By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation
The Portland Bureau of Transportation received a $2 million grant to establish the nation’s first zero-emissions delivery zone downtown where no gas- or diesel-powered delivery trucks or vans can travel in a 16-block area, according to the Portland Business Journal. The bureau hasn’t yet determined the boundaries for the pilot project’s zero-emissions delivery zone, which will allow parking only by electric vans or trucks, cargo bikes, and hydrogen-fueled vehicles. The goal is to curb carbon dioxide emissions from transportation vehicles, which account for 40 percent of Oregon’s greenhouse gases, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It won’t affect bicycles or passenger cars. The bureau competed with 392 applicants nationwide for one of the 59 federal grants offered under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. If successful, the bureau could receive more federal money to expand the program.
