TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Support the Transportation and Climate Initiative
J. Michael Atherton, Ph.D.
Feb 2020


Americans pride ourselves on our problem-solving skills. We strive to have the best research and development centers in the world. The TCI supports this drive by reminding America that the world wants us to develop technology to improve transportation, safety, health, congestion, jobs and do it on a scale that makes a difference in the lives of the public. The TCI addresses the important issue of scale by taking a regional perspective.

The TCI calls for innovators to step up and make something that makes a difference. If we solve transportation problems, then not only will America improve everyone’s lives, it will make a nice profit. But, and this is a big “but”, America must grasp this opportunity now. We must stop tinkering with outdated technology and look to the future. If we fail to grab this innovation opportunity, then other countries will do it for us. Many perfectly capable, well-financed, high technology countries want to steal our lead. If that happens, then America will sit back and watch the future be taken from our hands. Do we want the world to thank Chinese technology for decongesting our urban centers? Do we want French, English, or German designers to make transit-friendly projects that reduce transit needs and offer viable options to driving? What if a combined Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese team lowers the costs for large freight transportation while cleaning its emissions? We should feel happy if anyone solves these problems, but we would feel happier if the USA did it.

We must ask who might oppose the TCI and why. Following the money seems to indicate that large corporations have the most to lose if states unify their efforts under a regional TCI. The reason is simple, when the TCI works it will cut into their profits. The region will not have to go cap-in-hand to the corporations when it solves its own problems. Unfortunately and unnecessarily corporate opposition to the TCI represents self-centered, short-term, and unproductive thinking. Such Luddites want us to tinker with their old technology so they insure all efforts funnel through them. They would not only bemoan foreign countries beating us to the innovation punch, they would also oppose regions or municipalities innovating us out of our problems. They take the divide and conquer approach. If they force isolated innovators to focus on small issues, then corporate lawyers and lobbyists can overwhelm them and make them accept corporate control. Corporations ultimately want their technology to solve what they see as a problem so they alone profit. Parochial viewpoints and solving last century’s problems with outdated thinking will fail. We can do better.

The TCI unleashes the collective thinking power of 12 highly educated and motivated states and the District of Columbia. That, by itself, dwarfs most corporate capabilities. State boundaries often interfere with problem solving, so the TCI offers a regional perspective. Since climate change, for example, ignore boundaries, so should climate innovators. Regional thinking has a distinct advantage over local-only thinking. When this powerful group sets about solving its regional problems, they will inevitably solve problems for people beyond their borders. The TCI is designed to promote this cornucopia of benefits. The TCI’s unbounded approach offers a multiplier effect for individual efforts.

For example, if you reduce vehicular pollution, at the same time, you improve public health. Mitigate climate change and you employ millions of people in rewarding jobs that will generate even more jobs. Safe, clean, cheap, and reliable transportation protects our physical well-being, it saves us time and never tests our patience, and it is light on our pocketbook. All these things accrue from solving our nagging transportation problems. The myriad spin-off discoveries that will arise from the TCI make it a gift that keeps on giving. The TCI will unlock such a volume of invention, production, and sustained activity that the rest of the nation and even other nations will send legions of people to study our example.

We should picture the goals of the TCI as equivalent to the moon landing. Call it the New England-Mid Atlantic-DC (NEMADC) based moon program. Like the moon shot it should inspire young people to dream about it and then stick around so they can contribute to this regional effort. The NEMADC moon shot offers such earthly benefits as clean air, healthy jobs, and safe, reliable, and low-cost transportation. The TCI cooperative problem-solving will design transportation to side-step congestion, to deliver us safely to our destination in a timely fashion, and to minimize travel frustrations. Our region has the management ingenuity and technical power already in place. The TCI allows us to look beyond borders so we can see a living matrix fully prepared for success.

We stand ready to take the initiative.

I oppose the Transportation Climate Initiative. We are already heavily taxed at the gas pump. I and many of my co-workers are living paycheck to paycheck. It is not fair to ask us to pay more tax. It will be a tremendous burden. I have heard Governor Baker say that there is sufficient funding to improve the MBTA. In fact I have heard it is a very large sum, so there is no need to punish the driving population.

Thank you.

Please ensure that this transportation plan is bold enough to cut harmful transportation pollution at the scale needed to avert the climate crisis. A plan is needed 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

Is Mills out of her mind or just evil? Does she have absolutely no awareness of what life is like for all of us who live in rural Maine? We already live on low incomes, and transportation is a must if we are going to be able to continue to work. One of my sons drives an hour to work and back each day, and another one of my sons has to drive all over the state. I drive a lot in my line of work as well. Transportation costs are already a hardship. I can't imagine how we'll survive with such a high gas tax! Many of us are living from paycheck to paycheck as it is. Someone please stop her from causing such irreparable damage to the people of Maine. She is a monster.

How many more taxes will baby killer Gina impose on us. Rhode Island has been Democratically run for decades and we are flat broke, infrastructure is falling apart, schools are failing, young adults are leaving because there are no jobs, and now we have EZ-Pass on our highways soon to be in our driveways, the way things are going.
This Transportation Climate Initiative is just another unwanted tax that will do nothing more than fill the pockets of dirty politicians.
Exactly what initiative in regard to the climate is this tax supposed to fix? Where is the data that supports this initiative? What is the end result of this fix? What is the time line to fix this problem? Is it before or after we are all suppose to die?

Climate change is the existential issue. We must do better to save our planet home. Everyone and every industry must cooperate.

I strongly oppose TCI. This punishes poor people, especially in rural states like Maine. It is an unfair tax.

It makes sense that we join other states and improve our infrastructure to have cleaner transportation. Money raised by the initiative could be used to improve infrastructure such as charging stations and low emission vehicle incentives. Cap and invest!