Transportation for Oregon's Future

Current News

Oregon can lay the foundations for a strong, sustainable economy by building a healthy 21st century transportation system that creates new family-wage jobs while reducing global warming pollution and increasing the livability of our communities.

OEC's current focus is ensure that the state's fast-growing urban areas take steps to reduce transportation-related global warming pollution. Oregon has a golden opportunity to create climate-friendly communities that cost families less, promote healthy lifestyles, and curb emissions of greenhouse gases. OEC's deputy director Chris Hagerbaumer sits on the Metropolitan Planning Organization Greenhouse Gas Emissions Task Force, which has proposed a series of recommendations. The first phase of recommendations were adopted in Senate Bill 1059, supported by OEC and passed by the 2010 Legislature.

OEC organized Cutting Carbs professional development workshops for transportation professionals and local elected officials in the Rogue and Willamette valleys December 2009 and in Portland December 2008. 

OEC is serving on the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program Steering Committee to ensure that environmental considerations are a key factor in the criteria the state uses to choose highway projects and to develop a new "least-cost planning" model that will result in better, more environmentally friendly solutions to transportation problems.

OEC helped pass HB 2186 in 2009, which gives the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission the authority to adopt a low-carbon fuel standard. We are serving on the rulemaking advisory group to ensure that by 2020 the fuel we use to power Oregon’s cars and trucks will emit at least 10% less heat-trapping carbon than it did in 2010.

OEC helped found Transportation for Oregon's Future, a network of organizations and businesses supporting a balanced transportation system for a strong economy and healthy communities. The network influenced the Jobs & Transportation Act of 2009 (state-level legislation) and is also working to influence reauthorization of the federal surface transportation act.

Why Transportation?

Transportation is responsible for more than one-third of Oregon's global warming pollution and more than half of Oregon's air pollution.  Runoff from parking lots and roads pollutes our waters. And Oregon's open spaces and farmland are threatened by the sprawl that's associated with poorly planned transportation infrastructure.

By 2025 the state’s population will be 4.3 million --  about two more Portlands, eight more Salems, or 28 more Bends fitting somewhere into Oregon. That's a lot more people and a lot more traffic. Decisions about where to locate businesses and housing and how to provide transportation infrastructure and services will have a profound effect on our future. If we make the wrong decisions, we could worsen the climate crisis. If we make the right decisions, we will not only help solve global warming, but also enjoy reduced infrastructure costs, greater energy independence, a wider range of less expensive transportation options, and a cleaner, healthier environment.

OEC's Work

• Great places to live: How Oregon can create climate-friendly communities
• The Oregon Environmental Council envisions a transportation system that is truly sustainable from an economic, environmental and social standpoint.
• OEC promotes real transportation solutions, including transportation alternatives, cleaner and more fuel efficient cars, alternatives to dirty diesel, and renewable fuels. We are serving on the low-carbon fuel standard rulemaking advisory group convened by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
• Read a joint letter urging the spending of federal economic stimulus dollars on green transportation infrastructure.
• Read our comments on the Columbia River Crossing Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
• Read the letter that 1000 Friends of Oregon, Environment Oregon and OEC submitted to the Oregon Transportation, Global Warming, and Land Conservation & Development Commissions urging these commissions to act collaboratively to help Oregon residents drive less.
• OEC's Drive Green Save Green campaign provides practical information on how to save money while protecting the environment at the same time.
• Our It's Not Cool to Idle at School toolkit engages young people in improving the air quality around their school.
• We even help drivers take control of the fixed costs of driving through solutions like "Pay-as-you-drive" insurance.
• OEC led Clean Cars for Oregon, a coalition effort to ensure adoption of the clean car standards in 2006. These tailpipe emission standards were adopted to significantly reduce global warming pollution and air pollution from all new cars and light-duty trucks. In 2009, President Obama issued nationally uniform greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards. States like Oregon helped tip the balance.