One stated goal of the Green New Deal Resolution championed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is to “remove pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector,” in part by increasing “investment in high-speed rail,” “public transit,” and “zero-emission vehicle infrastructure.” If the experience of Ocasio-Cortez’s own campaign for the House of Representatives last year is any indication, however, the transition would be a difficult one.
A review of disbursements by the Ocasio-Cortez 2018 campaign reveals a clear inclination to choose air travel over rail for long-distances and personal vehicles over public transit for local trips.
Total disbursements to airlines totaled $20,490 to at least six different carriers for at least 39 trips. Disbursements for rail travel (Amtrak) totaled $3,147 for at least ten trips.
For short distance travel, the campaign utilized the car services Lyft, Juno, and Uber to the tune of $14,288, while disbursements for the Metro totaled $5,368.
During the rollout of the Green New Deal during the first week
of February, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s office released several versions of
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about the Green New Deal. The version
provided to a number of news outlets, including NPR, lists goals of the Green New Deal movement. One of those goals:
“Totally overhaul transportation by massively expanding electric vehicle manufacturing, build charging stations everywhere, build out high-speed rail at a scale where air travel stops becoming necessary, create affordable public transit available to all, with goal to replace every combustion-engine vehicle.”
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