TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

I support TCI because I want cleaner and quicker public transportation. I use public transportation frequently, and know that many people rely on it to travel to work. We need a faster, cleaner, regional transportation system!

This initiative has increased taxes written all over it. If one switches to hybrid and electric vehicles, where do the batteries get charged? If fossil fuel is to be replaced, there is not enough wind, solar and hydro to replace it, even in 30 years. Nuclear energy needs to be revisited. I have read where there is little if any wasted uranium with the new technology and water cooling has also changed. Why isn't nuclear power being discussed as an energy source? This initiative is very socialistic and makes government bigger and more costly. People that live in rural areas do not need or require all the transportation services of the city. Many are willing to make the services trade off for a rural lifestyle. Careful study of the costs and benefits of this proposal are called for. Thank you.

Please be forward thinking and adopt measures now which will build a better future.
It is better to invest NOW, to bring us on to a path to a more sustainable future, than to have to pay an even bigger bill in the future to try and repair a past filled with inaction.

I think Massachusetts is becoming a socialist nightmare. We already get taxed far too much and for what?! Not our infrastructure, our roads are all trash, pot holes so deep they’re mess your car up and you’ll fail the almighty MA vehicle inspection! There’s some more fees for the citizen to pay so the governor can give himself a huge raise and the DA and rob us of our 2A rights. Every year you people steal more and more freedom from us. You all make me sick. Those who trade freedom for security deserve neither. Wake up

As a technology entrepreneur, business executive, and longtime MA resident, I support a strong plan to improve and expand public transportation. The lack thereof impedes access to employees and, therefore, economic growth. The negative environmental impact of carbon-based transportation also paints a grim picture of the future, both for my family and our country.

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

CT STAKEHOLDER INPUT ON OCTOBER 1, 2019
FRAMEWORK FOR A DRAFT REGIONAL POLICY PROPOSAL

October 12, 2020

Dear Transportation Climate Initiative Regional Policy Workgroup,

Thank you for the opportunity to provide input on the “Framework for a Draft Regional Policy Proposal” released on October 1, 2019. I support a regional policy to reduce transportation pollution and believe robust and meaningful public input into both the regional and state decision-making on the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) is necessary to ensure a just and equitable policy design for Connecticut. I offer feedback on the proposal’s sections below.

Our current transportation system in Connecticut and throughout the Northeast is inequitable, prioritizing car ownership and ridership over all other forms of transportation. This has, in turn, created pollution of many kinds and has resulted in transportation as the largest sector of greenhouse gas emissions.

Equity advisory committees
These committees are necessary to ensure accountability at all levels. It is essential that these committees have true decision-making power and include members from the relevant communities. To ensure participation from underserved and impacted communities, financial compensation for attending should be provided.

Dedicated investments for disproportionately impacted communities
At least 35% of investments, and ideally more than 50%, must be in disproportionately impacted communities to adequately address racial and economic justice issues. Antiracist discrimination, that is discriminating against people who are White in favor of Black and Latinx, is needed to make TCI an antiracist policy. More money must go to communities long left out of investment decisions to create equity. The Center for Latino Progress’s 2019 survey on TCI further indicates high support (82%) for prioritization of equity and environmental justice in investments, with 67% also supporting a dedicated percentage of investments going to address disproportionately impacted communities.

Air quality monitoring as complementary policy
Air quality monitoring is a necessary first step, but is the bare minimum needed. California’s model is a precedent for Connecticut, setting air quality improvement targets and strategies in individual communities and, through grants, empowers community organizations to facilitate this process. Because air quality is often worst in low-income communities and those with high percentages of Black and Latinx residents, the MOU should commit to lowering pollution in these communities.

Workforce training and employment
Creating good jobs in environmentally beneficial sectors is one of the most promising aspects of TCI. It is essential that strong labor standards are upheld and that job preference is given to those in environmental justice communities. Especially in this current age of COVID, well-paying and stable jobs are in short supply; TCI opens opportunities for high-quality jobs. TCI can and should also encourage apprenticeship and training programs.


Sincerely,

Jennifer G. Kleindienst
241 West St.
Middletown, CT 06457

I am happy to add my name in support of this effort to control CO2 emissions, protect our health and preserve the planet for those who follow us. The recognition of the importance of soclal justice as an integral part of this plan is crucial.