States and Stakeholders Envision a Cleaner Transportation Future and the Means to Achieve It

The Georgetown Climate Center hosted a symposium of business leaders, transportation experts, health care advocates, equity and environmental NGOs, and others in New York this week to give participants the opportunity to share their vision of a cleaner transportation future with state officials. Senior officials from 15 states and Washington, DC, participated in the event.

The symposium focused on what a cleaner, more resilient, and more reliable transportation system could look like in the northeast and mid-Atlantic region. Participants discussed important trends, opportunities, and policy options for achieving such a future. The Georgetown Climate Center held a similar meeting with stakeholders in April in Washington, DC.

Several northeast and mid-Atlantic states announced in 2015 that they were interested in exploring potential market-based policies to improve transportation and reduce pollution in the region.  Since that time, Georgetown has supported state efforts to research various policy approaches.

Below is a description of the event's sessions along with some photos of participants. 

Wecome and Introduction

• Vicki Arroyo, Executive Director, Georgetown Climate Center
• Venetia Lannon, Deputy Secretary for the Environment, New York State
  
  

Opening Keynote

• Rear Admiral David Titley, Director of the Center for Solutions to Weather and Climate Risk, Pennsylvania State University

Building a Cleaner Transportation System of the Future

• Moderator: Jared Snyder, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
• Martin Suuberg, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
• Roger Cohen, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
• Meredith Brady, Rhode Island Department of Transportation
• Rob Klee, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• Tommy Wells, DC Department of Energy and Environment

Business Opportunities in Cleaner Transportation

• Moderator: Devon Dodson, Maryland Department of the Environment
• Corey Ershow, Lyft
• Rohan Patel, Tesla
• Tom Driscoll, National Farmers Union
• Elysa Hammond, Clif Bar
• Zachary Kahn, BYD Heavy Industries
• Chris Budzynski, Exelon

Lunch Dialogue Featuring Emil Frankel

Emil Frankel, senior fellow at the Eno Center for Transportation and former Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy of the US Department of Transportation, engages in a conversation with Vicki Arroyo about transportation funding and resilience.

Environmental, Social, and Equity Considerations in Cleaner Transportation

• Moderator: Susan Love, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
• Colette Pichon Battle, US Human Rights Network
• Lizzi Weyant, Massachusetts Metropolitan Area Planning Council
• Jennifer Wallace-Brodeur, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
• Mark Kresowik, Sierra Club

Market-based Policy Options to Guide a Cleaner Transportation System of the Future

• Moderator: Kate Zyla, Georgetown Climate Center
• Rajinder Sahota, California Air Resources Board
• Eryca Dinsdale, Oregon Department of Transportation
• Bert Hunter, Connecticut Green Bank
• Ken Kimmell, President, Union of Concerned Scientists

Summary of Key Themes from the Day

• James Bradbury, Georgetown Climate Center
• Lois New, New York State Deparment of Environmental Conservation

Closing Remarks

• Vicki Arroyo, Georgetown Climate Center