TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

I am urging a cap on carbon emissions of at least 25% by 2032; an increase in the minimum investment in overburdened and underserved communities (>35%); and I request that investments be put towards active transportation like better sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, and high quality public transit.

Governor Charlie Baker
Office of the Governor
24 Beacon Street Room 280
Boston, MA 02133


Dear Governor Baker:

The Massachusetts Campaign for a Clean Energy Future is a coalition of environmental, public health, labor, and civic organizations working to establish equitable carbon pricing policy for Massachusetts.

We support the potential of a well-structured regional Transportation Climate Initiative and want to ensure that the Commonwealth develops carbon reduction plans that are both effective and centered around equitable protections and investments. To that end, the organizations listed below, all of whom are members of Massachusetts Campaign for a Clean Energy Future, support the statement of principles developed and submitted by the Massachusetts TCI Table.

Please note that the nine organizations that are signatories to this letter represent thousands of engaged Massachusetts residents from Cape Cod to Western Massachusetts.
Environmental Ambition
We commend Governor Baker and members of the Baker-Polito administration for their regional leadership on TCI. As the participating jurisdictions work to develop a final Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), we encourage Massachusetts to provide continued leadership by encouraging other states to commit to TCI, to invest proceeds in clean transportation efforts, and to minimize negative impacts to low-income drivers while maximizing benefits to communities that lack affordable, reliable, and safe transportation.
The MA TCI Table asks the Baker-Polito administration to ensure that the TCI jurisdictions establish an emissions cap that aligns with Governor Baker’s recently announced commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 and the Massachusetts Senate’s proposed requirement of a 50 percent emissions reduction by 2030.
Of the three cap levels analyzed by the TCI jurisdictions, the cap that most closely approaches that level of ambition is the cap that declines by 25 percent from 2022 to 2032; that cap level also delivers the greatest health, economic, and job-creation benefits. For those reasons, the undersigned support an emissions cap that declines by at least 25 percent from 2022 to 2032. We also recommend that the Administration conduct modeling of deeper reductions. The cap and other program design elements should be reviewed after the program’s first three years and every three years thereafter to ensure that the program is working as intended to reduce CO2 emissions and other harmful co-pollutants and is improved over time.
Investment of TCI Proceeds
We appreciate the need for each TCI jurisdiction to independently determine how to invest TCI proceeds to best meet the unique needs of their residents, workers, and businesses. However, we also believe that the draft MOU should include principles to ensure that investments deliver pollution reduction, improved air quality, increased sustainable transportation options in an equitable manner. This should include attention to good jobs standards.
The investment of TCI proceeds in Massachusetts should provide greater access to affordable, low-carbon transportation options throughout all geographic regions of the Commonwealth. Investments that benefit environmental justice communities, low-income populations, rural families, low-wage workers, and other populations that have been historically burdened by transportation pollution are necessary. The Commonwealth should prioritize these communities as they have faced disproportionate burdens from transportation pollution and unequal access to mobility options. TCI proceeds must minimize and mitigate cost impacts to low-income households and maximize expanded clean transportation benefits for low-income communities and other transit-dependent populations.
The Commonwealth’s share of proceeds from TCI allowance auctions should be managed transparently, with input from a stakeholder advisory council. Massachusetts should work directly with communities across the Commonwealth to identify investments that will deliver CO2 reductions, improved air quality, resilient infrastructure, and improved sustainable transportation options. TCI-funded investments should be highly visible through clear reporting of investments and investment impacts.
Complementary Policies
In addition to a cap-and-invest framework, complementary policies are needed to achieve the Commonwealth’s climate mandates, economic development, and public health goals. These should include policies such as reduced public transit fares, road pricing, zoning reform, public-private partnerships, improved governance and coordination of the MBTA, RTAs, human service transit, and other state and local agencies. Further, the undersigned agree with the Commission on the Future of Transportation that we need to phase out the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles by or before 2040, and that all MBTA and RTA bus purchases must be electric by 2030.
The following member organizations of the Massachusetts Campaign for a Clean Energy Future look forward to working with you to ensure that Massachusetts participates in an environmentally ambitious and equitable TCI.
Sincerely,
Acadia Center
Cape and Islands Self-Reliance
Clean Water Action
Climate Action Now Western Massachusetts
Elder Climate Action Massachusetts
Greater Boston Interfaith Organization Climate Justice Task Force
Healthlink
League of Women Voters-Massachusetts
Salem Alliance for the Environment

We can't survive without clean water, land and air. We must protect our resources at all costs.

This is an essential initiative because New York State's transportation emissions are rising at a time they should be fast moving in the opposite direction... thus, we need a giant U-turn on this, and soon. This reversal and reduction is key to the accomplishment of the goals set in the CLCPA. While I have accepted that people are going to drive and that we need electric and other alternative vehicles, I still think that the best car trip is no car trip, and that electric cars are still cars, machines that create too much direct and indirect pollution and perils regardless of their fuel type and emissions levels. With this said, I believe that land use and development planning that makes it easier (and safer and more pleasant) to choose walking, cycling, and transit modes, or LOCATION EFFICIENCY, is absolutely critical to this initiative and should be prioritized as much if not more than alternative fuel vehicles. Also, better incentives for getting more people into each vehicle is key. We need not only alternative fuels, we need fewer vehicles miles traveled, and more people in each vehicle.

I am not an expert, but from what I have heard from the experts about TCI, TCI represents a good and appropriately aggressive step in the right direction (one of many steps needed). We must strive to have our economy reflect and support our ecology. Thank you.

I am strongly in favor this initiative. Most of Vermont's carbon emissions are from the transportation sector and there needs to be an investment to help us make the transition. This type of cap-and-invest program has been hugely successful elsewhere in North America, and I hope we can take this step in the Northeast. The data shows that places with a cap-and-invest program can have their economies grow while their carbon emissions decline. I'm grateful for the work of all those involved.

Just saw on the Boston herald that based on this program/plan, Governor of MA will increase the green tax. https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/11/01/green-gas-tax-bid-could-push-prices-close-to-5-a-gallon/

Also, can you make the form anonymous so that people who may not have an address or affiliation can submit their input/feedback? Equity is a big part of it and right now, this does not feel like it can reach those who are uncomfortable with such form or may not have an email.

More public transit and electric vehicle infrastructure in rural areas
Expansion of commuter rail, electric vehicles, and streets in the suburbs that are safe, walkable, and bikeable
Sustainable and equitable housing near transit and electric bus fleets in urban communities