TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Time is of the essence! We must take steps NOW to reduce the need to fossil fuel use and transportation is a huge part of that.

The vehicles from Diesel Brothers TV show and the like, truck pulling. tractor pulling, monster trucks, mudbog trucks, all levels of race cars, trucks, and motorcycles, and all home/shop built vehicles must be made to meet all EPA regulations the same as streetcars/trucks. There can be no exceptions. The argument is well, they are specialty vehicles and should be exempt. Never, they must, in the near future, be held to a much higher standard.

Reducing pollution from transportation is one important step we can take to fight climate change and move toward a cleaner, better future. It is my great hope that Vermont will join in this regional endeavor. Please consider equity in your decision making - prioritizing clean investments in the most polluted areas where citizens don't have easy access to cleaner transportation opportunities. In an age where the federal government is stripping away environmental protections and threatening our children's very future, I commend this bipartisan effort to do more to help clean up our air and fight climate change in an equitable way that helps ALL people. I appreciate your consideration.

As someone who hopes to become a farmer soon, I have already seen the effects of climate change on the upcoming field season. Seed is less plentiful than in years past due to excessive flooding in seed production areas. I only foresee our problems becoming worse in the future if we do not "man up" and work together to address our growing catastrophes. It is time to right the ship. My future career in the great state of Vermont depends on it. One of the most important ways we can do this is by reducing pollution from transportation, which is our largest source of global warming emissions (regionally and nationally).
I kindly request that Vermont formally join the plan to reduce emissions.
The policy should have a strong component of equity by prioritizing clean investments in areas overburdened by pollution and for those who don't have access.
I am grateful for the bipartisan nature of this project, moving us forward while the federal government takes us backward.

Regards and fruitful endeavors,

Melissa Wales

As a part of other plans I propose a quadrupling of the market price for gasoline. The price above manufacturer's cost (including cost of capital) to be awarded to public transportation. In time this will improve the efficiency of transportation and thus reduce harm on the climate.

We're in a climate crisis. Please do whatever you can to address the crisis. The effects are already here as illustrated by the fires in Australia and California, flooding and violently fluctuating weather.Vermont needs to do more to reduce emissions. Thanks for working together to make sure our children and all future generations have a livable planet.

I strongly support the Transportation and Climate Initiative's plans to limit pollution (including carbon emissions) of the transportation segment of our economy. I am a Vermont resident, and am keenly aware of the need to use public resources to improve non-fossil-fuel transportation alternatives in our rural state. I am aware that the transportation sector is the largest source of global warming emissions, in the state, regionally and nationally. I am glad that Vermont is already part of the TCI, and urge VT State government to improve our commitments to lowering emissions, for the sake of ourselves, our environment, and our children's futures. I am pleased that this is a non-partisan effort, because these problems affect us all, now and in the future, not any one segment of our population.
I urge that the transportation plan include a strong component of equity in the investment in infrastructure, to benefit those who have been over-burdened by pollution, and those who currently do not have access to "clean" transportation options. It is critical that limits on fossil fuel use (which are necessary) NOT reduce the ability of those with lower incomes, or living in more rural areas to get to work, health-care, recreation and commercial areas.
I also support the regional nature of this planning, since the needed solutions cannot be implemented solely on a local or state level. Our existing transportation infrastructure crosses state lines, and will need to be re-configured on that basis. Different transportation modalities will need to be complementary, not separately designed as has been the case for far too long. Looking at the interlocking needs of citizens, businesses and institutions on a regional scale should increase the quality of the planning and the outcome on the ground.
I further urge that the planners "push the envelope" to make the most aggressive improvements in our carbon emissions in this region, as part of a global effort to save us from our past mistakes--many of which result from a lack of any coordinated, regional (or national) plan. It's time to step beyond the influence of those who already have economic and political power, and to look at the global needs of all of us--not just humans, either, but all life on earth. We have shown that we can set the Earth on a path toward destruction of species (including ourselves), now it is time to see if we can set our course to maintain bio-diversity, human diversity and the eco-systems on which we all depend.