Item B: Greenhouse Gas Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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VI.Scenario Planning Impediments HB 2186 charge: The task force shall evaluate impediments to implementing land use and transportation scenarios that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Section 10(2)(c)). The Task Force has identified the following impediments and challenges that need to be addressed, as well as opportunities for overcoming these impediments and challenges. Need for a detailed state strategy for transportation sector GHG reduction. While the state has done considerable work to craft an overall approach for addressing climate change, metropolitan scenario planning is likely to be most effective if there is a detailed state-level strategy and guidance for reducing transportation sector GHG emission reduction. Metropolitan area planners need guidance about the overall framework of state and federal policies and programs that are expected to be in place in 2035 for reducing GHG emissions to properly assess the effects of their actions and choose actions that complement state policies. Funding for metropolitan planning. Aside from Metro, metropolitan areas have limited staffing and funding capacity to conduct scenario planning or to effectively integrate land use and transportation planning. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) have small staffs and budgets, which are barely adequate to conduct federally-required coordination. A survey of successful scenario planning projects suggests that metropolitan planning staffs and budgets will have to be significantly expanded to undertake scenario planning. Cities and counties also might need additional resources to implement GHG reduction plans. Moving quickly to establish a process for integrating land use and transportation planning to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector in each of the MPOs will position those regions and the state well to receive federal funding to prepare and implement scenario plans. Funding for implementing actions. Currently, funding for transportation and land use actions that would reduce GHG emissions, such as public transit or transportation demand management (TDM) programs, is limited. Additional and sustainable funding for these kinds of actions will be needed to meet GHG reduction targets and would provide local governments a strong incentive to conduct scenario planning. More work will be needed at the state and federal levels to identify funding sources and programs to carry out these actions. Scenario planning can help Oregon communities and agencies inform this discussion by identifying cost-effective actions to reduce GHG emissions. This will also position communities to take advantage of these new funding programs as they become available. Authority. While the Governor designates MPOs, they are federally-mandated and federally-funded forums for cooperative transportation decision-making by state and local officials. Oregon’s MPOs, with the exception of Metro, do not have the authority to conduct land use planning. Therefore, the MPOs focus on conducting and coordinating federally- required transportation planning. As in other states, Oregon MPOs have played a lead role in scenario planning providing for public engagement and review of alternatives in spite of the fact that most do not have land-use planning authority. However, the local jurisdictions – the cities within each MPO – are ultimately charged with adopting their own land use plans, and the MPOs have no authority to impose specific land use requirements. Page 22