TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

T.C.I. is a terrible plan for Vermont. T.C.I. for Vermont will have absolutely no impact on climate change. Vermont having just about the lowest carbon foot print in the nation, and at the same time one of the most heavily taxed states, we do not need another tax, furthering the cost of living burden. On top of the carbon tax of T.C.I., and be sure that's what it is, a carbon tax, T.C.I. will increase the cost of all goods and services purchased by Vermont residents. On top of the increase cost driven T.C.I., it will further increase government bureaucracy and cost.

I am in favor of the strongest possible measures to reduce Vermont’s part in carbon in missions.

I am an electric car owner. I have been hearing that the state is leaning towards putting a lot of charging stations along 89 & 91. I hope that is NOT where the initiative is headed. I would much rather see money put towards light rail or the Vermonter and Ethan Allen trains and even buses go around the state frequently. I have friends all over the state and I must carpool or drive alone from Norwich.
To stop for even an hour somewhere I don't want to be for at least an hour is not going to get me to drive my Leaf to Montpelier. Technology and the car batteries need to get much better before this is a feasible idea.
If we want people to stop driving their fossil fuel cars, frequent mass transportation is the best thing.

I'm ambivalent... While I believe we must do what it takes to reduce our carbon footprint and a regional (or national) solution is needed, I read the MOU and don't understand how this raises more money than could be raised from either increasing the existing taxes on fuels or instituting a production- or distributor- level tax on all fuels. It is complex, requires new bureaucracy (overhead), and introduces opportunities for profiteers to work the system. And... it won't start to fund clean energy projects for two years. Conclusion: If this is the only way to increase cost of fossil fuels and incentivize green initiatives, then I'm supportive, but I'd prefer a more direct and immediate solution.

I attended the informational presentation in Springfield, VT on February 13. I AM IN FAVOR OF THE TCI PLAN AND URGE THE GOVERNOR TO SUPPORT IT. From what I learned, if all 12 states of the region participate, it will represent 1/3 of the US population, and therefore have a sizable impact on reducing GGE from gas and diesel vehicles. Also, if we dont participate, we may be paying higher prices for fuel and not gaining the benefits of the cap and invest program that other states would be gaining.

In Vermont, the transportation sector has the largest contribution to statewide greenhouse gas emissions. Many Vermonters must also drive long distances between their homes and their jobs, making affordable transportation a critical economic equity and social welfare issue. I strongly support the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) as a tool that can quickly reduce regional transportation GHG emissions. However, we must be careful to design TCI so as to make affordable, low-carbon transportation options available to rural citizens in the region.

My name is John Cushman and I live in Norwich, Vermont. I’m writing to encourage you to produce a strong Transportation Climate Initiative memorandum of understanding so that our leaders in our state can use it as an effective, affordable and equitable tool to meet our science-based climate goals.

It is in the interest of Vermont’s citizens to reduce our own emissions of carbon dioxide to zero as rapidly as possible, as recommended and explained by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in keeping with the Paris Agreement. Doing so in a regional framework will maintain our state’s role as a leader. Not participating will turn us into a laggard.

Much of these emissions come from transportation, and while all economic sectors must share the commitment to action, the TCI, as a regional plan model thoughtfully on our experiences with electricity in the Northeast, is an economically sound way of doing so.

Not to participate would pose the risk that we Vermonters would pay part of the price of a regional market-based approach to capping pollution and investing the proceeds of allowance auctions.

Putting a price on carbon through a well designed cap-and-invest approach is economically rational because it drives the lowest cost solutions to the front of the line -- kind of like a car pool lane on a highway. Using the proceeds to pay for modern, efficient transportation infrastructure makes the most sense, and can be designed to protect the most vulnerable from unjust impacts.

Our state agencies can make this work.

For example, the Department of Public Health recently reported that we can save the lives of 2,000 Vermonters in the coming 30 years, and save more than $1 billion in health related costs, if in the coming 10 years we build up our fleet of electric vehicles, cut our solo car trips, and double our walking, biking and bus trips from ten years ago. Those are among the goals of our state’s comprehensive energy plan, and the TCI should be structured to help us meet them.

You should keep your ears and your minds open. Don’t focus on the special interest pleadings of the fossil fuel industry and the Koch brothers misinformation network. Remember, fossil energy is not cheap when you stop treating pollution like a freebie!

Instead, listen to real public interest groups! They want to make the TCI work -- to base it on peer reviewed science, to use the power of the marketplace for sound decisions, to build in a just transition for workers and people with less money, and to make Vermont a good neighbor.

