TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

I believe that there is a climate emergency and that it would be irresponsible not to join the Transportation and Climate Initiative.

TCI is an important tool for addressing the climate crisis. But also a) the price of carbon under TCI should be high, probably at least $50/ton, b) in distributing funds raised thru TCI, priority must go to (i) public transit and bike/pedestrian facilities, (ii) the needs of marginalized and frontline communities.

Climate change due to human caused greenhouse gas emissions is an existential threat. Transportation is the biggest greenhouse gas emitter in Massachusetts and across the world. Transitioning to all-electric vehicles is a relatively easy and effective way to move us toward a carbon neutral environment. This transition will have the added benefit of cleaner air and lower health costs related to respiratory diseases. The government needs to help not only by improving public transportation, which should be 'green', but also by incentivizing electric vehicle purchases by individuals. The latter requires charging stations on all highways that ultimately will replace gasoline stations. In the short term, it also requires financial incentives, including rebates for electric vehicle purchase and home charging station installations. The federal government is moving us backwards. The states need to shoulder the burden of moving us forward for the sake of current and future generations. The eastern states can and should sent an example for the rest of the country.

Dear Governor Scott, I strongly support Vermont's joining the TCI. Like you, I am no fan of additional taxes, however; this is a tax we will not have an option to add or not add and is a two pronged benefit to our State. We will benefit in revenue beyond our contribution and we will benefit the state, regional and national climate. As other commentators have noted, the fastest way to get people's attention and participation in reducing our use of fossil fuels is in the proverbial pocketbook. Already we have a high number of hybrid vehicles (myself included since 2005) and fully electric vehicles (my daughter with a shorter commute) additional gas cost will influence our citizens to seek alternatives that will benefit us all. The additional revenue to the State can be directed to efforts to further reduce carbon pollution or redistributed to offset the costs of converting to alternative fuels, home heating, etc. This looks like a real "win/win" for Vermont, I urge you to take advantage of it!

If we all went vegan it would be like taking all the suvs cars trains and planes out of the air for a year! No more animal ag, thanks!:)mike

Too many of our public buses and trains run on dirty energy and contribute to air pollution and climate change. Many trains, buses, and stations haven’t been retrofitted in decades. For many people in rural parts of our states, there are zero viable public transportation options, which forces them to drive. 
By making polluters pay and creating a dedicated source of funding through TCI, we’ll finally be able to move our state to a 21st-century regional transportation system that is cleaner, more reliable, more accessible, and more affordable. We’ll see less traffic, thousands of new jobs, and less dangerous air pollution. All communities — whether urban, suburban, or rural — will benefit.
Our air is making too many of us sick — and if history is a guide, it’s not going to get better on its own. We need to take bold and concerted action to reduce the carbon impact of our transportation system, and TCI’s combination of using pricing policies that discourage polluters and modernizing our public transportation system will do exactly that.

I support TCI because transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions in my state and we have to act now to fight the climate crisis; because the current status quo concentrates emissions and health complications in already overburdened communities; and because building these new transportation solutions will be a huge investment in the economy, following in the footsteps of New Deal style policy!

Than you for your consideration.

WE as a Nation & as people of the WORLD - MUST take any & all steps that are HUMANLY available to reduce & ELIMINATE our CARBON footprint from this NATION & the WORLD - IMMEDIATELY ! GLOBAL WARMING is EVIDENT every where in ALL Of its manifestations !
MAN MUST stop - completely the use of fossil fuels- for all purposes - if we do not- our grandchildren will reap the consequences!
Sherwin Start Ph.D.