Oregon

On Monday, the Oregon state legislature released a plan to raise about $8.1 billion over the next 10 years by increasing gas taxes, registration fees, and payroll taxes to spend on roads, transit, walking, and bicycling. It also includes a new excise tax on bicycle sales.

The audit is an object lesson in how transportation agencies and their consultants can manipulate public communications to serve their self-interest.

The Oregon Department of Transportation is in a tough spot after it tried to justify highway expansion projects by saying they would cut greenhouse gas emissions. ODOT's bogus claims helped sink a $350 million transportation funding package in the state legislature, and even some of the state's Republican lawmakers are calling for agency director Matt Garrett's head. What's a beleaguered state DOT to do?

Clackamas County, outside of Portland, has some opinions about the region's plan to address climate change. According to Michael Andersen at Bike Portland, county commissioners have drafted a letter to regional planners saying the right way to control carbon emissions is to build more highways.

Strava may be making the leap from feel-good gadget for hard core exercise buffs to serious planning tool for cities looking to improve active transportation.

In a small but symbolically important step for a state transportation agency, the Oregon DOT held a "Drive Less Challenge" from late October through November 1. Events like this one are held regularly in cities around the country, but it's the first time a statewide department of transportation has hosted one, according to ODOT.

This summer, Oregon’s legislature passed a bill creating a vehicle-miles-traveled fee. For those who recognize the shortcomings of the gas tax for charging for road use, it was a big victory. But the program authorized by the state is a modest one, creating a voluntary program for just 5,000 drivers of high-efficiency vehicles.

Congratulations are due to Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Minnesota; those four states took home top rankings this year in the League of American Bicyclists' annual Bicycle Friendly States appraisal. The winners were announced this morning.

An obscure provision of the new federal transportation bill is sparking concerns that it could erode walkability and bikeability in communities around the country. The so-called "Enhanced National Highway System" provision would require all major arterial roads to be folded into the national highway system. That could provide greater pressure for local entities to comply with AASHTO's often highway-inspired standards, like wide lanes and shoulders that encourage car capacity at the expense of pedestrian safety.