Plans for a zero-emission delivery zone in Portland are welcome news.
Source: https://electrek.co/2023/04/26/portland-nations-first-zero-emission-delivery-zone/
Author: Peter Johnson
With plentiful parks, bike paths, and hiking trails, Portland is perhaps best known for its eco-friendliness and sustainable mindset. In 2020, the Portland City Council declared a climate emergency, setting a new goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
With transportation accounting for 40% of carbon emissions in the Portland area, city officials new something had to be done. To advance its goal, Portland has announced it will test a new zero-emission delivery zone, becoming the first in the US to implement a project of sorts. Although trucks represent less than 5% of the city’s vehicle fleet, they generate 24% of all transportation related carbon emissions.
The proposed project spans 25 acres of downtown Portland where city and federal office buildings, county courthouse, commercial offices, and parks are present. This spring, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) was awarded almost $2 million from the US Department of Transportation to fund the zero-emission delivery zone. With the new funding, PBOT will change some truck-loading zones to zero-emission vehicles only.