Youth vs ODOT - join us for week 6!
As young people who are acutely aware of the climate crisis and the impacts it will have on our generation and generations to come, we knew that this weekend’s life-threatening heat wave (read: climate disaster) was just a preview of what’s to come as the climate crisis worsens. Yet even under the unprecedented hot weather this weekend, state legislators passed HB 3055 in support of funding several major freeway expansions across the Portland metro area, all while being praised for their climate leadership on other bills they passed. True climate leaders would know that every decision is a climate decision and any vote against climate further perpetuates this crisis and counteracts the good being done.
40% of Oregon’s carbon emissions come from transportation. We are in the middle of a climate crisis and ODOT and our elected officials still want to expand freeways - including an $800 million plan to widen I-5 into the backyard of Harriet Tubman Middle School, which already suffers some of the worst air pollution in the state. Achieving climate justice means radically transforming our transportation systems - not spending millions to cause more destruction. We are going to keep fighting because ODOT needs to wake up, realize the crisis we are facing, and start acting with future generations in mind because Portland needs climate action, not freeway expansion!
We have been striking outside ODOT on a biweekly basis since the end of April and we will continue to do so until our demands are met:
An Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Rose Quarter Freeway Expansion to study alternatives to adding lanes in the backyard of Harriet Tubman Middle School
An immediate moratorium on all freeway expansions within the Urban Growth Boundary (I-205 Abernathy Bridge Expansion, Columbia River Crossing 2.0, 217 Widening, I-5 Boone Freeway Expansion, Rose Quarter Freeway Expansion)
The dismissal of Speaker Tina Kotek’s proposed legislation, House Bill 3055 (which would use revenue from tolling to widen freeways) and instead use congestion pricing revenue to invest in safer streets and public transportation.
Governor Kate Brown to appoint a youth climate justice advocate to the currently open seat on the Oregon Transportation Commission
Join us for our sixth week outside ODOT’s downtown headquarters on Wednesday, July 7th from 10:00am-12:00pm at 123 NW Flanders St, Portland, OR 97209 to demand climate justice. Wear a mask. Bring 2 friends!
Follow the campaign on Instagram @youthvsodot.