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reduction goals. The reason: a growing population – and the attendant increase in driving– will overwhelm the benefits that these improved technologies provide in reducing GHG emissions. Consequently, other actions will be necessary to reduce vehicle travel and facilitate travel in ways that produce fewer GHG emissions. Scenario planning is a valuable process for identifying the combination of actions that can be implemented at the metropolitan and local level to help meet these goals. - We know that the way we plan our metropolitan areas affects people’s travel choices. We also know that good land use and transportation planning carefully done can help reduce VMT and GHG emissions. As a result of past efforts to plan for compact growth and build in transportation options, metropolitan Oregonians already drive less - and emit fewer GHG emissions - than residents of comparably sized metropolitan areas around the country. - Good planning can improve the effectiveness of other GHG reduction actions. For example, planning for compact, mixed-use development along planned transit routes increases the effectiveness of transit investments. Figure 3: Percentage of Light Vehicle Emissions for Metropolitan and Non-Metropolitan Areas Scenario planning will enable Oregon communities and Oregonians to make well-informed choices about how best to accomplish GHG reductions. Through scenario planning communities can consider costs and benefits of different actions and make choices that minimize the economic pain and maximize the economic opportunities and benefits from reducing GHG emissions. GHG emission reduction is an important goal, but can and should be achieved in a way that also helps communities achieve high levels of livability and economic opportunity and that minimizes economic hardship. Scenario planning is an important tool because it allows individual metropolitan areas and communities the opportunity to evaluate and choose from a broad range of possible actions the combination that best suits the needs and aspirations of a local community. Framework for Scenario Planning The Task Force recognizes that the state must get started immediately at all governmental levels to plan how to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector in the future and to identify and carry out actions that can be done now to reduce GHG emissions. Page 13