Regional Op-Ed: Don't let ODOT expand our highways

 It was never a good idea to increase the number of lanes in a highway to solve congestion, and it certainly isn't a good idea to keep acting like it is in the 21st Century. The costs of pretending that induced demand is not real are too great: an eroding climate is not a proper legacy to leave for future generations. 

We have felt the effects of climate change firsthand in Oregon over the last couple of years - it is now common to prepare for fire season: keep smoke particulate masks in stock, weather-tape seal your windows shut. We have seen our neighbors die from heat waves that our region is not prepared to handle. We've known for years that climate change would make the earth a less inviting place to live, but we're still in denial, despite the evidence, that it is happening within our lifetimes. We know that carbon emissions contribute to and accelerate the pace of climate change. And despite the fact that we know that 40% of Oregon's carbon emissions come from transportation, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) feels that it's a good idea to expand I-5 through Portland. 

Metro is currently considering whether to invest $35 million on planning and engineering to replace the I-5 bridge to Washington and to expand the highway on the Oregon side for several miles. By investing these funds on a highway expansion project, Metro would give in to status-quo pressure to maintain the car's dominion over our roads, and set the stage for how Oregon should spend the nearly $5 billion in transportation funding it will receive over the next 5 years from the federal infrastructure bill that recently passed.

By trying to appease every single frustration that drivers experience (which are ironically exacerbated by our over-reliance on the private car), we have shoveled mountains of money at projects all over the country that make air pollution worse, displace people, increase the cost of living for everyone, while also worsening the one problem we were supposed to be solving: congestion. Widening highways induces demand, period.

If the 20th Century brought us the age of the private car, let the 21st Century bring us a renewed focus on actually solving our problems instead of just passing along the bucket to the next generation. Instead of trying to move cars as fast as possible, let's focus on moving people. Let's fund active transportation and transit so that it can compete with the auto industry. Let's invest in safe and convenient modes of transportation so that we can avert the worst effects of climate change. It's already here, folks. Let's stop pretending we have more time to waste on highway expansions. Let's stop pretending that people will have the ability choose transit and active transportation when we fund it at much lower rates than highways. There are no redeeming qualities to expanding highways. There is no problem that highway expansions solve in the short term (months) that are not exponentially worsened in the long term (a couple of years). The time for action is now. ODOT may still believe their role is to fund highway expansions because the loudest people in the room complaint about being stuck in traffic. But Metro should know that it is folly to keep going down this path. Metro is currently accepting public feedback about this issue. The public has until December 28th to submit feedback.  You can submit your own feedback here. Our regional government body should not be in the business of increasing our carbon footprint. As the youth says these days, climate leaders don't widen freeways.

By Alan De Anda-Hall

Sources:

Moving Los Angeles

https://www.accessmagazine.org/fall-2009/moving-los-angeles/

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emmissions

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HY_eiecLXmrOVKVrvrh0619zCEHYsSf6/view

Prepare for Fire Season

https://www.airnow.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/prepare-for-fire-season_1.pdf

Multnomah County: Lack of air conditioning was a prime factor in heat-wave deaths

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/13/portland-oregon-heat-wave-deaths-air-conditioning/

The UN says climate impacts are getting worse faster than the world is adapting

https://www.npr.org/2021/11/04/1052112717/the-u-n-says-climate-impacts-are-getting-worse-faster-than-the-world-is-adapting

More Highways More Problems

https://www.texasobserver.org/more-highways-more-problems/

No More Freeways

https://nomorefreewayspdx.com/

Oregon Transportation Department

https://www.oregon.gov/energy/energy-oregon/Pages/Transportation.aspx

Interstate Bridge and Freeway project heads toward funding approval after key metro vote

https://bikeportland.org/2021/11/19/interstate-bridge-and-freeway-project-heads-toward-funding-approval-after-key-metro-vote-341467

Metro Opens Comment Period on Controversial funding of 35 million for freeway expansion planning

https://bikeportland.org/2021/11/29/metro-opens-comment-period-on-controversial-funding-of-35-million-for-freeway-expansion-planning-341629