Climate Office

The ODOT Climate Office was formed in recognition of the importance of reducing carbon emissions from transportation and the impacts climate is having on Oregon's transportation system, and therefore the ability to move people and goods in the state. Climate is being added as another critical lens by which ODOT will need to make decisions and investments, balanced alongside other important considerations like equity, safety, and the economy. By forming a Climate Office, ODOT is consolidating efforts into a strategic approach to help Oregon achieve a cleaner transportation future.

The mission of the ODOT Climate Office is to identify and pursue actions that reduce transportation GHG emissions and the Agency's carbon footprint. The Office is also charged with helping the Agency understand, and begin to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate and extreme weather.

To accomplish this, the Climate Office will work across ODOT Divisions to educate, develop and institutionalize a climate lens and strategies into the ways the Agency plans for, invests in, builds, manages, maintains, and supports the multi-modal transportation system of Oregon. Staff will also work with other state agencies and local agency partners to find collaborative approaches and solutions, connect with stakeholders, and learn best practices from other states.

Program Areas

Mitigation

Implement the Statewide Transportation Strategy: A 2050 Vision for Greenhouse Gas Reduction, Executive Order 20-04 on Climate, and other ways to reduce ODOTs and Oregon's transportation carbon footprint. Efforts will focus on: cleaner vehicles and fuels, low carbon transportation options, demand management and system operations improvements, pricing strategies, and coordinated land use. Support local jurisdictions to plan for and execute emission reduction strategies.

Contact:
Brian Hurley, Mitigation Program Manager
ODOT Climate Office
(503) 986-4398

Transportation Electrification

Widespread adoption of electric vehicles is key to achieving the state’s goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. However, to support and accelerate electric vehicle use, Oregon needs a convenient, accessible charging infrastructure for multiple electric transportation modes like cars, buses, freight trucks and e-bikes.

Current projects:

Transportation Electrification Infrastructure Needs Analysis (TEINA): a study to identify EV charging needs and gaps across Oregon. Learn more on the TEINA webpage.
Oregon Transportation Electrification Activity Map (OR TEAMS): a study to produce a set of visualization graphics that map transportation electrification initiatives by stakeholders across Oregon. Stakeholders include state agencies, local governments, utilities, charging companies, nonprofits, the auto industry (manufacturers, dealers, trade organizations), and other transportation electrification industry participants.

Contact:
Mary Brazell, Transportation Electrification Program Manager
ODOT Climate Office
(503) 986-3839

Adaptation

Prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change on transportation infrastructure and routes. Make the transportation system more resilient to extreme weather events and climate threats such as extreme precipitation, sea level rise, and wildfires.

Contact:
Geoff Crook, Adaptation Program Manager
ODOT Climate Office
(503) 986-3425

Sustainability

Continue sustainability actions such as the Solar Highways program and conservation around water resource management, energy use and similar efforts.

Climate Impact Analysis

Establish performance targets and tracking mechanisms for greenhouse gas reduction and associated metrics. Analyze and inform the potential impacts of different policy choices, investment decisions, and actions related to climate change.

Contact:
Tara Weidner, Climate Impact Analysis Program Manager
ODOT Climate Office
(503) 986-4226

Adaptation_Failed Culvert.png

Key Efforts

One of the overall objectives of the Climate Office is to consolidate work and better connect transportation-related climate efforts across the state. There are years of laws, directives, orders, and initiatives that include distinctive work items but that relate to other efforts. Although the goal is to better link these long term, many of the key efforts described below are organized by directive or work item to support the public to more easily find information.

The Climate Office is engaged in a broad array of work but the top five current focus areas include:

Oregon Executive Order 20-04

In March 2020, Governor Brown issued Executive Order 20-04 directing several state agencies, including ODOT, to take immediate actions to address climate change. ODOT is required to add a GHG reduction lens to project investment decisions, and conduct a needs analysis for transportation electrification charging infrastructure.

ODOTs plan for implementing the Executive Order can be found in the report below and more information will be added to this webpage as efforts get underway.

May 15, 2020 Report: In accordance with the Executive Order, ODOT submitted a report to the Governor’s Office with a response on how ODOT will comply with the directives.

STS Multi-Agency Implementation (Every Mile Counts)

Oregon Executive Order 20-04 required cross agency collaboration on the Statewide Transportation Strategy (STS) to reduce GHG emissions. Accordingly the agencies of ODOT, Department of Land Conservation and Development, Department of Energy, and Department of Environmental Quality met and prioritized collaborative actions to reduce emissions.

The four agencies have developed a 2-year implementation plan, with long term commitments to continue prioritizing and implementing additional actions.

Every Mile Counts: The four-agency effort has been dubbed “Every Mile Counts” to encapsulate the suite of collaborative actions needed to reduce miles traveled, achieve cleaner vehicles and fuels, and integrate GHG into decision making. More information can be found on the multi-agency website, including the 2-year STS Multi-Agency Implementation Work Plan.

STS ODOT Mid-Term Implementation Plan

ODOT will soon begin an effort to identify actions from the Statewide Transportation Strategy (STS) that the Agency will implement over the next five years. This will be the second Implementation Plan that ODOT has developed. The first was in 2014, which focused on leveraging existing efforts.

This next iteration (mid-term plan) will look to more bold and sweeping actions in recognition that the STS vision is not on track.

Development of the plan will begin in the summer of 2020 and conclude in early 2021. Staff will work with with the Oregon Transportation Commission on plan development and will engage stakeholders at various points.

More information will be posted to this website as it becomes available.

Performance Measures

A key part of all climate-related efforts will be to track progress, not only to overall measures like GHG reduction but also indicators that gauge the effectiveness of programs and individual actions. For mitigation, staff will build off the Statewide Transportation Strategy (STS) performance areas and formalize tracking and reporting mechanisms.

The Climate Office intends to report regularly on overall progress and provide summary reports or a dashboard of performance measure information.

Adaptation Roadmap

ODOT has contracted with a consultant to understand the threats climate change and extreme weather pose to the transportation system. A strategy will be developed to guide the Agency on policies and investments to make the transportation system more resilient and to respond to climate threats.

Missed our June 8 webinar? You can now watch it on YouTube!

Contact

See individual staff contact information under program areas.

Amanda Pietz, Director
ODOT Climate Office
(503) 986-4227

Geoff Crook, Interim Lead
ODOT Climate Office
(503) 986-3425

Questions, comments, or concerns Climate Office