TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Virginia Conservation Network is the partnership of 125 groups across the Commonwealth working to protect our natural resources. We have a 50 year history of working for state level policy changes to protect and restore our air, water, and natural landscapes.

Climate change is the biggest environmental threat we face here in Virginia and across the globe. All levels of government must step up to address this threat by putting policies in place that reduce carbon emissions. Virginia is on a path to joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to ratchet down our carbon pollution from electricity generation with a statewide goal of getting to a carbon free power grid by 2050. However, the utility sector is only on fifth of our greenhouse gas emissions, forty-six percent of our state’s carbon pollution derives from the transportation sector. It is time for Virginia, our neighboring states, and the nation to tackle this source of pollution.

VCN is excited about the solutions the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) could offer our Commonwealth. TCI would not only put in place a system to reduce carbon pollution from transportation, the resulting revenue streams from TCI could allow us to expand our transit networks and transition our vehicle fleets—from police cruisers to school buses—to all-electric. The potential for revenues to be invested in cleaner and more accessible transportation solutions in communities that suffer disproportionately from transportation pollution and a lack of mobility options can not be overstated. It is important that while we look towards transportation solutions we look not only to electrification but also to smart land-use including walkable, bikeable communities. We look forward to working with TCI and our neighboring states to tackle this problem from all angles.

There are many co-benefits to cleaning up our transportation system; however, the benefits for public health would prove especially significant. Virginia’s rate of asthma and related deaths is well above the national average. Richmond in particular has more deaths linked to asthma than any other U.S. city, and childhood asthma is a top reason that Richmond children miss school. Cleaner vehicles would mean cleaner air for our kids to breathe.

We are excited to support this endeavor to simultaneously tackle the climate crisis, enhance our region's mobility and make a significant shift towards cleaner, healthier communities.

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

Thank you for doing this work!

As someone who is deeply worried about the environmental costs of fossil fuel based transportation, I was excited to hear about this initiative. I hope TCI will pursue ambitious solutions that both reduce the impacts of human transportation, and make wise long-term investments in local economies.

Good luck with the project.

I have a PhD in City and Regional Planning. One of the issues we frequently discuss is inefficient transportation systems and auto-dependency. One priority should be to improve train travel throughout this reason. With improved train service, it would be possible to travel from Washington DC to Boston with greatly reduced emissions.
I often think of these transportation issues and how they play out at the local level. I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and I experience inefficiencies and auto-related gridlock daily. In Chester County we are expected to add 140,000 people in the next 20 years. On neighborhood forums, I see the tendency to want to reject all development, which is not possible when considering the projected population growth. A major reason for not wanting more development is the overburdened infrastructure that will become increasingly inefficient with more cars on the road. We need a solution that will provide other means of local and regional transportation. These local transportation solutions should be part of the scaffolding of a regional transportation system.
Creating an enforceable limit on transportation pollution and investing in clean, modern mobility solutions across the region will reduce vehicle emissions, especially GHG emissions; support clear air initiatives; and improve the quality of life of residents in these states. A regional planning initiative is long overdue, but I am grateful that the process has begun. I request that Pennsylvania will formally join the plan to reduce emissions. This bipartisan project will provide an example to the rest of the country, demonstrating that state jurisdictions can do this important but difficult work even as our federal government continues to roll back regulations and refuses to address issues that will make us competitive in the future. I also hope this policy will prioritize clean energy investments on behalf of all residents, especially those in areas overburdened by pollution or in areas where access to clean energy options are limited.