Transportation for the 21st Century
The 20th century was the century of the interstate highway, the shopping mall and the automobile. What will the 21st century bring? Join Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder and Gail Achterman, a member of the Oregon Transportation Commission, for City Club’s June 29 Friday Forum, where we’ll explore the future of transportation in Oregon — at the federal, state and regional levels.
Now, the way we move people, goods and services relies heavily on highways. Yet, oil prices continue to rise and over 60 percent of American-consumed oil is imported from far-away sources in Russia, Nigeria and Venezuela. Congestion is increasing, and nearly 40 percent of the state’s greenhouse gases are a result of transportation-related pollution. In the future, what will be required of Oregonians to change the way we travel, and how will we need to transform our delivery systems in order to adapt to the needs of the 21st Century?
Burkholder was a founder of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and served as its policy director. He has taught high school science and served as faculty at Portland State University’s Office of Student Development. He is also a founding trustee of the Coalition for a Livable Future, which unites more than 50 citizen groups on the issue of sustainability.
Achterman, a member of the Oregon Transportation Commission, is a natural resource and environmental expert with policy-making experience at the state, local and federal levels. She currently serves as director of the Institute for Natural Resources and is a member of the boards of the Oregon Garden and Northwest Environment Watch. She also served as executive director of the Deschutes Resources Conservancy, and practiced law for 18 years with Stoel Rives LLP.
Join us as we discuss the future of transportation in Oregon.
