We, the undersigned elected officials from across New Jersey, are concerned about the health, prosperity, and resiliency of the communities we represent in the wake of the global pandemic and economic crisis. We urge you to continue New Jersey’s participation in the multistate Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) to bring needed investment dollars for sustainable infrastructure and reduce pollution in our communities; we hope New Jersey will strongly advocate for equity commitments from the other states to make the regional policy as strong as possible, and that you will sign the final MOU when it is released later this year.
Thank you for your leadership in addressing the climate emergency by signing our state’s landmark electric vehicle (EV) law, rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), joining the multistate agreement to advance zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, developing the first-of-its-kind New Jersey Wind Energy Port, supporting a vision for a 100% clean energy future articulated in the updated Energy Master Plan, and helping prepare New Jersey for climate impacts with the Coastal Resilience Plan. With the important state mandate of 80% carbon emission reductions by 2050, New Jersey is emerging as a national leader in transitioning away from harmful fossil fuels to 100 percent clean energy.
To meet these ambitious goals, we must make substantial investments across New Jersey to modernize our transportation infrastructure and reduce harmful pollution that is worsening our public health and climate emergencies.
The urgency for these investments has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we know you are very aware, more than fourteen thousand people have lost their lives and hundreds of thousands of people lost full-time work.1,2 Pollution from our transportation sector has substantially worsened the pandemic’s impacts. According to a recent Harvard study, air pollution is a major contributor to deaths from COVID-19 and is greatly compounding the current crisis.3 With heightened exposure to pollution, people of color are more than twice as likely to die from COVID-19.4
The transportation sector makes up42 percent of New Jersey’s greenhouse gas pollution.5 Yet, pollution from transportation is clearly within our power to change. Global emissions fell by 17 percent during pandemic lockdowns, with 43 percent of the decrease coming from fewer cars, buses and trucks on the roads.6 As we rebuild our economy, we have an opportunity to reduce our pollution, increase economic opportunity, and help drive our recovery by investing in a clean, affordable, and efficient transportation sector.
The draft policy the TCI states are discussing will generate as much as $750 million annually to invest in clean transportation projects in New Jersey. Building on and complementing RGGI, which has generated more than $155 million for our state, TCI will be a substantial new source of proceeds to support needed clean transportation projects in local communities, including transit, local bicycle and walkway projects, electric vehicle infrastructure, Safe Routes to School, and Safe Routes to Transit.7 TCI enables states to choose where proceeds are allocated, so not only do we have the ability to reinvest these sustainability projects at large, but we can tailor programs to specific community needs.
The program will reduce pollution and improve public health, and help make our communities cleaner and greener. According to the Georgetown Climate Center, by joining the final TCI MOU, New Jersey can help reduce regional pollution by 25 percent, prevent more than 1,000 pollution-related deaths, and generate $10 billion in reduced health costs.8
New Jersey can choose to use the generated revenue to invest in projects that create multiple benefits for our communities, such as clean transit near affordable housing, safer routes to schools, and climate-resilient infrastructure. The proceeds from TCI can make this possible.
Strengthening health, prosperity, and resiliency in communities of color and economically marginalized communities must be central to any transportation investment program. We urge you to support a series of complementary policies to ensure that environmental justice principles are included in the implementation of TCI, including increased air monitoring in high-traffic areas, establishing an oversight committee of community leaders from frontline communities, and ensuring equitable investments that benefit all New Jerseyans.
The need for bold, science-based action to address the climate emergency has never been clearer. Implementing a cap and invest program for the transportation sector will help New Jersey rebuild our economy, clean our air, and address the disproportionate impacts too many communities bear.
We stand ready to work with you to build a cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous New Jersey for all.
