RFA Available | Application Due Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Victim Assistance Direct Services Program | |||
| Violence Against Women Justice & Training Program | |||
| Juvenile Justice Grant Program | |||
| Criminal Justice Program |
> Go to the egrants.gov.texas.gov funding schedule for additional information from the Office of the Governor > Read more about CJD
Plan Year 2021 Timeline and Meetings
> Get the Plan Year 2021 Timeline Stakeholders Meetings CAPCOG and its Criminal Justice Advisory Committee (CJAC) are preparing for the upcoming grant cycle for the Office of the Governor, Criminal Justice Division’s Plan Year 2021. They are seeking input to update CAPCOG’s Regional Strategic Criminal Justice Plan. At four stakeholder meetings, stakeholders will hear a presentation on relevant criminal justice information and discuss priorities with other stakeholders. Stakeholders will be asked to come up with priorities in different areas of criminal justice, as well as identify the top five priorities for the region. The meetings will be held at the following times: 9-10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019 CAPCOG Pecan Room 6800 Burleson Road, Building 310, Suite 165 Austin, TX 78744 > Attend the meeting 1:30-3 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019 CAPCOG Pecan Room 6800 Burleson Road, Building 310, Suite 165 Austin, TX 78744 > Attend the meeting 10-11:30 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019 CAPCOG Pecan Room 6800 Burleson Road, Building 310, Suite 165 Austin, TX 78744 > Attend the meeting 2-3:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019 CAPCOG Pecan Room 6800 Burleson Road, Building 310, Suite 165 Austin, TX 78744 > Attend the meeting Regional Needs Survey Due to meeting space limitations, CAPCOG must limit attendance to 25 per meeting. Please register to reserve your seat. If you are unable to attend either meeting but wish to be involved, please complete the below survey by Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019. > Take the survey
Other Funding Opportunities
Check the following websites for possible other criminal justice related funding opportunities:
- Grants.gov
- Egrants.gov.texas.gov
Plan Year 2022 | Office of the Governor, Criminal Justice Division, funding opportunities
The upcoming plan year, should begin in September 2019. Please continue to check the CAPCOG website for updates on Plan Year 2021.
Previous Plan Years
Plan Year 2020 > Read the documents presented for the Criminal Justice Plan Year 2020 process and review the meeting timeline Plan Year 2019 > Read the documents presented for the Criminal Justice Plan Year 2019 process and review the meeting timeline. Plan Year 2018 > Read the documents presented for the Criminal Justice Plan Year 2018 process and review the meeting timeline > Review the 2017 CJD CAPCOG Region Data Packet for PY 2018 Plan Year 2017 > Read the documents presented for the Criminal Justice Plan Year 2017 process and review the meeting timeline Plan Year 2016 > Read the documents presented for the Criminal Justice Plan Year 2016 process and review the timeline of meetings > Review the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee’s overall ranking of grant applicants
Other Resources
| United Way for Greater Austin | Community Action Network | Texas Council on Family Violence |
| U.S. Department of Justice | U.S. Office of Victims of Crime | Texas Commission on Law Enforcement |
Questions?
> Contact Matt Holderread, criminal justice program specialist
The CAPCOG Economic Development Program supports broad-based, efficient, and sustainable economic growth in the ten-county region. The program provides data and analysis to local economic development organizations, cities and counties to help target economic development efforts throughout the region. CAPCOG also is designated by the Economic Development Administration as the Economic Development District for the region. > Read about the district Working on behalf of the district, PED develops the Capital Area Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), a five-year plan that establishes regional goals and objectives for economic development. The strategy provides useful regional information, guidance, and perspective to local economic development stakeholders on a city, county, or regional level. It is produced during a year-long planning process that is inclusive of diverse representatives in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors throughout the Capital Area. The strategy intends to provide a conceptual framework for local actors to strengthen the competiveness, economic resilience, and quality of life in the Capital Area. > Read the 2015-2020 CEDS and 2018 update
Regional Data and other resources
PED provides valuable tools and resources relating to economic development. From periodic reporting on economic trends to in-depth analysis and benchmarking, CAPCOG’s timely tools and information help jurisdictions, developers, community leaders and other stakeholders keep up with changes in the regional economy and prepare for tomorrow.
Central Texas Regional Data
CAPCOG and PED has compiled and regularly updates Central Texas Regional Data that local stakeholders can find useful for policy and economic development planning.
