The Metro Council knows that it will take more than smart transportation investments in the Portland metropolitan area to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions. A strengthened commitment to land use policies that support more compact, walkable urban communities and other strategies that will reduce demand on our roads and people's need to drive must also be considered.
The timing of the proposed 2035 Regional Transportation Plan coming before the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation on Dec. 10 - the same day that the Metro Council considers acceptance of the Urban Growth Report - underscores Metro's commitment to using land wisely while connecting people to their homes and jobs through good transportation options.
The proposed RTP promotes moving people and goods around the region more efficiently by investing in urban centers, major travel corridors and employment areas to influence the number of miles people are forced to travel by car. Projects in the proposed plan include more transit service with better connections; new sidewalks, bicycle facilities and trails; and the technology that enables vehicles to move more smoothly so they spend less time idling. Investments in these projects help reduce the region's carbon footprint and create vibrant communities where residents can walk or cycle to meet everyday transportation needs.
While the Regional Transportation Plan is an important starting point in addressing climate change, the proposed Urban Growth Report prompts the consideration of the impact a growing population has on greenhouse gas emission levels. The report tells us that the region can accommodate anticipated growth through the year 2030 without expanding the urban growth boundary if we develop housing, jobs and services in town centers and along major roads. Directing new households and families into established communities not only gives people choices, but also protects existing single-family neighborhoods while managing growth with multi-family dwellings and mixed-used development that use energy, transportation and land more efficiently.
Together, Metro's proposed plan and report suggest provide strategies for minimizing the region's contribution to global warming by supporting jobs where transportation and housing costs are contained, providing significant new investments in transportation projects, and protecting farms, forests and natural areas by concentrating growth in compact urban centers. Just as importantly, they inform growth management decisions and provide a framework to align local and regional investments in transportation and land use that keeps the Portland metropolitan area a national leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.