Mitigation actions work to slow the pace of climate change and reduce its negative impacts. Mitigation efforts at ODOT means reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that result from the transportation sector. While users will make their own travel choices, ODOT can help make low-carbon options easy and affordable. This includes providing access to lower emission travel choices, such as low carbon vehicles and fuels, and increasing the use of non-single occupancy vehicle travel options. This requires coordination with other agencies to set, track, and accomplish emission reduction goals. Learn about ODOT’s Data & Analysis work that supports and tracks progress on these efforts.
What We're Working On
Climate Action Plan 2021-2026
The
Climate Action Plan 2021-2026 is ODOT’s 5-year plan to address the climate change impacts from and on the transportation system. It provides specific actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, improve climate justice and make the transportation system more resilient to extreme weather events. The plan is based on agency goals and priorities, as well as stakeholder feedback. The plan contains actions related to transportation electrification and electric vehicles, walking and bicycling, public transit, system efficiency, pricing and tolling, low carbon construction, addressing climate justice, measuring progress and making the transportation system more resilient.
Strategic Planning
The
Statewide Transportation Strategy (STS) is Oregon’s roadmap for transportation emissions reduction. The STS includes all aspects of the transportation system, including the movement of people and goods, and identifies a combination of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas, or GHG, emissions. The STS includes a variety of effective GHG emissions reduction strategies in transportation systems, vehicle and fuel technologies, and urban land use patterns. ODOT’s Climate Action Plan is consistent with the strategies in the STS.
In 2023 ODOT and partners released the
Oregon Transportation Emissions website, which tracks the state’s progress on reducing emissions from transportation. Progress is measured relative to the STS Vision through 2050, including explanations of the various supportive strategies.
Cleaner Transportation Choices
The STS calls upon state agencies to work together to meaningfully reduce transportation emissions.
Every Mile Counts is a partnership between ODOT, the Oregon Department of Energy, Department of Environmental Quality, and Department of Land Conservation & Development to implement the STS. The partnership focuses on collaborative actions that reduce transportation GHG emissions and implement the STS through reducing vehicle miles traveled, increasing use of cleaner vehicles and fuels, as well as integrating consideration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into decision making.
Planning for the Future
ODOT is paying close attention to the GHG emissions from transportation programs and projects supported by the
Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). STIP projects are ODOT’s long-term transportation investments, and development of projects for 2024-2027 STIP is well underway.
Applying a Climate Lens
The Climate Office is developing a “climate lens” to apply when considering GHG emissions from proposed STIP projects. GHG emissions are evaluated in the STIP during three key phases of decision-making: 1) when funding is allocated between investment programs, 2) as project lists are compiled and narrowed, and 3) at the public review of the draft and final project list. Current emission evaluations will establish a baseline, or starting point, and provide data and decision-support tools that inform investment tradeoffs into the future.
Future Work
- Statewide Mode & Topics plans
We are working to ensure the climate lens is included in statewide policy documents, such as the upcoming Oregon Transportation Plan update. - Local long-range planning
We are also working closely with other state agencies and local governments to consider and track progress towards the state GHG goals and targets.