TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

We must reduce pollution and one of the best areas to control pollution is in transportation. Please have NH join the efforts to reduce emissions and pay attention to equity in areas that are most in need. Thank you for moving forward with this bipartisan state initiative (while the federal government moves backwards!).

I am very opposed to Vermont's participation in the proposed Transportation and Climate Initiative. As much as I have heard from Vermont officials, both legislators and office holders, that it is not a carbon tax, it is obviously a carbon tax by what ever name they want to label it. Since Vermont is all ready one of the highest tax paying states in the union, with one of the lowest carbon foot prints all ready there is no need to further increase the tax burden on Vermonter's. Especially for an expensive program that will have no significant impact on the climate. T.C.I. will only serve to increase government cost and bureaucracy, at a time when we should be reducing both to make Vermont affordable again. The scale of the program will lead to further government waste and abuse of resources. As one Vermont Senator, a leading proponent stated the "money will be off the books"! Can such a statement of a government official not scare anyone!
As with any government program T.C.I. will only be distributing a fraction of the funds collected back to the states. After paying exorbitant salaries and administrative fees, what percentage of the revenues collected will actually be returned to the claimed reinvest?
On top of T.C.I.'s cost and impact to Vermonter's directly, the secondary cost of increases for every goods and services required by Vermonter's will see increases!
Concluding, T.C.I. is a terrible idea.

I'm writing to say that I believe we must reduce pollution from transportation--it's our largest source of global warming emissions, both regionally and nationally. Therefore, I'm asking that Massachusetts formally join the plan to reduce emissions.

I also hope that the policy will be equity-based by prioritizing clean investments in areas overburdened by pollution and/or for those who don't have access.

I appreciate the bipartisan nature of this project. It has the potential to move Americans forward while the federal government takes us backward. Thank you for your attention to this issue.

. I am concerned about pollution from transportation, our largest source of global warming emissions, since climate change will greatly affect my children and their children.
• I will be pushing for Virginia to formally join TCI.
• The policy must has a strong environmental justice component by prioritizing clean investments in areas overburdened by pollution and/or for those who don't have access.
• Thank you for making this a bipartisan project, moving us forward even as the federal government takes us backward.

We need to cut the pollution from transportation in order to fight global warming.

This is to urge the design of a regional low-carbon transportation policy proposal that would cap and reduce carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels through a cap-and-invest program or other pricing mechanism… [and]… to complete the policy development process within one year, after which each jurisdiction will decide whether to adopt and implement the policy.

Dear Madam/Sir,

As a professor at Boston University who lives south of the city, I utilize the Commuter rail several times each week to get to work. In other instances, I travel to East Coast cities for conferences and presentations. I appreciate public transportation because it allows me to more efficiently work during travel, and it allows me to keep my personal and work carbon footprint smaller. I am deeply frustrated that there are not more options for public transportation on the East Coast. While I am grateful for what does exist, I think that the population density in the region warrants a massive expansion and updating of the current system. This would have the benefit of reducing harmful pollution in the area, especially for children and the elderly who have more vulnerable health. Because pollution is linked to mental health ills, it seems extremely important to address the pollution in the area given we are in a climate of mass shootings and and increase in public violence. In my opinion, not acting to improve our transportation system would an act of neglect of our citizens. On a personal level, I do not appreciate breathing in the harmful fumes released by the commuter trains. Electric trains would be a very welcome improvement.

Additionally, we are in the midst of a climate crisis!!! High speed electric trains powered by renewable energy would allow us to make an important step towards reducing our carbon emissions which is a goal of many cities and agencies in the area. Most of all, we must act with haste to ensure a livable future for all persons and species on the planet!

I fully support an effort to expand and update the public transportation in the East Coast region!!!

With hope for a speedy and positive result,

Dr. Tawnya D. Smith, PhD

design a regional low-carbon transportation policy proposal that would cap and reduce carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels through a cap-and-invest program or other pricing mechanism… [and]… to complete the policy development process within one year, after which each jurisdiction will decide whether to adopt and implement the policy.”