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2/23/2020 |
Mary Buford |
Hitz |
self |
Charlottesville |
Virginia |
Please fund and support the regional Transportation and Climate Initiative. It is long overdue, and so important in showing the seriousness of our most challenging problem - how to reduce the... read more Please fund and support the regional Transportation and Climate Initiative. It is long overdue, and so important in showing the seriousness of our most challenging problem - how to reduce the gases that cause climate change. |
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2/24/2020 |
Mary |
van Son |
retired |
Alexandria |
Virginia |
I have better things to do with my life than sit in traffic and breathe fumes. Air pollution causes thousands and thousands of deaths in our country every year. Yet people want to continue to... read more I have better things to do with my life than sit in traffic and breathe fumes. Air pollution causes thousands and thousands of deaths in our country every year. Yet people want to continue to drive their fossil fuel vehicles and pollute the air our children breathe? Look outside the boundaries of America and see what other countries are doing about the traffic crisis. America is WAY behind the rest of the developed world when it comes to public transportation. We have ridden high speed rail in the UK. and Germany. Get on a train in the U.S. and you feel like you are back in the 1800's. It is embarrassing and frustrating. Making America great again means making it less dependent on fossil fuels and having a healthier environment for our citizens. |
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2/24/2020 |
Jordan |
Deafenbaugh |
None |
Virginia Beach |
Virginia |
I strongly support the Transportation and Climate Initiative policy. I’m proud to live in a state that is taking appropriate steps to tackle the climate crisis, and I think that initiatives such... read more I strongly support the Transportation and Climate Initiative policy. I’m proud to live in a state that is taking appropriate steps to tackle the climate crisis, and I think that initiatives such as this one will provide for a healthy and prosperous future for those living in the targeted areas. I live in an area that is growing exponentially, and this growth has had, and will continue to have, its costs. My children’s school is less than a mile from home but we have to drive, instead of walk or cycle, because there are no adequate sidewalks or bike lanes. With increasing traffic in the area my family would love to be part of the solution and be one less vehicle on the road. The environmental benefits to this policy I think are obvious but the health benefits maybe not so much unless you or someone you know suffers from breathing problems. I have asthma and there is no doubt that my asthma attacks are increasing in frequency and severity. Knowing that there could be multiple causes for this increase that fact is air pollution has been shown to be one of those causes, and air pollution is something that we can control via policies such as the TCI policy. I want my children to have the same opportunities that I had growing up, but I fear climate change is going to make that very unlikely. For our children and their children and so on, let’s do what we can to ensure they can get to school, work, etc. safely and with as little impact on their one and only home as possible. |
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2/24/2020 |
Mary-Helen |
Sullivan |
none |
Richmond |
Virginia |
We must view transportation within the context of climate change and land use. Richmond has taken one good step forward by developing the Pulse (BRT) system and reconfiguring other bus routes, but... read more We must view transportation within the context of climate change and land use. Richmond has taken one good step forward by developing the Pulse (BRT) system and reconfiguring other bus routes, but we need a regional approach to expand mass transit options and to make biking and walking safer and more pleasant. A denser urban environment that provides commercial options closer to residential areas also reduces travel times and greenhouse gas emissions. |
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2/24/2020 |
Karen |
Koenig |
Voter |
Fairfax |
Virginia |
We can cut poverty and pollution at the same time. I urge you to move forward with a regional program that prioritizes the needs of communities overburdened with pollution and underserved in... read more We can cut poverty and pollution at the same time. I urge you to move forward with a regional program that prioritizes the needs of communities overburdened with pollution and underserved in mobility options. |
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2/24/2020 |
Terrie |
West |
Retired |
North Chesterfield |
Virginia |
