TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

I support the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) and the need for Maine to move away from outdated single-car and single-driver models of transportation. Our outdated transportation system is Maine’s largest source of climate pollution—and it doesn’t even meet the needs of Maine people. We deserve clean, modern, affordable transportation options that deliver economic, health, and climate benefits to local communities.
It makes sense for Maine to work with neighboring states through TCI’s bipartisan, proven policy model to design and implement modern mass transit systems throughout our state and throughout New England. Imagine what a bullet train moving the people of Maine to and from work (in Portland, Boston, etc.) might look like. We could be the model of the future for the United States and the world.

I am writing in strong support of Vermont's participation in the Transportation and Climate Initiative.

Vermont has set aggressive, but entirely appropriate, goals for emissions reduction and the movement away from fossil fuels. These goals have been accepted by the state and by Governor Scott. But as things now stand those goals a like a fairy tale -- something that entertains the reader, but nothing that is actually real.

Our state is FAR behind on the goals it has set to help us fight climate change. Our country is FAR behind on taking positive steps to fight climate change. My and your children and grandchildren will end up paying the price for this inaction.

TCI would represent a significant step forward in turning Vermont's current climate change fairy tale into reality. This cap and invest program covers the electric sector in the Northeast. It has proven very successful, reducing consumer costs and carbon pollution from the power sector by 40%.

Transportation is the one area where we can make the biggest difference in the most important issue of our time.

On behalf of our children and grandchildren I hope Vermont will formally join TCI.

Thank you,

Duncan McDougall

Local, state, and regional governments have been tacking a major source of greenhouse gas pollution: power plants. Now it's time to do the same for transportation. To protect God's creation, we must take bold steps to rapidly reduce carbon dioxide release from the burning of oil for transportation by instituting a cap and trade program. Proceeds from sale by states of those permits could then be invested in clean alternatives like electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, public transportation, walking and biking projects, and other smart growth initiatives, speeding up the must needed transition to a clean, equitable, 21st century transportation system.

A recent analysis by the Georgetown Climate Center found that investing $3 billion annually in the Northeast states to reduce vehicle GHG emissions would
+ Save thousands of lives in the region in 2030
+ Create more than 113,000 jobs in D.C. and Maryland through 2030
+ Put $11.81 billion in D.C. and Marylanders pockets through 2030

My primary forms of transportation are mass-transit, bike, and a battery electric car. We need to encourage others to make similar transitions and a cap and trade program is one of the best mechanisms.

I encourage you to make a firm commitment to adopt a regional transportation policy that achieves a minimum 40 percent reduction in transportation sector climate pollution by 2030, to keep us on track to meet the climate goals updated by the General Assembly in 2016.

This comment is in response to the second panel discussion at today's Technical Workshop in Boston that discussed investments that could be made to the transportation system with revenue generated from a TCI program. There were several examples of electrifying the transportation sector as one type of investment that other regions (Quebec, California?) have made with funds from cap and trade programs. While electrifying the transportation sector decreases carbon emissions, so too does a reduction in VMT. Investments in active transportation infrastructure (walking, biking and transit) would not only reduce emissions, but would also make our roads safer for the most vulnerable users. Redesigning our road network to increase options for people to choose safe walking and biking opportunities would complement electrification and provide needed capital funding to make roads safer for all. It will be important to ensure that TCI revenue reinforces related, complementary policies and systems, as well as working to transition our fossil fuel-based transportation system to a more carbon neutral one.

I believe I am in favor of Vermont participating. I think the downsides have been overblown, and , in my opinion , fossil fuels are so cheap that peope are not really taking conservation seriously. I make a living selling insulation so I'd like to think I understand what does (or doesn't) motivate consumers to behave responsibly

I have been skeptical about using market mechanisms for carbon emission reduction when the plans were based solely in VT, due to the added costs and competitive disadvantage with surrounding states. But a regional plan that reaches all the way to Virginia makes a lot of sense, and we would be foolish not to take advantage of the market power of such a large populous area to reduce emissions. The climate crisis is the number one threat to the future of all residents of Vermont and the planet. The near term costs of economic transition will be a good investment in the future of our energy infrastructure.

Vermont has led the nation in climate-friendly initiatives, and that makes me proud to be a Vermonter. So, with the TCI, it should be a no-brainier that our state joins it.

We must curtail our usage of fossil fuels. There are varying degrees of opinions on that, which is understandable, but please remember that emissions from burning fossil fuels do not magically disappear in the atmosphere. Add to that the billions and billions of engines, and thousands of power stations generating emissions. The volume of heat-trapping gasses going into the atmosphere is huge. Earth's atmosphere is large, but human needs for transportation and electricity, for example, have exceeded its capacity to withstand the heat-trapping gases we put into it.

As a result, Earth is warming, and weather is changing. People are dying, lands are becoming inhabitable, and extinctions are on the rise. Scary stuff, and there is much data to back it up.

Tough decisions must happen now, and unfortunately, some may financially affect people, but our future is on the line – study after study proves this. The actions we take or do not take now will dictate the fate of all life on Earth. To back up my assertion, watch the Weather Channel for a month or two and track how many times "historic", "unprecedented", "abnormal", and "record" in forecasts and reports.

Vermont must join the TCI.

I am very opposed to Vermont's participation in the proposed Transportation and Climate Initiative. As much as I have heard from Vermont officials, both legislators and office holders, that it is not a carbon tax, it is obviously a carbon tax by what ever name they want to label it. Since Vermont is all ready one of the highest tax paying states in the union, with one of the lowest carbon foot prints all ready there is no need to further increase the tax burden on Vermonter's. Especially for an expensive program that will have no significant impact on the climate. T.C.I. will only serve to increase government cost and bureaucracy, at a time when we should be reducing both to make Vermont affordable again. The scale of the program will lead to further government waste and abuse of resources. As one Vermont Senator, a leading proponent stated the "money will be off the books"! Can such a statement of a government official not scare anyone!
As with any government program T.C.I. will only be distributing a fraction of the funds collected back to the states. After paying exorbitant salaries and administrative fees, what percentage of the revenues collected will actually be returned to the claimed reinvest?
On top of T.C.I.'s cost and impact to Vermonter's directly, the secondary cost of increases for every goods and services required by Vermonter's will see increases!
Concluding, T.C.I. is a terrible idea.

Governor Scott,

Please support TCI in Vermont. We will likely already be paying in, because a lot of our fuel retailers are out of state, so we may as well take funds as well.

Thanks,