TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Walking is becoming an increasingly dangerous activity in my city (Rochester NY) yet I see basically zero progress in addressing the safety issues. Walk/don't walk signalling is poorly designed (in my city and elsewhere) and makes crossing intersections a lot more dangerous than it needs to be and encourages jaywalking. And of course snow/ice removal is another big barrier to safe walking. As far as winter walking, Rochester does do better than many by using sidewalk plows, but sweepers would work better in many conditions and use of the plows more frequently and ticketing delinquent property owners would help immensely. If we are going to have lousy public transit, can we at least make walking safer?

The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) is an opportunity for Virginia and the Washington, DC metro region to reduce fossil fuel emissions and invest in clean transportation options including electric cars and buses, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, EV purchase tax credits, sidewalks/bike lanes, and regional rail. I strongly support and urge Virginia to move forward with and join the TCI as well as require that the revenue generated by the program be used to expand clean transportation. There are simply too many cars on the road contributing to our warming climate and adding to air pollution related health problems including asthma rates.

Transportation is responsible for nearly half (46 percent) of Virginia's greenhouse gas emissions. If Virginians want to do our part to slow climate change, we definitely need to tackle transportation emissions. In many ways, transportation presents one of the greatest obstacles to tackling climate change, as well as one of the biggest opportunities to address some of Virginia’s challenges.

TCI takes a regional approach. Virginia’s transportation systems are intimately connected to Washington, D.C., Maryland and the entire region, so a real solution to transportation challenges must be regional as well. Additionally, as a coastal state Virginia is already experiencing the impact of climate change more than most—and scientists have made it clear that we must dramatically scale up efforts to reduce GHG emissions if we are to mitigate the worst impacts of a warming world.

We must act now to implement thoughtful and collaborative solutions like TCI that will help address the climate challenge while also driving investments in a clean transportation future. Virginia’s state leaders need to join with our neighbors and build a clean and efficient transportation system that we can all benefit from.

It is imperative that we, as a society, strive for a zero carbon transportation framework ASAP. It should not be treated as a pipe-dream, but concrete efforts need to be made to attain this goal sooner rather than later, given that addressing climate change is a basic survival issue confronting all of us.

The recent gas tax initiative is in violation of Federal and State laws regarding the intended use of gas taxes. RGGI and TCI are multi-state "agreements" that have never received U. S. Congressional approval as required under Article 1, section 10 of the US Constitution (Compact Clause). This also has never been regionally approved. There should be court challenges if this ever does come to agreement. The Initiatives do NOT comply with legal use of carbon/gas taxes, in that they are to be used "... solely for the cost of ... highway and bridge construction and maintenance ... etc. (Maine Constitution Article IX, Section 19: Limitation on expenditure of motor vehicle and motor vehicle fuel revenues.) Why this discussion and these initiatives have reared their ugly heads is easy to understand. Just one more set of illegal, back-door taxes to more greatly subsidize an even more costly "green" agenda whether it's legal or not. Increasing fuel taxes is not legal nor acceptable. The states (especially Maine) must start to apply already collected taxes judiciously and where intended. This is just one more big tax and spend scheme. It completely fails to follow the rule of law and/or Constitutional tests.

We need the initiative to reduce traffic congestion in the state. Traffic jams occur on freeways in Hampton Roads during rush hours. The highway from DC to Richmond often gets backed up. More efficient public transportation would reduce traffic congestion.

I support TCI because lesser fossil fuels coming into Rhode Island will mean cleaner air and better land use around the Port of Providence; tailpipe pollution is adding to asthma and heart disease and costing millions of dollars in extra healthcare costs; traffic congestion around downtown Providence is spewing pollution into the neighborhoods; cleaning up port operations will help clean up the air in Providence communities; public transportation will help reduce our traffic congestion and give me more time to other things, like study and be a better medical student and future doctor; cleaner vehicles will benefit us all; electric vehicles are better for the climate, our local environment, and our economy; better public transportation will help more people access more jobs and basic services; we all need more mobility options, and we should be able to get around our communities without needing to own a car.

Thank you for taking comments about transportation in our crowded tri-state region. I just ask that you consider air quality, especially in light of our forests and farms giving way to buildings, with imperious surfaces for ever more vehicles. Too often I see abandoned factories and stores not rehabbed and reused, but rather trees cut down. Trees, which are the lungs of the planet. It is so wrong!

It's about time we support a bill like the TCI. Vermont's emissions have increased 16% above 1990 levels. Stop this now!