Elements of the Climate Smart Strategy
- The key policies and strategies recommended to continue demonstrating the region’s leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks.
- The strategy relies on adopted local and regional land use and transportation plans and expected advancements in cleaner, low carbon fuels and more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Short list of Climate Smart actions
- A list of three actions for 2015 and 2016 to demonstrate the region’s commitment to work together to begin implementing the Climate Smart Strategy.
- The actions focus on transportation funding, advancements in clean fuels and vehicle technologies and collaboration to implement transportation projects that combine the most effective greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategies.
Toolbox of possible actions
- An advisory menu of possible near-term actions that state, regional and local governments and special districts can take in the next five years to begin implementing the strategy.
- A living document subject to further review and refinement as part of scheduled updates to the Regional Transportation Plan to reflect new information and approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- The toolbox recognizes that local comprehensive plans and development regulations, transit agency plans, port district plans and regional growth management and transportation plans present ongoing opportunities to consider implementing its actions in locally tailored ways.
Performance monitoring approach
- Identifies measures and performance monitoring targets for tracking the region’s progress on implementing the strategy.
- The monitoring and reporting system builds on existing performance monitoring requirements per state law and updates to the Regional Transportation Plan and Urban Growth Report.
How was the Climate Smart Strategy developed?
In 2009, the Oregon Legislature required the Portland metropolitan region to develop and implement a strategy to reduce per capita greenhouse gas emissions from cars and small trucks. The target: a 20 percent per capita reduction by 2035. The deadline to adopt a strategy: December 31, 2014.
For four years, the region worked together to assess the impacts of over a hundred potential combinations of land use and transportation policies -- for health, livability and prosperity in communities across our region, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions.
Elected and and community leaders, the public and technical analysis helped narrow these scenarios to a final strategy, based on the local and regional plans communities have already adopted in our region. If these plans can be fully funded and built, the strategy finds, we will exceed the state's greenhouse gas emission targets, create healthy communties, expand transportation choices and support a strong economy.
On Dec. 18, 2014, acting on the advice of local elected leaders, agency partners and community based organizations, the Metro Council adopted the Climate Smart Strategy. On May 21, 2015, the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission added its unanimous approval.
The Climate Smart Strategy will be implemented and monitored beginning in 2015, through a variety of plans, projects and possible policy actions by the region, local governments, the state and special districts like transit providers and the Port of Portland.
What key policies are included in the Climate Smart Strategy?
- Implement adopted land use and transportation plans.
- Make transit convenient, frequent, accessible and affordable.
- Make biking and walking safe and convenient.
- Make streets and highways safe, reliable and connected.
- Use technology to actively manage the transportation system.
- Provide information and incentives to expand use of travel options.
- Manage parking to make efficient use of vehicle parking and land dedicated to parking spaces.
- Support Oregon’s transition to cleaner, low carbon fuels and more fuel-efficient vehicles.
- Secure adequate funding for transportation investments.
What are the public health and economic benefits?
By 2035, the Climate Smart Strategy can help people live healthier lives and save businesses and households money through benefits like:
- Reduced air pollution and increased physical activity can help reduce illness and save lives.
- Reducing the number of miles driven results in fewer traffic fatalities and severe injuries.
- Less air pollution and run-off of vehicle fluids means fewer environmental costs. This helps save money that can be spent on other priorities.
- Spending less time in traffic and reduced delay on the system saves businesses money, supports job creation, and promotes the efficient movement of goods and a strong regional economy.
- Households save money by driving more fuel-efficient vehicles fewer miles and walking, biking and using transit more.
- Reducing the share of household expenditures for vehicle travel helps household budgets and allows people to spend money on other priorities; this is particularly important for households of modest means.