Memo: Transportation and Land Use Planning in Oregon Land Use Planning Solutions for Reducing Greenhouse Gasses The transportation sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in
Oregon, producing about 34% of the state’s greenhouse gases.i Oregon has set an ambitious, but
achievable, goal of reducing transportation GHG emissions by 75% below 1990 levels by 2050.ii
Supply-side solutions for reducing GHGs, such as more fuel-efficient cars and low or no carbon
fuels, are not sufficient by themselves to meet our reduction goals. Reductions in transportation
emissions will require providing choices in how we all get around in our daily activities.
Integrating land use and transportation planning decisions has the greatest potential to decrease
GHG emissions because urban design directly affects the need to drive.
The design of urban areas greatly impacts transportation patterns. When cities are designed in
ways that mix residential, business, and service areas together the distances individuals must
travel to buy groceries, take their children to school, or do most other activities decreases. When
residential areas are integrated with such services, it makes alternative modes of transportation,
such as walking or taking transit, more attractive because they are more feasible. Grid street
patterns reduce congestion, and building wide, covered sidewalks in retail areas encourages
walking. Parking supply and cost, the distance to transit, and the quality of pedestrian and
bicycling facilities all impact people’s transportation decisions. With careful community
planning, changing these variables will change transportation patterns.
Transportation Planning in Oregon Oregon’s land use planning laws recognize urban design as a principal tool for changing
transportation patterns. Several of the Statewide Planning Goals adopted by the Land
Conservation and Development Commission play a role in guiding transportation planning.
Goal 14 (Urbanization) requires urban growth boundaries (UGB) to encourage compact
development and efficient and economical infrastructure investment. Goal 12 (Transportation)
states that all modes of transportation should be considered during planning, and city
transportation plans should “avoid principal reliance upon any one mode of transportation.” In
1991, LCDC adopted the Transportation Planning Rule (TPR) to add more specificity in how to
implement Goal 12. The TPR emphasizes the need to better link land use planning and
transportation. It sets vehicle miles travelled (VMT) reduction goals and requires land use and
transportation plans to address all transportation needs. The rule encourages the built
environment to be designed in a way that encourages the use of transit and alternative modes of
transportation.
Oregon’s land use planning laws have greatly contributed to shifting away from the automobile
as the primary mode of transportation, especially in the Portland metropolitan region. The
Portland region’s first MAX light rail line opened in 1986 and since that time ridership has
continued to grow as three more lines have been completed. VMT has dropped significantly in
the Portland region, as more commute options have become available. In recent years the focus
has included improving transportation networks within the city through installing the Portland
Streetcar line and greatly expanding bikeways. Bicycle ridership is increasingly popular,
doubling between 2001 and 2007.iii However, in recent years Portland’s transit provider, TriMet, has cut service frequency and some routes altogether, and has raised fares, as fuel and other
costs have risen and the lagging economy has cut into Tri-Met’s funding sources. Urban areas in
other parts of the state face similar challenges to fund transit and provide pedestrian and bicycle
facilities.
To accomplish the statewide GHG reduction goal, the Land Conservation and Development
Commission (LCDC) adopted GHG emissions targets for the six largest metropolitan areas in
Oregon. The Portland metropolitan region is in the process of investigating different scenarios
that would achieve its adopted target (20% per capita reduction in GHG from light weight
vehicle – cars and light trucks). Different combinations of changes to community design, pricing
schemes, and increases in technology are all being considered to reduce GHG emissions.
1000 Friends and Transportation 1000 Friends of Oregon continues to be engaged in efforts to combat urban sprawl by preventing
unnecessary transportation development projects. 1000 Friends of Oregon commissioned the
Land Use, Transportation, and Air Quality Connections (LUTRAQ) study in the early 1990s,
founded on the idea that land use and transportation policies must go hand in hand. The study
was issued in response to the proposed Westside Bypass, a freeway slated to run in Washington
County, from I-5 to Highway 26 predominantly outside the UGB and through some of the state’s
best farmland. Many studies have shown that building bypasses does not alleviate traffic
problems, but instead exacerbates them, including by encouraging ever more far-flung
development around the new roadway that generates even more automobile traffic. 1000 Friends
argued that transportation engineers and planners failed to consider non-freeway alternatives to
the congestion problems in Washington County. The LUTRAQ study concluded that traffic
problems could be alleviated by creating clearer grid patterns within the urban areas of
Washington County, creating more internal north to south roadways, improving Highway 26,
developing the Westside MAX line, and concentrating mixed use development in key transit
corridors. The Western Bypass was successfully stopped and today almost all the LUTRAQ
recommendations have been implemented or partially implemented.
Having always recognized the important link between land use development and transportation
needs, 1000 Friends of Oregon remains a vocal advocate for compact development with housing
and transportation choices. This decreases automobile dependency, provides transportation
options for all citizens, provides opportunities for active living, links employment with transit,
and saves families money on gasoline. Urban planning can encourage healthier communities
when the physical environment promotes walking, biking, and transit. Integrating where we live
and where we work allows us to define our sense of place and deepen community ties. We call
this “Cool Communities.”
Challenges facing successful implementation Oregon’s land use planning program does an excellent job of targeting the most effective
methods of reducing GHG emissions; however, finding sufficient funding sources to build and
maintain infrastructure is difficult. Funding non-roadway transportation in Oregon is a
challenge. According to Oregon law, fees from motor vehicles can only be used for roadway
improvement, and the lack of a sales tax eliminates a primary source of funding non-roadway
transportation that many other states depend on.iv The Oregon Non-Roadway Transportation
Funding Report Options: Report to the Governor, published in May 2012, identifies additional
funding options that may be used to fund non-roadway transportation development. The report
identified 16 “priority” funding options, which can potentially be implemented in the near future.
The report stressed the need for investment in transportation apart from the automobile in order
to meet statewide GHG reduction goals and address congestion. With an aging population,
having a transportation infrastructure that doesn’t emphasize automobiles over alternatives is
especially important. A strong transportation network is necessary for Oregon’s economy as
well as its citizens. 1000 Friends of Oregon hopes to take a lead role in advocating for more
sustainable sources for funding non-roadway transportation.
While Oregon’s GHG reduction goals are progressive, we still have a long way to go. There is
no one magical solution that if implemented will lead to the necessary reductions. However, with
land use planning at the center, we have the tools necessary to meet our state goals.
i
The Governor’s Climate Change Integration Group. “Final Report to the Governor: A Framework for Addressing
Rapid Climate Change (FARCC). Oregon Department of Energy, January 2008.
ii
Climate Smart Communities Scenarios Project. “Understanding Out Land Use and Transportation Choices.”
Metro. Jan 12, 2012. <
http://rim.oregonmetro.gov/webdrawer/rec/230673/view/General%20Administrative%20Records%20(GAR)%20%20A~mart%20Communities%20Scenarios%20-%20Understanding%20Our%20Choices%20%20Draft%20Phase%201%20Findings.PDF>
iii Portland Department of Transportation, “Portland Bicycle Counts 2007.” p. 1. iv
Economic and Planning Systems, Inc. and Smart Growth America. “Oregon Non Roadway Transportation
Funding Report Options: Report to the Governor.” Non Roadways Transportation Funding Group. May 24, 2012.
<http://cms.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/Documents/NonRoadwayFINALREPORT.pdf>