FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Contact:
Lindsey Mendelson, Sierra Club, lindsey.mendelson@mdsierra.org, 240-706-7901
Michelle Romero, Green for All, michelle@dreamcorps.us, 408-550-3121
Maryland Transportation, Equity, Environmental Organizations Highlight Vision for Bold and Equitable Regional Transportation Policy
BALTIMORE, MD -- Today, before 300 people came together for a day-long public workshop at the University of Maryland, Baltimore to discuss investments from the region-wide Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), advocates and community leaders joined together to share their vision of how the regional collaboration should develop a bold, ambitious and equitable policy to transform and modernize transportation in Maryland. TCI is made up of 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and D.C.; Maryland and nine of these jurisdictions are currently going through a year-long process to gather input and develop a policy by the end of 2019.
Transportation currently accounts for approximately 38% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Maryland, making it the number one source of climate pollution in the state. Tailpipe pollution causes asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and even premature death, and communities of color are disproportionately impacted. Furthermore, low-income households spend up to 30% of their income on transportation costs, and people of color on average have longer commute times. Cutting emissions from fossil fuel powered vehicles and raising funds for investments is a crucial step to protect the health of communities, saving families money, and improving access to jobs and services. A 2018 poll shows that 73 percent of Maryland voters want the region to invest in a system that relies more on mass transit, fuel-efficient and electric vehicles, walking and biking, and other public transportation options to reduce climate and air emissions.
“As a public health physician, I am concerned about the significant role that transportation-related emissions have on our environment and health. That is why I sponsored the Regional Transportation and Climate Protection Act during the last legislative session--to ensure Maryland is able to work with other states in the region to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change will only be solved by bringing together a variety of stakeholders to the table, and it is important that our state is part of that process,” said Senator Clarence Lam, District 12.
"Transit access is a strong predictor of job access. Its important to create jobs, but workers must be able to reach those opportunities quickly, efficiently and reliably. More highways are not the answer. Maryland must invest in maintaining and expanding public transit," said Delegate Robbyn Lewis, District 46.
“Maryland must cut the climate-disrupting pollution generated from the fuels we burn to travel from point A to point B everyday,” said Lindsey Mendelson, Transportation Representative with the Sierra Club. “Transportation is the number one contributor to climate change that exacerbates dangerous extreme weather such as the tragic heat wave that recently plagued the region. Maryland must work with other states in the Transportation & Climate Initiative to develop a bold and equitable policy that aggressively cuts this pollution and improves our quality of life.”
“Once we build a road or set a bus schedule transportation profoundly shapes your life and the lives of people around you. TCI is an opportunity to connect more of us to opportunities while keeping you and your environment healthy,” said Brian O’Malley, President and CEO of the Maryland Central Transportation Alliance.
“TCI presents an opportunity to design and implement pragmatic solutions in Maryland’s geographic kaleidoscope of harmful transportation-generated pollution and the absence of transit equity in communities across the state most adversely impacted by environmental pollutants and race-based transit policy, the single most important driver of under-investment in transportation services in the state of Maryland,” said Samuel Jordan, President, Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition.
"A truly clean and modern transportation future would prioritize the needs of low-income communities and communities of color which have experienced a long history of disinvestment and disproportionate pollution burdens," said Michelle Romero, national director of Green For All. "That's why Green For All has joined with local groups to recommend policy solutions to address the needs of these communities. If done right, we will put people to work building a more sustainable future that works for everyone.
“The Transportation and Climate Initiative is an unprecedented opportunity to alleviate air pollution from communities in Maryland that are overexposed. To fully materialize these benefits, communities must be engaged during the policy design and distribution of benefits. Maryland should host state specific workshops to engage these communities and make this process inclusive and transparent,” said Ramon Palencia-Calvo, Deputy Executive Director, Maryland League of Conservation Voters.
Creating a network of bikeways around Maryland and promoting cycling as a means of transportation will be a big step in advancing environmental sustainability, promoting economic development and improve public health. The Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI) provides us a unique opportunity to address several pressing issues under a single framework,” said Sachin Hebbar, Baltimore County Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee.
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