TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Material submitted through the TCI Public Input form from April 2019-February 2021 is viewable here. View input submitted from March 1, 2021 forward here. All material submitted on this page informed the participating jurisdictions in the 2019-2020 TCI regional policy design process. Click on the column headings to sort the submissions.

Date	First	Last	Affiliation	City	State	Input	File
2/21/2020	Shirley	Rice	None	Burdett	New York	There used to be healthy subway and rural trains all across America, but the auto industry made a concerted effort to wipe them out. They still rail about the trains that have been defunded by... read more There used to be healthy subway and rural trains all across America, but the auto industry made a concerted effort to wipe them out. They still rail about the trains that have been defunded by legislators committed to the private auto by lobbyists. Train railways have been sold to private citizens who, of course, do not want to lose their homes to railroads. Buses have replaced railroads in rural America where I live, but I have also lived in Hungary and Thailand where I took trains frequently and enjoyed it very much. We have been hobbled by capitalism that favors the corporations who are able to buy what they want from legislators. It has increased our carbon dioxide, methane and dangerous emissions that kill people and now damage our planet. And as long as they can win profit, the fossil fuel companies will not stop until we, and the other animals who are more important and benign than us, are all dying or dead. Why are damaging corporations more powerful than the saving of the planet? Because they are rich and use their wealth and power in a malignant manner to control the governments of the U.S. and the world.	-
2/21/2020	Janet	Van Sickle	Drawdown East End	Montauk	New York	The planet is on fire, is drowning, is thawing, is gasping, is perishing. We need to get into a full scale war on global climate change. Transportation is a major fix that is within reach. The planet is on fire, is drowning, is thawing, is gasping, is perishing. We need to get into a full scale war on global climate change. Transportation is a major fix that is within reach.	-
2/21/2020	Susan	Frost	retired	53 Irving Place Apt 1 E	New York	There is no more urgent issue than environmental protection. I applaud any initiative that will promote decreasing carbon emissions while maintaining efficient transportation. I look forward to... read more There is no more urgent issue than environmental protection. I applaud any initiative that will promote decreasing carbon emissions while maintaining efficient transportation. I look forward to seeing New York be a part of this initiative.	-
2/21/2020	Brigitta	Gundersen	-	New York	New York	We need a plan that holds large transportation polluters accountable for the pollution they create and invests in clean transportation solutions including: More public transit and... read more We need a plan that holds large transportation polluters accountable for the pollution they create and invests in clean transportation solutions including: More public transit and electric vehicle infrastructure in rural areas Expansion of commuter rail, electric vehicles, and streets in the suburbs that are safe, walkable, and bikeable Sustainable and equitable housing near transit and electric bus fleets in urban communities	-
2/21/2020	Judith	Weis	Rutgers University	New York	New York	It is important that a transportation and climate initiative cut harmful transportation pollution at the scale needed to significantly reduce the climate crisis. We need a plan that holds large... read more It is important that a transportation and climate initiative cut harmful transportation pollution at the scale needed to significantly reduce the climate crisis. We need a plan that holds large transportation polluters accountable for the pollution they create and invests in clean transportation solutions. For example, we need more public transportation and electric vehicle infrastructure in rural areas, and we need charging stations for electric vehicles in urban areas so it becomes feasible for urban apartment dwellers like myself to have an electric car. We also need expansion of commuter rail, electric vehicles, and streets in the suburbs that are safe, walkable, and bikeable. Expansion of bike lanes, wherever feasible and safe, is needed. We need to assure that sustainable and equitable housing are accessible to transit and electric bus fleets in urban communities.	-
2/21/2020	Beth Jane	Freeman	None	Wantagh	New York	Electric vehicles, both private cars and public transport, will keep our air cleaner, and save money on fuel if the electricity for them is generated by solar and/or wind. The benefits outweigh... read more Electric vehicles, both private cars and public transport, will keep our air cleaner, and save money on fuel if the electricity for them is generated by solar and/or wind. The benefits outweigh any drawbacks and will pay for itself over time in fuel savings.	-
2/21/2020	sarah	apfel	none	new york	New York	New York needs more energy-efficient public transportation and fewer cars. Period. New York needs more energy-efficient public transportation and fewer cars. Period.	-