Specialized Economic Development Reports
CAPCOG is often commissioned to draft reports on a variety of topics related to economic development, planning and resiliency. Previous reports can be found on the CAPCOG Publications page The Disaster Resiliency & Recovery in the Texas Capital Area, The Economic Impact and Local Response to the 2015 Memorial Day Disaster Event report is one of CAPCOG’s latest economic development reports. It summarizes much of the available disaster data in an effort to quantify the economic impacts of the disaster event. > Read the report
Data Request
CAPCOG is committed to providing the region with the information needed to make informed planning and policy decisions to include demographics, workforce data, information for site selectors, and more. Most available data can be found in the Data, Maps, and Reports and Central Texas Regional Data sections, but if CAPCOG can help provide other regional data or analysis to your organization, let us know. > Submit a data request
Get grant assistance
CAPCOG provides technical assistance for local governments seeking EDA Public Works Program, TDA, TxDOT grants that strive to increase regional economic opportunities and infrastructure development. Find out more.
The CAPCOG Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Program is responsible for the coordination, aggregation, quality control, administration and publication of GIS services throughout the 10-county region. This includes database maintenance supporting 9-1-1/emergency communications and managing a cooperative base map purchasing program for region participants. GIS Data Services includes free regional GIS data, value-added data, and data products generated from the GeoMap Program, namely orthoimagery for the entire region.
Programs
The CAPCOG GIS Program manages several ongoing programs and committees that contribute to the geospatial evolution in the region. Among those programs are the 9-1-1 GIS Database Program and the GeoMap Program.
9-1-1 – GIS Database Program
CAPCOG’s GIS Program is responsible for the coordination, aggregation, quality assurance and quality control, maintenance and publication of GIS services consumed by Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) across the region. The GIS services are currently used to display regional-wide comprehensive maps for Emergency Call takers updated on a monthly basis. GIS task services also are hosted and served by the CAPCOG GIS Program for 9-1-1 calls to be automatically plotted on the maps. CAPCOG also maintains GIS services for 9-1-1 call takers to use various functionalities on their call operation maps. CAPCOG GIS spearheads the effort to transition from the enhanced 911 system to the Next Generation 911 system in collaboration with Bexar Metro 911 District. The GIS team assists in 9-1-1 database improvements to achieve the current 99 percent match rate for active landline and VoIP phone numbers consisting of more than one million records.
CAPCOG Emergency Locator Map
This mapping application for mobile devices was a project driven by emergency responders and managers “in the field” who desired to use the same data and maps as 9-1-1 call takers, county and city address coordinators, and GIS staff throughout the region. The application provides more consistency in communications and feedback from the field to improve the databases serving these maps. The primary goal for this application is for emergency responders in the field to locate addresses on the map quickly and accurately. CAPCOG is coordinating the testing phase of the Emergency Locator Map app and is encouraging potential users of this application to try it out, live or simulated. Providing feedback will help the CAPCOG GIS Program improve the application to better support the region’s first responders. First responders can access the User Guide and Testing Feedback website while using the Beta version of the application on the feedback website.
Review the user guide, use the app and provide feedback.
Read the Emergency Locator Map introduction.
Capital Area Orthoimagery Projects
CAPCOG’s orthoimagery projects, formerly known as the GeoMap Program, provides and maintains the region’s need for geospatial base-map data through a cooperative purchasing measure that receives volume discounts for the greatest geographic coverage.
Learn about the project and how to participate
GIS Committees
CAPCOG coordinates two GIS-focused committees that meet quarterly and have an ongoing dialog on important regional GIS issues —The Geographic Information Systems Planning Council (GISPC) and the GIS & Maps User Group (GMUG).
GIS Data Services
CAPCOG offers a host of GIS data useful for mapping and spatial analysis purposes. Tabular data also is available.
Free Maps & Data
This section provides a host of downloadable free regional GIS data. Some general reference maps in PDF format are also available.
Orthoimagery Projects
Base-map data for the region is generated from CAPCOG’s orthoimagery, or aerial imagery, projects. The imagery can either be obtained through the Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS) Strategic Mapping program or by contacting CAPCOG.
Read more about the aerial imagery.
