PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Following Commissioner Mingus Mapps’ announcement Tuesday about making downtown Portland a “zero-emission delivery zone,” Mapps, along with the Portland Bureau of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation, are holding a press conference Wednesday to lay out the details of the plan.
The $2 million grant is being used to help reduce emissions and traffic in downtown Portland by allowing less heavy truck traffic into downtown and replacing it with emission-free vehicles.
Wednesday’s event is set to showcase a “zero-emission vehicle only” loading zone and several emission-free vehicles including electric vans and trucks, cargo bikes and hydrogen-fueled vehicles.
According to the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the pilot program will cover approximately 16 blocks in downtown Portland. If this trial is successful, Portland could win another grant for $15 million to expand it.