North Carolina's finalized Clean Transportation Plan offers a solid map for our state's transition of the sector that currently is our biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, according to the N.C. Sierra Club.
The plan, delivered to Gov. Roy Cooper last week, lacks some desirable elements, including clear goals on funding to reach some of its targets for infrastructure and emissions reductions, a plan for electrifying the state's ferry fleet (the nation's second-largest state-run ferry system), and a strategy to put electric vehicle charging stations at all state parks and historic sites, which would help increase charging availability in rural and tourist-heavy areas.
The N.C. Sierra Club and its members and supporters are among scores of stakeholders and concerned citizens who contributed priorities, ideas and feedback on the plan since January 2022, when Governor Cooper ordered its creation.
“Cleaning up the transportation sector isn't just about modernizing the ways we get from A to B – it's about cleaning up our environment for every North Carolinian now, and for our families and communities long into the future. We hope the state Transportation Department will use this plan as a solid starting point that identifies ambitious, but reachable targets and includes all North Carolinians - urban and rural, commercial and private drivers, and those who rely on transit, walking or cycling," said N.C. Sierra Club State Director Cynthia Satterfield.