As documented by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, the transportation sector is the dominant source of carbon pollution in our state (37% of emissions).  More than one half of New Jersey’s counties received a “C” grade or below for ground-level ozone, per the American Lung Association (with two rated "F").  Tailpipe emissions heighten health risks including strokes, lung cancer, and asthma. Not surprisingly, theses impacts are more severe in low-income, densely populated communities located near our highways. That disparity is not acceptable.

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Replacing gas and diesel burning vehicles with electric vehicles as quickly as possibly is critical. Also, as evidenced by the far cleaner, modern, and more reliable transportation systems that exist today in Europe and Asia, the state of New Jersey's public transit systems is not about technology. The root cause is a lack of a sustained commitment to the build-out of a 21st century clean public transit system.

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In 2022, over 300 NJ medical and public health professional called on Governor Phil Murphy, the Commissioner of Health, and Legislative leaders to address climate change by adopting a comprehensive approach to the transportation sector including the implementation of electric school bus legislation, adoption of the Advanced Clean Cars II standards, increasing funding to achieve NJ Transit’s electric bus mandates, using federal transportation to reduce health inequities from air pollution, and other actions. Read the letter here.

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Underneath these broad points, some of the issues we are working on in 2024 include:

• Expand the work done on accelerating sales trajectory of of electric cars and light-duty trucks to include medium and heavy duty trucks

• Advocating for full funding for NJ Transit to meet targets for electric buses

• Accelerating the adoption of electric school buses

• Ensuring that funding of New Jersey's Clean Energy Fund continues to be a priority, and that the allocated funds are not redirected into other state programs not connected to the effort to reduce carbon emissions.

• Where possible, leverage federal dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act and similar federal programs