TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

As a person with asthma and soon to be first time parent, the TCI would represent a huge step towards addressing two major concerns I have for my own health and that of my family – climate change and air pollution. I would like to thank Governor Baker for his leadership on the TCI. The TCI offers many benefits for citizens, and I am looking forward to its implementation to help us 1) reduce a key source of greenhouse gas emissions to make progress towards reducing the potential impacts of climate change, 2) reducing transportation generated air pollution, improving the health of all residents of these states, and 3) increasing the robustness of our public transit infrastructure, reducing traffic congestion and leading to improved livability of our communities while giving citizens precious time back in their days. To help realize all of these benefits, I urge you to adopt the most aggressive greenhouse gas reduction recommended by current climate change research. I also urge you to consider disproportionate increases in public transit resources to currently underserved communities and those with disproportionate air pollution exposure.

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 have read with great disappointment your plan to push through this gas tax without allowing the legislature to vote. This is a serious tax and one that does not help stop pollution but instead puts more money into the hands of government. As of now, the MBTA has the money it needs to upgrade and run more efficiently but government beauocracy stands in the way. I want my present tax dollars to work for me not for the unions and government run programs. Stop the tax madness! Let the legislature vote on this measure!
Thank you1

Please see the attached joint comments of 44 signatories throughout the TCI region regarding equity and equitable investments, including our recommendations for the final memorandum of understanding. Please let Staci Rubin know if you have questions.

Climate change and global warming are existential threats to future generations. My stake in this initiative is as a private citizen concerned about our planet and its species. Not taking mitigating actions in the near future will have dire consequences. The rail corridor will remove thousands of polluting automobile trips on this intensely traveled route. I heartily endorse your efforts.

For the sake of our planet's sustainability and particularly the low-income communities most affected by climate concerns, I absolutely support a cap on emissions. Please participate!

I support the climate initiative. I STRONGLY support re-creating the electric trolley system that Massachusetts had until 1920 or so. Around then Mass had 3,200 miles of privately owned trolley tracks. Folks could travel throughout the state often faster than we can today before COVID, anyway. :-) Now that we are in Covid, hasn't everyone noticed how much cleaner the air is? What about looking at the stars at night? Since I live near Boston, light and air pollution have affected what I can see. Now that the air is cleaner, I can see more.
PLUS ... google for pictures on how several large cities around the world have much cleaner air because fewer people can drive.

I have few question that maybe you or someone from CLF might be able to help me.
1. How would current and future Climate changes affect all people living with Dementia and Alzheimer and other disease o9f the brain?
2. How would anyone be able to help these individuals cope with Climate changes in the future around Air Pollutions, COVID-19 mortality and Communities of Color?

As a woman of color, I know women of color are the most likely to get Dementia and or Alzheimer before our white counterparts.

I would like to know if anyone can tell me if the warning signs are different with all of the diseases that we are now facing?

Looking forward to hear from you or anyone who was on the webcast about this upcoming health problems.