(a) In general. The FHWA will assess each of the State DOT targets separately for the NHPP measures specified in § 490.105(c)(1) through (5) and the Freight Reliability measure specified in § 490.105(c)(6) to determine the significant progress made toward the achievement of those targets.

(b) Frequency. The FHWA will determine whether a State DOT has or has not made significant progress toward the achievement of applicable targets as described in paragraph (e) of this section at the midpoint and the end of each performance period.

(c) Schedule. The FHWA will determine significant progress toward the achievement of a State DOT's NHPP and NHFP targets after the State DOT submits the Mid Performance Period Progress Report for progress toward the achievement of 2-year targets, and again after the State DOT submits the Full Performance Period Progress Report for progress toward the achievement of 4-year targets. The FHWA will notify State DOTs of the outcome of the determination of the State DOT's ability to make significant progress toward the achievement of its NHPP and NHFP targets.

(d) Source of data/information. (1) The FHWA will use the following sources of information to assess NHPP target achievement and condition/performance progress:

(i) Data contained within the HPMS on June 15th of the year in which the significant progress determination is made that represents conditions from the prior year for targets established for Interstate System pavement condition measures, as specified in § 490.105(c)(1);

(ii) Data contained within the HPMS on August 15th of the year in which the significant progress determination is made that represents conditions from the prior year for targets established for non-Interstate NHS pavement condition measures, as specified in § 490.105(c)(2);

(iii) The most recently available data contained within the NBI as of June 15th of the year in which the significant progress determination is made for targets established for NHS bridge condition measures, as specified in § 490.105(c)(3);

(iv) Data contained within the HPMS on August 15th of the year in which the significant progress determination is made that represents performance from the prior year for targets established for the Travel Time Reliability measures, as specified in § 490.105(c)(4);

(v) Data contained within Fuels & FASH on August 15th of the year in which the significant progress determination is made that represents performance from the prior year for targets established for the GHG measure in § 490.105(c)(5), and data from Fuels & FASH that represents performance for the reference year.

(vi) Baseline condition/performance data contained in Fuels & FASH, HPMS, and NBI of the year in which the Baseline Period Performance Report is due to FHWA that represents baseline conditions/performances for the performance period for the measures in §§ 490.105(c)(1) through (5). For the GHG measure, specified in § 490.105(c)(5), the baseline performance data from HPMS shall be the data contained within HPMS on November 30th of the year the Baseline Period Performance Report is due to FHWA.

(vii) Data contained within the HPMS on November 30th of the year in which the significant progress determination is made that represents performance from the prior year for targets established for the GHG measure specified in § 490.105(c)(5), and HPMS data as of November 30, 2023 that represents performance for the reference year.

(viii) The CO2 factor specified in § 490.509(f) for the baseline performance, prior year, and reference year for targets established for the GHG measure specified in § 490.105(c)(5).

(2) The FHWA will use the following sources of information to assess NHFP target achievement and condition/performance progress:

(i) Data contained within the HPMS on August 15th of the year in which the significant progress determination is made that represents performance from the prior year for targets established for the Freight Reliability measure, as specified in § 490.105(c)(6); and

(ii) Baseline condition/performance data contained in HPMS of the year in which the Baseline Period Performance Report is due to FHWA that represents baseline condition/performance for the performance period.

(e) Significant progress determination for individual NHPP and NHFP targets—(1) In general. The FHWA will biennially assess whether the State DOT has achieved or made significant progress toward each target established by the State DOT for the NHPP measures described in § 490.105(c)(1) through (5) and the Freight Reliability measure described in § 490.105(c)(6). The FHWA will assess the significant progress of each statewide target separately using the condition/performance data/information sources described in paragraph (d) of this section. The FHWA will not assess the progress achieved for any additional targets a State DOT may establish under § 490.105(e)(3).

(2) Significant progress toward individual NHPP and NHFP targets. The FHWA will determine that a State DOT has made significant progress toward the achievement of each 2-year or 4-year applicable target if either:

(i) The actual condition/performance level is better than the baseline condition/performance; or

(ii) The actual condition/performance level is equal to or better than the established target.

(3) Phase-in of new requirements. The following requirements shall only apply to the first performance period and only to the Interstate System pavement condition targets and non-Interstate NHS Travel Time Reliability targets, described in § 490.105(e)(7):

(i) At the midpoint of the first performance period, FHWA will not make a determination of significant progress toward the achievement of 2-year targets for Interstate System pavement condition measures:

(ii) The FHWA will classify the assessment of progress toward the achievement of targets in paragraph (e)(3)(i) of this section as “progress not determined” so that they will be excluded from the requirement under paragraph (e)(2) of this section; and

(iii) The FHWA will not make a determination of significant progress toward the achievement of 2-year targets for the Non-Interstate NHS Travel Time Reliability measure.

(4) Insufficient data and/or information. The FHWA will determine that a State DOT has not made significant progress toward the achievement of an individual NHPP or NHFP target if:

(i) A State DOT does not submit a required report, individual target, or other information as specified in § 490.107 for the each of the measures in § 490.105(c)(1) through (6);

(ii) The data contained in HPMS do not meet the requirements under § 490.313(b)(4)(i) by the data extraction date specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section for the each of the Interstate System pavement condition measures in § 490.105(c)(1);

(iii) The data contained in HPMS do not meet the requirements under § 490.313(b)(4)(i) by the data extraction date specified in paragraph (d)(2) of this section for the each of the non-Interstate NHS pavement condition measures in § 490.105(c)(2);

(iv) A State DOT reported data are not cleared in the NBI by the data extraction date specified in paragraph (d)(3) of this section for the each of the NHS bridge condition measures in § 490.105(c)(3); or

(v) The data were determined insufficient, as described in paragraphs (e)(4)(ii) through (iv) of this section, in the year in which the Baseline Period Performance Report is due to FHWA for the measures in § 490.105(c)(1) through (3).