Jose Alvarado | Frank Anderson | Clayton Barber | Rachel Barnhart |
Legislator | Councilmember | Supervisor | Legislator |
Westchester County | City of Rome | Town of Chesterfield | Monroe County |
Oneida County | Essex County | ||
Keith Batman | Sara Bollinger | John Bouvier | Benjamin Boykin Ii |
Legislator | Councilmember | Councilmember | Board Chair |
Cayuga County | Town of Manlius | Town of Southampton | Westchester County |
Onondaga County | Suffolk County | ||
Jeff Bragman | Ellen Calves | Cheryl Chapman | Margaret Chin |
Councilmember | Councilmember | Deputy Mayor | Councilmember |
Town of East Hampton | Town of Bedford | Village of Endicott | New York City |
Suffolk County | Westchester County | Broome County | New York County |
Terry Clements | Dan Coffey | Richard Conti | Robert Courtenay |
Legislator | Councilmember | Councilmember | Councilmember |
Westchester County | Town of Bethlehem | City of Albany | Town of Chester |
Albany County | Albany County | Orange County | |
Maureen Cunningham | Anthony Davis | Robin DeLoria | Frank DenDanto |
Councilmember | Councilmember | Supervisor | Town Supervisor |
Town of Bethlehem | City of Kingston | Town of Newcomb | Town of Wallkill |
Albany County | Ulster County | Essex County | Orange County |
Elaine Denton | Tasha Diaz | William Dillabough | Beroro Efekoro |
Councilmember | Councilmember | Councilmember | Legislator |
Town of Manlius | City of Yonkers | City of Ogdensburg | Albany County |
Onondaga County | Westchester County | St. Lawrence County | |
Corey Ellis | Malik Evans | Catherine Fahey | Delia Farquharson |
Council President | Councilmember | Councilmember | Councilmember |
City of Albany | City of Rochester | City of Albany | City of Mount Vernon |
Albany County | Monroe County | Albany County | Westchester County |
Ginnie Farrell | Dennis Feeney | Sam Fein | Mark Fleming |
Councilmember | Legislator | Legislator | Legislator |
City of Albany | Albany County | Albany County | Rensselaer County |
Albany County | |||
David Granger | Anthony Grice | Mitch Gruber | Beau Harbin |
Supervisor | Councilmember | Councilmember | Legislator |
Town of Gainesville | City of Newburgh | City of Rochester | Cortland County |
Wyoming County | Orange County | Monroe County | |
Linda Hasman | Jacqueline Hernandez | Thomas Hoey | Nadine Hunt-Robinson |
Legislator | Deputy Supervisor | Councilmember | Council President |
Monroe County | Town of Woodbury | City of Albany | City of White Plains |
Orange County | Albany County | Westchester County | |
Linda Hasman | Jacqueline Hernandez | Thomas Hoey | Nadine Hunt-Robinson |
Legislator | Deputy Supervisor | Councilmember | Council President |
Monroe County | Town of Woodbury | City of Albany | City of White Plains |
Orange County | Albany County | Westchester County | |
Randall Johnson | Mike Kelly | Hollie Kennedy | Frank Keophetlasy |
Legislator | Councilmember | Councilmember | Legislator |
Dutchess County | City of Plattsburgh | Town of East Greenbush | Monroe County |
Clinton County | Rensselaer County | ||
Jose Alvarado | Frank Anderson | Clayton Barber | Rachel Barnhart |
Legislator | Councilmember | Supervisor | Legislator |
Westchester County | City of Rome | Town of Chesterfield | Monroe County |
Oneida County | Essex County | ||
Rachel Barnhart | Keith Batman | Sara Bollinger | John Bouvier |
Legislator | Legislator | Councilmember | Councilmember |
Monroe County | Cayuga County | Town of Manlius | Town of Southampton |
Onondaga County | Suffolk County | ||
Benjamin Boykin Ii | Jeff Bragman | Ellen Calves | Cheryl Chapman |
Board Chair | Councilmember | Councilmember | Deputy Mayor |
Westchester County | Town of East Hampton | Town of Bedford | Village of Endicott |
Suffolk County | Westchester County | Broome County | |
Margaret Chin | Terry Clements | Dan Coffey | Richard Conti |
Councilmember | Legislator | Councilmember | Councilmember |
New York City | Westchester County | Town of Bethlehem | City of Albany |
New York County | Albany County | Albany County | |
Robert Courtenay | Maureen Cunningham | Anthony Davis | Robin DeLoria |
Councilmember | Councilmember | Councilmember | Supervisor |
Town of Chester | Town of Bethlehem | City of Kingston | Town of Newcomb |
Orange County | Albany County | Ulster County | Essex County |
Frank DenDanto | Elaine Denton | Tasha Diaz | William Dillabough |
