TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Evidence of global warming and its destructive consequences is well documented and factual. Knowledge and understandng of greenhouse gases accumulating rapidly in the atmosphere during periods following the industrial revolution is also documented fact. Applying the data collected with sound reasoning a cause and effect showing increase in global temperatures provided the basis for the cascading effects and conclusions that human activity exacerbated global warming. The cascading effects of global warming are seen in the increase in destructive forces of winds, floods, droughts, electrical storms, disruption of ocean life food chains, fires etc. The increasing frequency, intensity, duration of weather has incurred one catastrophic situation after another. We must do all we can to curtail emissions of greenhouse gases. I understand electric trucks were used to deliver milk in Lancaster County in the 1940s. We can and must curtail use of green house gas emitting fossil fuel.

They did a study among the Swiss about Special Solar Panel Roads. The power generation was mind boggling, and the strengthened panels reportedly stood up to temperature changes, and at least mid sized vehicles. So investing in our world and in our roads, and energy production in one fell swoop sounds like a brilliant solution. Investing in the front end of project that will pay for itself is not a sin, and political considerations of who takes responsibility are no longer an acceptable excuse with the stakes of the survival of the Earth at stake. Please consider this solution.

A Commission with no one to be held accountable to? Increased taxes at any rate they feel is appropriate? Increased costs to all things "fossil," whether personally used or consumed by delivery to home or store? And at what benefit? Barely any...if any at all. This is, plain and simple, a way for an aggressive, out-of-control fear lobby to fund itself in the form of billions of dollars stolen from those already taxed beyond their means. It is another "feel good, do nothing" ploy, plain and simple. NO! NO!! NO!!!

The intent of your initiative is most laudable, but as the old saying goes "the devil is in the details". And in that initiative I see numerous details that provide opportunities for the devil to do what the devil does.

A cursory examination of your website reveals that you intend to reduce carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels through "a cap-and-invest program or other pricing mechanism".

Please define "other pricing mechanism". Is there more than one? And just who will pay for the monetary needs of the "other pricing mechanism"? I think I can make a pretty good guess.

Your Draft Regional Policy Proposal decrees that:

Spring – Fall 2020 – Participating jurisdictions develop a “model rule” and take any legislative steps that could be needed to implement the regional program.

2021 – Jurisdictions conduct rulemaking process to adopt regulation

So how do you define “jurisdiction” what “legislative steps” will the “jurisdiction” take? Do you mean a mandated increase of the excise tax that Massachusetts taxpayers are already paying for gasoline? We Taxpayers will have something to say about that, and it won’t be “Yassa, Boss.

I recommend that you review the history from which you have obviously not learned. In 2013 the Mass legislature tried to tie future increases in the state gasoline to the CPI – in other words an Automatic Gas Tax Increase. The very next year the people of Massachusetts successfully put on the ballot a referendum question on that fuel tax increase and threw it right back in the legislators' faces. And the minute you try to shove your “other pricing mechanism” down our throats you had better brace yourselves for the very same reaction.

Having reviewed the many implications and the expected results of your planned "initiatives" I have just two words for you -- and those two words are not "Happy Birthday". Those words also apply to the horse you rode in on.

Sincerely yours,
Cornelius Horan

The regional policy that is adopted should hold large transportation polluters accountable for the pollution they create and invest 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

As a Gaithersburg resident who is extremely concerned about the climate crisis, I commend my home state of Maryland and all of the TCI states for making plans to create a badly needed low-carbon transportation plan. I strongly urge you to follow these guiding principles:

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

Thank you for your commitment to reducing carbon emissions related to transportation. Our lives are in your hands--the American people expect and urgently need your plans to successfully design and implement a policy that will help avoid the coming climate catastrophe before it's too late to prevent millions of deaths caused by global warming.

I just had hand surgery so I cannot write a long letter but I am deeply concerned about pollution both in our air and our waterways and would like the following to be in both improved and considered for all new initiatives

reducing pollution from transportation is a key component to reducing New Jersey's emissions

public transit investments that could be made with TCI proceeds would be valuable

leaders please choose the aggressive greenhouse gas reduction target that the most recent climate science tells us we need
I urge that the policy prioritizes clean investments in areas overburdened by pollution and/or for those who don’t have access to transportation choices

First of all, I want to thank Governor Lamont for his part in this initiative. His leadership is so important to achieving a significant reduction in greenhouse gases in our region. With transportation in the state contributing nearly 40% of these climate endangering emissions, we need to make a commitment to regional planning. Greenhouse gases and air pollution do not take much notice of political boundaries. We need to make our cities more livable, especially for those low income residents who don't have the luxury of moving out to the suburbs to escape polluted air and often have to rely on spotty and inadequate public transportation services to get to work and take care of ordinary chores. Electric vehicles are becoming more common, but we need to increase their use by both the public and by state government, and we need to make sure the infrastructure is there to encourage their adoption by putting charging stations in convenient locations at libraries and government parking areas and ensuring that renters and condo owners also have access to them. We should encourage ev sharing ventures in communities where owning a car is prohibitive. We should shoot high, adopt an ambitious goal with across the board examination of every aspect of transportation to make significant progress. Such progress will not only cut our greenhouse gas emissions but bring improvements in the health of our cities' residents.

The TCI is a sound and important initiative to try to advance regional public transportation and cut back on fossil fuel emissions - two of the most important isses we face.