We’re disappointed that the UFT and Staten Island Borough President are suing to grind progress to a halt and stop congestion pricing and the air quality improvements, traffic reductions, and billions of dollars in improvements to the transit system that millions of teachers and students across the region depend on every single day. Congestion pricing will benefit the vast majority of teachers, students, and other school workers who commute into and around the city and the Central Business District—far more than the very few who drive, who will also benefit from faster car trips.
Staten Island—currently the only borough with free public transit into Manhattan (not to mention, a hefty residential discount on the Verrazzano Bridge tolls)— certainly needs more and better transit, including additional express bus and Staten Island Railway service, and proposed projects like North Shore BRT (which PCAC supports and in favor of which we submitted public comments).
It is truly unfortunate that the Borough President and UFT have chosen to threaten $15 billion in transit investments, doubling down on a status quo that is failing New Yorkers— particularly children living in close proximity to our fossil fuel infrastructure and who suffer from higher rates of asthma. Instead, these leaders should be focusing on solutions that would deliver for the majority of their constituents and members who take transit into the CBD and the undeniable improvements to the environment and air quality around the region, including through the many mitigation improvements that residents in Staten Island, the Bronx, and beyond will see. This includes air filtration units in schools near highways, upgrades to electric trucks, renovated parks, investments in asthma clinics for students, and more—none of which would be possible without congestion pricing.
It’s time for the petty politics and lawsuits to end so that people around the region can finally feel the benefits of less traffic, cleaner air, and better transit.