The mission of the Regional Air Quality Council is to develop and propose effective and cost-efficient air quality planning initiatives with input from government agencies, the private sector, stakeholder groups, and citizens of the Denver metropolitan region. Its primary task is to prepare state implementation plan elements that demonstrate and ensure long-term compliance with state and federal air quality standards and provide acceptable public health and environmental protections to those residing in the Denver metropolitan area, as well as the North Front Range area, as appropriate

In 2008, the RAQC developed a plan to achieve compliance of the 1997 8-hour ozone standard (0.08 parts per million). It is likely that even with the recently proposed measures to attain the 0.08 ppm ozone standard, the Denver and North Front Range areas will be unable to demonstrate attainment of the 2008 ozone standard (0.075 ppm) unless the State of Colorado adopts additional measures to reduce emissions of ozone precursors from stationary sources, the transportation sector, and from other source categories.

The Governor has directed Council to engage in a coordinated process with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), affected local governments, transportation agencies, and others, as appropriate, to develop and report on options to further reduce emissions from vehicles, reduce vehicle miles traveled and other measures that yield emission reductions from the transportation sector. The Council shall lead the discussions of transportation related air quality issues and provide for the broad coordination and opportunity for public involvement necessary to address this issue.