Thread by @_ClimateXChange

A group of 30+ community-led, transportation, environmental, public health, labor, business, youth, and research organizations sent a letter to the MA legislature calling for a transportation platform centered on justice and equity.

1/15 🧵 #mapoli climate-xchange.org/wp-content/upl…

The letter outlines broader goals for a just and equitable approach to the intersection of #climatechange and transportation and hopes to spark a conversation as we enter the new legislative session.

Key elements from the letter are as follows:

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The legislature should address poor air quality in pollution hotspots and set enforceable annual air pollution improvement targets by 2022 to ensure that air pollution hotspots have significantly improved air quality by 2032.

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Implement low-income transit fares and/or fare-free routes by January 1, 2022, which would allow riders to take more trips and increase access to health care and social services.

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Decriminalize fare evasion by January 1, 2022. MBTA Transit Police arrest a disproportionate number of riders of color for fare evasion compared to white riders.

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Preserve and expand service on RTAs and MBTA, particularly in communities that rely on transportation for employment, education, and medical access.

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Integrate electrified public transit on RTAs, the MBTA, and school buses by 2030, which would be more cost effective, improve our air quality, and help achieve our climate targets.

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Work with environmental justice populations as the state develops its action plan to transition to medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles pursuant to the recent multistate zero-emission vehicle truck agreement by 2030.

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Implement Rail Vision and electrified regional rail by 2035, with environmental justice community routes as first priority.

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Expand the Complete Streets program in EJ populations, which would create better connections to transit, contributing to improved air quality and emissions reductions.

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Improve siting requirements, particularly for new and expanded electric transmission and distribution infrastructure, to accommodate anticipated electrification of transit.

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Pursue legislative and administrative changes that provide environmental justice protections and prevent disparate impacts.

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The letter also examines possible routes to fund the MBTA and the aforementioned initiatives, taking a two pronged approach: (1) Make our tax system more economically progressive and...

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(2) Make our transportation systems more equitable and sustainable by reducing harms and costs from the systems by raising revenue in ways that set better incentives for users of our transportation systems.

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It’s time for a transportation platform that meets the needs of communities while simultaneously taking serious action on #transportation emissions and #climatechange. climate-xchange.org/wp-content/upl…

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