PIRG joins coalition to deliver more than 100,000 comments in support of transportation climate rule

The transportation sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. And with record amounts of federal funds already flowing to states thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), there is no time to waste to ensure that the projects being built reduce harmful carbon emissions, rather than increase them.

PIRG joined coalition partners last week to submit more than 100,000 comments in support of a new rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation would help ensure that states spend that money in ways that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The rule will unify a hodgepodge of incomplete data from across the country into a unified standard, so states, MPOs, and the federal government can make informed decisions about which transportation projects to invest taxpayer dollars in to reduce climate emissions. As the comments reflect, the proposal is overwhelmingly supported by the public. 

“Every time we spend money on transportation infrastructure, we have an opportunity to re-envision the future,” said Matt Casale, U.S. PIRG Education Fund Environment Campaigns director, about the rule. “The projects that we choose to invest in should be ones that are going to make American lives better and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to the devastating effects of climate change. This commonsense rule will help states make better, more informed decisions, and the comments on the docket clearly show the public support for the rule.”

PIRG also submitted detailed organizational comments, which can be read here.