TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

The TCI is a bad deal for Vermont. Our state would have no control of distribution of funds. Most of rural Vermont, where I live and work, will be the hardest impacted with zero to no benefit from this program. We live in the shade of mountains where electric vehicles are not only not possible to use for our commutes, charging them is very expensive and still uses electricity that comes from sources generating carbon, and damming rivers which also affect our planet. Also, part of my living is derived from towing trailers - which I can't do with electric vehicles.

I live on the border of Massachusetts and New York. My husband works in Massachusetts. Part of my work has me travel to New York (to teach prisoners). Without a plan that treats every payer of this TAX with a return equally and directly, this is just another cash grab from urban areas from rural areas. This would damage my property values, hurt interstate commerce, and drive down tourism.

There is absolutely no good reason for Vermont to participate in this only to line the pockets of bigger states with higher populations and less demanding terrain.

We can cut poverty and pollution at the same time. I urge you to move forward with a regional program that prioritizes the needs of communities overburdened with pollution and underserved in mobility options.

My family and I strongly support expanding zero-emissions vehicles and low-to-zero emissions mass transit options (e.g. buses, streetcars, trains, etc) and transitioning to more sustainable, low-carbon transportation. This helps our economy, our children and all of us. Thank you!

This is an extraordinarily important initiative and I hope you will be wise enough to enact it.

350 Maine stands behind a regional bipartisan policy to provide no-to-low-carbon transportation solutions for Maine residents. Our current transportation system in Maine is outdated and contributes to poverty and public health problems.

Maine residents have very few transportation options. Driving in a fossil-fuel emitting vehicle is often the only mode of transportation available to us. This is due to the fact that most roads in Maine are not designed for pedestrian or bike traffic, and many transportation routes involve highways or multi-lane roads, making commuting by walking or biking nearly impossible. Furthermore, our current system is such that those who cannot drive often have limited options to access gainful employment. Public health concerns are increased by blocking access to those who can’t drive to health care, healthy food, social services and entertainment. Maine must design a transportation system that allows its citizens to safely access the goods and services they need.

The transportation sector accounts for more than half of Maine’s carbon emissions into our atmosphere. As Maine’s population continues to increase, we must find a way to transport our population safely and efficiently while reducing or eliminating the emissions associated with traditional forms of transportation.

350 Maine supports further clarification in the Final TCI MOA in the following areas:

350 Maine supports the establishment within the TCI framework of a Regional affordable High-Speed Rail that interconnects Canada, eastern Maine including Portland and Boston South Station;

350 Maine urges TCI to require the investment of the cap-and-invest funds into electric trolley service between all major Cities in Maine;

350 Maine urges the TCI to require the investment of cap-and-invest fund into local and regional electric bus service that runs on regular schedules serving the areas where people live, work, and access services;

350 Maine supports the prioritization of investment of transportation funds to provide reasonable, affordable access to public transit to low income and under-served communities;

350 Maine urges the TCI to further elaborate how the cap-and-invest program funds will flow equitably to communities that are currently underserved by clean transportation options;

350 Maine urges TCI to further study traffic patterns and transportation routes in the State of Maine such that at least 50% of current vehicular traffic can be replaced by electrified public transit, because replacing fossil-fuel vehicles with electric vehicles on a one-to-one basis is not a sustainable option for the electric grid;

I am in support of this initiative because I believe we need to do everything we possibly can to reduce our carbon emissions and this would be a great step forward. One day our grandchildren will ask us what we did when we knew we had time to make a change to help them have a better future. Supporting TCI will be something we can point to as a possible turning point.
Thank you.
Amy Hunter Maguire

Our town is out of space and can't expand. It we are to maintain our small business district and tax base we need to eliminate some parking to make space for people in public space. That means connecting our town to robust regional transit, bike, and walking infrastructure. we also need research evidence of benefits to business of active transit.

Australia provides a grim warning on what WILL happen if we don't get fossil fuels out of the environment. We need renewable sustainable methods of transportation. Whatever it takes.

We all need to be conscious in our choices of what vehicles we drive and ride around in. I have a standard shift Honda Civic and I love it, it's not new actually it was born in the year 2000. I do not trust new cars. Too complicated with computers and I have the idea of a driver-less car.
I'm all for making an effort to pollute less, much less.