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. As San Juan County Policy & Regional Initiatives Manager, Grant Carlton explains “Climate and transportation are inextricably linked, they are a two-way street. You can’t think about transportation in this day and age without thinking about the impacts of climate.”
County councilmember Jane Fuller explains that significant emissions in our county comes from “the diesel-powered Washington State Ferries and gas-powered modes of transportation, including motorboats.”
Climate educator and Madrona Institute board member, Nikyta Palmisani emphasizes, “Aviation is another large emitter but is not currently captured in our county’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory as most fuel is purchased off island.”
In turn, climate change threatens our transportation infrastructure, particularly with sea-level rise and increased storm activity affecting shoreline roads and ferry operations. Fuller notes, “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.”
Jay Kimball, climate and sustainability consultant, wrote in the Orcasonian, “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.” There are also plans to introduce hybrid-electric ferries by 2028, 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 (LCLT)’s neighborhood car-share electric vehicle (EV) initiative. Funded by a Washington State Department of Transportation grant covering the majority of the vehicle and start-up costs. The project’s goals include increasing transportation accessibility and reducing carbon emissions.
On a policy level, San Juan County is set to complete updating the comprehensive plan in mid-2025. The Plan will integrate climate as a new element required by recent state law changes.
Carlton says, “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.” The county does “a really good job keeping our roads functional. Our public works department does a great job at making sure the potholes are filled in and that the culverts don’t wash out, but transportation is so much more than just that,” Carlton notes. His hope and vision for the future of transportation in the county “is that we can really look at transportation holistically and have a comprehensive system that utilizes new technologies and more progressive tools for transportation.”
One important step is a movement 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 highlights that “substantial funds and grants are available from state and federal sources to help our county transition to cleaner transportation solutions.” He advocates for the testing of a free electric shuttle bus service on one of the islands which operates on a regular, predictable schedule.
Public works director Colin Huntemer thinks, “Often one of the biggest challenges we face is getting constructive agreement on the problems we are facing as a community.” He calls 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.”
Grant Carlton notes 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 acknowledges 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 shares her 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.”
To read the full-length version of this article visit https://www.lopezclt.org/transportation-climate-change-in-the-san-juan-islands/
Isara Greacen is a Climate Communications Intern for the Lopez Community Land Trust. She grew up on Lopez Island and now attends Scripps College.