2/21/2020	Elaine	Weir	New York State Taxpayer & Voter	Scarsdale	New York	I support the plan that holds large transportation polluters accountable for the pollution they create and invests in clean transportation solutions that keeps our air clean. We... read more I support the plan that holds large transportation polluters accountable for the pollution they create and invests in clean transportation solutions that keeps our air clean. We need more public transit and electric vehicle infrastructure in rural areas, expansion of commuter rail, electric vehicles, and streets in the suburbs that are safe, walk-able, and bike-able, and sustainable and equitable housing near transit and electric bus fleets in urban communities. My Norwegian relatives told me that every small town in Norway has transportation provided by the government so people can get around without a car. We need go in that direction. As there are so many people with asthma cleaning the air will really help them and also reduce our medical costs. I know because my daughter was on her maximum dose of daily asthma medicine here in Westchester County NY. She moved to the Adirondacks where the air is cleaner and she no longer needs her medicine daily. While in the Adirondacks she uses the medicine infrequently for example when she has a cold. Her health and mood have improved since now she can breath easily. I pray we can have cleaner air for everybody's health. We need a bold and ambitious plan to cut transportation pollution in our state and in the region. We need it now for all the children and adults suffering from asthma and the adults with heart conditions also cause by pollution. Transportation is one of the biggest polluters. Let's start fixing that now.	-
2/21/2020	John F. & Karen M.	Ladley	Concerned citizens	Staten Island	New York	This initiative is long overdue and a top priority. This initiative is long overdue and a top priority.	-
2/21/2020	Cheryl	Hoffman	self-employed	Lebanon	Maine	We need to think big to reimagine a sustainable transportation system on earth. What we are doing now no longer works. I fully support the work of TCI's regional policy proposals. We need... read more We need to think big to reimagine a sustainable transportation system on earth. What we are doing now no longer works. I fully support the work of TCI's regional policy proposals. We need to set an economic price on pollution. There is already a health price that is not accounted for. We need high speed rail, more commuter trains, improved and more biking trails. We need affordable housing closer to transportation hubs. We need to reimagine how we move on planet earth. Thank you.	-
2/21/2020	Joshua	Kneidl	NRDC member	NEW YORK	New York	Very briefly -- I strongly support modernizing our nation's transportation system with low-carbon-emitting solutions. Transportation is the #1 source of carbon pollution at present. Carbon... read more Very briefly -- I strongly support modernizing our nation's transportation system with low-carbon-emitting solutions. Transportation is the #1 source of carbon pollution at present. Carbon, in turn, represents the driver behind the biggest crisis facing humanity at present -- the sudden and severe alteration of our world's climate. Modernizing our transportation environment should include dramatically reducing private vehicle usage, particularly in dense cities, where they never made much sense anyway. Thank you for the opportunity to share my views.	-
2/21/2020	Caren	Olmsted	Ms.	Basking Ridge	New Jersey	Transportation is the number one source of climate pollution in the United States. Having not seen one snow flake since the start of the new year, we are seeing climate collapse happening before... read more Transportation is the number one source of climate pollution in the United States. Having not seen one snow flake since the start of the new year, we are seeing climate collapse happening before our eyes! We must make radical changes and totally reimagine the way that we transport people and goods. I support New Jersey and it's work on a groundbreaking policy to modernize the transportation sector under the Transportation and Climate Initiative. In order for this regional plan to work, governors of these states and the mayor of Washington, D.C., must ensure that this transportation plan is bold enough to cut harmful transportation pollution at the scale needed to avert the climate crisis. We need a plan that holds large transportation polluters accountable for the pollution they create and invests in clean transportation solutions including: • More public transit and electric vehicle infrastructure in rural areas • Expansion of commuter rail, electric vehicles, and streets in the suburbs that are safe, walkable, and bikeable • Sustainable and equitable housing near transit and electric bus fleets in urban communities Please, let's protect the planet for not only our children and grandchildren, but ourselves! Thank you!	-
2/21/2020	Doug	Barile	Self-employed	Ridgefield	Connecticut	I'm enthusiastic and excited about the regional transportation initiative being formulated by my state and others in the northeast corridor. This is long overdue, and our environmental... read more I'm enthusiastic and excited about the regional transportation initiative being formulated by my state and others in the northeast corridor. This is long overdue, and our environmental challenges, and climate change in particular, can't wait. This is urgent, requires investment and sacrifice, and needs to happen now! Thank you for your determination to make this project a reality.	-
2/21/2020	Rainer	Gerbatsch	CRS	Oakland	New Jersey	1. Eliminate pick-up trucks from entering cities as a way to commute. 2. Strictly enforce "no idling" laws. 3. Car manufacturers need to be held accountable for product... read more 1. Eliminate pick-up trucks from entering cities as a way to commute. 2. Strictly enforce "no idling" laws. 3. Car manufacturers need to be held accountable for product vehicles that significantly increase CO2 emissions and other particles. This is a moral issue. 4. Increase taxes on pick-up trucks and SUV's. Taxing EV's is the approach. 5. Decrease subsidies to fossil fuel companies - increase incentives for EVs 6. Eliminate tax breaks for the manufacture pick-up trucks and EVs. 7. Create parking hubs for commuters - created ZEV vehicles to provide transportation to the various locations in cities.	-
