To the Editor:

Increasing public transportation and improving bicycle safety in the North Country would help many of our neighbors, some of whom lack reliable vehicles of their own.

New York State is going to be receiving millions of dollars in the Volkswagen settlement, and this money is intended to reduce transportation pollution by increasing clean transportation. This can benefit North Country folks in many ways.

Volkswagen chose to deceive its customers into thinking their vehicles had low emission levels when this was untrue. Paying for this deception is costing Volkswagen $14.7 billion, most of which will help affected customers, but $2.7 billion will be spent to reduce transportation pollution, resulting in each state receiving millions to be spent promoting clean transportation.

We have a great opportunity to use these funds to help our neighbors, save taxpayer money, and decrease the negative impact dirty transportation has on our state, our health, and our climate. Using this funding in the North Country to electrify municipal transportation will save taxpayer money since electric vehicles are cheaper to run than gasoline vehicles.

The North Country must also promote cheaper electric public transportation for all, especially those who lack adequate personal transportation. No one should have to struggle to get to work due to a lack of transportation.

Providing funding for increasing safe bicycle transportation would also help those who cannot afford reliable vehicles as well as helping environmentally.

Electric vehicle technology is developing rapidly, and a report by MIT Technology Review predicts electric vehicles could take over the market in the next ten years as they become more economical than vehicles run by gasoline. We must be ready for this.

North Country towns should lead the way by beginning the transition to electric transportation at the municipal level and begin installing infrastructure such as charging stations for public use and promoting electric public transportation.

It is time for New York, including the North Country, to embrace the future of transportation, one that is clean and available to all.

Ginger Storey-Welch

Colton