TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Unless we reduce pollution the planet is not going to survive. I will, I am old but my children and my grand children may not. Please do something!

I fully support the development of more efficient, low carbon transportation. It is way past time for developing clean, modern transportation solutions. These efforts will stimulate the economy, create jobs, improve our lives, and help clean up our environment. I hope the policy will have a strong equity component and prioritize clean investments in areas most burdened by pollution and without access to public transportation. The bipartisan nature of this project makes me more hopeful for the future. The states need to take us forward since the current federal is taking us backward.

Please do not make onerous public policy on the basis of a hoax. There is no climate emergency. http://www.climatescience.org.nz/

I do not agree to increased costs to taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by use of this proposed “Transportation and Climate Initiative”.

Gas tax is regressive - proportionally punishes those who can least afford it - those who must travel longer distances to jobs because they can’t afford housing in pricey metropolitan area. From CommonWealth Magazine: “ The proposal would mimic a gas tax in that it would raise the price of gasoline.” Please don’t disguise a gas tax with a new name “cap and invest”. Reduce government waste, and fix loopholes to ensure that ultra-rich are not paying a lower effective tax rate than the lower and middle working classes. Use that money to improve mass transit e.g. electric buses on convenient routes. Only then will commuters opt to leave the car at home.

I recently became aware of the Transportation and Climate Initiative and am writing to you to voice my thanks and support for our continued participation. Climate change is an extremely urgent matter that we must act on immediately to stop and try to reverse. Reducing vehicle pollution is a key element of any greenhouse gas reduction strategy.

I thank you, Governor Baker, for your leadership on climate change. I heard you on Boston Public Radio today and believe you are a champion on fighting for our climate.

We must aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the commonwealth. Rush hour traffic in our area adds to pollution as thousands of cars creep through our town on their clogged commutes. Expansion of public transportation in communities like mine that are outside the MBTA bus and train routes would be a great help. Increased incentives for electric vehicles and investment in infrastructure to increase the availability of vehicle charging stations would be very helpful as well.

Thank you,
Nicola Payne
Sudbury, MA

Maine can absolutely not afford this. In an extremely rural state with virtually 0 public transportation, most Mainers have significant drives to get to and from work each day. Raising prices is not going to keep people from driving: they have no choice. Instead it will just drive us further and further into poverty, causing more and more people to leave our state as soon as they are able.

As a Massachusetts State Senator, I deeply understand the importance our transportation and infrastructure needs across the Commonwealth. However, there is much debate to be had as to how we pay for said projects. I believe that to impose the TCI fees without a vote from the legislature of the Commonwealth does a disservice to the tax payers that I and my colleagues represent. I ask that the TCI is required to be voted on by the state legislature as a stand alone vote prior to its enactment as a regional agreement. People from all corners of Massachusetts will benefit from a process with greater transparency and accountability.