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NewsStories about land use and planning from local and national sources. Ideas and events that affect livable urban and rural communities.
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The LatestWant to aid climate? Fix land use, groups sayCutting emissions - To reduce car trips, the state needs smarter development, environmentalists argue March 24, 2008
Three Oregon environmental groups are calling on state transportation and land-use commissions to set goals and adopt policies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by cutting back on car and truck travel in the state. 1000 Friends of Oregon, the Oregon Environmental Council and Environment Oregon recommend increased funding for transit, rail and bicycle transportation. The groups said vehicle operation or emissions taxes should be used to pay for transportation options other than highways. The proposals come on the heels of a report by Gov. Ted Kulongoski's Climate Change Integration Group, which said Oregon must immediately take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or face the "Earth-transforming crisis" of global warming. In a 116-page report to the governor, the task force of top state scientists and business leaders said Oregon should rapidly try to become a "low-carbon economy" that is environmentally sustainable and globally competitive. The three conservation groups called on the Oregon Transportation Commission, the state Land Conservation and Development Commission and the Oregon Global Warming Commission to set targets for reducing the number of vehicle miles Oregonians travel. The proposals are notable because the groups are linking greenhouse gas reduction to the state's land-use planning framework, not just its transportation system. The Climate Change Integration Group and the three environmental groups specifically recommended that the state's "Big Look" task force include climate change as a core issue in land-use planning. The task force recently resumed its review of Oregon's land-use system and will recommend changes to the 2009 Legislature. Land-use patterns are crucial to the success of light rail and other transit options, which in turn reduce car and truck traffic, said Jeremiah Baumann, program director of Environment Oregon. More densely developed housing, for example, provides ridership for light-rail systems. "It's harder to reduce VMT (vehicle miles traveled) if you don't do anything about land use," Baumann said. Transportation accounts for 34 percent of Oregon's greenhouse gas emissions, according to the climate change group's report. Transportation costs made up nearly 19 percent of spending in the average Western household in 2004-05, the group reported. In Portland, increasingly known for promoting bus, light-rail and bike commuting, households spent 17.6 percent on transportation. Still, 71 percent of Oregonians drive to work alone, the report said. Pointing to another link with land-use planning, the report said vehicle miles traveled are unlikely to drop unless patterns of suburban sprawl change. "Large-lot single-use residential developments located far away from destinations require residents to drive in order to access jobs, schools and stores," the report said. "Higher density mixed-use developments are much easier to serve with transit and reduce the distance" between homes and destinations. That makes pedestrian and bike trips more feasible. Oregon has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Eric Mortenson; 503-294-7636; ericmortenson@news.oregonian.com For environment news, go to http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen |
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