2/21/2020	Karen	Bufka	resident of Vermont	St. Johnsbury	Vermont	I am in favor of Vermont's participation in the regional Transportation and Climate Initiative. It makes sense for Vermont to join other states in the region in developing policies to... read more I am in favor of Vermont's participation in the regional Transportation and Climate Initiative. It makes sense for Vermont to join other states in the region in developing policies to address carbon emissions from transportation fuels because those policies will impact Vermont even if it does not join the TCI: it might as well have a say in them before they take effect. Vermont needs to become clearer and more emphatic about meeting its goals for the reduction of its carbon emissions in general The public needs help in doing this: lots of education, of course, and policies which encourage and/or require taking actual steps towards lowering emissions numbers in different areas of our day-to-day life. The cap and invest approach to transportation fuels gives the public a chance to a) see that long-term steps to reduce emissions from transportation fuels can indeed be taken on a regional scale and b) engage in considering how to invest in our own communities-- always a profound opportunity! The conversations which will happen around investing monies from a cap-and-invest program will build our community as different types of people come together to consider what is important to them, worth investing in, in this state we all love so much.	-
2/21/2020	Susan	Ely	Citizen	Yarmouth	Maine	As a citizen of Yarmouth, Maine, I strongly support Maine signing on to TCI. While I think that the current program design could be improved, such as by making the cap more stringent, dedicating... read more As a citizen of Yarmouth, Maine, I strongly support Maine signing on to TCI. While I think that the current program design could be improved, such as by making the cap more stringent, dedicating funds to underserved and low-income communities, and ensuring robust public engagement and feedback throughout the program, I think that these important considerations should not distract from the enormous potential this program holds for Maine and the region. 54% of Maine's greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector, the only sector in the state that's growing. Maine must do something to reverse this trend, especially if we are going to reach our climate goals. But it's not just the greenhouse gas emissions that a TCI can help us address. Maine is experiencing a transportation crisis. We are dependent on cars to get to work, school, medical appointments, grocery stores, and all of the other important errands we run every day. Not only are our cars polluting, but they're expensive, costing us thousands of dollars a year in gasoline, insurance, maintenance and repairs, and tolls. They're also ruining our health, polluting the air and making us sit for hours a day as we shuttle from place to place in our busy lives. For those of us without the luxury of having a car, our lack of public transportation often leaves citizens unable to meet basic needs. Mainers deserve better. TCI will provide us with the opportunity to do better. This is an opportunity we can't afford to pass up. Opponents of TCI are claiming that the program is nothing more than a gas tax, citing the worst-case 17 cents/gallon increase from the modeling. This is not a fair critique. Unlike the money we currently spend at the gas pump, which goes out of state to large oil and gas corporations, these funds would flow directly back to Maine, where it would be invested in reducing emissions and our dependence on single passenger vehicles. We know that this type of model works for Maine because of our experience with RGGI. What's more, we can learn from RGGI to make this program even more effective. Please support TCI, it's a great opportunity for Maine and the region.	-
2/21/2020	Paul	Lerman	self	Wyncote	Pennsylvania	This is a VERY positive issue. PLEASE support it. People want to see a bold and ambitious plan to cut transportation pollution in their state and in the region. TCI states are... read more This is a VERY positive issue. PLEASE support it. People want to see a bold and ambitious plan to cut transportation pollution in their state and in the region. TCI states are planning and beginning to implement a range of activities to ensure that the final proposed policy reflects further input from diverse stakeholders, rigorous technical analysis, and consultation with leading experts.	-
2/21/2020	Linda	Milkes	Democrat	Basking Ridge	New Jersey	I would like to see a lot more public transportation in NJ, especially in the North-South direction. I live in Basking Ridge, but there are a lot of jobs in Princeton and Parsippany, for example.... read more I would like to see a lot more public transportation in NJ, especially in the North-South direction. I live in Basking Ridge, but there are a lot of jobs in Princeton and Parsippany, for example. For me to use public transit to get to these towns, I'd have to take a train into NYC and back out again, taking 3 hours for what should take 30-45 minutes one way. I mean expanding both rail and bus service in this case.	-
2/21/2020	Paula	Grande	Citizen and voter	New York	New York	The regional policy that is adopted should hold large transportation polluters accountable for the pollution they create and invest in clean transportation solutions including: More... read more The regional policy that is adopted should hold large transportation polluters accountable for the pollution they create and invest in clean transportation solutions including: More public transit and electric vehicle infrastructure in rural areas Expansion of commuter rail, electric vehicles, and streets in the suburbs that are safe, walkable, and bikeable Sustainable and equitable housing near transit and electric bus fleets in urban communities	-
2/21/2020	William	Clary	Newburyport Energy Advisory Committee	Newburyport	Massachusetts	To reduce our carbon footprint, changes to our modes of transportation are needed as they contribute at least 1/3 of our GHG. Increasing public transportation and improving safe self-propelled... read more To reduce our carbon footprint, changes to our modes of transportation are needed as they contribute at least 1/3 of our GHG. Increasing public transportation and improving safe self-propelled transportation (walking, bikes, etc.) are needed investments in our communities. Raising money from fossil fuel combustion sources and reinvesting in our communities makes sense.	-

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