The Week Observed: May 8, 2026 (opens in new tab)

Contrary to ODOT claims, Oregon is driving in the wrong direction to acheive its adopted climate goals. Oregon’s Statewide Transportation Strategy (STS) targets a 20% per capita reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 2050, yet current data shows the state is moving in the wrong direction. While ODOT claims a 9 percent VMT/capita decline since 1990, nearly all those gains occurred before the STS was adopted in 2013–meaning we’ve made no progress since then.