GIS Analytical Services
The CAPCOG GIS Program is available to work on GIS projects with communities, businesses or nonprofits at various levels of engagement. Labor fees are typical for smaller projects, and contract or grant based fees are typical for larger projects. Projects may entail the use of other CAPCOG specialty areas, namely community and economic development, transportation and regional planning, air quality, solid waste and others. GIS analytical services typically include some combination of
- data acquisition or generation,
- spatial analysis, or
- mapping/cartography.
Contact Rob Buckhouse, GIS Program Manager, for more information about analytical services.
Statistics & Publications
CAPCOG’s Planning and Economic Development and Regional Services divisions acquire or generate statistical data and produce meaningful analysis for a variety of projects that contribute to regional objectives. That data and completed publications can be found by using the following links.
CAPCOG is the state designated planning agency for solid waste management issues in the region. The Solid Waste Program reviews applications for landfill permits and solid waste grants. Each year CAPCOG provides oversights on Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) funding for local government projects, including source reduction, recycling, local illegal dumping enforcement, solid waste studies, household hazardous waste collections, and public education efforts. CAPCOG provides technical assistance to local governments on solid waste issues and continuing education opportunities for local governments and solid waste professionals.
Regional Solid Waste Management Program Elements
- Solid Waste Grant Program
- Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC)
- Closed Landfill Inventory (CLI)
- Regional Solid Waste Management Planning
- Recycling and Waste Drop-off Locations (CAPCOG Region)
In addition, CAPCOG staff provides grant coordination, technical assistance, and is involved with educational activities and regional environmental management coordination.
Solid Waste Grant Applications for Private Industry Review
According to state law (Section 361.014 (b) TX Health & Safety Code), a project or service funded under this program must promote cooperation between public and private entities, and the grant-funded project or service may not be otherwise readily available or create a competitive advantage over a private industry that provides recycling or solid waste services. To allow private industry the chance to review the applications received during the 2018-19 grant application period, CAPCOG has posted them. > Review the applications > Contact Ken May, regional program coordinator
Regional Environmental Task Force (RETF)
The Capital Area RETF is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement effort of 12 government agencies in Central Texas. This group was formed to address the problems associated with illegal dumping and other environmental crimes. CAPCOG provides centralized coordination for the Task Force which provides support with technical expertise, outreach and education, and training in environmental law. > Learn more about the RETF
Report illegal dumping
Whether it’s leftover tires thrown down a ravine; old furniture, plastics and chemicals tossed in a field; or other suspicious activity, report illegal dumping anonymously anytime by calling 1-877-NO-DUMPS (1-877-663-8677) or completing the convenient online form. CAPCOG forwards illegal dumping complaints to the appropriate jurisdiction for investigation. > Report illegal dumping using an online form
Resources
Workshops CAPCOG provides a number of workshops on solid waste management for entities in its 10-county area. Workshops provided by CAPCOG have included topics about recycling, applying for solid waste management grants, disaster debris management and more. > Get materials from recent CAPCOG Solid Waste Program workshops Publications The CAPCOG Solid Waste Program has funded and compiled a number of reports pertaining to solid waste collection and disposal throughout the region. Those reports can be found on the CAPCOG Publications webpage. > Find a Solid Waste Program report Every biennium the Texas Association of Regional Councils (TARC) puts together a legislative report about solid waste activities done across the 24 regional planning councils. The report is called Regional Solid Waste Grants Program Funding Report. > View the report on TARC’s website Links There are many other organizations and resources available to help entities around the Capital Area educate themselves and their communities on recycling, proper solid waste and household hazardous waste disposal and being good stewards of Texas land. The solid waste program compiled a list of valuable and helpful links to those organizations and resources. > Learn about additional organizations and resources
Questions?
CAPCOG supports the Capital Area Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CARTPO). It helps the regional group of local elected officials to identify and prioritize transportation needs throughout the region, share information across jurisdictions, and consolidate regional transportation advocacy efforts. > Read more about CARTPO In addition, it supports the Commute Solutions program, a multi-agency, regionally coordinated initiative to reduce the number of single occupancy motor vehicles on roadways.
The Regional Planning and Services Division compiles and maintains regional information pertaining to water issues that affect the 10-county region which includes flooding, droughts, and conservation. This clearing house of information — WaterCentralTexas.org — is intended to provide policy makers and planning officials and practitioners with resources to educate themselves on water related issues before making policy decisions.
