CONTACT
Tom Schuster, 814-915-4231, tom.schuster@sierraclub.org
Joanne Kilgour, 717-232-0101, joanne.kilgour@sierraclub.org
Nissa Koerner, 202-675-2392, nissa.koerner@sierraclub.org
Harrisburg, PA -- Yesterday Pennsylvania, along with a bipartisan group of governors from eight other states and the Mayor of Washington DC, announced a plan to design a regional policy to limit climate disrupting carbon pollution from the transportation sector. The states are members of the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI), which was formed in 2010 and recently completed a series of listening sessions across the region to hear directly from stakeholders and the public.
The letter released yesterday states the intent of TCI members to design a regional low-carbon transportation policy by the end of 2019 that would reduce carbon pollution from the transportation system through a cap-and-invest program or other pricing mechanisms. It would allow each TCI jurisdiction to invest proceeds from carbon-pricing into projects to improve low-carbon transportation, such as improved public transit, vehicle electrification, walking and biking facilities, and transit oriented development.
In response, Joanne Kilgour, Director of the Pennsylvania Chapter of Sierra Club, issued the following statement:
“While the federal government has been burying their head in the sand about climate change, Governor Wolf has just shown critical leadership with this announcement. In light of the recent National Climate Assessment, it is more important than ever for states to come together and tackle this critical issue.
“Investing in a modern, clean transportation system will tremendously help all Pennsylvanians. This policy will save lives by reducing air pollution, ease traffic congestion, and create more than 100,000 jobs across the region. It also helps historically underserved communities improve transit access, reduce exposure to diesel exhaust, and provide safe mobility options. “Our Governor has taken a very important first step with this announcement, and Sierra Club is committed to supporting the process to develop and implement a policy to create a modern, clean, equitable transportation system.”
This release was included as part of the 2019 Winter Sylvanian newsletter. Please click here to check out more articles from this edition!