Drivers of the more than 254 million vehicles using New York and New Jersey's six bridges and tunnels every year will soon have the option to offset emissions through the region's Port Authority. According to the New York TimesCity Room blog, the program is a first for tolling agencies in the United States.
"We want to create a way so that our money and our patrons’ money becomes a deep enough pool of capital to invest in things," agency chairman Anthony R. Coscia told the Times in April. The idea, he said, is to eventually fund local renewable energy and cleanup projects. For now, Port Authority has awarded $2.5 million in contracts for carbon brokers to purchase credits in 2009 and 2010 and bring the new commuter offset program online next year.
Not everyone is pleased with the move. While some City Room commenters have
called the program a good start, others question whether scaling back
air travel promotions and adding a fee for all drivers ("every car
pollutes, not just those driven by environmentalists") might do more to
achieve the Port Authority's goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2010.
Share your thoughts: What do you think about this program? Would you like to see something similar at bridges, turnpikes, and tunnels along your commute?
"We want to create a way so that our money and our patrons’ money becomes a deep enough pool of capital to invest in things," agency chairman Anthony R. Coscia told the Times in April. The idea, he said, is to eventually fund local renewable energy and cleanup projects. For now, Port Authority has awarded $2.5 million in contracts for carbon brokers to purchase credits in 2009 and 2010 and bring the new commuter offset program online next year.
Not everyone is pleased with the move. While some City Room commenters have called the program a good start, others question whether scaling back air travel promotions and adding a fee for all drivers ("every car pollutes, not just those driven by environmentalists") might do more to achieve the Port Authority's goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2010.
Share your thoughts: What do you think about this program? Would you like to see something similar at bridges, turnpikes, and tunnels along your commute?