And please keep the doors open to citizens. In Norwich we have voted to reverse our town’s carbon footprint. We have voted to incorporate climate action in every aspect of our town planning, including transportation. We have turned out on the street and in local meetings to demand action based on science. It’s the same in towns all over Vermont. Give us the tools!

We need to make major moves if we're to act on climate change. Please don't punish my generation by failing to act.

The Road to Transformative Action: Transportation Climate Initiative before Rainy Day Funds

“There’s nothing like 40+ degrees and raining to say Happy Holidays in New England!” Sadly, it has been a recurring family greeting of late. As someone who loves the outdoors in all seasons with a special affinity (some say obsession) to snow and skiing, this weather makes me cringe, and honestly, fight back tears of sorrow.
Growing up low-income in a small rural town, I was never able to afford the true luxury of skiing. At the time, I did not know what I was missing. Regardless I was still fortunate to spend endless hours playing outside – blossoming my intrinsic connection to the rural landscape as well as my fascination for all creatures. I didn’t need all that ‘stuff’ we couldn’t afford.
Without going into too much detail, I’ll just say it was not always easy. However, I’ve learned and continually work to embrace the powerful notion that vulnerability is bravery. My experiences have driven me to find work as an advocate for the communities and natural environments of Vermont.
Part of my work includes serving on the Board of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), a statewide, nonprofit business association whose mission centers on People, Planet, and Prosperity. After years taking action on climate in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors, I recently delved into the world of transportation, which makes up the majority of Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions. Both energy expenditures as well as energy burden – or ones annual spending on energy as a percentage of income – for transportation, are higher in Vermont relative to money spent on thermal or electricity costs. Vermont is a rural state and people who live in rural communities have to drive farther to commute to work and school, for recreation, and for all of the regular daily tasks that are part of a full and vibrant life. Our long commutes mean higher household expenses and increased carbon emissions.
Rural public transportation can work, but there is no denying that it is a complex system in need of coordinated, systematic solutions – including providing viable clean transportation choices, affordably, to rural Vermonters. One opportunity for this comes from the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI) – a chance to collaborate with up to 12 other northeastern and Mid-Atlantic States on a region-wide approach to make transportation cleaner and more accessible. TCI is a cap and invest system. Each participating state is afforded the flexibility to choose how to use the TCI revenues. In Vermont, we could support not only what we usually think about as transit, but innovative solutions to meet the mobility needs of ALL Vermonters, especially those in rural areas. This could include increased route frequency, more nimble services like on-call microtransit, smart growth planning, electrification, microgrids, and even rebates to help people get into cleaner, safer vehicles.
Moreover, TCI has the potential to help the very fabric of where I came from - low-income and rural towns - by shaping investments through a lens of equity and economic opportunity. As do too many Vermonters, I know what it is like to grow up hungry and/or with parents too proud to ask for help. When my older brother gave me rides in his car that had a completely rusted out floor where my feet were supposed to go, it was a bit scary but also kind of cool, then; still I was thankful merely having a ride!
With programs like TCI, we have an opportunity to do more than just business as usual. Vermonters deserve cleaner, safer, and more reliable transit options.
As a staunch climate advocate, I feel it critical to ensure that the most vulnerable are not left behind – particularly when they’re the least responsible for climate change yet bear the most burden, as we saw during Tropical Storm Irene. Equally, I feel it imperative for me to speak out as someone who has endured similar challenges. Many extremely loud voices are spreading extensive misinformation about how vulnerable populations will be most hurt by such a TCI framework. Again, it comes down to choices – in signing on we have an opportunity to design programs ensuring that rural, low-income Vermonters are not disproportionately disadvantaged as the goals of the initiative outline.
Shifting transportation in Vermont can’t be done with the flip of a switch. Like the water challenges we face here, we need a long but focused effort to transition a system that has developed over an expanse of time with significant financial contributions. So where do we start? Well, fervent action is needed now. TCI is by no means the complete answer as it will take time to implement and it will not sufficiently cover all transportation investment requirements. Vermont needs to start the engine of transformation to a cleaner, more accessible transportation system immediately by investing in all aspects of our transportation system – from buses, sidewalks and cleaner cars to supporting our downtowns, developing affordable housing in places where people can walk, and even wastewater infrastructure improvements to help our small villages thrive. Such actions will put Vermont ahead of the curve.
All of this requires a collective approach. Please join me in the statehouse and around the state in advocating for a future that is inclusive and healthy for all - humans, the environment, and other creatures alike. Let’s protect our winters, our magnificent landscape and ALL Vermonters so no one is left out in the rain.