TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

I support the Transportation and Climate Initiative because the climate crisis has already begun and we must do everything in our power to curtail emissions. Making public transit easy, effective, and affordable is critical in reducing vehicle emissions. The benefit to reducing traffic directly helps commuters as well as reducing the knock-on emissions of idling in traffic.

I could not be further in support of action like this for the state of Massachusetts. In fact, it should have been done years ago.

I have lived in Massachusetts since 2003, moving here for college. I have since moved further out of town, to Medford, Malden, and now North Andover. As I've moved outward I realized how woefully behind and miserable out transportation system is. As a medical resident at Tufts medical center I would leave 16 hour days in the hospital to get on the orange line back to Malden to end up finding needed that my commute would take an extra hour to be bussed from Wellington or sometimes from downtown. I rode the commuter rail from Lawrence while living in North Andover (not actually a bad experience, other than the uncomfortable chairs) to North Station and then would rather walk 25 minutes in the cold than be crushed onto overcrowded trains at North Station, where people would be waiting three to four people deep on the platforms for trains coming in to town. I've also driven in to Boston for my commute many times, and have witnessed people losing their minds with rage in the unbelievable traffic.

My sister is a nurse at MGH and would rather commute by driving from Nashua than take trains (even though its a few minute walk from North Station!) because the commuter rail schedule is so poor that doing so would add 90 minutes to her already 14-15 hour day away from home.

The prices of real estate in Boston and gentrification of downtown neighborhoods are forcing out lower-income residents where they are forced to endure the horrible MBTA for commutes, taking more of their time away from their families, while tax breaks are offered to corporations to come to Boston and real estate is developed downtown to provide upper-class housing for their employees. There is also ample data that emissions and pollution disproportionately affect lower-income neighborhoods and minority individuals. These are nauseating inequalities that needs to be addressed.

The Big Dig was poorly designed and is now woefully inadequate to support traffic around Boston. As the city has grown during the time I have lived here, the overpriced and miserable commuter rail and the third-world level MBTA subway system have become overloaded while still being bad enough to force most people to drive commute.

Please raise a gas tax and use the funds for improvements in public transportation. Please ALSO tax the real-estate developers (how many hundred million dollar apartment buildings have gone up in the last ten years?) and large corporations in the city driving gentrification to support improvements in public transportation infrastructure. Please ALSO provide tax benefits or other financial incentives for purchasing electric cars, as this may disappear at the federal level.

We as a State cannot afford this. Gasoline is not a luxury for anyone in our State. The price of goods and services will have to go up due to the increase in gas price. Please do not do this to Maine People!!

I am writing you today to as you not to sign the TCI Iniative for several reasons. We all receive.goods via truck and their higher cost of fuel will be.passed to all Maine consumers: those on Social Security, Welfare, Local and State Governments, etc., Secondly, We are own a Heating Service Company and see so many who can only afford.5 gallons of diesel at a time to heat their home through out.the coldest months now. What will become of them? We see so many deadly fires due to people trying to.keep.warm now that cannont afford adequate heating equipment or fuel. Please do not.burden Maine people with this inconsiderate TCI tax.

How do I access public input once Mou is released Dec 17th? Can you put me on notification of actions list?

As a lifelong resident of the Northeast Corridor (Maine-DC), I cannot state more strongly the need for improved public transportation options. Driving from Charlottesville (when I was in college) to New York sometimes took up to 8 hours due to traffic. I now live in the DC area and would prefer to take the train home to visit family, but it is cost prohibitive in comparison to driving. It's ridiculous that the better environmental choice is more expensive monetarily. All of us in the Northeast Corridor (as well as the rest of the country) deserve better options.