transforming transportation: working together to accelerate electrification

Cutting down diesel pollution not only improves human health and mitigates climate impact, it also keeps our money local and creates new jobs.

On July 10th, Governor Brown signed on to a memorandum of understanding with governors of 14 other states, committing to work together to accelerate the electrification of medium and heavy duty trucks.

This is just the beginning of an important push to make sure that the heavy trucks driving through our communities get cleaner as fast as possible. These vehicles- box trucks, trash trucks, trailer trucks, school buses, and more – are responsible for nearly a quarter of transportation greenhouse gas emissions, which is the biggest source of climate pollution in Oregon, and rising.

Diesel exhaust from these vehicles is carcinogenic and causes other health effects including premature death, hospitalizations and emergency department visits for exacerbated chronic heart and lung disease.

Oregon Environmental Council(OEC) has been working for years to get these toxics out of our neighborhoods and eliminate the impact of these heavy vehicles on our climate.

We’ve made great progress, but there is still a lot of work to be done. In 2021, the Department of Environmental Quality, responding to the governor’s direction to take action on climate change, will begin rulemaking to adopt California’s emission standards and require manufacturers to produce zero-emission trucks.

This will help Oregon keep up with California’s standards and avoid becoming a dumping ground for dirty trucks, and expand the production of clean trucks.

We will be tracking the rulemaking; stay tuned for updates about opportunities to make your voice heard in the process!

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Transforming How Oregon Powers Our Lives

Oregon’s future depends on a clean, resilient power grid – one that meets increasing demand, supports thriving local economies and fosters resilient communities. This vision for a clean-energy future is within reach. There are countless allies across Oregon – in environmental circles, community justice, academia, government and business – who share this vision for our future. To meet this moment, OEC brought these partners together to form the Oregon Clean Grid Colla

August 21, 2024, 3:15 am

noraaoeconline-org

Move Oregon Forward: A Coalition and Vision for Our Transportation Future

There’s a big problem happening in our transportation system today, and it’s been decades in the making. The Oregon Department of Transportation is facing a $1.8 billion deficit. If this is not met, ODOT staff have sai

January 21, 2025, 6:20 pm

kristopherf

Join Us This Summer at the Transportation Roadshow!

State legislators are hosting a 12-stop statewide listening tour this summer on major transportation issues. We need your voice! Our transportation system should be safer, greener, better maintained, and more affordable for all Oregonians. Your testimony during these public hearings will impact how legislators shape the future of our transportation infrastructure! Your participation will also help OEC deliver stronger climate-smart legislation

June 3, 2024, 12:42 pm

jacqui

Transportation Program Director – POSITION FILLED

April 16, 2024, 11:15 am

mcadmin

Oregon’s Report Card: The Urgent Need for Transportation Investment

Everyone deserves the right to safe, accessible, climate-friendly transportation options. And everyone deserves to arrive at their destination safely, regardless of their transportation choice. Yet the need for investments in transportation safety could not be more urgent as this year’s back-to-school season is met with a 40-year peak in pedestrian deaths, nationwide.

September 21, 2023, 11:42 am

jacqui

Investing in a Better Transportation Future

Oregon is receiving more than a billion dollars from the federal government through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This money will be allocated to projects around the state by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), under the direction of the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC). The OTC

February 4, 2022, 9:54 pm

saraw

Building Bridges: Connections Between Communities, Climate, and Equitable Transportation

The Columbia River between Washington and Oregon has been significant for transportation around the region for thousands of years, with people moving along and across the river to meet their needs, make a living, and connect across communities. The I-5 bridge between Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon, is currently at the center of a regional conversation about transportation, connectedness, and community needs.

August 10, 2021, 8:19 pm

saraw