Having lived in the British Isles on two occasions and visited numerous European countries, I have been able to observe and use public transport in most of those locations. I found public... read more Having lived in the British Isles on two occasions and visited numerous European countries, I have been able to observe and use public transport in most of those locations. I found public transport there easy to use and efficient, especially in Amsterdam. Bon Air, the community I live in, had passenger train service to and from Downtown Richmond in the past and could so once again. In fact, much commuter automobile traffic could be converted to mass transit using bus and rail service. Also, there are numerous towns and cities throughout our Commonwealth that could serve as regional transport hubs. Why is this relevant? What could we gain by expanding public transport? Cleaner lungs. Reduced carbon emissions, less reliance on fossil fuels which are wreaking havoc with our climate, resulting in global warming. Fewer highway fatalities, less traffic congestion, less time spent in traffic. Our children’s futures depend on us making good choices, choices to protect their health, the entire ecosystem, our climate. |
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2/25/2020 |
Matthew |
Drabik |
Citizen |
Dale City |
Virginia |
I fully endorse the comments previously submitted by Roger Caiazza, which can be found at https://pragmaticenvironmentalistofnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/caiazza-tci-comments-february-2020.... read more I fully endorse the comments previously submitted by Roger Caiazza, which can be found at https://pragmaticenvironmentalistofnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/caiazza-tci-comments-february-2020.pdf
He concludes his comments with the following:
Due to the lack of sufficient detail on the TCI modeling results I was unable to provide substantive comments based on that information. My comments and recommendations are instead based on my experience and evaluation of carbon pricing programs in general and RGGI in particular. Any carbon pricing program limited to certain jurisdictions and sectors will have unavoidable leakage problems. The investment dollars per ton of CO2 reduced for New York programs in RGGI have not been able to meet the SCC cost effectiveness threshold of $50/ton.
The fact that the EPA emission numbers for an average gasoline vehicle indicate that any rebate over $259.98 exceeds the $50 SCC cost effectiveness threshold suggests that TCI investments will be even less effective. Another problem with any carbon pricing scheme is that revenues over time go down at the same time the reduction implementation costs go up. There is a fundamental problem with carbon pricing schemes because there are not many control options available for existing sources. I believe this will be even more of a problem for the TCI affected sources. There should be concerns that the TCI carbon pricing theory will not match reality especially because the affected sources have no prior experience with this pollution control approach. As a result of those concerns, I recommend a cautious, measured approach for the cap, trajectory and stability mechanisms. |
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2/25/2020 |
Christopher |
Cummings |
Private Citizen |
Woodbridge |
Virginia |
Fuel efficiency is a good thing. Disposal of renewable energy parts is of serious concern. Exploitation of children in mining for the use of rare earth minerals to satisfy technological uses such... read more Fuel efficiency is a good thing. Disposal of renewable energy parts is of serious concern. Exploitation of children in mining for the use of rare earth minerals to satisfy technological uses such as in renewables like electric batteries is not a good thing. Windpower kills birds and insects by the thousands and tens of thousands. Solar arrays fry birds and insects. Then the costs of these exotic technologies has the most deleterious effect on the poor and most vulnerable of all nations. People who can't afford expensive solar panels on their houses, or that $30-40000 hybrid or electric vehicle. If people were really serious about the environment then we would be talking more about chemical pollution into the oceans, and people littering which still happens nonstop. We would also be talking about hydrogen power and nuclear power which have zero carbon emissions. Although as most scientists and people of relative intelligence will tell you carbon dioxide is necessary for plant and tree life to be sustained. To tax it into oblivion is pure suicide and harmful for all life as we know it on this planet. |
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2/26/2020 |
Peter |
Wilkin |
Mr. |
Charlottesville |
Virginia |
THINK OF THE WORLD YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WILL FACE IF YOU SIT ON YOUR HANDS
Demand from Legislators: cap and trade legislation, all vehicles be electric or hybrid, no more sprawl... read more THINK OF THE WORLD YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WILL FACE IF YOU SIT ON YOUR HANDS
Demand from Legislators: cap and trade legislation, all vehicles be electric or hybrid, no more sprawl, tariffs on imports from carbon wasting countries. TRANSPORTATION: A plan that holds large transportation polluters accountable for the pollution they create and invests in clean transportation solutions including: More public transit and electric vehicle infrastructure in rural areas
Expansion of commuter rail, electric vehicles, and streets in the suburbs that are safe, walkable, and bikeable
