TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Hello,
As a mother, I support increasing the sustainability of our transportation system.
Please support a cap on carbon emissions of at least 25% by 2032.
I also request that investments be put towards active transportation like better sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, and high quality public transit.
Take care,
Amy Hansen

This tax will hurt my business and my lifestyle. I live and work in South County area of Rhode Island and it isn't feasible for bikes and there isn't any public transportation. My business requires us to go to people's homes to we work and TCI will add an unfair burden on our business and we don't have room to pass the cost along to the consumer

Under No circumstances will you raise the gas tax. Especially for a fashionable climate initiative. Quite frankly, I think this is just a rouse to finance the billions being spent on the MBTA.
You should be ashamed of yourselves.

I strongly support the Transportation and Climate Initiative TCI) because we have an urgent need to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in order to slow the devastating impacts of climate change. Connecticut and other states have set goals and made some progress, but we cannot meet this challenge by working separately. The success of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) shows the power of regional cooperation.

Transportation is now the largest source of GHG in Connecticut, accounting for 43% of GHG emissions, most of this coming from non-diesel light vehicles, in other words, our cars! Each year, American passenger cars and trucks, through vehicle tailpipe and oil extraction and transport emissions, spew upwards of three trillion tons of carbon pollution into the air by burning about 121 billion gallons of gasoline. In Connecticut, GHG emissions have risen since 2012, mostly in the transportation sector, likely due to lower gas prices, increased driving and increased popularity of inefficient vehicles (e.g., SUVs). TCI would support a switch to plug-in electric vehicles (EVs), which require no gasoline and emit no tailpipe pollution, presents a critical opportunity to slash pollution, create American jobs, reduce oil dependence, and benefit our state and regional economies.

Sales of electric cars are growing every year, but we need more EV-friendly policies to encourage a faster transition to an electrified transportation system. I own a fully electric vehicle and can attest to the benefits and savings, however we needed to add a level 2 charger to our garage to make charging faster and convenient. Many people, apartment dwellers and renters, cannot make these kinds of modifications to their residence. Of course, initial expense is also a barrier to adopting EVs for residents, municipalities and businesses. We must act now to remove barriers and make electric vehicles less expensive and more convenient. Connecticut should ensure long term funding for our successful EV incentive program, expand EV charging infrastructure, and encourage electrification of public transportation, school bus fleets, trucks and ships.

TCI will help us achieve our clean transportation goals by working cooperatively and will create a large regional market resulting in cost savings. We can achieve success by working regionally through the TCI to set goals and implement a cap on CO2 emissions from transportation, and fund clean transportation efforts by limiting, pricing, and reducing carbon pollution from transportation fuels.

I am thrilled that this northeast governors group is bipartisan! We can work together to do our part about climate change while the federal government denies and delays. We must reduce our transport emissions. I believe that improving public transport (trains and buses) is vital to save our planet.
A wonderful "side effect" of reducing private car emissions would be a wonderful public transport system. if you want to get people out of their cars we must have an extensive and reliable public transport system. I have wandered all over Europe on public transport and returned to the US saddened by the limited shoddy state of ours. Please Massachusetts (my state) join in this important initiative!

I support the Transportation and Climate Initiative for many reasons. It's critically important to reduce our carbon emissions to reduce climate change, of course. Research has repeatedly identified the many harmful effects of pollution on our health. The closer you are to high traffic areas, the worse the effect. Working to reduce and eventually eliminate pollution will leave us and the climate and ecosystems healthier, and reduce remediation costs in both the short and long term. We need to be working on increasing zero emissions power generation and vehicles as quickly as possible. There are many practical applications for electric vehicles in the public sector. The sooner and more aggressively we act, the better off we'll be.

Transportation is our largest source of regional and national carbon emissions, and I fully support efforts to curb transportation-related pollution. In addition to protecting our planet for future generations, reducing pollution will better our air quality and therefore the health of residents. I commend the bipartisan effort to curb carbon emissions, and am hopeful that New York State adopts these stricter regulations.

I support this policy to prioritize climate change considerations when making infrastructure decisions.