TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

I am passionate about reducing pollution from transportation, in part because transportation is our largest source of global warming emissions. We are in the midst of a climate crisis, and we need to do everything in our power to reduce emissions in a just way. I urge this plan to include equity at every stage of the process, by ensuring that clean investments are prioritized for communities who are traditionally left out and who face more of the burden from pollution. Corporations need to be held accountable, and the benefits need to be put towards marginalized people. Marginalized/frontline communities need to be consulted at every stage of the process and their voices uplifted. We desperately need to invest in public transportation and make it a better option than personal vehicles.

I am glad to learn that this is a bipartisan effort, and I look forward to following up with the progress of this plan. The Climate Crisis, and the crisis of income inequalities are emergencies, and we need to do something about it now.

The region needs to work on public awareness about local and global environmental issues, increase access to mass transportation, which should reach everyone despite location, be more reliable, fast, and affordable. Personal responsibility should be encouraged: walking, biking preferred to driving when possible, through the development of safe, bike friendly urban and suburban areas.

Transportation is the largest source of air pollution in the region, and we need to build a modern, clean, safe, and accessible transportation system for the 21st century. The more we limit pollution from motor fuels, the more jobs we create, the more the economy grows, the healthier our air becomes, and the more lives we save. MA should join TCI to fund better transportation infrastructure, reduce traffic, and make my community a cleaner, safer place to live.

I am thrilled that my state is one of those supporting the Transportation and Climate Initiative. Let's ensure that Virginia is at the forefront of efforts to combat the worst effects of climate change, and perhaps even to turn climate change around.

As a Virginia resident and small business owner, I strongly support TCI. We need to fix our crumbling infrastructure, promote use of clean electric vehicles, upgrade our public infrastructure, reduce traffic congestion and clean the air of transportation-related pollution. I have lost employees who moved from (or would not commute through) Northern Virginia due to the terrible traffic. And there are no good EV charging options at or near where I live and work. I firmly believe that we have the will and the transportation solutions in hand. All we need now is the cap-and-invest proceeds to get the job done! I may be forced to move from Virginia if steps are not taken to fix our broken and dirty transportation system.

Please see the attached file for The Nature Conservancy's comments on equity provisions in the TCI program.

Climate Change is real and must be addressed NOW. The actions and legislation we take today will impact future generations of humans, animals, and plants. We must begin to restore the balance of nature by moving past the "Dark Ages" of fossil fuels. We must "design a regional low-carbon transportation policy proposal that would cap and reduce carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels through a cap-and-invest program or other pricing mechanism" and "complete the policy development process within one year, after which each jurisdiction will decide whether to adopt and implement the policy.” Change is best made at the individual, local, and state levels because we cannot depend upon the federal government to take action. We are stewards of our Earth. And positive changes can be made!