Sustainable and equitable housing near transit and electric bus fleets in urban communities |
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2/26/2020 |
Scott |
Stapf |
self-employed |
Arlington |
Virginia |
As a Virginia resident and small business owner, I strongly support TCI. We need to fix our crumbling infrastructure, promote use of clean electric vehicles, upgrade our public infrastructure,... read more As a Virginia resident and small business owner, I strongly support TCI. We need to fix our crumbling infrastructure, promote use of clean electric vehicles, upgrade our public infrastructure, reduce traffic congestion and clean the air of transportation-related pollution. I have lost employees who moved from (or would not commute through) Northern Virginia due to the terrible traffic. And there are no good EV charging options at or near where I live and work. I firmly believe that we have the will and the transportation solutions in hand. All we need now is the cap-and-invest proceeds to get the job done! I may be forced to move from Virginia if steps are not taken to fix our broken and dirty transportation system. |
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2/26/2020 |
Jane |
Twitmyer |
none |
Nellysford |
Virginia |
It is time to jump start the change to electric cars and other transportation with charging equipment. as well as create bike lanes where they can be used.
We need to understand how to... read more It is time to jump start the change to electric cars and other transportation with charging equipment. as well as create bike lanes where they can be used.
We need to understand how to best create public charging whether through utility ownership or something else |
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2/27/2020 |
Julia |
Candon-Nguyen |
Virginia Resident |
Lovettsville |
Virginia |
We need to push the shift to sustainable transportation aggressively. As the cost of this cap is pushed onto consumers, more and more commuters in the area will have to turn to either sustainable... read more We need to push the shift to sustainable transportation aggressively. As the cost of this cap is pushed onto consumers, more and more commuters in the area will have to turn to either sustainable vehicle options or public transportation. Of the two, I think public transportation is more effective – it doesn’t have as severe an upfront environmental impact, it helps multiple people at once, and the benefits would only increase if the vehicles themselves were green. However, the current public transportation system is too inefficient to be beneficial. If my commute to work is 15 mins by car and an hour by bus, of course I wont take the bus! The money earned from TCI needs to be applied towards improving our public transport and incentivizing people to use it. |
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2/27/2020 |
Morgan |
Butler |
Southern Environmental Law Center |
Charlottesville |
Virginia |
Attached please find comments from the Southern Environmental Law Center on the Draft Memorandum of Understanding. Attached please find comments from the Southern Environmental Law Center on the Draft Memorandum of Understanding. |
SELC comments on TCI Draft MOU 2-27-20.pdf |
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2/27/2020 |
David |
Cooper |
Citizen |
Reston |
Virginia |
Limiting pollution from motor fuels has a number of advantages. It will help create jobs and grow the economy as well as cleaning the air and saving lives. I hope Virginia will join TCI to fund... read more Limiting pollution from motor fuels has a number of advantages. It will help create jobs and grow the economy as well as cleaning the air and saving lives. I hope Virginia will join TCI to fund better transportation infrastructure, help reduce traffic, and make my community a cleaner, safer place to live. And I urge Gov. Northam to fully support TCI. |
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2/27/2020 |
Mark |
Kresowik |
Sierra Club |
Richmond |
Virginia |
The Sierra Club is sharing the attached 547 comments from our members and supporters in Virginia supporting finalizing the Draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the Transportation and Climate... read more The Sierra Club is sharing the attached 547 comments from our members and supporters in Virginia supporting finalizing the Draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI). Thank you for helping to design a regional policy to limit climate pollution from motor fuels and invest in a modern, clean, transportation future. The evidence is clear: the more we limit pollution from motor fuels, the more jobs are created, the more the economy grows, and the more lives we save. Please sign on to the agreement to implement a strong, equitable regional climate protection policy through TCI. Invest in the communities that have suffered the most from burning gasoline and have the least access to clean transportation options. Stop sending our hard-earned dollars out of the state to oil companies, and choose to create jobs, grow the economy, and save lives for families and businesses. Thank you. |
VA TCI 547 signers 27 Feb 2020.pdf |
