Portland To Unveil First In The Nation “Zero-Emission” Delivery Zone

Portland, Ore. — Portland Transportation Commissioner Mingus Mapps is set to join officials from the United States Department of Transportation at a press conference on Wednesday, April 26. The occasion will be to welcome federal transportation officials who are visiting Portland to announce that the city has won a $2 million grant.

The grant will be used to reduce traffic and pollution from freight, improve safety, and create the nation’s first regulated Zero-Emission Delivery Zone. Deliveries will be required to use zero-emission vehicles, including electric vans and trucks, cargo bikes, or hydrogen fueled vehicles, to park in the zone. Heavy trucks in the downtown area will also be replaced with zero-emission vehicles.

During the event, Commissioner Mapps and federal officials will visit the site for a demonstration “zero-emission vehicle only” loading zone, which will be part of the first regulated Zero-Emission Delivery Zone in the nation. They will also have a chance to see some electric freight vehicles, including trucks and cargo bicycles.

Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is one of 59 agencies across the nation that won a grant, competing against 392 applicants from across the country in the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) discretionary grant program. The program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden in November 2021.

The pilot program will cover approximately 16 blocks of Downtown Portland. If successful, PBOT could be eligible for a $15 million bid to expand the program and make it permanent in the coming years.

The event will be held outdoors at the City Hall Plaza on SW Fourth Avenue.