Town Supervisor | Councilmember | Councilmember | Councilmember |
Town of Wallkill | Town of Manlius | City of Yonkers | City of Ogdensburg |
Orange County | Onondaga County | Westchester County | St. Lawrence County |
Beroro Efekoro | Corey Ellis | Malik Evans | Catherine Fahey |
Legislator | Council President | Councilmember | Councilmember |
Albany County | City of Albany | City of Rochester | City of Albany |
Albany County | Monroe County | Albany County | |
Delia Farquharson | Ginnie Farrell | Dennis Feeney | Sam Fein |
Councilmember | Councilmember | Legislator | Legislator |
City of Mount Vernon | City of Albany | Albany County | Albany County |
Westchester County | Albany County | Albany County | Albany County |
Mark Fleming | Mary Frances Sabo | David Granger | Anthony Grice |
Legislator | Councilmember | Supervisor | Councilmember |
Rensselaer County | Town of N. Greenbush | Town of Gainesville | City of Newburgh |
Rensselaer County | Wyoming County | Orange County | |
Mitch Gruber | Beau Harbin | Linda Hasman | Jacqueline Hernandez |
Councilmember | Legislator | Legislator | Deputy Supervisor |
City of Rochester | Cortland County | Monroe County | Town of Woodbury |
Monroe County | Orange County | ||
Thomas Hoey | Nadine Hunt-Robinson | Randall Johnson | Mike Kelly |
Councilmember | Council President | Legislator | Councilmember |
City of Albany | City of White Plains | Dutchess County | City of Plattsburgh |
Albany County | Westchester County | Clinton County | |
Hollie Kennedy | Frank Keophetlasy | Joseph Keyes | William Kinne |
Councilmember | Legislator | Trustee | Legislator |
Town of East Greenbush | Monroe County | Village of Patchogue | Onondaga County |
Rensselaer County | Suffolk County | ||
Douglas Koop | Katelyn Kriesel | Neil Krupnick | Mary Kuhn |
Councilmember | Councilmember | Councilmember | Legislator |
City of Kingston | Town of Manlius | Town of Hyde Park | Onondaga County |
Ulster County | Onondaga County | Dutchess County | |
Lee Kyriacou | Hilda Lando | Beatriz LeBron | Mervin Livsey |
Mayor | Legislator | Commissioner | Supervisor |
City of Beacon | Steuben County | Rochester S.D. | Town of Highlands |
Dutchess County | Monroe County | Orange County | |
Mary Lupien | Michele Madigan | Howard Maffucci | Damon Maher |
Councilmember | Commissioner | Legislator | Legislator |
City of Rochester | City of Saratoga Springs | Monroe County | Westchester County |
Monroe County | Saratoga County | ||
Rick Matters | Miguel Melendez | Arthur Merrill | Matthew Miller |
Councilmember | Councilmember | Supervisor | Legislator |
Town of East Greenbush | City of Rochester | Town of Colchester | Albany County |
Rensselaer County | Monroe County | Delaware County | |
Delvin Moody | Nanci Moquin | Luke Murphy | Terry Nelson |
Councilmember | Town Clerk | Councilmember | Councilmember |
City of Utica | Town of Bethlehem | City of Oneonta | City of Beacon |
Oneida County | Albany County | Otsego County | Dutchess County |
Steven Noble | Joe O’Brien | Bob Palumbo | Victoria Plotsky |
Mayor | Legislator | Mayor | Legislator |
City of Kingston | Albany County | City of Canandaigua | Albany County |
Ulster County | Ontario County | ||
Andre Rainey | William Reinhardt | Kerin Rigney | Angela Riley |
Mayor | Legislator | Councilmember | Councilmember |
City of Peekskill | Albany County | Town of DeWitt | City of Binghamton |
Westchester County | Onondaga County | Broome County | |
Chris Robins | Christopher Robins | Kimie Romeo | Loretta Scott |
Legislator | Legislator | Councilmember | Council President |
Niagara County | Niagara County | Town of Irondequoit | City of Rochester |
Monroe County | Monroe County | ||
Reynolds Scott-Chdress | Laroue Shatzkin | Heather Staley | Michael Stammel |
Councilmember | Town Clerk | Councilmember | Legislator |
City of Kingston | Town of Cortllandt | Town of Union | Rensselaer County |
Ulster County | Westchester County | Broome County | Rensselaer County |
Sue Steele | Mark Venuti | Heather Waters | Susan Wilson |
Councilmember | Supervisor | Councilmember | Legislator |
City of Troy | Town of Geneva | Town of Manlius | Cortland County |
Rensselaer County | Ontario County | Onondaga County | |
Robin Wilt | Rita Worthington | Ken Zalewski | |
Councilmember | Councilmember | Cncl Pres Pro Tem | |
Town of Brighton | City of Kingston | City of Troy | |
Monroe County | Ulster County | Rensselaer County |