Woonsocket Radio News Room

PROVIDENCE, R.I. –Governor Gina M. Raimondo, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Management, the Office of Energy Resources and the Division of Statewide Planning will today facilitate the first virtual convening of the Mobility Innovation Working Group.

 

Approximately 40% of Rhode Island’s greenhouse gas emissions are generated from the transportation sector. Establishing a resilient Rhode Island will require a comprehensive strategy to address transportation-related emissions. The objective of the Working Group is to inform the design of a statewide mobility strategy that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and simultaneously promote accessible and affordable transportation options for all Rhode Islanders, especially those in overburdened and underserved communities.

 

The mobility strategy will build on the comprehensive portfolio of clean transportation policies, regulations and initiatives that have already been implemented statewide - policies that have made Rhode Island a national leader in clean transportation and energy. By January of 2021, the Working Group will provide the Governor with a final report, which will include recommended initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and maximize clean mobility options for all Rhode Islanders.

 

The Working Group consists of state agency leaders, including representatives from the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority and the Rhode Island Department of Health. The Working Group will also consist of stakeholders, who have a deep understanding of the environmental, economic and public health needs of Rhode Islanders. The participating stakeholders bring expertise in a multitude of areas including environmental justice, business, labor and transportation. Colleen Quinn, Governor Raimondo’s Mobility Advisor and a clean transportation and mobility executive with over a decade of experience in the e-mobility sector, will serve as Chair of the Working Group. 

 

“This pandemic has made clear that disparities in public health outcomes are harming minority communities in our state,” said Governor Gina M. Raimondo. “Reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and improving environmental health must be priorities as we move towards creating a stronger, more resilient and more equitable Rhode Island. I look forward to receiving their recommendations and working together to achieve these goals.”

 

“I am excited to work with members of the Working group, many of whom are professionally recognized as leaders in their fields, as we explore options and develop plausible scenarios and guidance for decision makers and other stakeholders that will impact transportation and the future of mobility in Rhode Island,” said Colleen Quinn.

The convenings of the Mobility Innovation Working Group will be held publicly on a monthly basis through November of 2020. Meeting notices will be posted on the Secretary of State’s website at https://opengov.sos.ri.gov/OpenMeetings. Learn more about the Working Group and see a full list of Working Group members at http://climatechange.ri.gov/state-actions/mobility-innovation.php.

House Speaker Mike Johnson will meet with Jewish students today at Columbia University in New York City. His visit comes as the school faces massive protests against Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories. Hundreds of students have been protesting for days against the Biden administration's response to the Israel-Hamas war, calling for an end to support for Israel.        A new foreign aid bill will be signed into law by President Biden today. The Senate passed the 95-billion dollar emergency foreign aid package yesterday. It includes funding for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and the Indo-Pacific as well as the groundwork to ban the social media app TikTok in the U.S.        A case involving emergency abortions is being heard by the Supreme Court. The high court is hearing arguments currently on whether emergency rooms in Idaho can provide abortions to a woman whose health is at risk. Idaho's law makes it a felony for physicians to perform most abortions except to save the life of the mother.        The national average price for a gallon of gas is holding steady. Triple A reports the average cost for a gallon of regular gas is still three-dollars-and-66-cents across the country. That's the same as it was a week ago, but 13 cents more than a month ago.       The older people get, the later they think old age starts. A German study published this week in the American Psychological Association's Psychology and Aging journal checked in with thousands of people over the years born between 1911 and 1974. The longer the study went on, the further away people saw the start of old age.       Former University of Southern California running back Reggie Bush is getting his 2005 Heisman Trophy back, according to a report from ESPN. Bush had his trophy taken away in 2010 after the NCAA [[ N-C-Double-A ]] imposed sanctions on USC for infractions including Bush receiving improper benefits. The Heisman Trust told ESPN the "reinstatement" of Bush's trophy comes as there has been "enormous changes in the college football landscape."       

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