(vi) A State DOT's reported data are not accepted in the Fuels & FASH, by the data extraction date specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section for the GHG measure in § 490.105(c)(5).

(vii) A State DOT's reported data are not accepted in the HPMS by the data extraction date specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section for the GHG measure in § 490.105(c)(5).

(5) Extenuating circumstances. The FHWA will consider extenuating circumstances documented by the State DOT in the assessment of progress toward the achievement of NHPP and NHFP targets in the relevant State Biennial Performance Report, provided in § 490.107.

(i) The FHWA will classify the assessment of progress toward the achievement of an individual 2-year or 4-year target as “progress not determined” if the State DOT has provided an explanation of the extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the State DOT that prevented it from making significant progress toward the achievement of a 2-year or 4-year target and the State DOT has quantified the impacts on the condition/performance that resulted from the circumstances, which are:

(A) Natural or man-made disasters that caused delay in NHPP or NHFP project delivery, extenuating delay in data collection, and/or damage/loss of data system;

(B) Sudden discontinuation of Federal government furnished data due to natural and man-made disasters or sudden discontinuation of Federal government furnished data due to lack of funding; and/or

(C) New law and/or regulation directing State DOTs to change metric and/or measure calculation.

(ii) If the State DOT's explanation, described in paragraph (e)(5)(i) of this section, is accepted by FHWA, FHWA will classify the progress toward achieving the relevant target(s) as “progress not determined,” and those targets will be excluded from the requirement in paragraph (e)(2) of this section.

(6) Phase-in of new requirements for the GHG Measure. The following requirements shall only apply to the GHG targets, described in § 490.513(d), and the significant progress determination conducted immediately after the submittal of the 2024 Mid Performance Period Progress Report, described in § 490.107(b)(2):

(i) Consistent with § 490.105(e)(10)(i), State DOTs are not required to establish a 2-year target, and, consistent with 490.107(b)(2), State DOTs will not submit information related to the GHG measure in the 2024 Mid Performance Period Progress Report.

(ii) At the midpoint of the performance period, FHWA shall not make a determination of significant progress toward the achievement of 2-year targets for the GHG measure; and

(iii) The FHWA will classify the assessment of progress toward the achievement of targets in paragraph (e)(6)(ii) of this section as “progress not determined” and they will be excluded from the requirement under paragraph (e)(2) of this section.

(f) Performance achievement. (1) If FHWA determines that a State DOT has not made significant progress toward the achieving of NHPP targets, then the State DOT shall include as part of the next performance target report under 23 U.S.C. 150(e) [the Biennial Performance Report] a description of the actions the State DOT will undertake to achieve the targets related to the measure in which significant progress was not achieved as follows:

(i) If significant progress is not made for either target established for the Interstate System pavement condition measures, § 490.307(a)(1) and (2), then the State DOT shall document the actions it will take to achieve Interstate Pavement condition targets;

(ii) If significant progress is not made for either target established for the Non-Interstate System pavement condition measures, § 490.307(a)(3) and (4), then the State DOT shall document the actions it will take to to achieve Non-Interstate Pavement condition target;

(iii) If significant progress is not made for either target established for the NHS bridge condition measures, § 490.407(c)(1) and (2), then the State DOT shall document the actions it will take to to achieve NHS bridge condition target;

(iv) If significant progress is not made for either target established for the Travel Time Reliability measures, § 490.507(a)(1) and(2), then the State DOT shall document the actions it will take to achieve the NHS travel time targets; and

(v) If significant progress is not made for the target established for the GHG measure in § 490.105(c)(5), then the State DOT shall document the actions it will take to achieve the GHG performance target.

(2) If FHWA determines that a State DOT has not made significant progress toward achieving the target established for the Freight Reliability measure in § 490.607, then the State DOT shall include as part of the next performance target report under 23 U.S.C. 150(e) [the Biennial Performance Report] the following:

(i) An identification of significant freight system trends, needs, and issues within the State.

(ii) A description of the freight policies and strategies that will guide the freight-related transportation investments of the State.

(iii) An inventory of truck freight bottlenecks within the State and a description of the ways in which the State DOT is allocating funding under title 23 U.S.C. to improve those bottlenecks.

(A) The inventory of truck freight bottlenecks shall include the route and milepost location for each identified bottleneck, roadway section inventory data reported in HPMS, Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT), Average Annual Daily Truck Traffic (AADTT), Travel-time data and measure of delay, such as travel time reliability, or Average Truck Speeds, capacity feature causing the bottleneck or any other constraints applicable to trucks, such as geometric constrains, weight limits or steep grades.

(B) For those facilities that are State-owned or operated, the description of the ways in which the State DOT is improving those bottlenecks shall include an identification of methods to address each bottleneck and improvement efforts planned or programed through the State Freight Plan or MPO freight plans; the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program and Transportation Improvement Program; regional or corridor level efforts; other related planning efforts; and operational and capital activities.

(iv) A description of the actions the State DOT will undertake to achieve the target established for the Freight Reliability measure in § 490.607.

(3) The State DOT should, within 6 months of the significant progress determination, amend its Biennial Performance Report to document the information specified in this paragraph to ensure actions are being taken to achieve targets.