The Transportation Lab is an Action Group working to promote a transportation system that minimizes need for personal motor vehicles. Such a transportation system must be safe, convenient and healthy, and it must be based on:
Greenhouse gas emission data for Jefferson County indicate that transportation is responsible for the largest share of greenhouse gases, larger than commercial, industrial or residential sectors. Because most transportation mode shifts require altering people’s behavior and habits, they are more difficult and have attracted far less attention than efforts to decrease energy use in buildings and industry.
Yet, every day all of us make transportation choices the moment we choose to walk or bike or step into our cars for errands. Choosing transit requires extra planning too, because our schedules need to be adjusted to bus schedules.
Building a more sustainable transportation system and healthier lifestyles will require refocused decisions by government as it owns and manages the roadways, parking, sidewalks and pathways that make up such a large portion of our transportation infrastructure. Government also manages our land use planning, zoning and development, which determine how we build our communities. Roadways are the largest public space in our urban realms, consuming 20 to 40% of the land surface. What kind of transportation system would we want if we were able to design our system from scratch?
In the April Local 20/20 column in the Port Townsend Leader, Dave Thielk shares details of the second annual Moving in the Right Direction Conference. (The conference happened on 4/19/24, this article was published ahead of the conference.) Moving in the Right Direction By David Thielk The City of Port…
FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024 • 9 AM TO 4 PM AMERICAN LEGION • PORT TOWNSEND, WA Participants will: ➤ INTERACT with community members, elected officials, and staff to define the role of transportation in our comprehensive plans.➤ EXPLORE transportation best practices for a vibrant and healthy community.➤ DEVELOP vision statements to…
In the latest Local 20/20 Port Townsend Leader column, David Thielk discusses the intersection between transportation, infrastructure, human and climate health, and housing, and describes the conference happening in Port Townsend on April 14th, 2023. Moving in the Right Direction By David Thielk The transportation beliefs we have, and the…
In the latest Local 20/20 column in the Port Townsend Leader, Scott Walker describes how housing, parking, climate and community are all interrelated, and opportunities to address these issues simultaneously. By Scott Walker On a recent trip outside our idyllic community bubble, I saw our dystopian future: an asphalt ocean…
You’re invited to Local 20/20’s Meet and Greet this Thursday (9/15/22), from 4-6 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Our action groups will briefly share their accomplishments and plans for the future, and we’ll have a chance to discuss together opportunities for future collaborations and new ideas. Plus we’ll have…
Below is the latest Local 20/20 column in the Port Townsend Leader. Thank you, PT Leader! By Cindy Jayne By Cindy Jayne On June 1st, 91 people across Jefferson County participated in the first community-wide Car Free Day by using less car-dependent ways to get to school, work, or…
Port Townsend’s First Parklet!
NWEI Discussion Course Book
Port Townsend Pedalpalooza 2012
See our Walking page for information on local walking maps and resources, our Biking page for local bicycling resources, and our Transit, Rideshare, and Biodiesel page for local information on those topics.
Transportation Lab meets the 4th Monday of every month, from 5:00 – 6:30 pm. We welcome anyone interested in these issues to attend. Meeting location varies, for current location or for more information, please contact richard@l2020.org.
If you are interested in participating in the Transportation Lab or have questions, e-mail richard@l2020.org.