The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community, and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of the Salish Current.
Commentary: Community members and elected officials call for a holistic approach that integrates new technologies and electrifies transport.
Transportation is a unique and multifaceted system that both shapes and is shaped by our environment. In the San Juan Islands, our choices in transportation play a significant role in contributing to climate change. According to the 2023 San Juan County Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Baseline Report, transportation is the single largest contributor to GHG emissions in our county, producing an estimated 113,602 metric tons of CO2 or 36% of our total GHG emissions, in large part due to diesel operated ferries.
“Climate and transportation are inextricably linked; they are a two-way street,” said Grant Carlton, San Juan County policy and regional initiatives manager. “You can’t think about transportation in this day and age without thinking about the impacts of climate.”
Per county council member Jane Fuller, significant emissions in our county come from “the diesel-powered Washington State Ferries and gas-powered modes of transportation, including motorboats.”
Another large emitter, aviation, is “is not currently captured in our county’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory as most fuel is purchased off island,” said climate educator and Madrona Institute board member Nikyta Palmisani.
Turnabout
In turn, climate change threatens our transportation infrastructure, particularly with sea-level rise and increased storm activity affecting shoreline roads and ferry operations.
“The county’s public works department estimates that approximately 13 miles of county roads are at risk because of increased sea levels which is worsening year by year,” Fuller wrote in an email.
“No Uber/Lyft service is currently available in San Juan County, but we have Island Rides, an excellent free EV-based transportation service primarily serving vulnerable locals,” Jay Kimball, climate and sustainability consultant, wrote in the Orcasonian.
There are also plans to electrify WSF vessels serving the San Juans after 2035, which would be a significant step towards reducing maritime transportation emissions.
One example of what has been done at a community level is the Lopez Community Land Trust’s neighborhood car-share electric vehicle (EV) initiative. Funded by a state Department of Transportation grant, the project’s goals include increasing transportation accessibility and reducing carbon emissions.
Policy-level planning
On a policy level, San Juan County is set to complete updating its comprehensive plan in mid-2025. The plan will integrate climate as a new element as required by recent state law changes.
“There are climate components in the transportation plan now, but I think we need to really bridge the gap between transportation and climate as we revamp that comprehensive plan,” said Carlton.
He said that, while the county is good at maintaining road functionality like filling potholes and preventing culvert washouts, “transportation is so much more than just that.” He hoped for a future where the county can “really look at transportation holistically” and develop a comprehensive system that uses new technologies and progressive tools.
One important step is the move towards electrifying modes of transport that currently rely on burning fossil fuels.
San Juan County is one of the only counties in the state without a road-based public transportation service. Kimball said that “substantial funds and grants are available from state and federal sources to help our county transition to cleaner transportation solutions.” He advocated for the testing of a free electric shuttle bus service on one of the islands which operates on a regular, predictable schedule.
According to Public Works director Colin Huntemer, “Often one of the biggest challenges we face is getting constructive agreement on the problems we are facing as a community.” He called for depoliticizing the issue, saying, “Fundamentally, transportation is about moving people and goods safely. When the challenge is reduced to its engineering principles, we have the greatest chance of success.”
Carlton noted another challenge: community inertia. “With being a very tight-knit community and being very comfortable with what we have, I think that comfort comes with at times a bit of lack of looking forward.” He acknowledged that while resistance to change is part of what makes the San Juans unique, it also hinders the adoption of new technologies and solutions to reduce our climate footprint and improve transportation.
Palmisani has a hopeful vision: “I can imagine a resilient transportation future where everyone has a safe, clean and quiet ride home; the skies are blue; the air continues to be fresh and clean; and our human and wildlife communities are healthy and thriving.”
Read the full-length version of this article on the Lopez Community Land Trust website.
— By Isara Greacen
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