Lids Not Lanes: An Action Alert from No More Freeways

As 2022 comes to a close, we bring you a timely advocacy request from the indefatigable climate watchdogs at No More Freeways—and the story of one family who managed to squeeze it into this extra-busy season. We hope they’ll inspire you to take a few minutes to raise your voice, too!

Portland advocacy group No More Freeways is asking folks to submit public comments to the Oregon Department of Transportation against the proposed Rose Quarter Freeway Expansion next to Harriet Tubman Middle School, using a form on the No More Freeways website. (If you haven't been following this long saga and aren't sure what to say, you’ll find plenty of talking points below the form.)  

We think the fundamental point is pretty simple: it is both fiscally irresponsible and ecologically immoral to plan a 12-lane highway with a price tag of $1.45 billion through the heart of our city as the climate crisis worsens every year.

For some inspiration, meet Neon Brooks and John Dwyer, parents to Juniper, age 7 and Olive, age 3! They live in Northeast Portland, and have been involved in climate advocacy for years, although parenting young kids has made it harder to fit activism into their schedules lately. But both Neon and John recently made it a priority to submit comments to ODOT against the freeway expansion.

Neon wrote: "I have been following the story of the freeway expansion in the news and have been sickened to see ODOT, a public agency, behave in ways that seem in direct opposition to the public interest. The details of the project seem to be constantly changing, with no public transparency about basic facts like how wide the highway will be and the impacts on Harriet Tubman Middle School. One is left with the sense that ODOT is not attempting to serve the interests of the public, but rather to move this project forward at any cost. All children of Oregon deserve clean air and a bright future. These needs must not come second to the desire for faster speeds on a freeway as it passes through a major metropolitan area."

John wrote: "This project will have a negative climate impact. Transportation is already the biggest source of carbon emissions in Oregon. By widening the freeway, people will drive more frequently and more freight traffic will be induced to travel through the central city. This increase in vehicle miles traveled will directly contribute to more harmful greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. For many years I worked in climate change research, publishing articles in top journals and giving talks. But I don’t need that background to understand that we must stop creating infrastructure that will contribute to climate change."

As parents, we really do know that finding a quiet 5-10 minutes to write a comment is a significant ask for people in the thick of family, work, school, and holiday commitments. Neon said, "Our lives are so busy right now and it was hard to find the time to submit a comment. One thing that motivates me to find the time is knowing that however powerless I feel in the face of climate change, we live at a crucial time when even small actions can make a difference in helping to set the pace of decarbonization. Lastly, I truly believe that our comments on this project can make an impact."

Thank you, John and Neon!

You can help make an impact by submitting a comment to ODOT on the No More Freeways website by January 3, 2023.