Oregon’s auto industry is booming: Is that a good thing?

Good news?
How can Oregon make progress in its fight against car abuse when cars represent one of the largest sectors of our state’s economy?
It feels good for Oregon bicycle advocates to talk about “bikenomics,” but the truth hurts: our state’s auto industry is a behemoth that casts a very long shadow. According to an article published Sunday in the Portland Tribune, there was $10.6 billion in new vehicle sales in 2016 (the latest year figures are available). That amounts to a whopping 17.9 percent of all retail sales statewide.
As the Trib story says, auto dealers are celebrating a “banner year” as they ready for their biggest moment — the annual Portland Auto Show held at the Oregon Convention Center this weekend.
Here’s more from the Trib piece:[Read more…]