Gov. Carney's Clean Transportation Pledge Builds Momentum; Mid-Atlantic Stakeholders to Meet in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, Del., June 5, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A broad-based meeting of lawmakers, business leaders and transportation experts on June 6th will provide the first opportunity so far for experts in the Mid-Atlantic to trade ideas on a new commitment by seven states and Washington, D.C. to develop a regional initiative for clean transportation.

The meeting in Wilmington is the third in a series of regional Public Listening Sessions for Clean Transportation and Climate Issues. Stakeholders from Delaware, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and D.C. will be seeking public input on solutions to improve and modernize the transportation systems in both the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

This regional meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 6, 2018, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington, Delaware.  For additional information and online registration visit: http://www.transportationandclimate.org/listening-sessions-transportation-and-climate-initiative.

In November, seven states and Washington, D.C. pledged to explore regional policies to reduce carbon pollution from the transportation sector, the region's largest source of this pollution. The Delaware Listening Session for Clean Transportation will provide a launching pad for discussion of current challenges in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, as well as an opportunity to propose policies that will reduce air pollution generated by cars and trucks while building an equitable transportation network that better serves all of Delaware's residents.

Delaware has made significant progress in reducing the air pollution that we produce from power plants. Through its participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Delaware power plant carbon dioxide emissions have fallen by more than 50 percent compared to a 2008 pre-RGGI baseline. But transportation has now outpaced electricity generation as the largest source of harmful air pollution in the state.

At the listening session, policymakers, business leaders, Delaware residents and others will discuss solutions to the challenges that lay ahead, including: new infrastructure for electric vehicles; better public transportation, including zero-emission bus service; and programs to ensure low-income and underserved communities have access to transportation options that are affordable, convenient, and non-polluting.

Similar regional listening sessions were held recently in Hartford, Connecticut in May and Albany, New York in April. Massachusetts and Rhode Island have also held state-specific listening sessions on clean transportation in Boston last fall and Providence, in April. Future state and regional Listening Sessions are in the planning stages and will be announced online as times are confirmed.

MEDIA RESOURCES

Transportation policy experts available for interviews about the Wilmington Listening Session, upcoming sessions, and proposals for how states can develop a regional clean, modern and equitable transportation initiative, include:

• Bruce Ho, senior advocate, Climate & Clean Energy Program, NRDC;
• Daniel Gatti, policy analyst, Clean Vehicles Program, Union of Concerned Scientists; and
• Stephanie Herron, outreach coordinator, Sierra Club, Delaware Chapter.

ABOUT THE GROUPS

Leading environmental, scientific and business organizations, including Acadia Center, Ceres, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and Union of Concerned Scientists are working together to advance modern, efficient, and clean low-carbon transportation solutions in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. The groups are focused on improving our transportation system -- the ways we move people and goods in the region ? to spur economic growth, make us healthier and safer, clean up the environment, and improve our quality of life. An improved transportation system means more clean cars and trucks, more reliable mass transit, more walkable and bikeable communities, and investments that connect everyone, including those in underserved and rural areas.

SOURCE Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Acadia Center, Union of Concerned Scientists and Ceres