TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Attached is an updated version of a letter/comments from the Massachusetts Campaign for Clean Energy Future, with additional signatories added.

Please see the petition below and attached 196 signatures from across the TCI region. These can be added to the previous 298 signatures we submitted in November which had signed onto the same request, for a total of 494 signatures from Green For All supporters.

Dear Transportation & Climate Initiative:

We applaud your efforts to design a regional carbon pricing program for the transportation sector across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Region. There is no question, we must take steps to cut pollution from this sector and invest in solutions.

We must simultaneously take specific, measurable, and meaningful steps to ensure the communities hit first and worst by pollution, or who have inadequate access to mobility options, can fully participate and benefit from a clean, modern, reliable, and affordable transportation system. This commitment should be expressed in any regional commitment (such as an MOU), and should not be left to individual states to determine whether or how they will address the needs of our most impacted communities.

Last summer, organizations representing racial, economic, transit, and environmental justice communities delivered a set of 9 principles for policy design to ensure the regional program builds in the guardrails that will ensure protections and guarantees for communities most impacted. Each of these equity principles, especially a clear process for ensuring communities are at the table, must be baked into the regional program, committed to by each state that plans to adopt the program, in order to ensure that some communities don’t get left behind.

I echo and support the voices of those who are directly impacted determining what they need to see as part of the
program design. I urge you to commit to specific steps for each of the 9 principles for policy design in MOU.

Thank you,
(Signatures attached)

I'm writing in support of this carbon capping policy. I think it's a good step forward not only for the health of local communities, but for the planet as a whole in the fight against climate change. Thank you for considering this plan and I urge you to implement it as soon as possible. Thank you,
Scout.

Comments on behalf of 28 members of Our Transportation Future in response to the September 16th webinar on TCI modeling and program design.