time is running out for new jersey to

join the 12 state transportation and

climate initiative

tci today elected officials and

environmental activists

were engaging in virtual rallies and

press conferences

urging states like new jersey and new

york to get on board

but what sounds on the surface like a

good deal for the environment

is a poor substitute for stronger state

and local policies

say some critics what it means is

finding dollars and allowing the state

to find dollars to invest in uh

clean energy projects in places that

have historically

been the victims of environmental

injustices

the tci is very much like the 2007

regional greenhouse gas initiative

which has states setting caps on

greenhouse gas emissions

and creating a market for distributors

of fossil fuels to

buy allowances the proceeds of which

would allow those states

to invest in cleaner more efficient

public transit

or other projects that help the

environment it means a project

uh that i'm a big proponent of like the

essex hudson green away

that would take an old unused seven mile

freight rail line that starts in

montclair connects

bloomfield belleville newark and

eventually

hopefully gets all the way to jersey

city it's an unused line right now

that we can refurbish create a passive

recreation trail

that would allow people to bike uh and

or walk both in those communities

and also connect uh major both excerpts

suburbs and cities

in a way that helps promote the economy

the goal of tci

is to raise money it's not actually to

reduce admissions maria lopez nunez

works in the ironbound a section of

newark that's home to two power plants

the port and penn station where soot

belching buses

trains and trucks run almost 24 hours a

day

she says tci over promises and under

delivers

in communities like hers reducing

emissions becomes like a

side effect you know tci is only going

to reduce emissions by

one to six percent when we need an 80

reduction and we need much more of a

reduction in environmental justice

communities

less emphasis on vehicular traffic with

fewer highway projects

and better as in on time and consistent

mass transit are what the state should

be focusing on says lopez nunes

but a survey for the yale program on

climate change communication out today

found great public support from d.c to

maine

majorities in every state support

joining pci more than eight in ten nbc

three quarters in new york and maryland

about seven and ten in massachusetts

new jersey and vermont governor murphy

said today he likes the concept of tci

but that the state is still not ready to

join

the deadline to get on board is the end

of december

i'm david cruz nj spotlight news

lead funding for peril and promise is

provided by

dr p roy vagalos and diana t vagalos

major support is provided by the mark

haas foundation

and sue and edgar wachenheim iii and the

cheryl and philip milstein family