Global greenhouse gas emissions are forecast to increase by 25 percent by 2015. In the Northwest, food processing companies spend $8 billion annually transporting their products, including thousands of truck trips and billions of pounds of atmospheric carbon. Yet research shows that more than 20 percent of those truck miles are partial loads or empty backhauls. An innovative concept, the “Green Shipper” transportation program, demonstrates that dramatic CO2 emission and energy reductions are possible through a collaborative approach to logistics.

Phase I Green Shipper program research was subcontracted in 2009 to an Oregon-based small company entrepreneur, through a $140,000 grant from Northwest Food Processors Education & Research Institute. Research showed significant efficiency, energy and cost savings potential. In a five week survey of most recent benchmark data, from five Oregon companies driving 2.6 million truck miles, the average waste of CO2 emissions was 27.6 percent, average wasted diesel fuel transporting temperature controlled freight was 32.8 percent and wasted truck cost was 22.4 percent.

The Education & Research Institute has concluded the need for a performance-based pilot study of an improved web-based, transportation management model. This pilot project will create a new executive training opportunity to help change the culture of transportation professionals in Oregon. This “shovel ready” project will train companies to find partners to optimize partial loads and empty backhauls.

Phase II pilot project goals include measurable findings to:
1. Demonstrate fuel and CO2 emission reductions of 18-20 percent.
2. Demonstrate and verify an average at least 10 percent truck transportation cost savings, enhancing the economic vitality of a key segment of the state’s economy.
3. Identify optimal logistical efficiency unique to each shipper

The significant savings generated by this program can be used to finance growth. Innovative products, equipment, and occupations in energy security can be self-financed. This fully-documented model program is fully adaptable to any shipper and is consistent with the recommendations of Governor Kulongoski’s Transportation Vision Committee.

Meyer Memorial Trust jumpstart funding would be leveraged by significant industry and state funding contributions, embracing continuous improvement in logistics management. Fewer trucks on the road will reduce the cost of maintenance to Oregon’s roads and highways for years to come.

Most crucially, Green Shipper could begin training immediately, which will lead to reducing Oregon industry’s carbon “tiretracks.”

Jim Azumano, ERI

Fees support addition of safe bike lanes and classes in schools on safe riding.. Bike license plates would deter unsafe riding by providing a means of identification.

Another similar idea to require licenses and plates for bikers:
We could be one of the first in the nation to test, license and plate our bikers in Oregon in order to bring them fully into the daylight of being a legal part of the road. We could charge a small fee for testing, a small fee for licensing, and a small fee for plating a bike. Oregon police could effectively ticket bikers who break the law just as we do autos. This could bring in a significant amount of income and at the same time be the first in the county to require full emersion for the bikers on the roads. We could even get local bicycle businesses to put up a percentage discount for people who get licensed. With the discount at local stores you could boost the local governement and boost local businesses. Not to mention using the money to build biking infrastructure instead of using water money. As a byproduct, more people in America would view biking with more respect and look to it's growth across the country as an economy booster.

CSX Railroad commercials note "Our trains move a ton of freight 423 miles on one gallon of fuel."

JPods networks are ultra-light computer controlled overhead railroads from which robotic vehicles move people and cargo at 260 passenger miles per gallon, without the gallon. Solar collectors mounted over the rails gather 10,000 to 20,000 vehicle miles of power per mile of rail per day.

Networks are very scaleable. They can start as small as 100 yards connecting wings of a hospital complex and grow to cover whole cities displacing about 70% of oil-powered transportation.

Cost per mile is $5 to 12 million. Paybacks 1-7 years.

Bill James
612.414.4211

make smart speed signes for freeways similar to europe but signes that drop speed limit to as low as 5 mph to reduce stop and go traffic. This system would constently very the speed to maximize amount of traffic moved. This system would also have smart lights that sence the traffic volume through cameras and magnetic sensors. Currently most stop lights only take into account stopped traffic but not moving traffic.

Companies should be persuaded to promote working from home 1 or 2 days a week. Carrot and stick approch should be used in form of taxes/tax breaks. Companies should be asked to open their doors earlier or later to controle the spike of traffic in the morning and evening from their employees transeting to work.

Mike Dragulin

Downtown is a place full of angry drivers who are confused, lost, or otherwise trying to make it through downtown in a hurry.
Provided all of the events friendly to foot traffic, we need to eliminate private vehicles. There is already an infrastructure of park & rides in place. This would also free up much needed Real Estate currently used as parking structures.
I'd like to see Portland mimic the bike friendly atmosphere of Copenhagen, where there are free bikes conveniently located around downtown for visitors and residents to use. This infrastructure would be far less to create than the ongoing maintenance and expansion needs of tri-met buses. It would make city life a lot quiter without all of the traffic and bus noises, while promoting the use of the max and street car expansion currently in play.
Thanks for your consideration!

Another very similar idea:
Convert downtown into "no car" zone like cities in Europe. (Only delivery trucks at specific hours.) When there are more places to walk you could have more street vendors and commerce in downtown. Compared to most cities in Europe, Portland's downtown is pretty lame.