Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
Climate Change

Waxman’s Climate Change Bill Good for Green Transportation

2:07 PM PDT on April 15, 2009

At the end of March, representatives Henry Waxman and Ed Markey introduced an ambitious federal climate bill. This is the real deal -- the legislative centerpiece of President Obama's effort to combat global warming.
Transportation contributes about a third of all greenhouse gas
emissions in the U.S., so any climate bill will have to green the way
we get around to be effective. On that score, however, the draft
legislation has some glaring omissions.

It includes tougher national emissions standards for vehicles
and incentives to develop plug-in hybrid infrastructure, but no funding
for transit or more walkable development. There's already a proposal
circulating in Congress to link a cap-and-trade system with investment
in transit and smart growth -- the CLEAN TEA bill.
Parts of CLEAN TEA have been incorporated into the Waxman/Markey bill,
but not the core provision to dedicate 10 percent of the revenue from
carbon auctions to green transportation projects.

That could change. Transportation
for America is gathering signatures urging Congress to beef up the
provisions for sustainable transportation in the climate bill
.
Waxman's committee will begin making changes to the bill on Monday, so
now is time to sign on and speak up for stronger legislation.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Rundown of New Federal Reconnecting Communities Grants for L.A. County

There are seven L.A. County Reconnecting Communities grants totaling $162 million - about 90% of that goes to Metro's Removing Barriers project, which includes new bus lanes, first/last mile walk/bike facilities, bike-share, and more.

March 19, 2024

Where L.A. City Will Add New Bus-Only Lanes

New bus lanes are coming to Broadway, Colorado Blvd., Crenshaw Blvd, Lincoln Blvd., Los Feliz Blvd., Santa Monica Blvd., Valley Blvd., Vermont Avenue, Westwood Blvd., Whittier Blvd. and many more city streets!

March 15, 2024
See all posts