Highlights from the Cascadia Scorecard

The Cascadia Scorecard is Sightline Institute’s sustainability report card for the Pacific Northwest.

Launched in 2004, the Cascadia Scorecard project measures the key trends that are shaping the future of our region. The Scorecard’s trends help us gauge whether the Northwest is making genuine progress towards shared goals: long and healthy lives, broadly shared prosperity, and a legacy of thriving nature. Since its inception, the Scorecard has evolved, exploring trends such as human health, population, energy, sprawl, wildlife, pollution, and more.

Gasoline prices are high and volatile. Northwesterners are beginning to change their driving habits to adapt. Sightline’s report, Shifting into Reverse, shows that per capita vehicle travel has dropped significantly.

Per Capita VMT in Oregon and Washington

Per Capita Gasoline Use in Oregon and Washington

Gasoline consumption in Oregon and Washington increased slightly in 2010, and sales held steady in the first part of 2011. But minor year-to-year fluctuations mask a more important trend: despite steady increases in population, volatile gas prices, and both surges and lulls in the region’s economy, gasoline use has remained essentially flat since 1999.

For more info, please see  the full Scorecard.