TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

I strongly support the TCI and hope all jurisdictions adopt it. We urgently need initiatives like these - the future of our planet depends on it.

I wish to express my opinion on the proposed TCI effort supported by this administration.


I do not support Governor Baker's plan to impose a stealth gas tax hike by his executive order through the Transportation Climate Initiative. We Bay Staters do not need a faceless bureaucracy in some distant state imposing at will what unelected bureaucrats alone deem is appropriate. Massachusetts has one of the highest cost-of-living standards in the nation, along with already some of the highest energy costs. Please reject TCI. Don't make Massachusetts even less affordable, especially for such little gain.


Having actively campaigned for him in his original bid for office, I’ve become extremely disappointed in his pursuit of taxation. TCI is much worse in that unelected bureaucrats would arbitrarily have the ability to raise our taxes. Taxes should ONLY be raised through the legislature.


The governor needs to reign in his belief that he alone can enter our state into any, multi-state agreement.


Sincerely,


Mike


Michael Zupkofska

The climate and transportation initiative is essential for improving our environment. I make a point of using the RR to travel, to NYC to DC and wherever possible. We need to improve this infrastructure so others will do the same. Public transportation is a key ingredient in the fight against climate change. We need to focus our transportation money on making it more efficient and available so that we can reduce emissions and increase usage.

It is essential that all sectors of our society act to reduce the impacts of climate change.
Because transportation is so important, we need to address the impact and minimize its effects on the climate crisis.

I am writing to ask you help reduce emissions and invest in a clean transportation system. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and other
northeast states are considering a program that would transform the transportation sector in this part of the country through the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI). Clean Air Council and other advocates across the region believe this is a critical step to improving transportation and addressing the climate crisis. If designed correctly, this program could help to create safe roads for biking and walking, more frequent and reliable public transportation, greater access to electric vehicles, and a more equitable system with cleaner transportation options for everyone in the region. Transportation is the country’s and region’s leading source of carbon emissions. With your support, we can truly make a change that will benefit the lives as well as health of the population and the planet we live on. Thank you.

The New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA), which represents more than 100 transit systems throughout New York State, supports the goals of the TCI effort. The development of a cap and invest program is both consistent with the environmental and energy objectives of public transportation and is a way to increase funding for public transportation to transition to low emission transit vehicles and to expand transit service.

NYPTA offers the following comments on the TCI draft MOU:
• NYPTA supports the goals and objectives of the TCI cap and invest program proposal.
• NYPTA supports the intent to invest program proceeds in low carbon and clean mobility options in urban, suburban and rural communities, and specifically in public transportation.
• Greater investment to modernize and enhance public transportation throughout New York State supports the goals of the TCI program, particularly greater investment to support the transition to cleaner public transportation infrastructure and to increase public transportation services.
• In developing the program, TCI should consider the impact on transit systems in small communities and rural areas, which have fewer resources and where the transition to clean fuel vehicles may take much longer. The increased cost of diesel fuel and gasoline to transit systems in these areas that will result from the cap and invest program will be burdensome and could negatively impact the continuation of these essential transit services to customers who need them most. An exemption (or credit) from any increase in fuel prices for public transportation services resulting from a carbon cap should be considered in designing the program in order to mitigate any negative financial impacts.
• NYPTA strongly supports returning the proceeds generated from the cap and invest program to the state where they are generated or earned.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the draft MOU.

This plan would hurt the rural elderly population in Maine as the price of energy for transportation and heat would be driven to unaffordable levels. Current energy alternatives such as wind and solar, and electric vehicles create a net increase in carbon footprint because the resources to mine and produce windmills, batteries, etc., uses more energy than is saved over the lifetime of the current technologies. This plan is bad for Maine residents.

Climate change due to human caused greenhouse gas emissions is an existential threat. Transportation is the biggest greenhouse gas emitter in Massachusetts and across the world. Transitioning to all-electric vehicles is a relatively easy and effective way to move us toward a carbon neutral environment. This transition will have the added benefit of cleaner air and lower health costs related to respiratory diseases. The government needs to help not only by improving public transportation, which should be 'green', but also by incentivizing electric vehicle purchases by individuals. The latter requires charging stations on all highways that ultimately will replace gasoline stations. In the short term, it also requires financial incentives, including rebates for electric vehicle purchase and home charging station installations. The federal government is moving us backwards. The states need to shoulder the burden of moving us forward for the sake of current and future generations. The eastern states can and should sent an example for the rest of the country.

Additionally, call it what you want, but this is another TAX your trying to ram through, not a fee! I'll be voting out all who are for this FEE and will be encouraging everyone I know to vote you all OUT!!