Comment Log Display

March 16, 2017
The Honorable Mary Nichols
Chair, California Air Resources Board
1001 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

AB 32 Scoping Plan: Please continue your good work to support
strong standards for health and climate protection – especially
regarding clean vehicles
Dear Chair Nichols and esteemed members of the CARB:

First, THANK YOU for approving the oil and gas rule to reduce
methane leaks. Very few people realize that these leaks can render
natural gas as carbon-intensive as coal. 

I serve on Menlo Park’s Environmental Quality Commission. We are
working to promote clean air and emissions reductions in our city.
These efforts could be more successful with the help of CARB.

This is to ask that you please continue to support the strongest
possible clean vehicle rules, standards and incentives for
California. Help make California the state that prompts the S-curve
in EV sales; the state that proves the feasibility of taking large
numbers of gas cars off the road in the US.

As you probably know, major cities around the world are already
taking action to limit gas cars and/or electrify their vehicles.
Beijing is taking 67,000 taxis electric. Manila is experimenting
with e-trikes in place of tuk tuks. Fed Ex has come out with an
electric delivery truck. Chrysler has a plug in electric hybrid
minivan. We’re seeing more and more fuel cell vehicles on the
streets of Menlo Park.

We need your continued leadership to ensure California is the role
model for what’s possible. As a result, Californians will save
money on gasoline, benefit from cleaner air, and do our share of
reducing carbon emissions. And we’ll be bringing environmental
justice to the disadvantaged communities that currently suffer the
health impacts and risks of living and working near sources of air
pollution, especially from fossil fuel combustion.
 
Specifically, I ask that you please do at least the following:

•	Double down on California’s commitment to implement existing
federal U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration vehicle emission standards, and
California's 2025 Advanced Clean Cars and Zero Emission Vehicle
program. 

•	Promote and accelerate development of clean car and zero emission
technology standards to reduce ozone-forming pollutants, fine
particles, and climate pollution, and to strengthen and extend the
Zero Emission Vehicle standard. This effort should be aligned with
the 2050 (or sooner) goal of 100% zero emission vehicle sales.

•	Work to make California’s state vehicle fleet zero emissions to
the extent possible, as soon as possible. 

•	Incentivize (or require) cities and counties to adopt an “EV
First” policy of replacing municipal and county vehicles with
electric vehicles to the extent possible as soon as possible.

•	Incentivize cities to reduce red tape and reduce or eliminate
fees for EV charging station permits. 

•	Incentivize cities to update their built environment so cars are
not needed within city limits. According to Stanford professor
Stefan Heck, the ideal building height is 6 stories – at that
height, no steel is required, and it creates the right mix of
dwelling and commercial/retail space. Incentivize piloting
e-trikes-only sections of town or communities. 

•	Update building codes to require that new residential and
commercial buildings include EV charging stations, and rooftop
solar to the extent feasible to support those chargers.

•	Invest in EV charging stations in rural areas; offer larger
rebates on EVs and home charging stations to low-income residents.


•	Facilitate the Hyperloop or other high-speed train coming to
California – thereby reducing car trips and flights between LA and
SF and other California cities.

•	Facilitate the addition of High Occupancy Toll lanes on
high-traffic streets, freeways and highways, and experiment with
raising the tolls to both fund transit and make it more attractive.
Consider reimbursing the tolls for low-income Californians who must
drive during those hours for their work (e.g., gardeners and
construction folks). 

•	Keep working to increase the gasoline tax – again, with a
possible rebate for low-income workers for whom driving gas
vehicles is required.

•	Incentivize/facilitate fuel savings via connectivity and
platooning between vehicles, such as that offered by Peloton.

•	Consider a comprehensive plan to increase the number of trees in
the state – a great way to absorb CO2. 

•	Impose a carbon tax.

In sum, please do everything in your power to maintain California's
leadership in standards for clean air and climate protection,
especially regarding vehicles. 

Thank you for your leadership and support.

Sincerely,
Janelle London
Menlo Park, CA