Alan R.P. Journet Ph.D
Cofacilitator
Southern Oregon Climate Action Now
February 10th, 2026

SOCAN Testimony supporting HB4008.

Chair McLain and members of the House Committee on Transportation:

I write as cofacilitator of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN), the oldest grassroots climate organization in the Rogue Valley representing some 2,000 Southern Oregonians. We are concerned about the climate crisis and seek federal, state and local action to address it. We are rural and coastal Southern Oregonians who live on the frontlines of the warming, reducing snowpack, heatwaves, drought, rising sea level and the increasing wildfire risk that these trends conspire to impose on us. Because of our concern, we pay close attention to efforts nationally, statewide, and locally that impact our collective efforts to address the climate crisis. As our logo above indicates, the focus of SOCAN is to promote action through science while encouraging that this be undertaken through a social justice lens. 

I write today in support of HB4008 

First, however, I’d like to note that we (SOCAN) acknowledge the funding plight faced by the Joint Committee on Transportation and ODOT in relation to transportation and, especially highway maintenance. We recognize that the financial crunch is driven by a combination of (i) the static state gasoline tax, (ii) the inflationary trend in road maintenance and construction costs, (iii) the increasing efficiency of the internal combustion engine vehicle resulting in less gasoline being purchased, and (iv) the succeeding encouragement to Oregonians to go hybrid or fully electric with their vehicle purchases and thus cease buying gasoline. Inevitably, the combined result of these trends is, and will continue to be, a substantial shortfall in funding for statewide transportation needs.

Since the state DEQ (undated) consistently ranks the transportation sector as the leading emitter of regulated greenhouse gases, it is incumbent upon ODOT to take appropriate steps to promote emissions reductions from the sector. KCATA (2026) reported that for Kansas City, “A single person who switches from a 20-mile solo commute by car to existing public transportation, can reduce their annual CO₂ emissions by 20 pounds per day, or more than 48,000 pounds in a year. That is equal to a 10% reduction in all greenhouse gases produced by a typical two-adult, two-car household.” The same report also pointed out that “By eliminating one car and taking public transportation instead of driving, a savings of 30% of carbon dioxide emissions can be realized.” Meanwhile, Welle et al. (2023) reported that “Public transport is one of the best, most cost-effective solutions available to address today’s climate and development challenges.” They reported that up to two-thirds of the greenhouse gas emissions per kilometer traveled can be saved by switching from private vehicles to buses or trains. The evidence is clear that encouraging commuters to use public transit rather than private vehicles is a valuable means for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Regrettably, a fund established to support local transit in 2017 was expected to increase in 2015 as payroll tax rose 0.1% to 0.2%. The referendum designed to thwart the 2025 Transportation package has halted that increase and stymied public transit. We support HB4008 as an effort to determine what would be a sufficient funding source and what would be a reasonable funding mechanism to overcome the shortfall created.  

Respectfully Submitted

Alan Journet Ph.D.
7113 Griffin Lane
Jacksonville
OR 97530-4392
alan@socan.eco
541-500-2331
541-301-4107

DEQ undated Oregon Greenhouse Gas Sector-Based Inventory Data Oregon Department of Environmental Quality https://www.oregon.gov/deq/ghgp/pages/ghg-inventory.aspx 

KCATA 2026 Environmental Benefits of Public Transit. Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.  https://www.kcata.org/about_kcata/entries/environmental_benefits_of_public_transit#:~:text=That%20is%20equal%20to%20a,dioxide%20emissions%20can%20be%20realized.  Welle B, Kustar A, Tun T. 2023 Post-Pandemic, Public Transport Needs to Get Back on Track to Meet Global Climate Goals. World Resources Institute https://www.wri.org/insights/current-state-of-public-transport-climate-goals