State ponders role in getting people to drive less
BOSTON (SHNS) – The idea of aligning the state's transportation plans with its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including by making a specific plan to decrease the amount Bay Staters drive, was met Wednesday with skepticism from a key senator who worried it might actually complicate matters and be especially burdensome for rural parts of Massachusetts.
'Its purpose is to ensure that our multi-million dollar transportation plans, broadly speaking, get us where we need to go on climate change and reducing vehicle miles. Colorado and Minnesota have adopted similar requirements, which have successfully reoriented their transportation plans toward a responsible balance of investment in highway, public transit and active transportation projects,' Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem said of her legislation. 'We could do the same thing here together.'
The Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee on Wednesday heard the bill (S 2246) Creem filed to require the Department of Transportation to set goals for reducing the number of statewide driving miles, which would then be part of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs' consideration of sector-specific emission limits. The legislation would also stand up an interagency coordinating council to come up with 'a whole-of-government plan to reduce vehicle miles traveled and increase access to transportation options other than personal vehicles,' according to Creem's summary.
Transportation is the sector that accounts for the greatest share of Massachusetts' greenhouse gas emissions, and Creem said the state's strategy for reducing those emissions 'has largely, although not exclusively, focused on electric vehicles.' Supporters said the environmental benefits of improved fuel economy and electric vehicle adoptions have largely been offset by a mostly steady rise in vehicle miles traveled; even though cars pollute less per mile, Americans are driving more miles than in previous decades.
Creem said electric vehicles 'are certainly a major piece of the puzzle,' but cautioned against over-reliance on any single decarbonization strategy for the transportation sector.
'With the Trump administration rolling back vehicle emission standards and withholding funds from EV charging programs, and with congressional Republicans looking to repeal EV tax credits and derail state-level EV rules, now is the time to pursue new strategies, additional strategies, for reducing transportation emissions,' the Senate majority leader said.
Two weeks ago, TUE Committee House Chair Rep. Mark Cusack said policymakers are reevaluating all of Massachusetts' climate and emissions mandates, plans and goals in light of changes in federal energy policy.
Massachusetts state government has committed to reducing carbon emissions by at least 50% compared to 1990 baselines by 2030, by at least 75% by 2040 and by at least 85% by 2050, with tag-along policies to get the state to net-zero emissions by the middle of the century. The state also has numerous other mandates on the books, including around things like electric vehicles, and its long-range climate and energy plans acknowledge the need to reduce commuter vehicle miles driven.
Sen. Michael Barrett, the Senate co-chair of the TUE Committee, raised with supporters of Creem's bill the question of 'whether we're layering too many slightly disparate initiatives, one on top of another, in a way that is, in fact, going to complicate rather than clarify steps that need to be taken.'
Barrett pointed to transportation sector emission sublimits that are supposed to ratchet down over the coming decade and requirements for the MBTA to transition its bus fleet to be zero-emitting as examples that 'we do have a lot of provisions right now, enacted in either 2021-2022 or 2024, that correlate transportation spending and climate goals.'
The Lexington Democrat also noted what he called 'an unintended and subtle bias against rural Massachusetts,' where transit options are far more limited and people often live further from their workplaces.
'I understand that one can easily imagine that EVs, over time, will reduce the number of polluting vehicle miles traveled. But why we would want to start to pressure Massachusetts to reduce all miles traveled, polluting and non-polluting alike, does raise the question of what someone is to do in a place where one has to travel a long distance to a construction job or to any other source of employment,' Barrett said.
