Interagency consultation is required under the transportation conformity rule, as described in 40 CFR 51.402. In northeastern Illinois, these procedures are addressed through the consultation process described below and through the work of CMAP's committees, subcommittees, task forces, and working groups as described in the region's Public Participation Plan.

In northeastern Illinois, consultation involving the metropolitan planning organization (MPO), Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Transportation, the Regional Transportation Authority, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) facilitates the local, regional, and state decision-making process by providing a forum for all affected agencies to discuss and resolve important issues. Decisions made through this interagency consultation process guide the MPO in making the conformity determination.

The consultation process facilitates the regional planning process in several ways:

• Consultation assures early and proactive participation by the USEPA, FTA, and FHWA in the plan and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) development process.

• Consultation serves as a forum for interagency communication and understanding to prevent or resolve potential obstacles in the conformity process.

• The expertise of the federal agency representatives is relied upon for assistance interpreting air quality regulations, as well as ON TO 2050 and TIP requirements.

The consultation team meets at the CMAP office on an as-needed basis. Every attempt is made to schedule meetings so that all representatives can attend, but the meetings are held whether or not all members are present. No decision is put into effect until the concurrence of all parties involved in the consultation process is achieved.

Tier II Consultation meetings are held on call, and materials will be posted below. View archived meeting materials.