Reducing Climate Pollution from Transportation
Transportation accounts for roughly 38% of Oregon's climate pollution. To meet Oregon's pollution reduction goals, vehicles need to be more efficient, fuels must be cleaner, and we must reduce how much we travel in private vehicles.
Two of these three actions are largely handled at the state and federal levels. For example, see
Federal vehicle efficiency laws and
Oregon's Clean Fuels Program.
The third — reducing how much Oregonians drive — is primarily addressed at the local level. Communities can reduce pollution by bringing destinations people need to reach in their daily lives closer together, increasing the walkability of the built environment, and mixing land uses. Communities can locate retail and commercial services near residential areas, shortening the distance residents must travel. This means less driving, and allows Oregonians to take public transit, bike, or walk where they need to go.
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Every Mile Counts and Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities
To reduce climate pollution from transportation, Oregon created the Every Mile Counts program — a joint program including DLCD, the
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), the
Oregon Department of Energy, and the
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
Each department leads specific parts of the program. DLCD leads in land use planning, and co-leads transportation planning with ODOT. DLCD is working to improve how communities plan for transportation and community development in the
Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities program.
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets for Oregon Metropolitan Areas
In 2010, the legislature enacted Senate Bill 1059, which required the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) to set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for cities and counties in metropolitan areas. The targets require some cities and counties to reduce pollution from light vehicle travel by 2050. The greenhouse gas emission target rules are supported by DLCD, ODOT, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and the Oregon Department of Energy.
Place Types Tool
The Place Types land use classification tool shows how land use and transportation interact. Land use decisions influence the transportation choices that individuals make and affect the overall amount of driving in a region. Place Types are a data driven way to classify and visualize the many ways that land use and transportation interact.
View the
Place Types maps.