TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

I grew up in the pre-EPA pollution when “smog” was a household word, and saw the visible difference in the air when anti-pollution protections were put into place. Clean air is our most basic need. Please go forward with more protections, and reverse this backward trend into allowing more poisons into our every breath!

I believe this initiative does have some merit but unfortunately the side effects will impact everyone in the state. I look at California's current situation with $5 + gas prices which doesn't just effect business but private citizens as well. This is another detrimental effect on our economy costing all businesses to suffer and subsequently leave Maine. Small business can't afford additional costs to operate and end up passing it on to their customers or going out of business. Our rural state is not a good fit for this kind of plan.

I am a recent graduate now living and working in Massachusetts as an environmental educator. I have grown up with the climate crisis, watched as small steps towards sustainable planning practices and policies in our cities and regions have been taken while the much bigger sources of our pollution problems persist. The TCI is a positive step towards tackling those bigger problems. I understand that there are people who's financial situations may be negatively affected by this policy, especially those in poorer rural areas and/or those who drive to make a living. However, difficult as it may be, we as a region need to start accepting new ways of living in order to reduce GHG emissions that are harming our ecosystems and the health of vulnerable populations. The projections of the TCI have shown a reduction in pollution and illness and an increase in clean transportation options that will ultimately improve the lives of the people in this region. I would like to be able to breathe clean air in Massachusetts for generations to come. This initiative is a promising step towards that future.

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.

Please work to create a TCI policy that brings more public transit to the northeast! Reducing climate damaging emissions from transportation should be a number one priority for Vermont. Currently the public transit options are severely lacking between Brattleboro/Keene/Greenfield/Amherst, and this is an area where many people would be able to use a bus instead of driving I-91.

I support this general concept because I am worried that the current Amtrak and other current train transportation systems are located too close to the coast and will be subjected to increasing damage as sea levels rise and storm intensities increase, as well as due to aging. The east coast needs inland transportation networks that are electricity based. Large wind turbine arrays off shore are being planned and can provide plenty of clean renewable electricity for buses and vans and trains that can recharge at night and/ or during the day when excess electricity is being generated. This can reduce cost and pollution and provide new manufacturing and installation jobs as all this new infrastructure is being built and expanded over the next several decades. Cement used for (eg platfoms for stations and turbines) could be made by new methods that cut carbon dioxide emissions.Raising gasoline and fossil fuel taxes could help provide revenues and discourage the use of private vehicles using fossil fuels. As you plan think about these possibilities and other new ways to cut costs and cut emissions.

We need to do everything we can to cut greenhouse gas and polluting emissions. Please support clean vehicles! I support the TCI.

Less Waste, Less Hack Hiring, Rescind Legislative Pay Raises, Lower Bloated State Salaries, $120, 000 in student loans for my sons to attend UMASS Lowell , Lower the sales tax to 5.00% as the people voted to do years ago and last but not least, less spending on illegal aliens, section 8, medical care, food stamps, welfare, etc. Try driving my Rt. 128 south for 32.2 miles commute at 7AM to earn a living. Enough is Enough already with the MA taxes! My wife and I will be leaving this state as soon as possible.