TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Please do this. A sustainable future is the most important thing to me, nothing else matters for my 1 yr old son.

While noble in objective, the TCI is fundamentally flawed and most disturbing in that it pre-supposes an outcome- that electrification is the only and best solution for reducing GHG emissions from transportation and all public funds should go to that.

Through its funding approach - cap and invest - essentially, robs Peter to pay Paul. It seems to deem ineligible near term and proven solutions like low carbon transportation fuels - such as renewable biodiesel fuel- that deployed at scale in the region could reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent -- in a timeframe that would likely be DECADES faster than electrification at scale, since all the biofuels infrastructure is essentially in place today as are the vehicles that when using it would deliver the benefits. Switching electric power generation to full scale renewables is not a given, which fundamentally weakens the premise of TCI. off shore wind and solar are coming along but not without major hiccups and setbacks now and who knows what in the future. Until then the region will be trading tailpipe emissons for smokestack ones since natural gas generates the majority of electricity in the region, and in some states far more than others.

IF - and it is a big IF -- any regional confab on climate should exist at all, no duly elected official should ever support anything but a cap and trade framework- where many solutions and technologies compete. That is the best way to achieve progress in such a diverse region on such a challenge in such a timeframe.

Please support TIC. It's not all we need but it is a good first step in mitigating climate crisis.

We write from the Collaborative Center for Justice, which is a faith-based advocacy organization based in Hartford, CT. We are sponsored by six congregations of Women Religious around the state. Environmental justice has been one of our priority areas for our education and advocacy work over the years.

We support the development of a strong multi-state Transportation and Climate Initiative and we urge Governor Lamont to fully support participating in this critical initiative. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, and emissions will continue to grow if timely action is not taken to transform our transportation system. This initiative is a critically important opportunity to make changes that will lead to an increase in clean transportation and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

We urge leaders to include provisions to prioritize investments in frontline communities that have already disproportionately borne the burdens of environmental injustices. Low-income communities and communities of color already face greater exposure to pollution from vehicle emissions, fossil fuel plants and incinerators in and near their communities. These communities need to be prioritized in the transition to clean energy. We also call upon the leaders of this initiative to meaningfully include voices from directly impacted communities in each step of the development and implementation processes.

We urge you to ensure the inclusion of the following components when developing the final program: commitment to utilizing investments to improve and expand public transportation in the state; increasing and improving bike lanes and sidewalks; and investing in expanded rail service across the state and region. This is an opportunity to make it safer, more affordable, and more possible for people to take public transportation to school and work from where they live. Increasing the frequency of buses and trains and expanding their routes are two important components to make these changes possible. It is also important to increase the availability of bike lanes so that people can safely commute from a public transit stop to another location by bike. Investment in fixing potholes, particularly on busy city streets, is also an important component of improving biker safety.

Residents who already commute to school and work by public transportation face challenges with our current system too. Many bus routes do not have frequent enough schedules to meet the needs of the residents who depend on them. In many cases, taking a bus to school or work is very time consuming because routes and connection points are limited. Bus routes need to be expanded in cities and to neighboring suburbs in order to better address this problem.

We also recommend that investments be used to transition school and public buses to electric buses. Increasing the number and expanding the locations of charging stations around the state would support the transition to electric buses and cars. Transitioning to electric buses will have important public health benefits for the children and adults who ride the buses, as well as for the wider community.

As people of faith, we concerned about the health and wellbeing of all people and our planet. We are particularly concerned about the impacts of environmental injustices on low-income communities and communities of color. We believe that there is an urgency to our actions to implement climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. As a state and region, we have a collective responsibility to make changes to our transportation sector that will address and end these injustices, and move our society toward cleaner and more equitable transportation options in the most immediate way possible. We look forward to Governor Lamont’s leadership and commitment to this critically important initiative.


Respectfully submitted,

Dwayne David Paul – Director
Rachel Lea Scott, MSW – Associate Director

I support this initiative and value its work! To say it is necessary is an understatement. Please support this initiative.

I support a “…design (for) 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.” Electric vehicles for both public transportation and individual use with abundant charging stations throughout the region are needed to support these goals.

We need to do everything possible to decrease our use of fossil fuels and we need to do it now. I support all legislation that move us in that direction. The environment around us is changing faster than even the most dire forecasts predicted. The time to act is now!