TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Do your job! Dont force the people to pay for your incompetence. Follow the law and hold votes every time you can and the law requires. Your actions will destroy this state and the rest of new England. Stop the foolish spending and audit yourselves and the state to make all adjustments we citizens demand to better our lives. Impeachment is not an issue that should be on anyones plate when we our infrastructure is crumbling around us. Gas taxes will not fix this, raising taxes will not fix this. Only working within our means will give us what we need

The New York State Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (NYSAMPO) is a consortium of the Executive Directors of fourteen Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in New York State who work together toward best practices and common goals. The Directors lead a diverse group of organizations that represent very large, urban regions like the New York City metropolitan area as well as small metropolitan regions such as Ithaca and Elmira. Regardless of size and complexity, the Directors understand the value of working together to help their organizations provide high quality transportation planning support to their member agencies and to the public throughout the State.
The NYSAMPO Directors have determined that the overall goals of the Transportation & Climate Initiative’s (TCI) low carbon transportation policy proposal are consistent with the strategic goals and planning programs of the NYSAMPO MPOs, as represented in their long-range regional transportation plans and the projects, programs and studies that are funded through their planning processes. The NYSAMPO Directors applaud New York State for its leadership in the effort to establish the TCI. NYSAMPO MPO staff has attended and participated in listening sessions throughout New York State and the Directors appreciate the opportunity to offer the following comment on the design of the proposed program.
Equity
As organizations which plan for the use of transportation funding authorized by Congress, MPOs must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination based upon race, color, and national origin. The NYSAMPO MPOs are committed to ensuring traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities receive a fair share of the regional transportation system’s benefits and are not subject to undue burdens. MPOs maintain information and data related to the locations of protected populations within each metropolitan area in order to comply with Title VI and the Executive Order on Environmental Justice. MPOs consider transportation barriers and needs within these communities. The TCI’s community outreach and project planning related to the investment of cap-and-invest proceeds should be coordinated with the NYSAMPO MPOs to ensure consistency with their equity efforts related to Title VI.
Mobile Source Emissions
Reducing emissions from transportation is a common strategic theme in the NYSAMPO MPOs’ regional transportation plans. Additionally, several of the NYSAMPO MPOs must comply with requirements under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 as they develop their plans and programs. More recently, federal transportation legislation establishes performance measures for on-road mobile source emissions, which require that emission reduction targets be established for the ozone precursors nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Targets are also required for carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5).

Table 1. NYS On-Road Mobile Source Emissions Targets
Target Year VOC (KG) CO (KG) NOX (KG) PM10 (KG) PM10 (KG)
2020 22,979 437,781 58,591 9,312 3,920
2022 42,765 839,633 107,713 18,132 7,482

Proposed caps to emissions from gasoline, on-road diesel fuel, and potential biofuels, should meet or exceed these agreed upon targets to help states New York State meet its goals.
Investment of Proceeds
Transportation improvements proposed through the TCI should be coordinated with the NYSAMPO MPOs to achieve emission reductions and other policy goals within the long-range regional transportation plans. This coordination will maximize the efficiency and leverage investment in the transportation system which will ensure greater benefits to users. It is important that revenues generated by the initiative be used to advance active transportation, public transit, cleaner vehicles, and other activities that have large-scale positive impacts on environmental quality and public health through the reduction of GHG emissions. The NYSAMPO MPOs regularly use analytical and policy tools that assist in the prioritization of transportation projects for federal funding which could be modeled for determining how cap-and-invest proceeds are invested.


Complementary Policies
Coordination with the NYSAMPO MPOs will support the goals of the low carbon transportation system framework as each organization works within metropolitan areas of New York State to develop and implement complementary policies in long-range regional transportation plans. MPOs can supplement the work of TCI by assisting municipalities within the metropolitan areas with coordinating infrastructure planning and land use planning that supports reducing emissions. For more information on NYSAMPO please visit our website at https://www.nysmpos.org/ or contact Michael Franchini at (518)458-2161 with any questions. We look forward to working with TCI and NYS in planning for a low carbon future.

I strongly oppose this effort by Gov. Baker to bypass the state legislature to support TCI and skip the democratic process to create a multiple state program. We already have enough trouble getting our elected officials to provide funding for roads.

According to our State Constitution all state taxes must originate in the House. Governor Baker does not have authority to unilaterally raise taxes. Commonwealth Magazine reported that “The expectation of policy makers is that the cost of the allowances will be passed along to drivers at the gas pump, incentivizing them to use less, and the states will divvy up allowance money to support public transit and deal with climate change.”

The fund would allow powerful politicians to control and spend money completely separate from the legislature on non-road projects. Voters have repeatedly rejected gas tax hikes and carbon taxes. In California, where a similar program was launched, gas prices went up 12 to 14 cents a gallon and are over 4 dollars today. TCI is attempting to bypass the democratic process without forcing the legislature to take a vote.

Let's get something straight at the outset. The TCI is a TAX and it's a tax on all of us who use gasoline (which is just about everyone). TCI is also a corrupt scam that bypasses the legislative process and the will of the people and puts it in the hands of unaccountable bureaucrats all for the sake of stealing money to line their pockets and pay for their "Pet Projects" such as transportation agencies that couldn't run a childs train set, never mind a public transit system. Let's get something else straight . There have been at least 5 ice ages in Earths history and they all happened before mans existence here. In between these ice age periods there were global warm ups that happened without carbon emitting humans or industry on the planet. Man caused "climate change"; global warming; global cooling; climate catastrophe, WHATEVER these climate "kooks" are calling it this week is a total fraud, perpetrated to steal taxpayer money. We need to wake up as a people and stop falling for it. Our gas taxes should be funding the building and repair of our highways, roads, bridges and tunnels ONLY. Nothing else.

PFMLA tax, increases sales taxes, higher real estate taxes. Time for businesses and individuals to move to New Hampshire!
www.stevedcpa.com

Hello,
Please find attached a letter from 44 New York members and supporters of E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) supporting the Transportation and Climate Initiative discussions to develop a policy that invests in clean and modern transportation solutions in New York State and across the region.

Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Thank you,
Ying Li

Development Director
Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2)
www.e2.org

Please do not raise taxes. Massachusetts residents are overburdened with high taxes and a generally high cost of living. Additional tax burdens will harm individuals financially. I ask you, in the name of decency, please do not burden us with additional taxes.

Attached is an updated version of a letter submitted on August 29th, 2019 from Maryland organizations on principles that should be incorporated into the design of the Transportation & Climate Initiative. The letter has been updated with additional signatories.