TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

No reason different from most others for joining TCI. It's just a good idea to do this as part of a regional consortium.

I implore all states' leaders to invest in electric vehicle and public transportation for all constituents. My Honda Clarity hybrid just needed a mere 61 gals. of fuel for almost 13,000 miles driven in the first year we've owned it. However, I've recharged it almost exclusively at home, as no charging facilities are available where I work and shop. My husband, a federal worker, is prevented from recharging at work by this administration's rollback of permission granted by previous administrations to decrease the federal carbon footprint. I exulted when finding a charging site in Manchester, ME and Freeport, ME.
We need to address needs for transportation in urban and rural areas, especially for elders, with vans, trains and buses either solar- or electrically-powered. I bike whenever weather and routes allow, to avoid fossil fuels and road degradation while improving my health, but recognize the limited applicability of this mode for some demographics. Though while in Copenhagen and Stockholm I was impressed with the great hordes of bikers at rush hour, multi-level bike parking at train stations, and general bike cohort of all ages, attire and purpose. The book Bikenomics details the social, economic and environmental benefits in communities investing in infrastructure ("staples" for locking bikes when parked) and encouraging biking.
Whether bikes or trains or EVs or electric or solar vans, it's imperative to move people and products without adding Green House Gases.

Having just visited Costa Rica where public transportation is available throughout the country it seems to me there is no reason why the state of Maine cannot do the same and if it is electric vehicles all the better. I fully support this initiative and want my tax dollars to go towards a carbon neutral future for Maine

I strongly support Vermont joining the TCI. I have attended 2 forums on the TCI, and read the online materials. The TCI will create a regional entity to reduce transportation GHG emissions, including states that comprise a large part of the U.S. economy. It will be built on a proven cap-and-invest framework (based on RGGI) that can be expanded in the future. Given the rapidly growing risk of runaway climate change, we need to take every feasible action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and this program does that.

Dear Governor Wolf,
My husband and I are thrilled that you're considering joining 11 other states to form a regional initiative, the Transportation and Climate Initiative. The truth is, we don't have that much time before climate change overtakes us. The oil and gas emissions are not only building up rapidly in our sky but also in our lungs. Reducing pollution from all motor vehicles, including the whole range of trucks, is one of the best ways to reduce Pennsylvania's and the Northeast's pollution. Our bus system here in State College uses propane, which is a gas, but I don't smell or see any emissions. That doesn't mean there are none. We have no time to lose. Please make TCI a priority and work as quickly as possible to reduce the impact of carbon pollution.
P.S. Any idea or plans for banning "Fracking" altogether?
Sincerely,
Wendy

Investment, legislation, and State and local regulation under the Initiative should support infrastructure for private and corporate electric vehicles - cars and trucks - including tax breaks for statewide (rural as well as urban) e-vehicle charging stations and dedicated transmission lines. Such transmission systems should also support local and regional public transportation systems - busses and trains- to facilitate public public acceptance. Laws must permit homeowners to void pre-existing covenants and other private restrictions on installation of rooftop solar panels as well as require remuneration to homeowners by regional electric power companies who receive power from household solar or wind power generation entering the grid. This is a start. I could continue. But so can others.

Reducing pollution from transportation is a key component to reducing Pennsylvania's emissions. Public transit investments that could be made with TCI proceeds would be valuable. Leaders should choose the aggressive greenhouse gas reduction target that the most recent climate science tells us we need. I urge that the policy prioritizes clean investments in areas overburdened by pollution and/or for those who don’t have access to transportation choices.

Too many of our public buses and trains run on dirty energy and contribute to air pollution and climate change. Many trains, buses, and stations haven’t been retrofitted in decades. For many people in rural parts of our states, there are zero viable public transportation options, which forces them to drive.

By making polluters pay and creating a dedicated source of funding through TCI, we’ll finally be able to move our state to a 21st-century regional transportation system that is cleaner, more reliable, more accessible, and more affordable. We’ll see less traffic, thousands of new jobs, and less dangerous air pollution. All communities — whether urban, suburban, or rural — will benefit.

Our air is making too many of us sick — and if history is a guide, it’s not going to get better on its own. We need to take bold and concerted action to reduce the carbon impact of our transportation system, and TCI’s combination of using pricing policies that discourage polluters and modernizing our public transportation system will do exactly that.

Carbon emissions are the main contributor to our climate change crisis. My students are always shocked to see the dramatic increase in carbon emissions since industrialization began but especially in the past decade. The evidence is quite clear. The scientific data released by NOAA continually shows that previous year is our warmest year on record. This is only due to the human impact on our planet.

Support sustainability regarding the environment and support equality economically.