The senator added later, 'One of the questions I'm going to carry with me away from today's hearing is whether we really want to focus on reducing vehicle miles traveled, or whether that's too crude and somewhat off the point, and whether instead we want to reduce internal combustion engine vehicle miles traveled.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
I'm exhausted by attempts to pretend discrimination doesn't exist in America
Mary-Frances Winters defined the term 'Black fatigue' in her book of the same name, describing it as a form of psychological and emotional exhaustion from persistent racism and microaggressions. You know what I'm tired of? The MAGA movement twisting and co-opting language used to help Americans cope with racism and turning it back on them. The latest example is "Black fatigue." In 2020, author Mary-Frances Winters defined the term in her book of the same name, describing it as a form of psychological and emotional exhaustion from persistent racism and microaggressions. This fatigue can impact one's mental and spiritual well-being, and if left unaddressed, it could also affect physical health and shorten life expectancy. Today, the term has been co-opted by the right – and even people unwittingly using it against themselves. For instance, when five girls attack a woman at the opening night of the Milwaukee Night Market, it is labeled "Black fatigue." When some boys drive recklessly in a stolen car, it is also called "Black fatigue." When a 39-year-old man is arrested in the shooting of a Milwaukee police officer, you guessed it. I reached out to Winters, 74, who said she was not surprised to learn the MAGA crowd had co-opted the term. However, she is disheartened that some are using it against their fellow African Americans. Opinion: I remember my first Juneteenth. It's more than a Black holiday. While it's understandable for people to feel frustrated and speak out when they witness something bad happen, it's important to recognize that no single group has a monopoly on bad behavior. The bigger question is why do Black people often find themselves under greater scrutiny? I believe we know the answer to that. Real 'Black fatigue' gives voice to microaggressions, systemic racism This disparity is precisely why Winters coined the term in the first place, capturing the struggles faced by the Black community in a world that is quick to pass judgment. Ironically, the movement co-opting the term is the one inflicting the pain by pretending bigotry doesn't exist by President Donald Trump's attempt to erase diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Opinion: Trump worries more about South Africa's nonexistent genocide than real US racism When Winters' book was released, America was grappling with a global pandemic and confronting systemic racism after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who sparked nationwide protests. 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While they did not condone the actions of the woman for shouting, Ceasar acknowledged that her outburst might have stemmed from the many times she had been ignored, overlooked as if she did not exist, or made to feel devalued. If Black fatigue can negatively impact on a person's mind, body and spirit, it can also lead to diminished emotional well-being, sometimes manifesting as outbursts to seek acknowledgment. If you find yourself using the term to express disappointment about something bad happening in the world, take a moment to consider how you express that. If your feelings are not specifically related to race, then your fatigue may not be about racial issues at all. It might be about human nature. However, if you believe that only Black people are capable of negative actions and continue to use the term in that context, it might be necessary to reflect on your own biases. That's what I'm tired of. James E. Causey is an Ideas Lab reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where this column originally appeared. Reach him at jcausey@jrnhttps:// or follow him on X: @jecausey
USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
Dump your spouse, not your assets: 7 tips for surviving 'gray divorce'
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Fast Company
27 minutes ago
- Fast Company
This overlooked personal finance tip can help your loved ones
Thinking about your own death is not something most people enjoy doing. However, if you plan to pass on savings or assets, like a home, having a will is important in ensuring those items end up in the right hands. Still, according to a new survey, most Americans don't have a will. The data, which comes from a Western & Southern Financial Group survey of 1,007 U.S. adults, showed that only one in four Americans has a will. Understandably, the likelihood of having a will differs widely between generations. Baby boomers were the most prepared with nearly half (47%) having a will, while only 23% of millennials did and 20% of Gen Zers. But astonishingly, nearly a third (30%) of respondents have never even discussed end-of-life plans with their family at all. And, according to the research, that's highly problematic, because often, the death of a loved one can cause more than grief. It can cause financial distress. Over half of respondents (51%) said they struggled financially after a death of a loved one and 14% described those challenges as being significant. The number one reason most said they've never discussed financial plans is due to discomfort (54%). But that discomfort can lead to a lot of confusion. The data showed 38% of people were not confident in their understanding of their parents' finances. That was especially true when it came to financial arrangements between siblings. Fifty-five percent of Americans felt uninformed about how finances would be distributed with millennials and Gen Zers most in the dark (57% each). A staggering number of those surveyed—38% overall—had not done any preparation either for their own passing or the passing of a loved one. However, nearly half of Gen Zers said the same was true (49%). It makes sense that Gen Z may be the least financially prepared for death (given they're the youngest working generation), however, it could also be due to the broad fears, spanning the generations, that there won't be much leftover to pass on. A previous Western & Southern survey found that nearly half of Americans (49%) were not confident in their ability to retire—ever. Gen X was the most concerned (52%), followed by millennials (50%) then boomers (47%). But the youngest generation of workers, who have the most working years left, were not confident about retirement either: 41% of the group said they worry they may never retire. While there are many reasons why writing a will can be intimidating, there are plenty of online resources that can help. Writing a will does not require an attorney and online will writing services can cost between $0 and $300.
