Statement: States should adopt strict limits on pollution in Transportation and Climate Initiative

Media Contacts
Matt Casale

Former Director, Environment Campaigns, PIRG

U.S. PIRG

BOSTON — Twelve states plus Washington, D.C. released new details today about a program to reduce global warming emissions from transportation. The Transportation and Climate Initiative will create an enforceable and mandatory limit on transportation pollution, and will generate funding that could be invested in cleaner alternatives. 

Participating states are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C. The states are now taking public comment on the proposal and are expected to release a final version in the coming months.

Matt Casale, U.S. PIRG’s Transportation Campaign director, issued the following statement:

“People are fed up with the way transportation is working — or isn’t working — for them. Our everyday experiences are constant reminders of the problem — whether it’s waiting too long for a bus, squeezing into an overcrowded train, sitting in hours of traffic, or overpaying at the pump for a long commute because there’s no better option. People want modern, reliable, affordable and clean options to get where they need to go. Fortunately, the same fixes that are going to make getting around more pleasant will also tackle climate emissions and improve air quality.

“The Transportation and Climate Initiative has great potential, but only if the program is designed with a strong enough limit on pollution and if the resulting investments are directed towards building a zero-carbon transportation system. We urge the states to move forward with the strictest possible limits on pollution and guarantees that investment proceeds will move us toward a modern, zero-carbon transportation network for the region.”

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U.S. PIRG is the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups. PIRGs are non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations that stand up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society.