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2/27/2020 |
Homan |
Wai |
Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action |
Falls Church |
Virginia |
Transportation is becoming one of the leading source of carbon emissions. It is essential that we revamp the structure to address the impact it will have in the future. As a physician, I also... read more Transportation is becoming one of the leading source of carbon emissions. It is essential that we revamp the structure to address the impact it will have in the future. As a physician, I also understand that this is a significant factor that would impact the health of my patients. |
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2/28/2020 |
Julie |
Jones |
Generation180 |
Charlottesville |
Virginia |
Thank you Virginia for working to reduce transportation emissions. As an native Virginian from a family farm, I care deeply about air quality and climate change. As you create regional policy... read more Thank you Virginia for working to reduce transportation emissions. As an native Virginian from a family farm, I care deeply about air quality and climate change. As you create regional policy please include aggressive and impactful targets, most importantly a 25% (or higher) reduction in carbon dioxide emissions over the next 10 years. Additionally I feel zero tailpipe emissions investments should be a priority. Thank you for your work on these important issues. |
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2/28/2020 |
Samantha |
Ahdoot |
Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action |
Alexandria |
Virginia |
Yesterday I saw a two-year old boy with his third asthma attack in three months. After he failed to improve with treatment in my office I sent him to the Emergency Department, where he was... read more Yesterday I saw a two-year old boy with his third asthma attack in three months. After he failed to improve with treatment in my office I sent him to the Emergency Department, where he was started on his third course of oral steroids in twelve weeks. He was placed on strong preventative medication to continue indefinitely. In a single clinic day earlier this week I treated three children with Attention Deficit Disorder and one child with a learning disability.
We know from decades of research that air pollution from the combustion of oil and gas for transportation directly harms the health of our children. Air pollution from fossil fuel combustion harms children's lungs, causing asthma attacks and bronchitis, as well as potentially life-long reduced lung capacity. Air pollution also affects our brains, contributing to cognitive and behavioral disorders in children and Alzheimer's disease in adults. Reducing these pollutants is vital to protecting the health and future of our children and all members of our communities.
That is why I strongly support this policy to reduce air pollution from the transportation sector. This policy would have tremendous health benefits through reduced air pollution. By 2032, the public health benefits of the proposed program could reach as much as $10 billion, and reduce as many as 1,000 fewer premature deaths, and over 1,300 fewer asthma symptoms annually.
As a pediatrician, I strongly support the proposed policy. |
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2/28/2020 |
Katherine |
Rainone |
Hampton Roads Planning District Commission |
Hampton Roads |
Virginia |
Thank you for providing the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization with the opportunity to comment on the Transportation and Climate... read more Thank you for providing the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization with the opportunity to comment on the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) Draft Memorandum of Understanding, and thank you for your continued leadership towards the development of a robust and equitable regional clean transportation policy. Please see attached for our comments on the MOU. |
HRPDC_HRTPO TCI MOU Comments.pdf |
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2/28/2020 |
Kay |
Campbell |
Generation180 |
Charlottesville |
Virginia |
Hello, Transportation and Climate Initiative team,
I very much appreciate Virginia’s efforts to reduce transportation emissions, which are a major contributor to climate change.... read more Hello, Transportation and Climate Initiative team,
I very much appreciate Virginia’s efforts to reduce transportation emissions, which are a major contributor to climate change. And as a mom and fellow Virginian, I would implore lawmakers to consider more aggressive targets, which are essential for us to be able to reduce emissions enough to decarbonize before climate change is irreversible. Please consider at least a 25% reduction target over 10 years for all registered vehicles.
Please make zero tailpipe emission investments a priority. We all want our kids to grow up in with healthy air to breathe and a stable, healthy climate. Please act aggressively while we still have a window of opportunity to turn the tide on climate change.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Kay Campbell
Albemarle County resident
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